Malta is a bilingual nation where most children grow up hearing and speaking both Maltese and English. While bilingualism is a wonderful advantage, it can sometimes make it harder for parents to know whether their child’s language development is on track. At WonderKids, we provide expert speech therapy for bilingual children, helping families navigate language development with confidence.
Bilingual Language Development: What Is Normal?
Children growing up with two languages follow their own developmental path, and this can look different from monolingual development. Normal bilingual patterns include:
- Code-mixing: Using words from both languages in the same sentence. This is a normal and sophisticated skill, not a sign of confusion
- Vocabulary distribution: A bilingual child’s vocabulary may be split across two languages. They might know some words in Maltese and others in English. Their total vocabulary across both languages is usually comparable to monolingual peers
- Language preference: Children may prefer one language over the other at different stages, often depending on which language they hear most
- Uneven development: One language may develop faster than the other, particularly if the child has more exposure to it
These patterns are all typical and do not indicate a language disorder.
When Should Bilingual Families Be Concerned?
While bilingualism itself does not cause language delays, bilingual children can still experience genuine speech and language difficulties. You should seek an assessment if your child:
- Has limited vocabulary in both languages combined (not just one)
- Shows difficulty understanding language in both languages
- Is significantly behind peers in communication, even accounting for bilingual development
- Has unclear speech that is difficult for familiar adults to understand
- Stopped talking or lost language skills they previously had
- Has been identified as having concerns by their school or nursery
The Challenge of Assessment
Assessing bilingual children requires special expertise. A child who appears to have limited English vocabulary may actually have a rich Maltese vocabulary. Standard assessments designed for monolingual English speakers can underestimate a bilingual child’s true abilities.
At WonderKids, our speech and language pathologist understands bilingual development and assesses children in the context of their full language experience. We consider both languages, gather information from parents about the child’s communication in each language, and use assessment approaches appropriate for bilingual children.
How We Support Bilingual Children
If a genuine speech or language difficulty is identified, our therapy is designed to support both languages:
- Language stimulation strategies that work across both Maltese and English
- Parent coaching in the family’s preferred language, helping you support your child’s communication throughout daily routines
- Therapy sessions that respect and incorporate both languages
- School liaison to ensure consistent support across Maltese and English instruction
We never recommend dropping a language. Instead, we help families find the best ways to nurture both languages while addressing the underlying communication difficulty.
Supporting Malta’s Bilingual Families
As a Maltese practice, we deeply understand the local bilingual context. Many of our families use a mix of Maltese and English at home, and we tailor our approach accordingly. Whether your child attends a Maltese-medium, English-medium, or church school, we adapt our therapy to fit their educational context.
Contact WonderKids on +356 77048650 or email [email protected] to discuss your bilingual child’s communication and book an assessment at our Mosta or Zebbug clinic.