Many people think that all children should study a foreign language from the time they go to primary school. A different point is that they should hold on until a child is at secondary school. This essay will discuss both these points of view and argue in favour of the latter.
On the one hand, some believe that knowing a language from an earlier age will simplify a child’s life. In other words, that will require less time in the future to study, because a child’s brain accepts new information faster and more naturally. For instance, they can easily copy the sounds of pronunciation and intonation more accurately, which can help them with fluency and confidence in speech. Furthermore, they would have more time for practicing until the end of their education at school. As a result, the language proficiency level would be higher.
On the other hand, others claim that it is better to start learning a language when a child is in secondary school. I agree with this view mainly, because children are more mentally mature at secondary school, so they developed stronger thinking and learning skills. They know the main base of learning a language. As a result, they can understand grammar more well, and remember vocabulary more effectively. Also, in primary school children are only learning to read and write the letters and count the numbers. It would be really big pressure for them to learn foreign language. It may cause unnecessary stress and can bring the worst results for some children.
In conclusion, both of the approaches have their benefits. However, I believe that learning a new language in secondary school is a better option, because older children are able to get and retain information in the right way.