Learning a foreign language_Advantage and Disadvantage

Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language in primary schools rather than in secondary school. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

---

Nowadays, many people, especially parents, are concerned about when they should allow their children to learn a new language besides their mother tongue. While it is argued that youngsters will gain more benefits if they start learning another language in primary schools rather than in secondary schools, I totally believe that these merits can exceed these drawbacks.

There are many advantages of learning a foreign language in primary schools, one of which is to help children become more confident in using a new language. Through the curriculum in primary schools, pupils tend to be more familiar with different languages. Thus, they will be more confident in contacting and communicating with other people in foreign languages, which they are taught in schools compared with those in secondary schools.

Another benefit associated with learning another language in primary schools is that it builds a more united community, particularly in multi-language places or countries. For example, children, because of different mother languages such as Chinese and Malaysian, are forced to learn English from primary school in Singapore. This aims to create new generations who are able to speak a specific but unpopular language to have more opportunities in the international environment. They are less likely to feel separated from other people when they live and work in their nation.

However, this tendency also contains some negative effects, one of which is an increase in the loss of uncommon languages, particularly minority languages. When young students do not understand their mother language enough but have to learn a foreign one to meet demands in schools, which can result in forgetting their own language. There is no denying that many experts argue that losing a language can lead to the vanishing of a custom, which is a consequence that no one wants.

In conclusion, although learning a foreign language from primary schools is responsible for the likelihood of losing minority languages and traditional values, I still believe that these benefits, including building confidence and a united society, outweigh the other side.