Is It a Language Disorder or Difficulties with English as an Additional Language? How to Tell the Difference

If your child is learning English as an additional language (EAL), you may sometimes wonder whether their difficulties with English are simply part of learning a new language—or whether they could have a speech or language disorder.

This is a common concern for families raising children in multilingual homes.

A child who is learning English may initially have a smaller English vocabulary, make grammatical errors or be quieter when communicating in English.

These things do not automatically mean that a child has a language disorder.

However, a child can also be learning English and have a genuine language disorder.

So how can parents tell the difference?

What is EAL?

EAL stands for English as an Additional Language.

The term is commonly used when a child is learning English in addition to one or more other languages. For example, a child might speak Punjabi at home while learning English at school, or speak Mandarin with family while developing English in the community.Learning a new language takes time.

Children may initially understand more than they can say, use shorter sentences, mix languages or rely on gestures while they develop their English skills.These can all be normal parts of multilingual language development.

Does learning two languages cause a language delay?

No.

Learning more than one language does not cause a child to develop a language disorder.

In fact, multilingual children can successfully develop strong communication skills across multiple languages.

It is important to remember that a child's vocabulary may be distributed across the languages they use. For example, a child might know the word “water” in English and a different word for water in their home language.

Looking only at their English vocabulary may therefore underestimate what they actually know. This is why a child's communication should be considered in the context of all of their languages.

What is a language disorder?

A language disorder occurs when a child has persistent difficulties understanding or using language that are not simply explained by learning another language. Language difficulties can affect areas such as:

• Vocabulary

• Understanding instructions

• Following conversations

• Using sentences

• Grammar

• Answering questions

• Telling stories

• Explaining ideas

• Learning and using new words

• Understanding concepts

• Social communication

A child with a language disorder may have difficulties across the languages they use, rather than only struggling with English.

EAL or language disorder: what should parents look for?

One of the most important questions is:

“Does my child have difficulties only in English, or across their languages?”

If a child is learning English and communicates appropriately in their home language, difficulties with English may reflect their developing English skills. However, if a child has significant difficulties understanding or using both their home language and English, this may suggest that additional assessment is appropriate.

For example, a child learning English might:

• Know fewer English words than their classmates

• Make grammatical errors in English

• Have an accent influenced by their first language

• Use shorter sentences in English

• Be quieter in an English-speaking environment

These things can occur during second-language development. On the other hand, you may want to seek professional advice if your child:

• Has difficulty understanding language in their home language

• Has difficulty expressing themselves in their home language

• Struggles to follow simple instructions in familiar languages

• Has very limited vocabulary across languages

• Has persistent difficulty forming sentences across languages

• Has difficulty telling or retelling simple stories

• Struggles to communicate their needs

• Is not making progress over time

• Has lost communication skills they previously had

What if my child mixes languages?

Language mixing is common among multilingual children.

For example, a child might say:

“I want the red car, mama.”

or combine words from different languages in the same sentence.

This is sometimes called code-switching.

It does not automatically indicate confusion or a language disorder.

Children may switch languages depending on who they are talking to, what they are discussing or which language they associate with particular words and experiences.

For multilingual families, language mixing can be a normal part of communication.

What if my child understands more than they can say?

This can happen with both multilingual children and children who have language difficulties.

A child may understand an instruction but struggle to express their response.

For example, they may understand:

“Go and get your shoes because we're going outside.”

but respond with:

“Shoes.”

This is why an assessment should consider both receptive language (understanding) and expressive language (using language).

Should I stop speaking our home language?

No.

If your family speaks Punjabi, Hindi, Mandarin, Cantonese, French, Spanish or another language at home, you do not need to stop using it because your child is learning English.

In fact, continuing to use the language you are most comfortable speaking can provide your child with rich opportunities for communication.

Talk to your child.

Read together.

Tell stories.

Sing songs.

Play games.

Have conversations during everyday routines.

A strong foundation in a family's home language can be an important part of a child's overall communication development.

How can a Speech-Language Pathologist tell the difference?

Assessing a multilingual child requires consideration of their whole communication profile.

An SLP may want to learn about:

• Which languages your child hears

• Which languages your child uses

• How often each language is used

• Who speaks each language with your child

• Your child's communication development

• Your child's understanding of each language

• Your child's vocabulary

• Sentence development

• Speech sound development

• Social communication

• Communication at home and school

Parents' observations are particularly valuable. A child's performance in English alone may not provide a complete picture of their communication abilities.

Don't assume it's “just because they're learning English”

At the same time, it is important not to assume that every communication difficulty is caused by EAL.

A child can be both:

an English language learner and have a language disorder.

If your child continues to struggle with communication across their languages, an assessment can help identify whether additional support may be appropriate.

The goal isn't to label your child.

The goal is to understand how your child communicates and what support will help them succeed.

Supporting your multilingual child at home

Here are some simple ways to support language development:

Talk about everyday activities

Describe what you're doing while cooking, shopping, getting dressed or travelling.

Read in your home language

Choose books your child enjoys and talk about the pictures and story.

Encourage conversations

Ask your child about their day, interests and experiences.

Expand their language

If your child says one word, model a slightly longer phrase.

Child: “Car.”

Parent: “Yes, a red car!”

Don't pressure your child to speak English

Give them opportunities to communicate naturally and allow them time to develop confidence.

Keep using your strongest language

Parents communicate most naturally when using the language they are comfortable speaking.

Rich interaction matters more than forcing conversations in English.

When should I seek a speech and language assessment?

If you're unsure whether your child's difficulties are related to EAL or something more, you don't have to work it out alone. A pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist can help assess your child's communication and consider their multilingual background.

Consider seeking professional advice if you notice that your child is struggling to communicate across languages, isn't making progress, has difficulty understanding language or has lost skills they previously had.

An assessment can provide parents with greater clarity and practical strategies to support communication at home.

EAL and Pediatric Speech Therapy in Surrey

At Inspire Speech Therapy, we understand that many families in Surrey and the Lower Mainland use more than one language at home.

Every child's communication journey is different. Our approach is to look at the whole child and their overall communication, rather than judging their abilities based only on their English vocabulary.

If you're wondering whether your child's difficulties are part of learning English or whether they may benefit from additional speech and language support, we're here to help.

Your child's home language is an important part of who they are—and it should be part of understanding their communication too.

Concerned about your child's speech or language development?

Contact Inspire Speech Therapy to learn more about pediatric speech and language services in Surrey and the surrounding Lower Mainland.

Helping little voices grow.