The stronger the cognitive . But before you decide to take the plunge and begin studying a second language, it might be advantageous to take the time to think about the disadvantages of learning a foreign language. ESRC End of Award Report, RES-062-23-1545 (Swindon: Economic and Social Research Council), OECD. The rationale behind the introduction of languages was firmly that earlier is better in terms of developing proficiency in the target foreign language. 2010). Firstly, it could be a waste of time since children need to focus on other subjects such as math, science, and their own mother tongue language, which they might need it more than the foreign one. 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. Context-related 1. At the rate of one hour per week, it would take 425 years for children in a classroom to match the input of children learning their native language! Age and the rate of foreign language learning (Clevedon: Multilingual Matters), Muoz, Carmen. Firstly, young children learn a language faster. To my knowledge, only one study by Jenifer Larson-Hall found a small advantage for an early start, but in that study, the children had six to eight hours of instruction per week for 44 weeks a year over six years, making the context of learning very different from the one or two weekly hours in other studies. Secondly, children may get confused because of learning many languages at the same time and this could have a negative impact on their development. Second language learning in the early school years: Trends and contexts (Oxford: Oxford University Press), Myles, Florence and Rosamond Mitchell. 2014. Three misconceptions about age and L2 learning, TESOL quarterly 34.1: 934, Muoz, Carmen. It, indirectly, increases the burden of a primary school pupil who is supposed to learn new things in a stress-free environment. Older children are able to use their more developed cognitive capabilities and literacy skills to support their learning; younger children are not yet able to do so. 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Consequently, many models of language teaching delivery are currently used in schools, ranging from the employment of one dedicated language teacher for the whole school (only viable in larger primary schools), the use of a peripatetic specialist teacher going from school to school, or, in many schools, the class teacher teaching the language, and perhaps learning it at the same time as the children. 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. 2000. Generally, the grammar in this essay does not have errors that would cause strain for the reader. The first and the most obvious one is that children are too young to understand the depth of other languages, notably, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation. 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. You'll stay smarter for longer 8. Foreign language can be easier to learn at a young age.So learning a new language offers many advantages to children especially cultural aspect. 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. In addition, they pick up the pronuciation better and enjoy copying and learning through games. There are, certainly, some consequences of teaching foreign language in primary school, both positive and negative results. So primary school should offer the class of foreign language studying for children. In the context of foreign language learning in the classroom, are primary school children also more likely than older students to reach native-like proficiency in the long run? On becoming a foreign languages teacher 3. But what is the research evidence? Learning Languages Boosts Self-Esteem And Confidence. In primary level student can learn new things very quickly and that has a lasting impression. Strong foundation and learning interest are the two main advantages of this, which are far greater than the drawback of weak concepts. Acquiring an international language like English could be very important for young people to get better job opportunities in the future. Secondly, the cognitive benefits of learning a foreign language. Focussing less one-sidedly on a goal of linguistic proficiency would help mitigate some of the problems outlined above. Languages programmes of study: Key Stage 2. by Marianne Nikolov (Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter), pp. Copyright 2022 9IELTS. Elementary-age immersion, sure. Muoz, Carmen. To become more marketable and employable. Schools are free to choose whether to teach an ancient or a modern language; it is much more about language learning skills than the particular language on offer. 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. But few schools offer this (and it is often at the cost of true fluency and literacy in the native language). For instance, my little sister always wants to play, even if there are loose ends. By Florence Myles | 21 May 2017 | Policy Papers The teaching of a foreign language was introduced in the National Curriculum in primary schools in England in 2014 (Key Stage 2 - age 7-11). Regular opportunities for direct contact with foreign language speakers (including of course children) are highly motivating. This study found that the older children learned faster, as they were better able to use a range of cognitive strategies to aid their learning, and they also used their more advanced literacy skills to support their foreign language learning. Young Learners of modern foreign languages and their transition to the secondary phase: a lost opportunity?, Language Learning Journal 30: 3541, Cable, Carrie, Patricia Driscoll, Rosamond Mitchell, Sue Sing, Teresa Cremin, Justine Earl, Ian Eyres, Bernadette Holmes, Cynthia Martin and Barbara Heins. 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). Also, nowadays people are getting drifted towards multinational companies. From within this system, students see learning as the teacher's responsibility, and do not develop the sense of agency that is so important to successful language learning. Finally, the learning of foreign language adds more loads on these young kids and takes some of their fun time. 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. Marinova-Todd, Stefka, D. Bradford Marshall, and Catherine Snow. This makes it an opportune time to reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of an early start, and what challenges it poses. In future knowing one more language might be very prestigious. Cable, Carrie, Patricia Driscoll, Rosamond Mitchell, Sue Sing, Teresa Cremin, Justine Earl, Ian Eyres, Bernadette Holmes, Cynthia Martin and Barbara Heins. It is clear that learning a foreign language at primary school brings children two particular advantages. Myles, Florence and Rosamond Mitchell. To conclude, despite certain disadvantages, a vast amount of benefits should be considered by society and individuals while deciding whether their school going children should learn a foreign language or not. Expand creativity - Cognitive function and creativity are linked. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Young children are very enthusiastic and love learning foreign languages. Firstly, learning a foreign language is helpful for the growth of a childs brain. Certainly, the benefits of studying a second language at an elementary level go beyond the disadvantages. 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. Stay constantly updated with a wide range of ultimate tips, strategies, and practice tests to crack the high-stakes IELTS exam! Learning a foreign language is a new trend followed nowadays. 9IELTS is dedicated to providing free materials and resources for IELTS conquerors. On the other hand, I think that children learn faster at a young age because they are less self-conscious and shy. In parallel, I personally side with this idea. 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. When a child learns a new language, he or she can now connect it to other areas or fields of education. To illustrate, it can be learnt from the literature and poems. 2008. 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. Looking at the points discussed above, we can come to a conclusion that advantages of learning a foreign language at an early age outweigh the disadvantages. 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 a foreign language should be made compulsory in primary schools here, a new report has said. Do the advantage of this outweigh the disadvantages? They are more likely to speak it more confidently in front of the crowds. Making foreign language compulsory in primary school will enhance the students to get exposure to variety of language. 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. The team then compared their learning on a wide range of measures testing all 4 macroskills: speaking, listening, writing and reading. What can we learn from research? Input and long-term effects of early learning in a formal setting, in. In this case, as the first study institution, primary school should offer the class of the foreign language studying for children. Thus, learning and copying others could be a fun in itself for them. The belief underlying the introduction of foreign languages in primary schools is that teaching foreign languages early to young children, when they are most receptive, could close the gap which currently exists between our young people and their European counterparts in terms of foreign language capability, making them more competitive on the global market. 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 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. The younger children, however, were the most enthusiastic, as reported by many studies (e.g. Understanding the consequences of bilingualism for language processing and cognition, Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 25.5: 497514, Larson-Hall, Jenifer. High school students need foreign language to graduate for a number of reasons: 1. Now, she can speak very fluently both of them. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. In other words, for children learning languages is not a hard task as it is for adults. Young children, however, eventually catch up with older learners and typically become indistinguishable from native speakers, which is usually not the case for adults. First European Survey on Language Competences: Final report. 2006. It is worth noting that the one hour per week is well below the several hours per week offered in many countries (European Commission 2012; OECD 2014). A flagship AHRC-funded project to revitalize Modern Languages and shape UK language policy by showing how multilingualism can empower individuals and transform societies. However, the government policy which made learning a foreign language compulsory in English primary schools from Key Stage 2 was almost exclusively linked to the first of these motives. Second, it is easier for children to learn the pronunciation of a foreign language. Young Learners of modern foreign languages and their transition to the secondary phase: a lost opportunity?, Language Learning Journal 30: 3541, Cable, Carrie, Patricia Driscoll, Rosamond Mitchell, Sue Sing, Teresa Cremin, Justine Earl, Ian Eyres, Bernadette Holmes, Cynthia Martin and Barbara Heins. 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