Band 8+: Some people say that children should learn a foreign language when they are in kindergarten, but others feel that it is better for children to do this when they are teenagers. Discuss both of these views and give your own opinion.

It is often said that children should start learning a specific foreign language from the early years of school. The alternative view is that this process should be delayed until the secondary school period. Personally, I firmly support the initial viewpoint because the primary school age is the most suitable time to acquire a language.

The main reason why many individuals prefer children to learn a second language at secondary school age is that it may create several difficulties for both the student and the teacher. This can be exemplified by the naturally playful behavior of children and their low threshold for boredom. That is, they are highly likely to feel under pressure and become reluctant to study. Additionally, this makes the teacher’s job complicated and gives them stress, especially when kids keep trying to make fun of anything they engage with during the course, resulting in a prolonged time required to acquire language skills.

Despite the conveniences of being older when studying a language, the prevailing evidence of the benefits of being bilingual at a young age is still stronger than the drawbacks. First of all, young children’s brains tend to accept new information better and more quickly compared to older ones. This means that they will save time if they learn any language at a young age because they will not have to challenge themselves with difficult grammar and vocabulary when their brain does not accept information as effectively as it does in childhood. Secondly, when a child already knows one foreign language that they may need in the future, then by the time they come to secondary school, they can focus only on their main subjects rather than being distracted by other tasks. This gives the message that children should use their fresh brain wisely at a young age so that they do not struggle in the future.

To conclude, teaching children a second language in secondary school may seem like a wise decision. However, the advantages of learning it at a young age have always been much greater, and in fact, the knowledge acquired in childhood stays in the brain more strongly.