In recent years, there has been a huge increase in the number of individuals questioning the merits and demerits of learning another language at primary school. On the one hand, one key benefit is learning sooner could lead to professional development and new experiences around the globe when they get older. However, a significant drawback is this could cause stress and frustration.
To begin, there is an argument to be made that learning another language at primary school might be an excellent and crucial opportunity for successful professional development. For example, in 2023 alone, more than 3,000 Portuguese speakers arrived in Brazil with new opportunities, including jobs in translation, diplomacy, and tourism. For this reason, it is evident that knowledge in another language can open new doors for all individuals in different professional fields, hence why it is vital for these kids to start learning a new tongue as quickly as possible . What is more, learning different grammar and vocabulary might get harder when people get older, especially because a teenager already has their own linguistic structure. This being the case, it can be assumed that if every school waited until secondary school, there would be more obstacles than a child who is still developing.
Nonetheless, it must be stated that usually children have other priorities and learning a second language may not be one of them. For instance, cognitive development in childhood is different for everyone, as some prefer playing or doing outdoor activities, so the learning of a foreign language needs greater attention for some children who may have no real interest in it. Therefore, it is clear that it is almost always difficult to hold the child’s attention, this is because they are developing many opinions and ideas at the same time. Furthermore, children, in general, do not have defined emotions, which means that a wrong teaching strategy can lead to frustration. With this in mind, there is no doubt that unnecessary stress can make them unwilling to learn a new language if not taught properly.
To conclude, while some feel that knowledge in other languages can be a key for a great career, others, myself included, hold the view that it can be a challenge to master a second language for a growing child. From my perspective, the pros do not outweigh the cons, as it would be best to introduce this type of knowledge gradually until adulthood.