Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school.
Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.
Write at least 250 words.
There has been a heated debate amoung experts that whether it is optimal for children to their second language study at primary school rather than at secondary school. As we have already been in a rapidly-developing information age, learning a second language, especially for children in developing country, is becoming easier. Thanks to the lower cost and accessible resources contributed by the advanced technology, it is feasible for almost every primary school children to learn a second language - mostly English - at least in my own country, China. And I think the advantage brought by primary school second language education undoubtedly outweigh its disadvantage.
It is generally believed that learning a second language in a children's very young age can facilitate their intelligence development. Researchers found that a second language can help children's brain grow more complex so that children will be more sharp-minded in their daily and academic life. Therefore, as a general phenomenon, the top and demanded kindergartens in China always markets themselves with keywords such as foreign tutors and bilingual education. Parents and educators not only from primary school but also kindergarten possess a overwhelming demand of teaching their children a second language, which shows the practical effect of early age second language education on students intelligence development.
Learning a second language younger means discoverying the world earlier. A second language is the necessary and efficient tool for a person to communicate with people from other countries with various culture and backgrounds. It give the student the very key and enables them to discover to the real and diverse world earlier, when they are possessing the most curiosity in their life.
In addition to personal communication, students learning a second language in younger age aggregately contributes the extend to opening and culture content of the country. With children mastering a second language earlier, the overall country will find itself more convenient to communicate with other country, and more willing to accept foreign cultures.
However each coin has its two sides. Learning a second language brings some adverse effects to the primary students.
The most concerned issue is about native culture identification, such as Chinese's worry about westernization. Primary school education mainly focuses on the native culture rather than a second one, since students are yet to have their own culture consolidated in mind. It is worthy of worrying that attaching much importance on teaching a second language during this meaningful period may overwhelm students' native language and their own culture.
Another concern is about the workload for pupils. As recognized as one of the distinguishing feature, primary students who should enjoy their childhood playing time have to sit in classrooms for seven to eight or even more hours per day in China. Obviously, teaching them English makes their burden heavier and makes their faces unhappier.
From my perspective, as long as the educator bears the contradictions and imbalance in mind and trying to reduce their adverse effects, starting to teach children at primary school benefits not only the children but also the whole country a lot.
