Mixed English Exposure: Influence on Child Language Development

The issue of parents speaking 'mixed' English (or any language in which they are not fully fluent) in front of their children is a complex one, and its potential impact on a child's language development can vary depending on various factors.

Firstly, it's important to recognize that children learn language primarily through imitation, particularly in their early years. If a child is frequently exposed to incorrect grammar or pronunciation, there's a chance they might replicate those errors in their own speech.

However, research has also shown that children are remarkably adaptable when it comes to language learning. Even if a child picks up some incorrect patterns from their parents' speech, they can often correct these over time, particularly when they start attending school and interacting with peers and teachers who are fluent in the language. The influence of media and exposure to the wider community can also play a significant role in shaping a child's language development.

That said, the richness and diversity of a child's language environment can also be beneficial, and exposure to multiple languages, even if not all of them are spoken perfectly, can enhance a child's cognitive flexibility and cultural understanding.

In sum, while it's ideal for children to be exposed to models of 'correct' language use as much as possible, exposure to 'broken' English isn't necessarily detrimental in the long term, especially if the child has access to other sources of correct language exposure. It is a good idea to communicate with a speech-language pathologist or a child development expert if you have specific concerns about your child's language development.

Viktoria: I'm Hungarian, and my husband is Greek. Our communication with each other often involves a blend of English, Greek, and Hungarian. We currently live in Hungary and are parents to 14-month-old twins.

I communicate with our twins exclusively in Hungarian, while my husband interacts with them solely in Greek. However, we do not speak directly to them in English, or in the 'English-Greek-Hungarian' mix we frequently use with each other at home.

We are curious about the impact of our mixed language environment on our twins. A significant concern is whether our imperfect English could potentially affect their language development. We are confident that they will learn both Hungarian and Greek, considering their extensive exposure to these languages.

However, we are unsure about how to handle the subject of English. I do not necessarily want to formally teach them English, especially since my proficiency in the language is not perfect.

Thus, we are seeking advice. Should we avoid using our mixed English in front of them and push ourselves to converse in Greek when we're all together, even if I struggle with fluency in Greek? Or should we simply continue as we are?

    Sanna: I'd recommend continuing with the languages that you are most comfortable with for effective communication. In my personal experience, I only speak Finnish to my children, and my husband communicates exclusively in Turkish. We use English when speaking to each other. Our four-year-old is already fluent in both Finnish and Turkish. While his English comprehension is limited, I'm confident that exposure to English through schooling and media will enhance his proficiency in the future.

References

Dr. Erika Hoff, Professor of Psychology at Florida Atlantic University

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

Parental language mixing: Its measurement and the relation of mixed input to young bilingual children's vocabulary size