Connecting Across Languages
How responsive relationships unlock potential for dual language learners
Why the First Five Years Matter Matter
90% of brain growth happens before kindergarten. Conversational turns — simple back-and-forth interactions between a child and an adult — are powerful forces for growth, especially for children learning multiple languages. They can literally change the course of a child’s entire life!
During these years, dual language learners develop skills that become their foundation for:
- Stronger bonds with family and community
- Better problem-solving and creative thinking
- Improved self-control and focus
- Higher reading and math scores
- Enhanced social skills and empathy
Dual Language Learners :
The Current Reality
in Early Childhood Classrooms
Many dual language learners aren’t getting enough chances to talk and interact in their classrooms. Teachers want to connect with every child. But when English-speaking teachers don’t speak a child’s heritage language, unfortunately, they are less likely to engage in conversational turns with them.
What We Know:
- DLLs get 7.5 fewer conversational turns per hour than English-speaking children.
- In toddler rooms, this jumps to 14.7 fewer conversational turns per hour.
- 21% of DLLs barely talk with teachers during the day, compared to only 5% of other children.
- DLLs are 4 times more likely to spend most of their day without conversational turns. Researchers consider this to be “language isolation.”
Multilingualism as a Superpower
Research consistently shows that learning multiple languages provides remarkable advantages. Children who develop strong skills in both their heritage language and English demonstrate:
Brain Development
Bilingual children’s brains become better at switching between tasks, filtering out distractions, and holding multiple ideas at once.
Learning Advantages
Children become bridge-builders who help classmates from different backgrounds connect and learn from each other.
Long-Term Success
The cognitive advantages compound over time, leading to higher test scores and better academic outcomes through elementary school and beyond.
Children need more conversational turns
Not just words
Children don’t just need to hear words. They need responsive relationships where adults really listen to their ideas, questions, and discoveries.
Every time a child and adult have a positive verbal interaction, it builds stronger brain connections. These conversations help children learn language, think better, and understand their feelings.
Research shows that dual language learners who have more conversations have:
- Larger vocabularies in both languages
- Better early literacy skills
- Stronger emotional intelligence
- Greater kindergarten readiness
Measuring What Matters in Early Childhood
In today’s world, we can measure what matters and use that information to help children develop better literacy skills in early childhood.
LENA’s professional development program measures the back and forth conversations children experience with adults throughout the day. This program:
- Shows teachers and caregivers where they’re already strong
- Identifies opportunities to talk more
- Guides improvements that really work
- Tracks progress over time
The result? Children experience more brain-building conversations, and adults gain confidence in their ability to support every child’s development.
Breakthrough Results for Dual Language Learners in Early Childhood
Real Results
LENA Grow helps teachers have more conversations with all children. For dual language learners, the results are amazing:
- 22% more conversations (even higher than English-speaking children).
- Children experiencing language isolation decreased from 21% to just 4%.
- All children got more attention, not just some.
The Power of Bilingual Teachers
When children are in classrooms with teachers who speak their heritage language, they experience just as many conversational turns as their monolingual peers.
Research must continue to be conducted on the instructional practices that lead to the best early learning experiences and outcomes for DLLs. In California, the Dual Language Learner Pilot Study is a model example.
Head Start:
Leading the Way
Head Start shows what’s possible when programs support all languages. Research suggests that Head Start’s Program Performance Standards for DLLs have yielded great outcomes for dual language learners.
- DLLs leave Head Start understanding more words than their monolingual peers.
- Head Start’s Planned Language Approach helps DLLs improve cognitive and executive functioning.
Resources For Supporting Dual Language Learners
14 Talking Tips To Support Dual Language Learners
Use these strategies to help the dual language learners in your care appreciate the value of speaking more than one language.
Advocate for Dual Language Learners
Use this flyer to raise awareness about the inequities dual language learners face in early childhood education.
Supporting Multilingual Learners: Webinar Highlights
Highlights from a LENA webinar: New data analysis on how much interaction dual language learners experience in child care settings.
Multilingualism and Heritage Languages in Early Childhood Education: Amplifying a Call to Action
In this webinar, LENA’s researchers will expand on their findings about inequities in child care and preschool settings with a new dataset. These findings will act as a springboard to a solutions-based discussion, inviting perspectives from experts on supporting multi-language learners in early childhood.
Dual Language Learners Experience Less Teacher-Child Interaction in Child Care and Preschool: New Data Analysis
Early childhood education classrooms across the U.S. provide significantly fewer conversational turns for children who are dual language learners than for their monolingual peers.
Dual Language Learners in Early Childhood Education: Webinar Highlights
Highlights from LENA’s webinar about dual language learners in early childhood education.
Ready to Transform Children's Futures?
Ready to support dual language learners in your program? Every child deserves responsive relationships that honor their language and culture while supporting their growth. Whether you’re looking to implement LENA programs, enhance your teaching practices, or simply learn more, we’d love to connect.