The motivational, cultural, and cognitive benefits of language learning need to be stated more positively to ensure adequate recognition of their importance and value in the national curriculum. The information on this site is for informational purposes only. High school students need foreign language to graduate for a number of reasons: 1. In parallel, I personally side with this idea. Firstly, young children learn a language faster. This makes it an opportune time to reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of an early start, and what challenges it poses. The 115 pupils from 8 different schools were in 7th grade at the first measurement time (T1) and in 8th grade one year later (T2). The sample answers comprises two parts: Introduction and body. Firstly, learning a foreign language is helpful for the growth of a childs brain. This book presents research on the learning of foreign languages by children aged 6-12 years old in primary school settings. More recent arguments are based on the cognitive advantages that learning a foreign language brings (such as enhanced problem solving, attentional control or ability to switch tasks, and on the claim that it helps with literacy in English but these arguments have not yet filtered into public discourse. Young children are slower at learning languages than adolescent learners, in all aspects of language. Understanding the consequences of bilingualism for language processing and cognition, Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 25.5: 497514, Larson-Hall, Jenifer. On one hand, the main disadvantages of teaching children another language at primary school are that - firstly, it could affect their ability to learn their mother tongue properly and they might get confused by learning many different languages with different grammar and pronunciation at the same time. Apparently, young children have more ability to learn foreign languages. To summarise, by analysing both sides of the view, it is clear that both sides present solid evidence. Kroll, Judith F, and Ellen Bialystok. On the other hand, I think that children learn faster at a young age because they are less self-conscious and shy. Teresa Tinsley and Kathryn Board, who wrote the new Language Trends survey, examine the effect of the change. While some people oppose the idea of introducing/teaching a foreign language in the primary school, I strongly believe that it is rather beneficial for children to learn a second language from a younger age. In my opinion, this trend, on the whole, brings more advantages than disadvantages. Learning a second language in the primary level often gives extra burden to the student and secondary level is the ideal time for that. In Northern Ireland, learning a second language is not a statutory part of the. 2013. Children should begin learning a foreign language as soon as they start school. If the time passes, and the child has not learned a foreign language by around kindergarten age, then the next-best time to try is between 11 and 13 years old. The current one hour weekly, well below the several hours of teaching in many European countries, is insufficient to meet current expectations about achievement. In a recent study we compared how children aged 5, 7 and 11 learn French in the classroom in England. Three misconceptions about age and L2 learning, TESOL quarterly 34.1: 934, Muoz, Carmen. Children now study one foreign language for up to one hour per week. Education Indicators in Focus: How much time do primary and lower secondary students spend in the classroom? A flagship AHRC-funded project to revitalize Modern Languages and shape UK language policy by showing how multilingualism can empower individuals and transform societies. 2013. Only 58 percent of middle schools and 25 percent of elementary schools offer a foreign language in 2008, according to a 2017 report by the Commission on Language Learning, which was formed in response to a request by Congress to look deeper into foreign language learning in the United States. 2013. In secondary level students can learn more about the language than what have been taught in the classroom. Myles, Florence and Rosamond Mitchell. Languages programmes of study: Key Stage 2. All (100.0 %) lower secondary pupils in Denmark, Germany, Italy, Cyprus, Malta, Romania and Sweden were learning English as a foreign language, as was also the case in Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even in schools' curriculum, a subject with a different language is a must. . To begin with, picking up a foreign language enables the children to develop a better foundation in a foreign language. The most commonly taught language is French, in over three quarters of schools, but other languages may have greater resonance with the experience of school children. Making foreign language compulsory in primary school will enhance the students to get exposure to variety of language. Click To Tweet. One option could be for all children to start a new language at secondary school from scratch, avoiding the transition problems we mentioned above and which are so demotivating for children. Focussing less one-sidedly on a goal of linguistic proficiency would help mitigate some of the problems outlined above. In the case of immigrant children, there is much research evidence that young children are actually slower than older learners at the beginning of the learning process. These expectations are problematic for a number of reasons: These issues put together make it very difficult to see how the primary foreign languages initiative can be successful, IF its primary goal is increased proficiency and if its success is measured exclusively in terms of proficiency. The Languages Programmes of Study (Department for Education 2013: 1) specify that all pupils should understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources; speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation; can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt; discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied. Courtney, Louise. It's great for traveling 5. In a nut shell, primary school is ideal for learning foreign language than in the secondary due to vital factors like extreme sensitivity and open nature of children. Research has shown that what really motivates young children is the fun of language learning: not only the fun activities typical of the primary language classroom, but also learning about another culture and its language: learning about children in other countries, what they do, how like/unlike them they are, how they speak etc. A study by United Nations has proved that learning any language other than the native one activates various new parts of the brain which were never used before. To become more marketable and employable. The younger children, however, were the most enthusiastic, as reported by many studies (e.g. For example, it is claimed that bilingual children develop the ability to talk more slowly than monolingual kids. The optimum age for learning a new language is a matter of public debate which in my opinion is better to start as early as possible as the advantages of it are far more than the disadvantages. Next, naturally, children are more curious and eager to learn new things in their tender age. Sometimes learning a foreign language at primary school, at an early age, can diminish their ability to speak or understand in the native language. On this course, you'll learn practical teaching methods for teaching language and discover engaging tasks and projects for primary school students. Copyright 2022 9IELTS. The Department of Education states liberation from insularity and an opening to other cultures as the principal purposes for introducing language learning in primary school. At the same time, research shows that young children are very enthusiastic towards the learning of foreign languages. No doubt, secondary level students are better prepared to unlock the door and walkthrough. But what is the research evidence? Research shows, however, that children are slower at learning a foreign language than adolescents and young adults. Secondly, studying a foreign language is very helpful. 4. On the other hand knowing a foreign language at a young age is easier and need less time than learning at an older age. Addition of new language in primary school adds more burden of homework. There are several advantages of studying a foreign language from primary level. In disagreement with the given statement: Babies, toddlers and preschoolers are being enrolled in the foreign language classes by a growing number of parents and the numbers are expected to rise. Regular opportunities for direct contact with foreign language speakers (including of course children) are highly motivating. Firstly, learning a foreign language is helpful for the growth of a child's brain. To sum up, the minor disadvantages will never prevent us from concluding that knowing foreign phrases will be never excessive. To cut the long story short, Lucas, the first child of the family, has started learning the English language at secondary school and now the level of his English skill is almost intermediate. Despite, the gain, there can be a lack stumbling learning an international language in elementary schools. Therefore, to get them learning a new language will inevitably put an additional burden beside their studies. Certainly, the benefits of studying a second language at an elementary level go beyond the disadvantages. 2013. Task Achievement: 8 Coherence & Cohesion: 8 Lexical resources: 8 Grammar: 8 Overall Score: Band 8 To begin with, scholars believe that understanding a foreign language in elementary school may contribute a more incredible communication skill of pupil in the future regarding their ability to catch up insight is incredibly fascinating during this period. Expand creativity - Cognitive function and creativity are linked. Some experts claim that primary school is the best place for learning another language instead of secondary school. Since a long time is needed for acquiring deep knowledge in every language, every child has to start learning a second language as early as possible, otherwise, their future will not be safe. This trend boosts up the brain and enhance the performance of a student. Here, opportunities are more for employees who know more than one language. What is needed is a clear vision of the purpose of introducing young children to foreign languages, and of how the teaching of primary foreign languages can be integrated successfully within the Foreign Language curriculum as a whole, all the way through to GCSE, paying particular attention to evolving learner motivation and to the transition from primary to secondary school. In other words, for children learning languages is not a hard task as it is for adults. To illustrate, it can be learnt from the literature and poems. Input and long-term effects of early learning in a formal setting, in The age factor and early language learning, ed. One option could be for all children to start a new language at secondary school from scratch, avoiding the transition problems we mentioned above and which are so demotivating for children. Young children, however, eventually catch up with older learners and typically become indistinguishable from native speakers, which is usually not the case for adults. All research investigating whether earlier is better in instructed contexts points in the same direction: Probably the most ambitious piece of research investigating the role of age in early foreign language learning in the classroom is the Barcelona Age Factor (BAF) project (Muoz 2006). A quiet revolution happened in English primary schools last September, representing a historic curriculum change: language-learning was made compulsory for all children between seven and 11. They faster become familiar with a strange language, improve their hearing ability to understand new words as time goes by and learn new words. 2010. Moreover, give the special care and settle down proper curriculum could be much beneficial for them in this way. The key point to justify this attitude could be illustrated by a personal tangible example. transition from primary to secondary schools: the transition from primary to secondary school has consistently been flagged up as a major challenge to progress in foreign language learning, ever since the first pilot introducing french in primary schools in england in the 1970s, and recent evidence suggests that the problem endures (ofsted 2015; Required fields are marked *. Carmen Muoz and her team capitalized on the fact that the government changed the age at which English was introduced in the classroom in rapid succession, creating a natural experiment whereby they were able to compare second language learners having started at ages 8, 11, 14 and over 18. Learning in the primary school increases the opportunity to choose the better path and develop carrier. A fair portion of people believes that studying a new foreign language at primary school is better than secondary school for children, while others hold the opposite point of view. Transition from the Primary to the Secondary phase Part 2. Now, she can speak very fluently both of them. There is, therefore, a strong case for an early start, in order to capitalize on this enthusiasm. Do the advantage of this outweigh the disadvantages? 2009. More recent arguments are based on the cognitive advantages that learning a foreign language brings (such as enhanced problem solving, attentional control or ability to switch tasks, and on the claim that it helps with literacy in English but these arguments have not yet filtered into public discourse. For some kids in China, they can even start three different languages, such English, French and German together when they are six years old. Total Words: 314. But what happens in England, where children grow up speaking the international language, and where the cultural context as well as inconsistent commitment from successive governments make the learning of foreign languages anything but central to the educational agenda? The growth of an individual brain and increase in opportunities will support the argument. Undoubtedly, learning a totally new language is tiring and requires more time to master it. 2014. Learning French from ages 5, 7, and 11: An Investigation into Starting Ages, Rates and Routes of Learning Amongst Early Foreign Language Learners. Learning should never be limited. Regular opportunities for direct contact with foreign language speakers (including of course children) are highly motivating. by Marianne Nikolov (Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter), pp. It boosts your creativity 9. Also, they learn with no shy and talk freely without any fear of making mistakes. In the first part, I will briefly review how young children learn by comparison with teenagers and adults, and what expectations can reasonably be entertained given this evidence. The motivational, cultural, and cognitive benefits of language learning need to be stated more positively to ensure adequate recognition of their importance and value in the national curriculum. One thing should be mentioned here that speaking a foreign language boosts cognitive, memory and listening skills. To illustrate, most cartoons are watched in the English language which is what children are ready to learn easily. In secondary level a students maturity grows and s/he can learn the language more accurately. they were regarded as grasping landlords; arrogant - having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities. By Florence Myles | 21 May 2017 | Policy Papers, In the case of immigrant children, there is much research evidence that young children are actually slower than older learners at the beginning of the learning process. A couple of years ago, I met a German family with an interesting story. It seems that young children, learn mainly by doing rather than by conscious learning, that is, they learn more implicitly than older children. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe reveals the importance of learning a foreign . Although, it should be considered that the method and atmosphere of the school play a key role in learning. The second is that in an increasingly globalized world, intercultural competence is essential, and that it is important to awaken childrens interests in other people and cultures at a time when they are open and receptive. Learning a foreign language at primary level gives the children better chance to learn about a new culture. For instance, it can be clearly seen that children who bear the extra pressure of studies eventually get affected by health related issues. That means parents now want to be more proactive in jump-starting second language education for their children. Department for Education. Answer (1 of 16): No. This does not make for an ideal learning context, and it can be demotivating for learners, as well as for the teacher who typically has to assume children do not have any language skills. Although some countries mandate that students learn English as . Research on current educational provision has highlighted two further areas of concern, in addition to the low amount of teaching input: (i) the transition between primary and secondary school is problematic because children arrive with very diverse foreign language experiences; (ii) the lack of specialist teachers, lack of training for teachers, and lack of adequate teaching resources. The team then compared their learning on a wide range of measures testing all 4 macroskills: speaking, listening, writing and reading. For example, when I was in the third-fifth grades, I used to memorise new words very quickly and for a long period. Teachers ability is the real example. It can be any modern or ancient foreign language and the focus should be on enabling pupils to make substantial progress in one language. Foreign language teaching needs to be embedded within the childrens overall education from the early years to the end of schooling, to avoid the highly demotivating transition issues. The rationale behind the introduction of languages was firmly that earlier is better in terms of developing proficiency in the target foreign language. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. They also exhibit better problem-solving skills, enhanced spatial relations, and heightened creativity. Many believe that students at primary schools should start learning a foreign tongue and should not wait till secondary school level. The learning method The speed at which students learn Keeping initiative out of students' hands can have a disastrous impact on the way students acquire language. But what is the research evidence? To improve communication skills. First of all, learning a foreignshow more content Please cite: Myles, F. (2017). What can we learn from research? interest in foreign language learning through early childhood education and care (ecec) has grown tremendously in many countries (bergstrm et al., 2016;ferjan ramrez & kuhl, 2020), perhaps. Young children, however, eventually catch up with older learners and typically become indistinguishable from native speakers, which is usually not the case for adults. Using the latest young language learning research, you'll be encouraged to reflect and experiment with new resources and improve your current language teaching practice. In conclusion, it seems to me that the benefits of teaching children foreign languages as soon as possible outweigh the drawbacks. ESRC End of Award Report, RES-062-23-1545 (Swindon: Economic and Social Research Council), OECD. This advantage has often been linked to the Critical Period Hypothesis mentioned above. This agenda needs to be much more central and consistent in our curriculum. Transition from primary to secondary schools: The transition from primary to secondary school has consistently been flagged up as a major challenge to progress in foreign language learning, ever since the first pilot introducing French in primary schools in England in the 1970s, and recent evidence suggests that the problem endures (Ofsted 2015; Tinsley and Board 2016). Learning a foreign language at primary level gives the children better chance to learn about a new culture. So, getting used to a language at an early age will make one comfortable and confident. Children at Key Stage 2 (age 711) now study one foreign language for up to one hour per week (in 90% of schools, Language Trends 2016/17). Language Learning at Key Stage 2: a longitudinal study. It covers issues that have been under-researched within this group of learners such. And in contexts where there are many children with English as an additional language, it might be more appropriate to teach one of the languages of the community. I will analyse both sides of the arguments before a reasoned conclusion is drawn. Therefore, children should learn a foreign language at primary school, instead of secondary school. Schools have had to deliver this initiative with no extra resources and inconsistent support. Feed Their Brains. That is to say, they are less likely to find the different pronunciation and grammar of a foreign language strange and difficult to learn than their counterparts at secondary school. Perhaps, one of the reasons is an imbalance of . But what happens in England, where children grow up speaking the international language, and where the cultural context as well as inconsistent commitment from successive governments make the learning of foreign languages anything but central to the educational agenda? Resources: The introduction of the new policy took place at a time of declining resources, which greatly limited the support available for schools, through e.g. If better means faster linguistic progress, the research evidence tells us that older children outperform younger children; their greater cognitive maturity helps them make the best of the limited input and of explicit instruction. Carmen Muoz and her team capitalized on the fact that the government changed the age at which English was introduced in the classroom in rapid succession, creating a natural experiment whereby they were able to compare second language learners having started at ages 8, 11, 14 and over 18. Stay constantly updated with a wide range of ultimate tips, strategies, and practice tests to crack the high-stakes IELTS exam! In a recent study we compared how children aged 5, 7 and 11 learn French in the classroom in England. Foreign languages were introduced formally within the primary school curriculum in England in 2014 for the first time. Children To Begin Learning A Foreign Language At Primary School IELTS Writing Task 2 consists of three sample answers provided below. Children start to learn some new subjects, such as Chemistry, Biology and History. By continuing to use this website, you agree to our. This popular view has its theoretical foundations in the so-called Critical Period Hypothesis, which claims that children are born with an innate language faculty which atrophies with age, and that it is therefore important to tap into these innate mechanisms before the critical age when they disappear. Therefore, children should learn a foreign language at primary school, instead of secondary school. In the following section, we discuss the implications of these research findings on the role of age in instructed contexts, for the policy challenges facing the early introduction of foreign languages in primary schools. Small achievements build up you can feel proud of yourself again and again with greater intensity as your accomplishments grow. Model Answer 1: Nowadays, we live in a globalised advance era in which learning a new language has become one of the great concerns of every person. , starting learning a foreign language at an early age gives more advantages for children . 9IELTS is dedicated to providing free materials and resources for IELTS conquerors. Because children at this age show better mental flexibility, more creativity, divergent thinking skills, and improved listening and memory skills, kids are able to process language early on. Secondly, children may get confused because of learning many languages at the same time and this could have a negative impact on their development. Many studies have shown that adolescents and young adults are faster learners on all measures of language proficiency. by Marianne Nikolov (Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter), pp. Coleman, James A. Spanish might be a stronger motivator for children, as many have been to Spain on holiday, and its orthography and pronunciation are more transparent. The second is that in an increasingly globalized world, intercultural competence is essential, and that it is important to awaken childrens interests in other people and cultures at a time when they are open and receptive. All children were complete beginners at the start of the project and received two hours a week of similar instruction from the same teacher over 19 weeks. Kroll, Judith F, and Ellen Bialystok. Further challenges arise as children get older. Muoz was able to follow a large number of learners over a long period of time (learners were tested after 200, 416 and 726 hours of instruction). All research investigating whether earlier is better in instructed contexts points in the same direction: Young children are very enthusiastic and love learning foreign languages. 2009. This makes it an opportune time to reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of an early start, and what challenges it poses. Weighing the benefits of studying a foreign language at a younger starting age in a minimal input situaton, Second Language Research, 24.1: 3563, Marinova-Todd, Stefka, D. Bradford Marshall, and Catherine Snow. They are enthusiastic to explore and learn new things. Languages, Society & Policy https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.9806. Learning French from ages 5, 7, and 11: An Investigation into Starting Ages, Rates and Routes of Learning Amongst Early Foreign Language Learners. In our recent study comparing 5, 7 and 11 year olds learning French in England, 96% of the 5 year olds enjoyed learning French, and 88% of the 7 year olds did so too. The first is the belief that the younger the better, the idea that young children are intrinsically better language learners, and will therefore become more proficient more quickly. The proponents of this view discuss that there are many reasons behind of their claims. 2006. After all, we just pick up our mother tongue effortlessly as young children, so the logic is that if we teach children early enough, the same will happen with foreign languages. Bolster, Allison, Christine Balandier-Brown and Pauline Rea-Dickens. (Paris: OECD Publishing), Please cite: Myles, F. (2017). Your email address will not be published. Acquiring an international language like English could be very important for young people to get better job opportunities in the future. Weighing the benefits of studying a foreign language at a younger starting age in a minimal input situaton, Second Language Research, 24.1: 3563, Marinova-Todd, Stefka, D. Bradford Marshall, and Catherine Snow. For instance, my little sister always wants to play, even if there are loose ends. This popular view has its theoretical foundations in the so-called Critical Period Hypothesis, which claims that children are born with an innate language faculty which atrophies with age, and that it is therefore important to tap into these innate mechanisms before the critical age when they disappear. To begin with, learning a new language requires more time to master it but it increases the burden on children in a stress-free environment. There is currently very little joined-up thinking about how the transition from primary to secondary schools is managed, with secondary schools receiving children from primary feeder schools with hugely varying practices, not to mention languages, and little coordination between the two.
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