Learning two languages does not cause speech or language delay. A child can learn Urdu, English, Saraiki or Punjabi while receiving support for a communication difficulty. However, being bilingual is also not a reason to dismiss a concern about hearing, understanding or talking.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) explains that multilingualism is not a communication disorder. Assessment needs to consider the languages a child actually hears and uses. An English-only word list cannot describe the whole picture.
Why might a bilingual child know fewer words in English?
Language experience is not evenly divided. Your child may know food and family words in Urdu and school words in English. A language heard for a small part of the week will usually be less familiar than one used throughout the day. Tell the clinician who speaks each language, when it is used, and what your child understands and says in it.
Keep ordinary conversations in the languages your family is comfortable using. There is no need to make grandparents switch languages or to turn every interaction into an English lesson. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ multilingual parent guide supports maintaining family languages, including for children with speech or language difficulties.
How should I count my child’s Urdu and English words?
Write down words from every language, with an example of when your child uses them. Note approximate words used consistently with meaning, too. Bring the lists to an assessment instead of using one total to decide whether your child has a delay.
There are two different counting methods. Total word vocabulary counts the word forms across languages. Concept vocabulary counts meanings without counting a translated equivalent twice. These totals are not interchangeable, and the appropriate comparison depends on the assessment.
For example, a child who says “paani”, “water” and “ball” has three word forms representing two concepts. That is a recording example, not an age benchmark. Research comparing bilingual vocabulary measures explains why results depend on the counting method. A speech-language therapist also considers understanding, gestures, sentences, play and language exposure.
Is mixing Urdu and English a sign of confusion?
No. Mixing languages can be a normal part of multilingual communication. You can respond to the meaning and model a natural sentence without asking your child to repeat it “properly”. For example, if they say “aur water”, you might reply “More water? Here you are.” Our guide to mixing Urdu and English gives more examples.
What if my child is quiet at an English-medium school?
A child may speak less while becoming familiar with a new language and classroom. Ask the teacher about understanding, participation and comfort, and compare this with communication at home. Do not automatically label a whole term of silence a harmless “silent period”. Persistent difficulty, distress or a large difference between settings deserves a conversation with the school and an appropriate professional.
Language difficulties may affect all the child’s languages, but can look different in each. Parents do not need to prove a problem in every language before asking for help. Read more about supporting a bilingual child at an English school.
When should we arrange an assessment?
- You are concerned about understanding, communication or progress for your child’s age.
- Your child uses very few ways to communicate across their day, or everyday communication is frustrating.
- They seem not to hear you reliably, or there are recurring ear problems: ask about a hearing assessment alongside speech-language assessment.
- They have lost words, gestures or other skills: seek prompt medical advice rather than waiting for a home programme to work.
Use our age-specific developmental checklists to organise observations, not to diagnose your child. For hearing concerns, see glue ear and speech. Bilingualism alone does not explain a delay, and stopping Urdu is not a treatment for one.
A simple home-language record to bring to your appointment
- List the people your child talks with and the languages they use together.
- Write three examples of what your child understands in each language.
- Record a few spontaneous words or sentences, noting the setting and whether help was needed.
- Note hearing concerns, any lost skills and what the nursery or school has noticed.
During play, follow your child’s interests, describe what is happening and leave room for a reply. Accept gestures, signs or communication aids as well as speech. Try the home speech and language games in your family’s languages without turning them into tests.
Speech and language support in Multan
IDTC offers speech and language therapy and developmental assessment. Tell us your child’s strongest language when you book a consultation, so we can discuss how to include family observations and appropriate language support. You do not need to wait several months or drop a language before asking for advice.
Educational information, updated 28 October 2026 using the linked ASHA, AAP and vocabulary research sources. It does not replace an individual assessment.