Does the same word in two different languages count as one word or two words? For example, if a bilingual child can say "water" and "agua", would that count as two separate words?
Dec 27, 2021
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Yes, the words “water” and “agua” can be counted as two separate words. Researchers recommend assessing young bilingual children’s total vocabulary in both languages for the best indicator of language learning, rather than measuring only concept vocabulary (the number of unique concepts for which a child has words). See Hoff, E., & Core, C. (2015). What Clinicians Need to Know about Bilingual Development. Seminars in Speech and Language, 36, 2 for more information.
