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?

These days, some people believe that the education a foreign language at elementary school is suitable for children than that at secondary school. In my opinion, the merits of this method would surpass the downsides.

On the one hand, there are some drawbacks of learning languages at primary school. First, it is essential for students at that age to acquire knowledge from basic subjects such as maths, science and especially mother tongue which have great impacts on their communication and development in the later life. Therefore, learning a new language at primary age may lead to confusion and waste of time in their study. Besides, a people's culture is preserved in their native tongue, thus if another language is taught for pupils at early age, they might reduce their culture identity, and this could pose a threat to conserve cultural values.

On the other hand, I believe the benefits of teaching a second language in elementary school can negate the aforementioned disadvantages. It is undeniable that young children have abilities to comprehend understanding faster and easier in comparison with adolescent. This could make an important background to enhance their language in the future. For instance, children can imitate pronunciation as well as learn vocabulary effectively by just listening or watching games, TV programs or cartoon films on the Internet. In addition, the approach a new language at primary age also offer support for children to accustom to linguistic usage, which may boost their proficiency of grasping a foreign language.

In brief, one may conclude that the disadvantages of learning languages at elementary school than middle one are eclipsed by the benefits.