International Mother Language Day 2024: How Many Languages A Child Should Know

Knowing multiple languages has tangible benefits helping to break down barriers and connect with people. It also enables effective communication in different settings

Most of the children are bilingual and research supports that these children have better cognitive skills and conflict resolving abilities.

What happens is: the brain needs to select the right language according to the context while suppressing the other, this in return allows one to manage a conflict better.

In addition, the ability of switching on the grammar of one language while switching off the other helps to improve self-control, which is often a good indicator of academic success.

Not just that, multilingual people also have better executive functional skills than others who are monolingual.

So, a child can be exposed to even 4,5,6, languages; but upto 3 is considered the best.

In most cases, bilingualism is the norm. A baby is exposed to 2 languages, most ideally English and his mother tongue.

Learning a new language beyond toddlerhood is a complex process. One needs to understand the vocabulary, syntax, basic word sounds, tenses and so much more.

In many homes, it is found that children don’t know their mother tongue as English is the spoken language even at home.

This may come from the mindset of a child being able to comprehend and talk English language when they start going to preschools.

But, it is important for parents to expose and teach their children mother tongue as well, owing to multiple benefits it has on the brain and to preserve our cultural values and indigenous languages.

Inputs by: Dr Isha Soni, Senior Occupational Therapist and Centre Head at Lexicon Rainbow Therapy and Child Development Centre, Pune.