Bilingual Children: How Do Their Two Languages Talk to Each Other?

In the United States, English is the formal language of society and schooling instruction. Therefore, English language proficiency—in speaking, reading, and writing—is critical to academic and career success. For children from immigrant families, transitioning to English-only instruction can be challenging and can raise a conflict: should one focus solely on English skills or should they also maintain their home or heritage language? This presents a logical paradox. On one hand, mastering any skill requires practice. More practice in English should lead to better proficiency. On the other hand, bilingualism theories posit that bilinguals can transfer their language skills across both languages (Chung et al., 2019). Thus, practicing heritage language skills may also support English proficiency.