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？

Against the backdrop of globalisation, mastering a foreign

language

has become an essential skill.

However

, when should children start learning is open to debate. While some may argue students could have access to

such

courses in secondary schools, I strongly agree with those educationists who advise children to start earlier at primary

school

.

To begin

with, similar to their mother tongue, a

second

language

can be learned more effectively at a younger age. There is no denying that a child may experience a window phase when his brain development allows him to learn languages at a much faster speed. Because of

this

, the earlier we introduce a new

language

to students, the more possible they may develop great skills.

For example

, a pupil who started English reading picture books in grade one would accumulate a much larger vocabulary 6 years later when he enters middle

school

. Compared with his peers who just embark on their journey, he is more likely to become a successful learner. Despite the advantages,

however

, if

language

courses are only available at the secondary level, the disadvantages are quite obvious.

Firstly

, unlike pupils who are more receptive and flexible about new things, adolescents have already developed strong personal preferences.

Therefore

, they are more easily affected either by their teachers or their peers.

For instance

, a student may simply lose interest in English because his favourite English teacher was sick or changed her job.

Furthermore

, as middle

school

students have to cope with exams and exercises, they tend to resort to rote learning for higher scores, which has proved not very scientific and productive for

language

acquisition. To conclude, given the characteristics of child development and the complexity of

language

learning, an earlier start in primary

school

has far more advantages than disadvantages.