First words in two languages

What to expect when your toddler is hearing Kreyòl at home and English at daycare.

Captioned video · 6 min

Children learning two languages reach their first words in the same window as children learning one. Count words across both languages together — 'dlo' and 'water' are two words your child knows.

Keep speaking the language you are most comfortable in. Rich, natural input matters far more than which language it is in.

If your child uses very few words in every language they hear, that is worth discussing with a speech-language pathologist.

Available in 8 languages

Each version is reviewed by a bilingual clinician from that community before it is published.

Have a question about your own child?

Ask the Care Guide