Code-Switching in Bilingual Children: When Kids Mix French and English (And Why It's Perfectly Normal)
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"Maman, this spaghetti is très délicieux, can I have some more s'il te plaît?"
Sound familiar? If you're raising kids in two languages, I bet you're nodding right now!
Hey there, fellow language-adventure parents! Sara here, with my husband Jason – we're the team behind Will et Max Books and, more importantly, parents to our own little bilingual wonders who keep us on our toes with their creative language combos.
Just last night at dinner, our 4-year-old Max delivered that perfect French-English fusion sentence about his pasta, while Will, our 7-year-old, started telling us about his day at school in English, then stopped mid-sentence, looked at us and asked, "Can I just say it in French? It's easier."
When our kids hop back and forth between French and English—sometimes mid-sentence—they're doing what language experts call "code-switching." According to the Linguistic Society of America, this mixing of languages is a natural phenomenon among bilingual speakers and not something parents should worry about.
What Is Code-Switching? (And Why It's Actually Normal)
In our house, we hear things like:
- "Je veux watch a movie" (I want to watch a movie)
- "Can we go to the parc aujourd'hui?" (Can we go to the park today?)
My favorite recent code-switch moment? Will's passionate proclamation at dinner: "Maman, ce n'est pas FAIR! Max a pris my dessert and now he's HIDING it somewhere!" Three languages (French, English, outraged 8-year-old) all in one emotional sentence. 😂
What sounds like "mixing up languages" is actually children navigating two language systems simultaneously – a natural part of developing bilingualism. And guess what? The experts agree! Bilingualism researcher Dr. François Grosjean explains that code-switching is completely normal and a legitimate form of communication among bilinguals. (See? It's not just us parents making excuses for our kids' language habits!)
Why Do Children Mix Languages?
The Vocabulary Gap
Picture this: Your child is happily chatting away in French when suddenly they spot a butterfly. If they know "dog" and "chien" but only "butterfly" (not "papillon"), what happens? You guessed it—out comes "Regarde le butterfly!" It's not confusion—it's your child using all the language tools in their toolkit to communicate what they're excited about!
The Context Switch
Ever notice how your kids need a minute to "warm up" their French brains after a day of English at school? Those transition moments are prime time for language mixing at our house. Max walks in the door talking about his "teacher" and his "friends," but after dinner, he's back to "maîtresse" and "copains." His brain just needed a little time to switch gears!
Last week, Max walked in from kindergarten and announced, "Mon teacher says I'm très good at math!" Twenty minutes later, after his snack and some downtime in French, he was telling me all about how "la maîtresse" was impressed with his counting skills. Same conversation, just a brain that needed transition time!
The Emotion Express
We've watched our kids switch to their comfort language when big feelings hit—like how Max automatically shifts to English when he's super excited about something. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association explains that children may have different abilities in each language depending on their experiences, which can affect which language they choose in different situations.
The Social Awareness
Children are perceptive about language use around them. When French-speaking relatives visit but are sitting with English-speaking friends, many bilingual kids instinctively create blended sentences that somehow include everyone – a thoughtful social adaptation!
The Growing Bilingual Brain: A Journey
Let me share what this bilingual adventure has looked like in our house:
The Early Years (2-4): This is peak mixing time! Remember when Max would point to a cat and proudly announce "Look, a chat!" with zero awareness he was using two languages? Those toddler years are a beautiful jumble as they grab whatever words they know, regardless of which language they come from.
The Middle Years (5-8): This is where Will is now—he knows he's using two languages and sometimes even narrates the process: "Mom, I don't know how to say 'telescope' in French..." before continuing his story with the English word dropped right into his French sentence. He's becoming a strategic code-switcher!
Older Children: Code-switching becomes more intentional and often pretty clever! My friend's 10-year-old deliberately switches to French for dramatic effect when telling stories, or when trying to be funny. It's like they've discovered they have two different paintbrushes and are choosing which one creates the effect they want.
Common Parent Questions (AKA Our 2 AM Worry Sessions)
Let's be real—as parents raising bilingual children, we've ALL had those middle-of-the-night worry spirals:
- "Will they ever fully separate the languages?" (As I replay the 17 mixed sentences from dinner)
- "Should we be correcting this more strictly?" (Am I being too relaxed? Not relaxed enough?)
- "What if they never become fully fluent in both languages?" (Are we failing at this whole bilingual thing?)
- "Is this going to mess up their learning to read?!" (Will their teacher think we've confused them?)
Sound familiar? You are SO not alone! Everything we've read (and lived through!) confirms that children naturally sort out their languages over time. Those mixed sentences aren't signs of confusion—they're creative solutions from flexible little minds. And hey, if you need more reassurance, just look at all the successfully bilingual adults who definitely went through this mixing phase as kids!
How to Respond When They Mix Languages
After years of experimenting, here's what works for many families (including ours):
The Gentle Echo Approach
When a child says, "Je veux un cookie," instead of correcting them, try responding with, "Oh, tu veux un biscuit? Voici un biscuit au chocolat." You've provided the French word naturally without making them feel like they made a mistake.
Setareh Khanizadeh, founder of SKFrenchTutoring, a neat online French tutoring service, confirms this approach:
"In my years of teaching and tutoring bilingual children, I've observed that mixing languages—often called code-switching—is a natural and beneficial part of their language development. Rather than correcting them outright, I encourage parents to gently recast their child's mixed sentences into full French."
She points to real examples from her teaching experience:
"I've noticed that when they mix languages, it's often because they're thinking quickly and using the words that come most naturally to them. Instead of viewing this as a mistake, I see it as a sign of their growing fluency in both languages."
She continued, "For example, a student once said, 'J'ai forgot mon livre.' Instead of directly correcting them, I simply recast by responding, 'Ah, tu as oublié ton livre?' They absorbed the correct phrasing effortlessly, without feeling interrupted or discouraged."
Setareh emphasizes that this approach "maintains confidence, reinforces correct structures, and keeps communication flowing naturally. Bilingualism is a journey, and embracing the process with patience helps children thrive in both languages."
Fill Those Vocabulary Gaps (But Make It Fun!)
Ever notice how your little one switches to English right when they're trying to talk about dinosaurs or space or that complicated playground equipment? That's because they reach for the words they know best in the moment!
In our house, we've found that code-switching happens most in those topic "blind spots" where French vocabulary is still developing. Our solution? Flood those areas with fun French resources! Whether it's dinosaur books in French, space-themed songs, or just making up silly French words for playground equipment (glissade-super-rapide, anyone?), you're giving your child the language tools they need when they need them.
Quick Tip: Pay attention to when and where your child most often switches to English. These are your clues for which French vocabulary domains need strengthening!
The key is keeping it light and playful – when learning feels like a chore, nobody has fun. But when you're snuggled up with a French book about excavators or singing silly French songs about astronauts, those vocabulary gaps start filling in naturally. No flash cards required!
Know When to Let It Flow
Sometimes the best approach is... no approach at all! Some of our favorite family moments happen when we all just relax into our own unique family language blend. Our dinner conversations often become this beautiful mix of French and English, with ideas flowing freely without anyone stressing about which word comes from which language.
I've noticed these pressure-free zones are where the kids actually take the most language risks—trying out new French expressions they've heard or tackling complex topics without fear of "getting it wrong." When language is about connection rather than correction, everybody wins!
Books: The Not-So-Secret Weapon of Bilingual Parents!
Okay, can we just have a moment of honesty here? Books have absolutely saved our bilingual parenting journey! A recent study (yes, I'm a research nerd sometimes!) found that children's books in the home language make a HUGE difference in bilingual development. But honestly, we didn't need researchers to tell us that—we've seen it firsthand in our own living room!
Why French Books Work Magic
Here's why French books have been total game-changers for our family:
They're vocabulary goldmines! Just when you think your child will forever call that thing a "vacuum cleaner" instead of "un aspirateur," the right book comes along and—poof!—new French words stick like magic.
They make French fun, not forced. Nothing turns kids off faster than "it's French practice time!" But cuddle up with a hilarious story about a penguin's adventures? They don't even realize they're absorbing a new language!
They create those delicious little language patterns that suddenly show up in your child's speech. (The first time Will used "par contre" correctly in a sentence, I nearly fell over!)
They build confidence like nothing else. There's something so powerful about a child realizing, "Hey, I just understood that WHOLE book in French!"
For the Tiny Linguists (Babies & Toddlers)
For the littlest language learners, it's all about those sturdy board books with bright pictures of everyday objects. Our "Premiers Mots" collection was basically teething material for both our boys—chewed corners and all! Those simple, colorful illustrations of balls, cats, and bananas create those first crucial connections between French words and the world around them.
The Preschool Crowd (Ages 3-5)
This is when we noticed the most code-switching happening with our kids—right as they were developing more complex thoughts but didn't always have the French vocabulary to match. Our "Aventures Quotidiennes" series (coming soon to the website!) literally came from following our kids around and noting where they switched to English most: "Mommy, I need to brush my teeth... um... avec la brosse à dents?" Bath time, bedtime, playground adventures—we created books around these everyday routines because that's where the language gaps showed up most!
The Game-Changer Years: Learning to Read in French (Ages 5-7)
Oh boy, this is where things get interesting! Even though Will attends a French school, we noticed that when he began learning to read, he'd sometimes mix languages during those early literacy stages. He'd be sounding out a word in French, get stuck, and suddenly switch to English pronunciation patterns. It's like his brain was trying all possible tools to crack the reading code!
That's why we're absolutely obsessed with our "Sami et Julie" beginning reader collection. These books are BRILLIANT because they start super simple (like, three words per page simple) and gradually build up as reading confidence grows. The stories follow relatable kids having everyday adventures, and the familiar characters keep children coming back for more. Will went from "this is too hard" to proudly reading entire French books to his little brother in just a few months!
Making French Books Part of Everyday Life (Without Making It a Chore!)
The secret to success? Weaving French books naturally into your family life instead of making them feel like homework. Here's what worked for us:
For babies: Those simple board books are perfect for tummy time, diaper changes, or just sitting in your lap enjoying the pictures together. They won't understand every word, but they're soaking up those French sounds like little sponges!
For toddlers: This is prime time for language confusion (and those adorable mixed sentences). When your little one points and says "more eau, please!" have French picture books handy that reinforce everyday phrases like "encore de l'eau, s'il te plaît." Make it playful, not corrective!
For school-age kids: Find French books that connect to their growing interests. Is your child dinosaur-obsessed? Space-crazy? Unicorn-fanatic? Having French books on their favorite topics means they're motivated to understand despite the language hurdle.
And don't stop at just books! We've found these complementary strategies make a huge difference:
- Bilingual playdates that make French social and fun (our monthly French pancake mornings have become legendary in our friend group!)
- Silly French songs that get stuck in everyone's head (Jason still walks around humming "Jean Petit qui Danse" weeks after we play it)
- Labels around the house on everyday objects (our refrigerator proudly declares itself "LE FRIGO" in Max's wobbly handwriting)
- French Family Fridays where we all try to use as much French as possible (with plenty of giggles when Mom and Dad mess up too!)
We've built Will et Max Books around these real-life experiences—watching where our kids struggled, noticing what actually worked, and creating French books that support each stage of this bilingual adventure. From first words to independent reading, we've been there, done that, and probably have spaghetti sauce on the French flashcards to prove it!
Embracing the Journey (Perfectly Imperfect French and All!)
Here's what I wish someone had told me when we started this bilingual adventure: The goal isn't "perfect" bilingualism with zero mixing. The goal is raising kids who love both languages and feel connected to both cultures. Full stop.
Those mixed-up sentences? They're not mistakes—they're evidence of a beautifully bilingual brain figuring things out. When Will says "J'ai besoin de my backpack," he's not failing at French—he's succeeding at being bilingual in his own perfectly imperfect way.
So the next time your little one creates one of those magical mixed sentences, maybe instead of worrying, take a mental snapshot of this moment in their language journey. One day they'll probably be speaking both languages with ease, and you might even miss these charming language mashups!
We'd LOVE to hear about your experiences with code-switching in your household! Drop a comment below sharing some of the mixed sentences you've heard from your children. (The funnier, the better—we could all use some bilingual kid humor in our lives!)
Oh, and if you're looking for a French teacher or tutor to support your kiddo (or you!), drop Setareh a line - she's lovely and you can learn more about her offerings on her website.
With love and language (and probably some franglais),
Sara & Jason
Chief Language Smooshers and Founders of Will et Max Books
Looking for French books to support your child's bilingual journey? Visit our online bookstore at willetmax.com where we offer age-appropriate French books for babies, toddlers, and school-age children. The well-loved Sami et Julie beginning reader collection is in stock now, with new inventory being added weekly as shipments arrive from France! Use code BILINGUALFAMILY for 10% off your first order!