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

It is frequently said that it is preferrable for young pupils to start lessons in an extra language in primary school rather than senior high school. Despite of its benefits, it has numerous drawbacks. First and foremost, children in this age may be possibly interested in learning new things and exploring the vast world that surrounds them. Consequently, an extra language may be probably proven as a wide attachment in their course structure. Moreover, the acknowledgement of another language apart from their mother tongue can be possibly be regarded as beneficial. Not only does it broaden their horizons and familiarise themselves with various cultures, but also it can make them become more competitive in their adult lives. For instance, recent studies conducted by the European Union showed that a bilingual child may be able to cope with difficulties of a foreign society than a monolingual one. On the other hand, there are a plethora of disadvantages. More particularly, in this age, children are mainly keen on playing rather than beginning lessons in a foreign tongue. As a consequence, adding an extra language to their compulsory core structure may possilby limit the available leizure time to play. Furthermore, in this peer group, juniors are still learning their mother tongue. As an outcome, starting tutorials in one or two foreign languages, apart from their mother tongue, may possibly negatively influence their identity and their ability to write and speak in their mother tongue. For example, recent studies conducted in Egypt showed that children who studied at international english schools that taught english from grade one received lower marks in Arabic compared to those who were taught english later. In conclusion, although beginning lessons to a foreign tongue may have positive aspects in this age, it causes many disadvantages too.