SomeexpertsbelievethatitIsbetterforchildrentobeginlearningaforeignlanguageatprimaryschoolratherthansecondaryschool.外语教育应该从小学开始还是从中学开始Dotheadvantagesofthisoutweighthedisadvantages
雅思官方范文:
Traditionally,childrenhavebegunstudyingforeignlanguagesatsecondaryschool,butintroducingthemearlierisrecommendedbysomeeducationalists.Thispolicyhasbeenadoptedbysomeeducationalauthoritiesorindividualschools,withbothpositiveandnegativeoutcomes.
Theobviousargumentinitsfavouristhatyoungchildrenpickuplanguagesmuchmoreeasilythanteenagers.Theirbrainsarestillprogrammedtoacquiretheirmothertongue,whichfacilitateslearninganotherlanguage,andunlikeadolescents,theyarenotinhibitedbyself-consciousness.
Thegreaterflexibilityoftheprimarytimetableallowsformorefrequent,shortersessionsandforaplay-centredapproach,thusmaintaininglearners’enthusiasmandprogress.Theircommandofthelanguageinlaterlifewillbenefitfromthisearlyexposure,whilelearningotherlanguagessubsequentlywillbeeasierforthem.Theymayalsogainabetterunderstandingofothercultures.
Thereare,however,somedisadvantages.Primaryschoolteachersaregeneralists,andmaynothavethenecessarylanguageskillsthemselves.Ifspecialistshavetobebroughtintodriverthesesessions,theflexibilityreferredtoaboveisdiminished.Ifprimarylanguageteachingisnotstandardized,secondaryschoolscouldbefacedwithagreatvarietyoflevelsindifferentlanguageswithintheirintakes,resultinginaclassroomexperiencewhichundoestheearliergains.Thereisnoadvantageifenthusiasticprimarypupilsbecomedemotivatedassoonastheychangeschools.However,theseissuescanbeaddressedstrategicallywithinthepolicyadopted.
Anythingwhichencourageslanguagelearningbenefitssocietyculturallyandeconomically,andearlyexposuretolanguagelearningcontributestothis.Youngchildren’sinnateabilitiesshouldbeharnessedtomakethesebenefitsmoreachievable.(267)