Identical Communicative Challenges in Learning Languages by Bilingual and Monolingual Children

Abstract

Some differences between bilingual and monolingual children have been observed. Differences in vocabulary size in each language are most likely attributable to differences in frequency of exposure and, in some cases, differences in context of exposure. Children who receive primary input in each language from different interlocutors (e.g., mother, father, siblings) may acquire different lexical repertoires in each language because different people talk about different things. Bilingual first language children hear less of either language than monolinguals, which could lead to delays relative to monolingual children in any aspect of acquisition that is frequency-dependent. It is also noteworthy that BFL learners acquire the additional skills that are required to manage and use two languages for communicative purposes. From a very early age, they know when to use each language and when to code mix and how much, even with unfamiliar interlocutors. They are also able to identify breakdowns in communication that are due to inappropriate language choice; they can do so even if feedback is implicit and unspecified; and they have strategies for repairing such breakdowns.