Raising bilingual children in Munich: what actually helps

The short answer to the big worry

Many parents fear that a second or third language will confuse their child or slow them down. Research on bilingual development consistently shows that this is a myth. Bilingual children reach their language milestones within the normal range. They may know fewer words in each single language than a monolingual peer, but their total vocabulary across languages is comparable.

What is normal (and often worries parents)

• Mixing languages in one sentence. This is called code-switching. It is a sign of skill, not confusion; bilingual adults do it all the time.
• A silent period at Kita. Many children say little or nothing in German for weeks or even months while they listen and absorb. Then words start to arrive.
• A dominant language that shifts. After a few months of German Kita, many children start answering in German at home. That is normal, but it is the moment to act if you want to keep your home language strong.
• Accents and grammar "mistakes" that follow the logic of another language. They fade with time and exposure.

Strategies that work

Choose a family language plan you can keep up

Two common approaches:

• One parent, one language: each parent consistently speaks their own language with the child.
• Minority language at home: the family speaks the home language(s) at home, and German comes from Kita and the outside world.

Neither is magic. The best plan is the one you can sustain for years, in which every parent speaks the language they feel most themselves in. Warmth and richness matter more than perfect consistency.

Give each language a real job

Children learn the languages they need. If everyone at home also understands German, the home language can start to feel optional. Create situations where it is genuinely needed: video calls with grandparents, playdates with families who speak it, holidays, songs and stories.

Read, sing and talk a lot

Quantity and quality of input matter most. Reading together, narrating everyday life ("Now we put on your blue boots..."), rhymes and songs all count. Munich's public libraries (Münchner Stadtbibliothek) have children's books in many languages.

Support German without giving up your language

You do not need to switch to German at home to help your child at Kita. Learning a few Kita words yourself, reading a German picture book together, or arranging playdates with German-speaking classmates helps more, and keeps your home language intact.

The German language screening before school

Bavaria checks the German of every child about 18 months before they start school. If a child needs more German, they must attend a state-funded Kita with an integrated German course (Vorkurs Deutsch 240) in their last year before school. The screening looks at German only. It does not measure your child's other languages.

The check has two steps:

1. In the autumn of the second-to-last Kita year, state-funded Kitas observe every child's German using standard forms called SISMIK or SELDAK.
2. In February or March, the state primary school for your address (Sprengelschule) holds a short screening called BaSiS. It takes up to 30 minutes. Your child is excused if you hand in a written statement from a state-funded Kita saying they need no extra German support.

Children born between 1 October 2021 and 30 September 2022 usually start school in September 2028. Their screening is in February and March 2027.

Not every private or international Kita is state-funded (staatlich gefördert). One that is not cannot write the statement, so your child takes the school screening instead. The same applies to children cared for at home or by a childminder. Ask your Kita early which applies to you.

The Vorkurs Deutsch 240 is German practice in small groups: 240 hours over the last 18 months before school, half at the Kita and half at the primary school. If a state-funded Kita finds that a child needs extra German, it recommends the Kita part from February of the second-to-last year. Taking part then is voluntary; it becomes compulsory only after the school screening.

When to get advice

Look at your child's skills across all their languages together. Talk to your paediatrician if your child is not using any words in any language at around 18 months, is not combining words at around two years, seems not to understand simple requests in their strongest language, or if you have any concern about hearing. The paediatrician can refer you to a speech and language specialist (Logopädie) if needed.