In our globalized world, knowing more than one language is becoming a normal requirement. However, while some believe that the age that students should learn a new language is middle school, I side with those who feel that a foreign language acquisition should begin from primary school.
On the one hand, it could be argued that teenagers’ brains are more receptive to a new language than that of a seven-year-old student. Those who support this view say that at secondary school children have developed sufficient levels of cognitive skills needed to acquire a new language. As a result, these pupils are believed to concentrate more and acquire the language more easily. Moreover, as these children have already studied all their core subjects, it is thought that the middle school curriculum is more flexible than in primary school. The curriculum for such learners could be adapted to foster a foreign language skills.
On the other hand, I wholeheartedly believe that a critical period while second-language acquisition should start is primary years. Some teenagers might struggle with academic burnout when faced with a new language. Consequently, during secondary school the lack of motivation may occur. On top of that, for many students a foreign language will not be useful especially if they have already chosen a STEM-focused path.
Personally, I would argue that although it may seem to be easier to teach teenagers, young children would benefit from a foreign language more in areas such as fostering creativity, cooperative work and critical thinking skills. Through learning a new language, young students could be able to learn how to effectively work in pairs, use their imagination to make up dialogues and draw comparisons between their mother tongue to the language they are studying.
To sum up, although it is believed that learning an additional language should begin from secondary school, starting from primary years would be more beneficial. Therefore, on balance, I think that learning a second language would make young children more creative, with the ability to think critically and work cooperatively.