Should Foreign Language be taught in primary education?

[TheJamal]

I know some private schools have foreign language classes taught at younger grades, but do you think we should be teaching foreign language in all schools? And should it be started earlier than high school into primary education?

I think as the world grows smaller with technology and how much communications happens around the world, that knowing a 2nd language has become increasingly important.

[edthebig]

I know some private schools have foreign language classes taught at younger grades, but do you think we should be teaching foreign language in all schools? And should it be started earlier than high school into primary education?

I think as the world grows smaller with technology and how much communications happens around the world, that knowing a 2nd language has become increasingly important.

I think it should. Definitely. Why? Well because it will open so many doors later in life for that person and because it is easier learning when you are a kid, or so they say. Any opportunity you have about learning a language should be taken.

[maryannballeras]

I agree, I think that foreign language should be taught in primary schools. Learning a new language instills discipline and of course, will provide more opportunities to the student as he grows older. 

[BearAcrosser]

It absolutely should. Besides the obvious practical benefits, learning a foreign language brings so many benefits to your brain, making it sharper.

Here in Italy English language is taught since pupils are 6 year old, right from the beginning of high school, and this is compulsory. A second foreign language starts being taught in middle school, 11 year old. It's a good system, but sadly the quality of teaching is pretty low.

Now, in English speaking countries there is probably less perceived need to learn foreign languages because of English's role as lingua franca.

Anyone interested can look at this Eurostat research, containing some very useful charts about Europe's language teaching situation.

[spacetimecontinuum]

It should be mandatory, at that age, as our synaptic junctions are on fire, we can absorb so much, heck I would even argue to start teaching kids other languages, in utero, ha! Come on ladies, get those microphones out and place them on your your tummies.

But seriously, the earlier the better I feel. I had a real knack for French and Spanish when I was younger, my teachers told me so, both said I spoke the languages with no accent, as if native, sadly I let my language learning fall by the wayside.

I can still converse on an emergency level in both tongues, but let's just say I couldn't have a deep discussion about Proust or Gabriel Garcia Marquez in their respective languages.

[Traveler]

Yes, I definitely agree that foreign languages need to be taught early on and continue through high school. I think the U.S. does a terrible job with this. But then the U.S. basically expects everyone to learn English anyway. It starts foreign language classes in high school typically, makes you take two years of it, and then maybe you have to take one or two in college. It's perhaps the worst way to do things.

[Muthoni]

Yes, I think that it is for the future benefits of our children if foreign languages are introduced in primary schools. Kids are able to understand things better because they do not have too many responsibilities. My seven year old niece is learning French in school, I find it so remarkable when she pronounces the words impeccably.

[Baburra]

I think English should be taught to students from an early age, even if it's just the most basic. I know that some countries value their local culture very much and would rather keep English out or at a minimum, but il think these days it's a bit inescapable due to the internet, and the more people know about English, the more we could all talk with each other online and thus learn even more from one another exponentially.

[Saholy]

YES YES YES! I practically tripped over my keyboard trying to answer this question. I come from a supposedly 'developing country' who still does not insist on elementary levels learning even the secondary language of the country. Meanwhile, I have visited several 'third world' countries and many of the native speakers are able to speak simple greetings to me in English. They walk to school with no shoes but are able to converse with me and yet, my friends children can only say words like, 'burrito'. It is a subject that really troubles me. Not only is language learning good for young minds as a hole, it will be a necessary element of the young adults life as they attempt to find their place in the working world. It is a grave injustice not to teach foreign language in primary education. There is no reason to not do it other than it must not fit into the budget or their are not enough native speakers qualified to teach it.

[Dora M]

I think it's an excellent idea to have the option of learning foreign languages at all schools. When I went to school, it was optional for certain classes to study English. Many students decided against it and later regretted it.

These days, since I have become a language teacher myself, I have private clients who trust me with their very young kids, simply because they want to have them exposed to an English speaking person as much as possible. So that they will already have some basic knowledge when they enter school.

[DancingLady]

Yes, even if children are not very interested in it at that age, just learning how to learn language is so valuable, it will save them so much frustration later on.  I didn't get the opportunity to start learning a second language until high school, and it took until I was in college to feel like I had figured out how to learn language.  I wish I had learned a little of some other language earlier so I could have been more successful later on.

[Determined2014]

I know some private schools have foreign language classes taught at younger grades, but do you think we should be teaching foreign language in all schools? And should it be started earlier than high school into primary education?

I think as the world grows smaller with technology and how much communications happens around the world, that knowing a 2nd language has become increasingly important.

I think they should the earlier the better, the children will get used to it and get advanced before they finish primary.

[Rosa]

I do agree that learning a second language is becoming more necessary. I went to public school and wasn't taught a second language until 7th grade. When I sent my children to private school they started learning in kindergarten and I see that these days a lot of ads for workers is stating that a second language would be an asset so I think all schools should start teaching at an early age.