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

In present days, many educationalists believe that primary

school

students should start learning a second

language

,

instead

of beginning to learn foreign languages in secondary

school

.

While

there are many benefits and drawbacks to

this

argument, I believe that the positive effects have outweighed the negative effects. There are many benefits to learning a second

language

in primary

school

. First and foremost, children can obtain knowledge more easily at a younger age.

This

is because kids’ brains tend to absorb information at a faster speed compared to their older counterparts.

Moreover

, at

this

period, their brains have not formed any learning patterns,

thus

they will not struggle to attain new information and can remember new information with ease.

Hence

, elementary

school

kids can achieve a higher level of proficiency.

This

would

also

help students in the future, as the labour market is becoming more competitive, proficiency in foreign languages would set candidates apart from their peers, gaining them advantages when applying for a job and negotiating salary.

On the other hand

, learning a second

language

at a young age may not bring about mastery.

This

is because

while

in elementary

school

, students are still learning how to utilize their mother tongue properly,

thus

studying another

language

would disrupt their thinking patterns, and sometimes cause the temporary loss of lexical resource.

For example

, English learners tend to mix English words into their conversation

while

communicating with others in their mother tongue.

Additionally

,

this

phenomenon could lead to the loss of national identities and make children forget their heritage. In conclusion, I believe that

while

it is advantageous for primary

school

kids to learn another

language

, as they can achieve a higher level of mastery and be well-prepared for their future, they should not study complex grammar structures and advanced vocabulary, and should only focus on learning basic words and forming simple sentences.