Some experts believe that it is better of children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages
In the even changing world, the need for continuous learning and constant development has proved its significance time and again. Learning a distinct foreign language would definitely help an individual in boosting the quantum of opportunities that is attracted by them, be it a job or a volunteering experience. Learning it in a younger age has various merits such as improved brain growth and better functioning, multi-facetted thinking abilities etc but it also has its equal share of demerits namely inconsistency in using a single language to converse. This essay would discuss the pros and cons of this trend.
Firstly, developing the skill of a new language in primary school period shows direct relationship with the functionality of the Human brain in how it aids in attaining fluency and competency in that foreign language, if beginner level basics are strengthened in the junior years. Further, it becomes extremely easy to remember the vocabulary as it is inculcated at an young age and its usage may resemble closely of that of a native speaker due to the years of experience we may possess once we grow up. In addition to this, rewards and recognition that comes with being a child prodigy with linguistics at an early stage should never be forgotten. For example, a child living next door has been learning French in addition to two others (English and Tamil) since 6 years of age and it has differentiated him from the rest of the kids by being proficient in three languages particularly in the usage of vocabulary and complex sentences without grammatical errors.
Inspite of the benefits listed above, focusing on different dialects at an young age can bring in unnecessary confusion in the minds of the children whereas learning it during secondary schooling stage would instill a sense of clarity among pupils, as they already would have mastered their native language and their brain would process this additional wisdom from a different section without hindering with the pre-existing available linguistic information. Following this idea, would also provide them with strong basic knowledge not only in languages but also in other core subjects of Primary and Secondary grades without any additional responsibility of learning a dialect at an young age. As middle schooler are quite matured than younger ones, it would also aid the wards in balancing additional requirements such as acquiring skills in linguistics along with their academics in a comfortable manner. One incident I would state is, one of friends, started learning German with an aim of pursuing high school in Germany, during grade six, in which he excelled with victory clearing all levels of the tests and also scored enough marks in the academic exams to qualify himself for an offer to study in Germany.
To conclude, this trend of studying a language at an early stage is debatable. Though there would be contentious arguments opposing my viewpoint, I believe that introduction of linguistic skills can be done in an younger age to improve it to an advanced level.