Simultaneous

Simultaneous bilingualism applies to children who develop both languages within an equal or near equal timeframe usually achieved through exposure to and opportunities to use both languages. Some children in preschool programs are able to use two or more languages at developmentally appropriate levels. A child who becomes bilingual through a process of simultaneous bilingualism follows a similar pattern of language acquisition as a child who learns each language separately. This pattern is divided into phases denoted by specific age ranges.

Early Phase (Birth to Three Years)

Children make progress in all of the components of language acquisition including phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Bilingual children may combine elements of one language with that of the other. By the age of three, children have acquired the basic rules of grammar and they understand much spoken language. Children can respond to what others say, make requests, issue commands, get attention, and assert their rights.

Middle Phase (Three to Four Years)

The sound system of both languages is fairly well established when children reach age four. As bilingual children develop their languages, the length of their sentences increases. Children at this age love to ask questions; thus they begin using “wh” clauses (“what,” “who,” “where,” “when,” and “why”). Once they have learned how to form questions, they use them constantly to test their hypotheses about the world and about meanings. Some children will talk aloud to themselves while engaged in play. This language practice is called private speech. Children of this age can engage in effective, appropriate conversation with others, and they will modify their speech if they are not understood. When they fail to understand what another person says, they often ask for clarification.

Later Phase (Five to Six Years)

By age six, bilingual children have mastered most of the sounds of their languages and use longer and more complex sentences (more than six words) in both languages. Second language learners, however, may find some sounds difficult to pronounce. For example, many native speakers of Spanish encounter difficulties in saying the English z of “zip” and the th of “thin.” The Spanish-speaking child can usually trill the r in Spanish words such as “rosa” (rose) and “arroz” (rice). Vocabulary in both languages continues to develop.

Bilingual children can achieve all of these stages in two languages with enough exposure and opportunities for use. But, as was noted earlier, not all children progress at the same rate. Being encouraged to communicate using language helps children develop. Preschool teachers’ warmth and responsiveness can go a long way in encouraging bilingual children’s speech development in each of their languages.