Does your multilingual child struggle with Dutch? Perhaps their Dutch vocabulary is smaller than that of their classmates, they have difficulty pronouncing certain sounds, or they find it hard to express themselves in Dutch. In these situations, schools sometimes recommend speech and language therapy.
And sometimes, speech and language therapy is exactly what your child needs.
But not always.
For multilingual children, something else may be going on. The child may not have a problem with language development itself. They may simply not have had enough exposure to Dutch to develop the same vocabulary and language skills as children who speak Dutch both at home and at school.
So how do you know whether your child needs speech and language therapy or would benefit more from extra Dutch lessons?
At Dutch for Kids, we have worked with many multilingual children in exactly this situation.
When can speech and language therapy help?
A speech and language therapist can support children with a range of difficulties involving speech, language, voice and communication. This may include difficulties pronouncing certain sounds, problems with intelligibility or other challenges related to speech and language development.
When there is an underlying speech or language difficulty, speech and language therapy can be extremely valuable.
But what if a child mainly speaks another language at home and, as a result, simply hears and uses less Dutch?
Then something different may be happening.
The child may not have difficulty learning language. They may simply not have had enough opportunities to develop their Dutch to the same level as children who hear and speak Dutch throughout the day.
Sometimes it isn’t about pronunciation, it’s about vocabulary
This is something we regularly see at Dutch for Kids.
One father came to us with his son from a Turkish-speaking family. His son had been referred for speech and language therapy and attended sessions twice a week for six months.
But his progress remained limited.
Eventually, after several months, the speech and language therapist herself began to question whether speech therapy was really what he needed.
For his father, this was understandably frustrating. They had invested months of time and energy because, above all, they wanted their son to receive the right support.
So he continued searching and eventually found Dutch for Kids.
And we saw something different.
His son mainly needed more Dutch.
More words. More conversations. More repetition. More opportunities to use Dutch. And more exposure to the vocabulary and topics he was also encountering at school.
Once he started receiving that kind of support, his parents began to notice a difference.
Working with the same themes children encounter at school
With younger children at Dutch for Kids, we work extensively with familiar themes from everyday life and primary school.
For example:
- spring
- autumn
- animals
- clothes
- food and drinks
- the body
- Sinterklaas
- Christmas
- school
- family
- playing outside
During our one-to-one Dutch lessons, we talk about these topics, look at pictures, read stories and practise words and sentences.
Imagine that a child’s class is working on a spring theme. Dutch-speaking classmates may already be familiar with words relating to flowers, seeds, nests, baby animals, growing and the changing seasons.
For a child who mainly speaks another language at home, many of these Dutch words may still be completely new.
By introducing this vocabulary explicitly and revisiting it regularly, the child gradually gains access to more and more Dutch.
And that doesn’t only make a difference during their Dutch lessons.
They start understanding more of what is happening at school too.
From struggling with Dutch to bilingual secondary education
I often think about a girl from an English-speaking family whom I started teaching many years ago.
Learning Dutch letters and sounds wasn’t going smoothly at school. Dutch sounds such as ui, oe, ei and eu were difficult for her, and there was even discussion about moving her back from Group 3 to Group 2 so that she could spend more time working on the foundations.
Speech and language therapy was suggested as well.
Her mother wasn’t convinced. She wondered whether her daughter really had a speech or language problem, or whether she simply needed much more practice with Dutch.
She contacted me, and we started working together.
We practised Dutch sounds, of course, but we also worked extensively on the Dutch language as a whole: understanding new words, using vocabulary, forming sentences, reading, speaking and practising again and again.
And she made progress.
Not only did her Dutch improve, but something else happened too.
Her confidence grew.
She became more comfortable speaking Dutch with other children and found it increasingly easy to participate at school.
We continued her Dutch lessons for years.
And eventually she went on to attend a bilingual gymnasium in the Netherlands.
Her English is still excellent, naturally, as it is her mother tongue, but she also speaks and writes Dutch very well.
The problem wasn’t that she couldn’t learn language.
She simply needed more Dutch.
Multilingualism is not a language disorder
This distinction is incredibly important.
A multilingual child divides their language exposure across two or more languages. As a result, their vocabulary in one particular language may be smaller than that of a child who hears and speaks that language almost exclusively.
That does not automatically mean that the child has a language disorder.
This is why, when there are concerns about the language development of a multilingual child, it is important to look beyond their Dutch alone and consider their overall language development.
How does your child communicate in their first or strongest language?
Can they understand more complex instructions in that language?
Can they tell stories?
Do they have a much larger vocabulary in that language?
These observations can provide valuable information when trying to understand where the difficulty lies.
Speech therapy and Dutch lessons are not substitutes for each other
This is important to make clear.
Dutch for Kids does not replace a speech and language therapist.
If a child has genuine difficulties with speech or language development, it is important that these are assessed and supported by the appropriate professional.
But the reverse is also true.
If a multilingual child primarily has a smaller Dutch vocabulary, practising one particular sound may not address the main challenge.
The child may simply need more Dutch.
More listening.
More speaking.
More vocabulary.
More grammar.
More reading.
And, most importantly, lots of safe opportunities to use Dutch without being afraid of making mistakes.
Speech therapy for a multilingual child: how do you know what they need?
If your child is multilingual and their school has concerns about their Dutch, there are several questions worth considering.
Does your child experience similar difficulties in their first or strongest language? Do they understand much more Dutch than they are able to say? Do they mainly speak another language at home? Does your child seem to be missing Dutch vocabulary in particular? Does their teacher notice that they don’t know words connected to classroom themes that other children already understand?
The answers to these questions can help build a clearer picture of the support your child may need.
Sometimes speech and language therapy is the right route.
Sometimes additional Dutch language support is more appropriate.
And sometimes the two can work very well alongside each other.
Extra Dutch lessons for multilingual children
At Dutch for Kids, we provide one-to-one online Dutch lessons for children around the world.
We also teach multilingual children living in the Netherlands or Belgium who mainly speak another language at home and need additional support with their Dutch.
Our lessons focus on areas such as vocabulary, speaking, listening, grammar, reading and spelling. With younger children, we teach through stories, pictures, conversation and play, while connecting our lessons as much as possible to themes children also encounter at school.
Because ultimately, the goal isn’t simply for a child to memorise a list of Dutch words.
We want them to sit in their classroom and think:
Hey, I know what my teacher is talking about.
We want them to join the conversation.
To be able to tell a story.
To understand the children around them.
And, above all, to feel confident speaking Dutch again.
Are you wondering whether your child mainly needs additional Dutch language support? Feel free to contact us. During an introductory meeting, we can talk about your child’s situation and discuss whether one-to-one Dutch lessons could be a good fit.
Frequently asked questions
Does my multilingual child need speech therapy?
That depends on what is causing the difficulty. If your child also experiences speech or language difficulties in their first or strongest language, it may be appropriate to seek an assessment from a speech and language therapist. If your child is developing well in their other language but mainly lacks Dutch vocabulary, additional Dutch language support may also be worth considering.
Can multilingualism cause a language delay?
Multilingual children divide their language exposure across multiple languages. Their vocabulary in one language can therefore differ from that of children who are exposed almost exclusively to that language. A smaller Dutch vocabulary on its own does not automatically mean that a child has a language disorder.
What is the difference between speech therapy and Dutch lessons?
Speech and language therapy focuses on difficulties involving speech, language, communication and related areas. Dutch lessons focus on developing proficiency in Dutch, including vocabulary, speaking, listening, grammar, reading and spelling.
How can I improve my child’s Dutch vocabulary?
Regular exposure and repetition are important. Reading Dutch books together, talking in Dutch, listening to Dutch stories and programmes, and receiving structured Dutch lessons can all provide additional opportunities to hear, understand and use new vocabulary.
Can my child have Dutch lessons and speech therapy at the same time?
Yes. It does not necessarily have to be one or the other. If a child needs professional support with speech or language development as well as additional exposure to Dutch, speech and language therapy and Dutch lessons can complement each other.
Curious about what our online Dutch lessons for children look like in practice?
Schedule a free trial lesson and experience it for yourself. Meet one of our teachers, discover our method, and see how much fun your child can have learning Dutch, all from the comfort of your own home.
👉 Schedule a free introduction and trial lesson today – completely free of obligation and personalized, the perfect first step for your child!
