Some people believe that children should start learning foreign languages at primary school. However, others think it is better to start learning languages at secondary school. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

People have different views about when school children should start learning a foreign language. Despite the advantages of learning a second language in secondary school in terms of better communication and independent learning, I believe that children should start learning a language as soon as they start attending school due to their strong curiosity and cognitive benefits of being bilingual for a child’s development. On the one hand, there are several reasons why it is believed that secondary school period is a better time for learning a language. First, by the time they go to secondary school, children have already acquired sufficient communication skills which can help them learn a second language better. They know how to follow instructions given by teachers and analyze the differences between their first language and a completely new language. Second, at this stage children do not need extra guidance when learning a language; they have learning autonomy, meaning that if there is anything they cannot easily comprehend, they can seek assistance online independently. In Japan, for example, children take up learning a new language only after they move to secondary school since children are deemed able to communicate and obtain information autonomously. On the other hand, despite the decided benefits of learning a language in secondary school, in my opinion, children can benefit more from learning it at the primary level of education. A seven-year-old child has a fresh memory and a strong thirst for knowledge, which means if they start learning a foreign language at primary school, they can form a better foundation of the language. This foundation can help them learn other languages or subjects at a later stage. On top of that, learning a foreign language at the primary level of school has undeniable cognitive benefits for the development of children’s brain. It encourages creativity and flexibility, and bilingual children are better than their monolingual peers in multitasking and decision making. Cognitive psychologists have proven that primary school students who can speak more than one language have better lateral thinking and mental agility which is why school systems in countries such as Finland teach students a new language once they step into primary school. In conclusion, better communication skills and independent learning abilities of secondary school children in terms of learning a foreign language do not mean that children cannot learn a new language at primary school. I ultimately believe that learning a second language at the primary level of education is far more advantageous because children are more curious at this stage, and it has compelling cognitive benefits for children.