ABSTRACT

This chapter looks at how multilingual language development actually works and compares this to the situation of children with a single language, in particular regarding children’s tendency to go through a phase of using parts of different languages together. In particular, there is discussion regarding the likelihood that one or other of the child’s languages will be stronger than the other(s) at any point in time, and that this situation can change as the child comes into different contexts where different languages are more prominent. The chapter emphasises the importance of parents continuing to speak their languages to the child, even if the child answers in another language or actively protests, and of speaking the family languages with the child from the very beginning.

The chapter also considers individual and societal advantages of multilingualism, as well as possible challenges as the child grows up, and how interaction with other children inside and outside school can be reconciled with the family language practices. The interplay of language skills and identity is discussed, with examples from several families with different language situations. The chapter closes with a consideration of the perspective of adults looking back on a multilingual childhood and forward to their own children’s possible multilingual development.