Activities

• Chontelle B. Hi Edith, You didn't mention your daughters age? If you really want her to become proficient in Spanish, the best thing is to create a need for her to speak it. If she doesn't feel she needs to speak it she may not. Speaking with her full time in Spanish would be the best thing you could do. However if you are not comfortable there are a range of other ways you can use the language. Reading is one of the best ways, books have such a wide range of vocabulary. Singing songs together. Playing games together can be effective too, when there is the motivation to "win" kids can get very involved! If she is still resisting, try using a puppet, who "only speaks Spanish" A doll or a teddy that doesn't understand English, and play all together. Do you have outside resources? Is there anyone else who speaks Spanish who can spend time with her? Is there a Spanish play or activity group near that you can join? The main thing is giving her as much exposure to the language as possible and create a "need" for her to use it. Chontelle

Nanny speaking both English and Spanish

• Chontelle B. Hi Becky, How old are your children are and when did your nanny start? I would to encourage her to speak Spanish with your children, since she is the only Spanish exposure they get. That way they you provide them with the clear expectation that with you they speak English, and with the nanny they speak Spanish. Perhaps she thinks the kids don't understand her in Spanish, and this could be the reason she switches to English. In any case, they will learn much quicker if she sticks to only speaking Spanish with them. Chontelle

• Becky My kids are 14 months and 3.5 years old. My nanny has been with them both full-time since they were born. I have told her over and over that we only want her speaking Spanish. I think it might be partly because she thinks the don't understand (maybe also because we don't understand if we are around). I will remind her again. Thank you!

• Chontelle B. Children absorb more than we think. If she has been with them since birth, I am sure they have a sound knowledge of the language. If she sticks to speaking Spanish with them, they should be able to grow up fluent speakers. Good luck!

• Becky Thank you!

problems with the second language

• Chontelle B. Hi Catalina, This is not an uncommon situation. Many children grow up to be "passive bilinguals" where they understand everything but don't talk the language. It is all about creating the need for them to speak the language. If they can get away with not speaking it, then some will. If your mother is speaking Spanish with them how do they respond to her? Perhaps if they are responding in English, she could repeat the words in Spanish and encourage them to repeat it as well. Initially both my kids answered me in Italian, even when I have spoken only in English from birth. What I used to do if they said something in Italian was look at them with a strange look (like I didn't understand) and say "In English?" Sometimes they would say it, sometimes not. If they didn't say it, I never forced them. First I would prompt them with the first letter to see if they would repeat. And if not, I just repeated what they said to me in English. If I was lucky they repeated after me. I did this every time they spoke Italian and eventually they caught on that I spoke only English! Consistency is key. My advice (if you can) would be to speak Spanish at home together. Your children have and English nanny, and will have enough exposure to English out in the community that you can make Spanish the primary language at home. This will give your kids the best chance of becoming bilingual as they will have equal exposure to both languages. Here are a few articles that may help you: https://bilingualkidspot.com/2017/01/04/minority-language-home-method-mlah-bilingual-kids/ https://bilingualkidspot.com/2016/09/16/create-a-need-minority-language/ https://bilingualkidspot.com/2016/12/13/why-child-wont-speak-minority-language-tips/ https://bilingualkidspot.com/2016/09/02/my-child-wont-speak-my-language-one-simple-technique-that-works-for-us/ Chontelle

Switching languages

• Chontelle B. Hi Katie, I think what you are doing is great!! Keep speaking German at home together as a family. And also when you or your husband are alone with your daughter. Instead, when you are out with friends or in the community speak English. This will give your daughter a great balance of exposure to both languages, and also keep your German up. The other approach you mentioned is OPOL - One Person One Language. It could also be effective. However given that you both can speak German, which is the minority language, I think what you are doing will be much more effective in the long run. The more you speak German together, the better. Chontelle

Our Q&A is now over.

• Chontelle B. Thank you for having me! If anyone would like to see daily information and news on bilingual parenting, come over and follow me at https://www.facebook.com/bilingualkidspot/ Chontelle

Where do I start? Too late perhaps?

• Chontelle B. Hi Nina, If you are not comfortable speaking Hindi full time, then I would suggest using the Time or Place approach. So as you mentioned, you could set aside a time each day to speak Hindi with your kids. It should be at least an hour or more if possible. Try to make it a fun and special time together. A great idea is introducing a puppet who only speaks Hindi such as a doll or teddy, so you can tell your children that you "need to speak Hindi together" otherwise he won't understand you. Read books and play games together. Basically just talk as much as possible and encourage your kids to repeat what you say, and answer back. Sing songs a LOT! Words and phrases are so much easier to remember when put with a melody, so teach your kids as many Hindi songs as possible. Is there anyone else you know who speaks Hindi? Friends or family members? If so try to spend time with them when possible only speaking the language. Have you tried looking for playgroups or mothers groups in your area that you can join for extra exposure? Check out this website for books. They have a fantastic range of books in Hindi and Bilingual. They also have building blocks too which can be great fun! https://kitaabworld.com/ Chontelle

Trying to Raise Bilingual Baby When I Only Speak English

• Chontelle B. Hi Nikke, In your case, I think it may be a bit difficult to pass on both of your husband's languages without using outside resources, so you should decide which is more important for now, then maybe you can introduce the other later on. If your husbands family speaks Gujarati and it is the most important to him, then he should start speaking with your son immediately in only Gujarati. As you are the primary caregiver, your son may not have a lot of exposure, but as long as your husband keeps consistent it is still possible. Make sure that when your husband is home, that he takes the time to just sit and play with your son talking as much as possible, especially at this age. Even if your little one doesn't talk back, he will still be processing everything! Many experts recommend that children receive around 25-30hrs per week language exposure to become bilingual. But, remember, quality time is better than quantity. I know you said you are the primary caregiver, but if your husband can even set aside an hour each day constantly talking, reading and playing with your son only in Gujarati, he should be able to set down at least a strong foundation. Then eventually you can introduce other resources later on. As for what you can do, you may be quite limited if you cannot speak or read the language. Audio books are great, if you can't read yourself. You can listen along with your little one following the book together. Music is great too, if you can play songs during the day. You can learn together :) As he gets older, you can then introduce some cartoons in Gujarati as well. Maybe you can find families in your area who speak the language? How far away does your husband's family live? Even if you can arrange to go visit every now and again, it can help. You can also make video calls. Technology these days is amazing! We use Skype to talk with my family at least once a week and it is a great help! Hope this helps, you sound very motivated, good luck! Take a look at the minority language section on my website for more ideas: https://bilingualkidspot.com/category/minority-language/ Chontelle

• Nikke This was very helpful. My husbands spends all of his time after work at home with our son and I will remind him to start talking to him in Gujarati. We do video call his family every other day and they usually speak in Gujarati. I have tried to find people in the local community but haven't been able to connect yet but I will work on that. Again thank you for your comments. They were very helpful!

• Chontelle B. You are very welcome. I would love to hear your progress :)

Older children

Toddler Learning French

• Chontelle B. Hi Paula, How old is your daughter? Are you able to enrol her in another session? While once a week is a great start, she will need more exposure if you want her to become fluent. If not, I would advise finding a French native babysitter or playmate, to come "play" with your daughter a few hours/days per week. We do this with Spanish with our children and it works really well! We don't speak Spanish ourselves, so we have a Spanish girl come a few days per week for a couple of hours at a time. She plays, sings, reads, and pretty much just talks the whole time she is here only in Spanish. It's great, our kids love it. Since you said you cannot read books, try some audio books, so that you can read along together. Take a look at this link, search French audio book: http://www.languagelizard.com/ They may also sell them in your local international bookshop too. You can then learn along with your daughter :) We recently tried out the Whistlefritz programs in Spanish, however they come also in French. They are language learning dvd's. My kid's really like them, something like this could be a good idea, take a look here: https://bilingualkidspot.com/2017/01/19/whistlefritz-kids-spanish-language-learning-program/ Hope this helps, if you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask! Chontelle

Should we try?

• Chontelle B. Hello Tameka, There are many ways that monolingual parents can raise bilingual kids! In my opinion, the best way is finding someone who is a native of the language to come "play" with her. At such a young age, play is the best method to learn anything :) I am an English native and my husband is Italian. Our kids both speak English and Italian, and are learning Spanish as a third language. Neither my husband nor I speak Spanish so we hired a "playmate" to come play with them. She comes 3-4 afternoons per week for a couple of hours at a time. We started when our eldest was about to turn three and he had no issues adapting. A year and a half later he understands everything and can hold a simple conversation. I find it has been so effective because she ONLY speaks Spanish with them. If this isn't an option for you, you can join some playgroups or mothers groups where they speak Spanish. Are you able to enrol her in a Spanish only or even a bilingual kindergarten? Learning along with your little one is definitely a great idea too. Actually I am learning bits and pieces of Spanish so we sing songs together and I ask my kids to "teach" me Spanish which they love. Audio books are great, you can read along together, and as your little one gets older you can introduce some Spanish cartoons too. Hope these ideas help, for further reading you can see this post, if you have any other questions feel free to ask. Good luck! https://bilingualkidspot.com/2016/06/05/raise-bilingual-children-dont-speak-second-language/ Chontelle

What language should we use for the first words?

• Chontelle B. Hi Gwen, I think you have two main options in your case: 1. As you and your husband are French, and there is the possibility that you will move back to France, then French should be your first priority. As your daughter is being exposed to English and Chinese at daycare, then French could be your "home language", where you all speak French together. This way there is the clear expectation that she speaks French at home, and English and Chinese at daycare. If you intend on moving around a lot, the common language in most countries will most likely be English. If you will send your daughter to international schools, she will always learn English at school, (and perhaps another language depending on where you are). So English should be taken care of without your help. 2. The other option, if you are comfortable enough, is OPOL - One Person One Language, where one of you speaks only French with your daughter, and the other speaks only English. This will ensure that she gets good exposure to both languages wherever you are. However it will only work, if whoever is speaking English, is comfortable speaking the language, and fluent enough to keep it up. I think though, if you intend to send your daughter to an English speaking school right through, that option number one is a better choice in your situation. The main thing is staying consistent, with whichever language you choose to speak to your daughter. This will help her understand from the start and avoid her becoming confused. Hope that helps :) Chontelle

• Gwen Thank you so much for your message and advices Chontelle! Gwen

Trilingual children learning to read

• Chontelle B. Hi Laetita, This question is not uncommon, many multilingual families have the same issue. Since you mentioned you want him to become proficient in all languages written and spoken, then yes you will have to either teach him yourself, or seek outside resources. For now though, as he is still young, reading should be enough. You are doing great using phonics. In my opinion this is the best way to teach young children to read, by sounding out the words. This will give him a good base so that he can learn in any language. You will find that some letters will sound the same, and some will be different, and he may mix them up a little initially, but he will eventually learn to differentiate those, just as he does when talking. Some words cannot be sounded out (sight words) so he will have to learn those. A great way is playing games such as word bingo so that he gets used to recognising them. Make sure you have simple books available in all languages to feed his interests. Books that have larger words on the pages. You could alternate each night with bedtime stories, one evening in French, the next in Turkish, so he gets a good balance. One thing I always advise is to keep reading aloud to him, even when he is able to read himself. You will be able to read longer books with a broader range of vocabulary and it is important that he hears as many different words as possible. In regards to writing, you can incorporate it into activities that you do at home together, for example writing birthday cards, or letters to family or friends. Eventually you could try to find some activity books in each language. While your son is young, try to keep things fun and interesting as much as possible. Don't make it a chore. You should find that once he learns English at school, those skills can be transferred over to the other languages. If you find later on as he gets older, that he is behind in one of the languages, you can then concentrate on that language a little more. Hope that helps :) Here is an article that goes into a little more detail: https://bilingualkidspot.com/2016/08/23/teach-your-child-to-read-minority-language/ Chontelle

• Laetitia Thank you so much for taking the time to address my questions. Everything you mentioned we are already doing but we'll try to do more. Thanks for the link to your post as well as it has great reminders about what matters most when teaching children to read. I will definitely look into beginning Reader books in French and Turkish to add to our collection! Thanks again, I really appreciate all your advice! Laetitia

3 languages

• Chontelle B. Hi Claudia, Great question! The main thing with languages, is creating the need to use them. Usually it is best to be consistent and choose a language so there is less confusion, and one language isn't left out. However since it seems your there is a clear separation of the languages, it could be ok code switching. I think it really depends on which language is more important to you, and which is the the language you can express yourself the most in. When you are alone with your daughter which language feels more natural to speak? If all three languages are the same, you could either choose the language which you think has the least exposure and speak that one. OR choose contexts to speak them in. For example when you are with your husband as a family, speak Portuguese together. When you are with your parents, speaks Spanish together, and when you are out in the community you speak English together. As long as there is some consistency, and your daughter is getting enough exposure to all languages. Does that make sense? Chontelle

Introducing languages

• Chontelle B. Hi Jessica, There is nothing confusing about learning two languages simultaneously and it is still not too late. The "Critical Period" as they call it is from birth to six years old, where children have the best chance at becoming bilingual. You should introduce languages as young as possible. You can definitely start talking to your daughter in Spanish. It may initially be a bit of a shock for so what I usually advise is to start "talking twice" for a little while. For example saying what you want to say first in English, then repeat it in Spanish. When you think she is starting to understand, start talking only in Spanish and see her reaction. Eventually stop talking English altogether. You can also start reading books in Spanish, and singing Spanish songs together. Introduce a doll or teddy bear who "only speaks Spanish" that way it gives her a reason to use the language. You can't really put a time on how long it takes to learn a language, as it depends on the child, and also how much exposure your child has to the language. My son who is 4.5 years old has been learning Spanish as a third language for about a year and a half. He has probably about 6-8 hours of "play" per week in Spanish. He can understand everything, and speaks conversations, but still occasionally mixes with some Italian words. Many migrant and expat children start new schools where they do not know the language being taught. Usually they are able to catch up with their peers within the first school year as they are being exposed to the language all day every day. As for additional languages, as long as a child has the need to use them it is usually fine. The main thing is providing that "need". It is only worth introducing a new language if you have the resources for them to learn. Either a nanny, babysitter, language school, or playgroup etc. Or even by learning along with your child. Here are some articles for further reading, I hope they can help. https://bilingualkidspot.com/category/bilingual-parenting/ Chontelle

English and Italian

• Chontelle B. Hi Jennifer, I am actually in the same situation as you I am an English speaker and my husband Italian, however we live in Italy. I would suggest using the OPOL approach, One Person One Language, as you mentioned. This is what we do. I speak only English and my husband speaks only Italian. As you live in the US, your husband will need to be very consistent using Italian though, if you want the best chance for your child to become bilingual. Because he/she will be exposed to so much English in the community, it would be best that he sticks to speaking Italian all the time, even when outside. If you can be consistent from the start then you should be able to give your child a strong foundation of both languages. Chontelle

• Jennifer Thank you Chontelle! So when you say he should speak only Italian even outside the house do you consider even when we are with friends and family? Even though they only speak English?

• Chontelle B. Hi Jennifer, It really depends on what he is comfortable with. I personally only speak English with my children, even when we are with people who do not speak English. I know it may come across as rude to some people, and I have had some strange looks in the park. But, many people we know understand why I do it, and I explain to them how important it is to me that my children grow up bilingually. For example my husbands relatives do not speak English at all (actually nobody does where we live!) With them I speak Italian, and in general conversation if we are in a group. But if I speak directly to my children, I speak with them in English, and I expect them to speak with me in English. If I have to, I translate for anyone else if they want to know what I have said. Because I am the only English speaker, I made the decision to make this priority so to not confuse my kids. With your children, Italian will always be the minority language, so the more exposure to the language, the better. Being consistent is also important, so that your child does not become confused. Children will follow your lead, they need to know what to expect. Chontelle

• Jennifer Ok I understand now. I was just wondering if we were with my family and he is only speaking Italian to them in front of or child, that it could get old very quickly as there would be no conversation. When we are in Italy with his family and friends then I should continue to only speak English even though his family and friends don't speak any English and I don't really speak Italian very well? Or to clarify it's only when I am speaking with our child I continue to always only speak English. The reason I ask this is because it's very important to my husband that I learn Italian and he wants me to start to only speak Italian to him so then I learn faster and I'm able to communicate better with his family when we are visiting however I don't want to confuse our son with me going back and forth.

• Chontelle B. To clarify, it is only when speaking with your child. In general conversation with my husband's family, I speak Italian. This is how I learned Italian, speaking with them, I never knew how to speak it before my children were born. It is only when I specifically speak with my kids, that I switch to English. They also do the same, even my 2.5 year old will speak one minute with me in English and then turn and say the same thing to his Nonna in Italian. If you can be consistent it works. Eventually later on, you can probably mix every now and again. For example, my eldest is 4.5 years old. If I am talking to he and his friends, who don't speak English, I address the group of them in Italian, and it is fine. He already understands well that we speak English together, but occasionally I have to speak in Italian so the others understand. The younger they are, the more important it is to be consistent :)

Would they get confused?

• Chontelle B. Hello Tosh, This is one of the most difficult situations, when one parent cannot understand the language of the other. They can sometimes feel left out. In fact, many parents choose to learn the language of their partner, or at least the basics. If you really want your children to become bilingual, speaking to them is the best way. They are still young enough for you to switch to Japanese, they would get used to it very soon. However if you are uncomfortable speaking Japanese when you are all together you can use English as your family language, and speak Japanese with them when you are alone. Regarding a third language, which language does your husband speak? And how important is it to you that they are able to speak it? The younger the better when introducing any language. One possible approach would be for you to speak Japanese when you are alone with your kids, your husband speaks his language when alone with them, and you speak English when you are all together. Or perhaps, you stick to your own languages at home, and they get their English exposure out in the community. It really depends on how comfortable (and consistent) you can be, and how your husband feels not being able to understand you when you speak. Chontelle

• Tosh He speaks Twi, which is one of the languages in ghana. There are little to no resources so it would be difficult for me to learn. I think i will focus on Japanese...thank you.

• Chontelle B. Hi Tosh, It is probably a good idea to focus on Japanese for now and be consistent with it. I would speak Japanese as much as possible with your children, encouraging them to use the language and speak back with you. They are still young enough that you can switch to only speaking Japanese if you want to. They may take a little while to get used to it, but it shouldn't be that much of a shock. Good luck! I would love to hear your progress later on :) Chontelle

At what age should we start?

• Chontelle B. Hi Cindy, Although you may think your son is too young to understand, there is a lot of research to say that babies start learning in the womb, so the earlier you start, the better. If English and Mandarin are the languages you want him to speak, you can follow OPOL - One Parent One Language where you and his grandparents speak Mandarin and your husband speaks English. https://bilingualkidspot.com/2016/10/07/opol-method-one-person-one-language/ It is very important that you stay consistent in this case especially with Mandarin as it will be the minority language and have the least exposure. Exposure is everything when it comes to languages. You should try to make sure your son gets a good balance of exposure between both languages. Does your husband understand Mandarin? If so, then it shouldn't be a problem speaking Mandarin to your son, even in a family conversation. When at home speaking with your husband, speak in English. However, when you speak with your son, switch to Mandarin. I hope that answers your question, good luck :) Chontelle

Multiple languages

• Chontelle B. Hello Namrita, You are right, there are a lot of different languages there.How much exposure to each language does she get now? At what level does she speak each language? I would step back and think about your long term goals, because at the moment it seems like it could become very confusing for her since there are 7 languages. Personally I think this is too many at this age. Ask yourself the following: Which languages are important to you? Which languages would you like your daughter to learn? How fluent do you want her to become in those languages? How will you create the need to speak each of them? Based on what you have written, I would advise the following: Since your husband speaks only one language, he can take care of her English. If you are comfortable enough, you could speak with your daughter exclusively in Hindi, or one of the other languages you know. I would choose one and try to stick with it. Since she is being exposed to Spanish, Arabic and Mandarin at pre-school I would choose a nanny for either one (or at the most two) of those languages and concentrate on helping her becoming proficient in those languages first. Your daughter should be able to handle speaking three main languages with no problem, possibly four, and become fluent in each one, if she has enough exposure to each of them as she grows up. Exposure is the key. The other language at school may become a passive language where she understands and may speak bits and pieces. I hope it all makes sense! Chontelle

Our Q&A starts now!

What does normal bilingual development look like in a toddler?

• Chontelle B. Hi Maria, This is a common question many parents of bilingual kids ask. The answer is not simple unfortunately as all children develop their language abilities differently. Even siblings may develop differently. Some children will speak earlier, some will speak later. It has nothing to do with being raised bilingually. Bilingualism itself does not cause delays. Here is a great article to explain it more in detail. https://bilingualkidspot.com/2016/09/14/language-development-bilingual-children/ I think you are doing a great job. It is normal for families in your situation to use the OPOL method (One Person-One Language). You should just make sure that you are consistent in speaking Russian with your daughter as she grows. Even if you speak with your husband in English, and she see's it, it is fine, as long as when you speak directly with your daughter, you speak only in Russian. With Russian being the minority language, you need to speak with her as much as possible, especially while she is young. Good luck, I would love to hear your progress :) Chontelle

• Maria Great advice! Thank you so much. I am glad to hear that we are on the right track :)

language to start with

• Chontelle B. Hi Ghusoon, Your question is a little vague and is difficult to answer without context. Could you give me a little more information about your family?

Am I too late?

• Chontelle B. Hi Sarina, You are definitely not too late! It seems like you have set down a good foundation. The OPOL approach is the right one for your family. However it seems that your daughter doesn't feel the "need" to speak Thai with you. If she is responding in English with you, perhaps you can say something like "In Thai" (in the language of course!). or "Mummy speaks Thai, can you tell me in Thai?" or repeat what she has just said. Since English is everywhere, make Thai a priority in your household. Read Thai books together every day, sing songs, listen to Thai music. If you allow screen time, allow it only in Thai. (This actually works well with my kids, if my son asks to watch a cartoon I am more likely to say yes if he watches in English which is our minority language) Play lots of games together, you will be surprised how kids don't actually realise they are learning when they are concentrating and "trying to win". The most important thing is to make it fun! Let your daughter choose the games to play and choose the books to read, then she will be more likely to use the language with you. Be consistent, repeating and encouraging her to repeat after you. Here are some articles to read on improving the minority language: https://bilingualkidspot.com/category/minority-language/ If you have any other questions feel free to ask! Chontelle

Spanish Activities/Resources

• Chontelle B. Hi Michele, It seems like you are doing a great job. Unfortunately I do not know personally of any playgroups in the Boston area as I am not based in the US however I found this useful post online that may be of help: https://mommypoppins.com/boston-kids/preschools/16-bilingual-and-language-immersion-preschools-in-or-near-boston At 15 months old, I recommend a lot of play and reading books. Your daughter is still young and children at this age learn best through play. You can buy many Spanish books and bilingual books at: http://www.languagelizard.com/ As for you learning the language, I would start trying to speak with your nanny in Spanish to start with! What better way to practice. There are many online apps such as Duolingo which are very popular. Taking an immersion course yourself could be an idea or joining a Spanish playgroup or mothers club where you can learn the language together with your daughter. I hope they help. Chontelle

One Parent, One language

• Chontelle B. Hello Laura, Your concerns are quite common, however, the issues you have mentioned are a few of the many misconceptions about raising bilingual children. The biggest misconception is about speech delays. Bilingualism does not cause speech delays, in fact bilingual kids develop their language skills the same as monolingual children. Here is a great article you can read on "Language Development in Bilingual Children" "https://bilingualkidspot.com/2016/09/14/language-development-bilingual-children/ Regarding your questions: 1. I would suggest one of two methods: OPOL - One Person One Language: This is as you explained, where each of you speak one language with your daughter. So you speak in Spanish and your husband in English, or the other way around. Being consistent is the key to making this method work, especially for whoever speaks Spanish, because it will be the language which will get the least exposure. https://bilingualkidspot.com/2016/10/07/opol-method-one-person-one-language/ MLAH - Minority Language at Home: This is where you make Spanish your home language, and English the Community Language. Many experts suggest this is the best approach to use where possible. You can then introduce English through outside resources such as playgroups and mothers groups. If you do not have anything available in your area, you could make your own adaption to this method. Speak Spanish as a family and then introduce English through songs and stories. This way when she starts school she will have a basic knowledge. https://bilingualkidspot.com/2017/01/04/minority-language-home-method-mlah-bilingual-kids/ 2. Reading and writing can be learned as your daughter shows interest, or even at school. There is no rush. Every child is different, some children will show an interest earlier than others, my advice is to follow their lead. I would suggest, that if you will send your daughter to an English only school, then you teach her to read in Spanish at home yourself. You will find that as the alphabet is similar that it won't be too difficult to distinguish. My son, who is 4.5 recently started to read, sounding out words and short phrases etc. I have only taught him in English, however he is also able to read Italian and Spanish words. Of course he mixes up every now and again, but they aren't too different. 3. You will find that most kids will play with each other no matter which language they speak depending on their age. Of course as they get older it can be more difficult. Depending on which approach you use as mentioned above, you can definitely introduce English at some point so your daughter should be able to communicate, even if basic. You would be surprised how much kids pick up when playing! Hope this helps! Chontelle