The Bilingual Learner: Language, Literacy, and Brain Development

The rise in global migration results in ever-growing numbers of bilingual and multilingual speakers. Among them is a growing number of bilingual children. On the one hand, we marvel at the ease with which young children master new languages. On the other hand, we fear that learning more than one language may delay children’s language acquisition. Questions commonly asked by parents, teachers, and clinicians include: Are bilingual infants delayed in learning to speak? Are bilingual children delayed in learning to read? Do bilinguals confuse their two languages? In this talk, we will address the common myths about bilingual children’s language and literacy acquisition. We will also discuss the implications of bilingualism for children’s cognitive and brain development as well as best strategies for learning languages for children and adults.