Some experts believe that is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school.
Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
In order to communicate well in global era, some educational professors claim that learning a foreign language should be started in the earliest grades in school rather than in high school level. Personally, I assume that a couple of benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Therefore, there are valid arguments on the both sides, which I will discuss now.
On the one hand, it is often said that acquiring foreign language will be much better since we were a child because children are able to imitate language than adolescence. This also supported by the theory of second language and learning acquisition which is stated that Critical Period Hypothesis or the age between 3 - 12 years old is the golden age to acquire or learn second/foreign language. For instance, kids who enrolled in international kindergarten until elementary school are able to speak English well because they get used to converse on it. In addition, a reasonable learning foreign language since childhood become good foundation for the next stage or school level because nowadays many books and social networking are written or spoken in foreign language such as English.
On the other hand, learning foreign language in primary level has several drawbacks. One problem is that students will be frustrated in the school because they have been given many compulsory subjects including mathematics, sciences, and even their first language. So, children may not be able to focus on their lessons because too many subjects must be done. Another issue is that childhood is the period in which they played more than learning. As a result, many children cannot enjoy their early stages like others.
All in all, regarding to both point of views, it seems that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for the children who started to learn foreign language in primary grades.
Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
In order to communicate well in global era, some educational professors claim that learning a foreign language should be started in the earliest grades in school rather than in high school level. Personally, I assume that a couple of benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Therefore, there are valid arguments on the both sides, which I will discuss now.
On the one hand, it is often said that acquiring foreign language will be much better since we were a child because children are able to imitate language than adolescence. This also supported by the theory of second language and learning acquisition which is stated that Critical Period Hypothesis or the age between 3 - 12 years old is the golden age to acquire or learn second/foreign language. For instance, kids who enrolled in international kindergarten until elementary school are able to speak English well because they get used to converse on it. In addition, a reasonable learning foreign language since childhood become good foundation for the next stage or school level because nowadays many books and social networking are written or spoken in foreign language such as English.
On the other hand, learning foreign language in primary level has several drawbacks. One problem is that students will be frustrated in the school because they have been given many compulsory subjects including mathematics, sciences, and even their first language. So, children may not be able to focus on their lessons because too many subjects must be done. Another issue is that childhood is the period in which they played more than learning. As a result, many children cannot enjoy their early stages like others.
All in all, regarding to both point of views, it seems that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for the children who started to learn foreign language in primary grades.
