IELTS WRITING TASK 2: 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?

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?

Experts believe that it is advisable to introduce a second language to children at an early age rather than wait until they get into secondary school. Although there remain some disadvantages concerning children’s limited ability to learn, I strongly believe that the pros outweigh the cons.

First of all, it has been proved that the sooner the children are exposed to a new language, the easier for them to pick up on it. This is due to the fact that children have a better memory than they do when they get older. Children can acquire a vivid memory of everything they have seen and hear. In addition, children are more adaptable to new things than adults. This is not to mention that children excel at emulating others, which is one of the most essential tools in learning a foreign language.

Notwithstanding, some people argue that a new language should not be introduced to children until they are in secondary school as they believe that secondary students have comparatively greater capability of learning in comparison with that of primary children so efforts would not be wasted. However, they ignore that fact that secondary students have to devote much of their time to their schoolwork, learning compulsory subjects. Furthermore, students in higher grades have to learn many more subjects and the curriculum is more difficult, which means that less time is contributed to learning a new language. In contrast, primary students’ schedule is more open and flexible so a wide range of time can be utilized for acquiring a second language.

In conclusion, although there are some benefits of introducing a new language to secondary students, it is recommended that children are acquainted with a second language at an earlier age.