Mixing languages is not a problem
A Hebrew sentence with a Dutch word in the middle? That is not confusion. It is a smart bilingual brain at work.
“Ima, I want the hagelslag!” Half Hebrew, half Dutch, completely clear.
Many parents get nervous when their child mixes languages. Are they confused? Will they ever speak either language properly? Let’s take a calm look.
Why children mix
Bilingual children use everything they have. When a word is missing in one language, they borrow it from the other. That is not a mistake, it is resourcefulness. Adults who speak two languages do exactly the same thing.
Often the mixing also follows the situation. Words that belong to daycare (the snack, the playground games) come in Dutch, and words that belong to home come in Hebrew. That makes perfect sense.
One iceberg, two tips
The researcher Jim Cummins described languages as two tips of one iceberg. Above the water they look separate, but underneath they share a common base: understanding stories, reasoning, knowing how conversations work. What a child learns in one language strengthens the other.
So time spent in Hebrew is not time taken away from Dutch.
What we can do
- Respond to the message, not the mix. First react to what your child wants to tell you.
- Offer the word, gently. “Ah, you want the sprinkles!” in the language you are speaking, without correcting.
- Create language-rich moments. Reading together, songs and bedtime stories in the home language matter a lot.
- Stay relaxed. A child who feels that both languages are welcome will keep using both.
Want to talk about your family’s language plan? Send me a message.