Learning foreign languages in primary school has been receiving a great deal of public concern in recent times. While teaching foreign languages for children in elementary school can be demerit to some extends, I believe that they are pale in comparison with the merits.
To begin with, there are considerable disadvantage to teach foreign languages for elementary school students. The primary reason of this trend is it adds to their already burdensome volumes of schoolwork. It could be explained by the fact that since these elementary school students are often subjected to a hectic curriculum with mounting homework and in-class assignments, the addition of a foreign language may make it even more challenging for students to study effectively. For example, the Japanese Ministry of Education recently attempted to incorporate English into the national curriculum for elementary students. However, it was met with backlash from parents as they complained that their children are already encumbered with a heavy workload from other core subjects.
At the other end of the spectrum are the more noticeable benefits. Chief among these is learning a foreign language can assist in developing elementary students’ cognitive abilities. In doing this, they will learn how to recognize complex patterns and use critical thinking skills to make sense of the new knowledge they are acquiring. Thus, such skills are beneficial for child’s education as they serve to expand the creativity of the brain. Another advantage to discuss is they can be exposed to new and diverse cultures. As language is a defining characteristic of a nation’s culture, students can subsequently acquire a greater understanding of how people of that nation typically communicate with each other and by extension how their society functions culturally.
In conclusion, despite these drawbacks, I am of the opinion that the advantages are more significant that the disadvantages by developing student’s cognitive abilities and exposed to new and diverse cultures. It is therefore imperative to put these argument into consideration.