It is undeniable that learning a new language at any age is a remarkably rewarding experience in many ways. Although I am aware that children who start learning a foreign language before their teenage years are more likely to benefit from it, I believe that it is disadvantageous in certain circumstances.
To begin with, there are some persuasive arguments in favour of earlier start of foreign language study. Firstly, learning a new language will positively affect a child’s cognitive development which contributes to his or her academic achievement. Many researches have evidenced that students who have studied a foreign language often attain higher scores than their monolingual peers on many standardised tests. This is because the process of second language acquisition can boost brain functions closely associated with concentration skills, logical thinking and problem solving as much as other activities do. Moreover, children can develop native-like pronunciation better than later learners largely due to the less influence from the first language.
Despite these benefits, it would not make any difference but extra load on children without nation-wide support. Co-operation with other requirements like qualified language teachers, well-articulated educational system and demands for the second language skills in society can lead to success in foreign language education. A case in point is that the number of proficient foreign language users in monolingual countries that have already introduced foreign language courses in their primary school curriculum is much lower than that of multilingual nations. It suggests that the linguistic diverse environment is more significant for language education than when to start.
In conclusion, learning a foreign language at an early age has strengths in the way of learning. However, I do believe that the disadvantage that socio-cultural factors can make the earlier beginning nothing but additional academic strain on young students has more impact.