Dr. Piyush Jain
Dr. Piyush Jain provides pediatric clinical guidance for developmental and neurodevelopmental concerns where appropriate.
Genesis Neurogen Blog
Child Understands Instructions Fine in English But Seems Confused in Hindi (or the Other Way Around): What This Can Mean
संक्षेप में: कुछ बच्चे अंग्रेज़ी में दी गई बात आसानी से समझ लेते हैं, लेकिन वही बात हिंदी में कहने पर उलझ जाते हैं - या इसका उल्टा। दो भाषाओं में बोलने वाले घरों में यह अक्सर सामान्य होता है, क्योंकि बच्चा हर भाषा में अलग-अलग मात्रा में सुनता-बोलता है। लेकिन अगर अंतर बहुत ज़्यादा या लगातार बना रहे, तो भाषा विकास की जाँच करवाना उचित है।
Short answer: In bilingual households, it is common for a child to be noticeably stronger in whichever language they hear and use more often, so understanding one language better than the other is frequently just a matter of exposure, not a language disorder. It becomes worth a closer look if the gap is very large, does not narrow with more exposure to the weaker language over time, or if the child also struggles with age-appropriate comprehension in their stronger language.
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Why a comprehension gap between languages is common
Children raised with two languages rarely get exactly equal exposure to both. One language might be used more at home, the other more at school or with a particular caregiver, and whichever language gets more consistent exposure usually develops faster for a while. A child who confidently follows multi-step instructions in English but looks blank or asks for repetition when the same instruction is given in Hindi (or the reverse) is often simply reflecting that exposure gap, rather than showing a language disorder in either language.
What families in Preet Vihar and Vivek Vihar have described
We regularly hear from bilingual families in Preet Vihar and Vivek Vihar navigating exactly this - a child who manages school instructions in English without trouble but seems to only partly follow when a grandparent gives the same instruction in Hindi, or who needs things repeated more in one language specifically. In most cases, this reflects which language the child hears and practises more, and tends to even out with more balanced exposure.
When the gap is worth checking properly
It is worth a professional opinion if the comprehension gap is large and does not narrow even with consistent exposure to the weaker language, if the child also struggles with instructions in their stronger, more-exposed language, or if there are other speech or language concerns alongside it. A speech-language evaluation can look at comprehension in each language separately rather than assuming either weakness is just a phase. This sits within our broader speech and language therapy support.
What can help at home
Consistent, everyday exposure to the weaker language - through conversation, stories or simple instructions during routine activities - tends to help more than formal drilling. If a parent has tried this consistently and the gap still feels unusually wide, or comprehension in the stronger language also seems behind what's expected for the child's age, a proper evaluation can clarify what's going on.
Book a bilingual language assessment for your child with our speech and language therapy team. Call 7481909090 or message us on WhatsApp to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it normal for a bilingual child to understand one language better?
Yes, this is very common and usually reflects how much exposure the child gets in each language, rather than a language disorder.
Will this gap go away on its own?
Often it narrows with more consistent, balanced exposure to both languages over time. It is worth checking if it does not narrow despite that exposure.
Should parents stop using one language to avoid confusing the child?
Not typically. Most children can manage two languages without this causing confusion on its own; the exposure gap is the usual explanation, not the bilingualism itself.
What does a bilingual language assessment actually involve?
It typically looks at the child's comprehension and expression in each language separately, so that a genuine language difficulty isn't missed or wrongly blamed entirely on exposure.
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Meet the doctors
Useful context about the Genesis Neurogen doctors, so you can understand the wider clinical practice while reading this article.
Dr. Radha Jain
Dr. Radha Jain is the Senior Consultant Gynecologist & Obstetrician within the wider Genesis Neurogen clinical practice. Her women’s-health services are detailed on the main Genesis Neurogen Delhi website.
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