What transfers between the two languages
- “Ship” and “sheep” may sound the same for a while — the English vowel contrast does not exist in Spanish.
- Spanish words rarely start with s + consonant, so “school” may become “eschool.”
- Adjectives follow nouns in Spanish, so “the car red” is transfer, not disordered grammar.
Difference or disorder?
Look at Spanish. A child with strong Spanish vocabulary and grammar who struggles only in English is developing normally in two languages.
About code-switching
Spanglish follows consistent grammatical rules. Research links it to stronger, not weaker, language ability.
How we assess it fairly
We combine Spanish and English vocabulary into a conceptual score instead of testing each language in isolation.
Still unsure whether what you're seeing is typical?
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