the dilemma of learning a new language early
TOPIC: Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
MY ESSAY:
People have a variety of opinions over the right age of learning a second language. From my perspective, children should start studying new languages when they are still at primary school.
On the one hand, early study of language has a few negative impacts on children. Firstly, other subjects such as math or science are considered more important by school administrators, and learning a foreign language can waste the time used to study those subjects. Another disadvantage is that learning another language can interfere with the development of children's mother language. For example, student can confuse between the grammatical usage and spelling of two languages. This would lead to the struggle to use one own mother tongue.
On the other hand, learning a foreign language at primary age offers students an edge over older starters. One clear benefit is that children can boost their vocabulary and proficiency through the method of playing games, which is difficult to apply in terms of older learners. Another good point is that children at elementary school are rarely self - conscious. Thus, it would be easier for them to improve their skills through practice, especially in speaking sections, regardless of how others may think of them. Besides, young children would find it effortless to pick up the pronunciation better compared to the difficulty elderly ones would face. Finally, it goes without saying that the ability to speak languages other than their mother tongue is growing extremely important these days due to globalization.
In conclusion, although learning a new language has some negative effects, I believe that its benefits still overweigh the drawbacks.
