How much 'should' an almost two year old speak ? '

[xmastreezz]

I know it's different for every child. But I'm always worrying about it.

We are also trying to raise her bi-tri lingual. But her English is taking off more, because that's what we speak at home with each other mainly.

I don't want to confuse her either. It's tough ! So I'm putting other languages on the back burner a little bit. This also makes me sad. Like I'm not doing my best. She'll learn English anyway.

What are your experiences ?

My oldest boy had practically no words until he turned 2 and then loads came together.

Three of my four had virtually no words at 2 and were speaking in complete sentences by 2.5. If you're using multiple languages then it could well take longer before you hear much speech. The important thing is understanding; does your child understand what you are saying?

Multilingual kids appear to behind verbally but they’re not. They have a great breath of language. My kids and I are monolingual. In your situation I wouldn’t be cutting back on the other languages.

@StuntNun

Three of my four had virtually no words at 2 and were speaking in complete sentences by 2.5. If you're using multiple languages then it could well take longer before you hear much speech. The important thing is understanding; does your child understand what you are saying?

I think she does when she wants to, if that makes sense ? She can't always be bothered. But often when I say, go and get the book and let's read, she goes and gets the book. But other times she just ignores me.

She has a lot of words I would say. She also repeats phrases like ' come on then ' ' let's go mummy ' etc.

But she doesn't say stuff like ' I want milk '.

But she'll go to the chocolate cupboard and point at it and say ' chocolate '. So she does make herself understood. She can also count to 10. She also sorts blocks and counts them. But she doesn't always know all her animals when you ask her.

Stuff like that.

@Fallagain

Multilingual kids appear to behind verbally but they’re not. They have a great breath of language. My kids and I are monolingual. In your situation I wouldn’t be cutting back on the other languages.

It's bad isn't it. I've just found myself cutting them out because she understands English more. She ' speaks ' English more, so I encourage it. But I'll regret it one day if I don't teach her the other ones. I think she understands the other ones, but she doesn't speak them. Also because nanny and nursery only speak English to her.

My DD could talk brilliantly at 18months but my son didn't until about 2.5. My nephew is 3 and is still difficult to understand. Nothing wrong with any of them, they're all different don't worry.

When will she start singing ? She doesn't sing

@hangrylady

My DD could talk brilliantly at 18months but my son didn't until about 2.5. My nephew is 3 and is still difficult to understand. Nothing wrong with any of them, they're all different don't worry.

Do you mean she could just speak to you like ' mummy can we go to the park today ? '

' I'm hungry, can I have some biscuits ? '

Like full sentences ?

Those are some fairly complex sentences you're expecting! My child is 2.5 and speaks very well, but wouldn't talk like that - he'll ask for food or drink, but wouldn't express emotion or have a concept of asking to go somewhere outside the house.

As PPs said, they're all different. I would continue with all three languages and see how it goes - it doesn't sound like cause for concern at the moment.

All of mine have been very good with speech, talking in sentences and expressing themselves well before 2, I sang, read, narrated what I was doing, didn't do baby talk etc. But it was just in one language.

Multilingual children appear behind but they're not, they'll have a sudden burst of language and much better academic advantage. Don't worry!

When I studied teaching English as a foreign language I was told children can learn 4 languages quite easily until the age of 11 when it fails off and very easily children who are the brightest can learn up to 8 languages. Can you imagine 8!

I did the qualification back in the 90s but I expect this is still valid.

@Househunting21

Those are some fairly complex sentences you're expecting! My child is 2.5 and speaks very well, but wouldn't talk like that - he'll ask for food or drink, but wouldn't express emotion or have a concept of asking to go somewhere outside the house.

As PPs said, they're all different. I would continue with all three languages and see how it goes - it doesn't sound like cause for concern at the moment.

I honestly have no idea what to expect as we've also barely seen children her age. You don't get to see them at nursery etc.

She doesn't have any friends yet. But I've just noticed sometimes when adults speak to her who don't know her, they ask her what colour is XYZ and she can answer. Or how old are you ? Or what is your name ?

I'm really trying to teach her those things, but she's not there yet. But we did have a breakthrough the other day, when I asked her what colour something was, she responded by listing all the colours she knows. Bless her.

Look up OPOL (One Parent One Language). We’re monoglots so aren’t using it, but I read about it out of interest. Essentially each parent needs to speak in “their” language consistently, and the child will probably appear “behind” in that instead of knowing 10 words they’ll only know 5 words of one language, but they’ll also know 5 words of their other language.

Stick at it, it will be so worthwhile. I am quite envious that you have this opportunity.

She sounds fine. Some kids don't really sing. Some do.

If you want to raise her bi/trilingual it's best for each person to stick to one language eg dad speaks language 1, mum speaks language 2, nanny/school speaks language 3

All of my siblings have married people of different nationalities and between them there are 9 DC. Most have been a bit slower to speak and ALL have expressed a strong preference for speaking English ( we all live in U.K.) with some refusing to speak their other language despite understanding it fine.

My DN could select books in the language she was directed to ar around 2 although she obviously couldn’t read.

It’s very interesting. None are bilingual but all have between good and excellent knowledge of their second language. To get them fully bilingual really takes a huge effort at home especially if the alphabet is different.

She will speak later if she has more than one language. It's normal. As long as you can tell she understands when you talk to her I would not worry! And do keep the other languages going.

Do not put the one language on the back burner. Keep going with both.

How do you separate the languages? Does one of the adults speak one language and the other adult speak the other?
Do you do one language in the house snd another put and about?

The HV should be able to reassure you. Being bilingual or more is pretty standard but not so much in some areas of the uk.

Do you have friends who speak the other language or are bilingual?

My older boy is almost 4 and is basically tri lingual. We live in Mallorca and he speaks English at home and Catalan and Spanish at school. I was so worried about his speech before he turned 2 as he had almost no words. Pretty much just mama, papa and no (his favourite word ). His speech took off just after his 2nd birthday and now he won’t stop talking, and all of his teachers and other parents at school tell me how good his vocab and pronunciation are.
I remember being at a shop a few days before his 2nd birthday with my husband and he pointed at the shoe display and he said “shoe” and we were both so excited and amazed as it was the first time he had done anything like that. Don’t worry just yet, it’s a lot for them to take in with all the different languages.
And I agree that the sentences in your earlier comment seem pretty complex for a 2 yo. Even friends children who were ahead of him at the time wouldn’t have been saying those types of sentences.

I always remember DS1 saying 'they're daddy's keys' at twenty months and people being surprised.
Speak to your HV if worried.

@MaskingForIt

Look up OPOL (One Parent One Language). We’re monoglots so aren’t using it, but I read about it out of interest. Essentially each parent needs to speak in “their” language consistently, and the child will probably appear “behind” in that instead of knowing 10 words they’ll only know 5 words of one language, but they’ll also know 5 words of their other language.

Stick at it, it will be so worthwhile. I am quite envious that you have this opportunity.

That's how we started out. Then I freaked out and started speaking to her in English haha.

I'm personally bi lingual too and my dad spoke to me in one language, whereas my mum actually used both the country's language and her own language because she wanted me to be able to speak it well before nursery. Which did seem to help. I am tri lingual myself, but certainly have my dominant languages vs non dominant. It's fascinating.

OP, I know a fair bit about raising bilingual children.

What is your native language? What is your partner's native language (if you have a partner)? Native language of any other adults or children in your household, or with whom your child has daily contact?

Are you living in a country which has English as its native language?

My 2 year old can speak fluently in full sentences. She had single words at 10 months, 4-5 word sentences by 18 months and by 24 was completely fluent in full extended sentences.

My eldest was 2 before he said single words. By 2.5 he was putting words together but he was 3.5 before I would say he was speaking fluently and fully.

They are all different, I wouldn’t worry.

My 23 month old is a good example. Spends all day at English speaking nursery and hears English at home between me and spouse.

BUT - I only only only speak my mother tongue (an Asian language) to her. Only.

her reflex action speech is English (and why not? It’s all around her). So for example she’ll instinctive say “more please” or “this one”.

But the minute I say it in my language she will asap repeat it in my language. No probs. Bit by bit I am also noticing she is saying that “more please” in my langauge when speaking to me.

I have had to make my peace with the fact that she hears my langauge only mornings and evenings, weekends and car rides. That’s it. M everything else is English including my conversations with my white British spouse - their dad.

Some days I feel very down that she’s obviously choosing to say things in English first but I am keeping at it and she definitely is developing the other language and understands 100% of course.

It’s a bit hard for me to do this because I come from a multilingual country - a former British colony where we automatically grow up trilingual - it isn’t a separate “thing” that our parents try to do if you see what I mean

Crossed with you, OP.

As PP say, the way it works best is for the parent/s to speak in their native language (or one of them, if you are trilingual!) But you have to do it the whole time. Speaking, reading, singing - everything. English is then used only outside the house, if you're a single parent, or by the other parent, if there is one. Children seem to be learning to talk more slowly, but they're not: it can just take them a bit longer to get it all together.

In my experience, some children sing loads and others don't at all unless they're forced to at school nativities etc.

Lower your expectations massively. It's very common for a 2 year old to be saying barely any words.

It sounds like she's pretty advanced if she's counting to 10. Singing, full sentences, colours, will all come in time. Just enjoy the process of her learning new things every day.