With the increase in options available to school children in recent times, there are certain parties that view the importance of learning a foreign language, that is, a language that one has not been trained to understand in their country. On the other hand, some people have aired the view that priority in education should be given to technology and hands-on subjects instead. This essay will address whether learning a foreign language will be a significant component in a child’s education and whether learning about technology or vocational subjects will be a better choice instead. I believe the necessity of focusing on both technology and vocational studies, and foreign language in a child’s education is paramount to fulfill society’s needs.
In hindsight, learning about technology and vocational subjects seems to be more beneficial than learning about foreign languages to enhance the skillsets of schoolchildren to better prepare them for the job market. Technology and vocational subjects emphasize hands-on skills which require creativity, innovation, problem-solving, and critical thinking, which are needed in future career development. This contrasts with foreign languages, which one will hardly use in the workforce. Many careers, such as plumber, construction worker, and programmer, require practical skills which are essential to the functioning of society. Hence, these skills are important for children to maintain employability in the future.
However, learning a foreign language is an essential component in a child’s education because it improves their communication skills and cognitive development. Learning a new language requires a lot of memorization, which strengthens the cognitive abilities overall of a person because every language consists of different characters, spelling, pronunciation, and grammar, which revolves around the thinking skills of the foreign society. Studies have shown that students who study foreign languages are not only able to communicate widely with people, they also have better memories than monolinguals. As a result, this skill is able to achieve enhanced communication. For example, people who know East Asian languages such as Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin tend to be more aware of the ideas of hard work and filial piety.
In my opinion, it is more preferable for children to spend their time on technology and vocational subjects because learning them will make them future-proof. For example, students studying programming today will be able to use it in everyday life by the next decade. Also, learning such things will encourage entrepreneurship within them as they can use it for innovating new products to be sold. One notable example is Bill Gates, who developed computers during his teenage years using his knowledge of technology.
In conclusion, although both learning foreign languages and learning about technology and vocational subjects have their advantages, I reckon that the latter should play a larger importance in a child’s schooling. This is because learning a foreign language is able to enhance communication while technology and vocational subjects are able to increase employment chances with their skills. All parents should discuss with their children to identify whichever pathway they feel aligns best with the children’s own interests.