Analysis on the Appropriate Age of Foreign Language Learning

Wang Zhe

(Foreign Language School Hubei University of Technology Wuhan Hubei 430000)

Since there is a sharp decline,namely 6.6%,in the number of British pupils who took French GCSE this year compared to last year (The Guardian,August 27,2009),the learning of foreign languages in primary school has stirred much public interest and also some professional controversy.In Scotland,foreign languages are taught in all the elementary schools,however,in England,although they are introduced as a significant part of the timetable or extra-curricular clubs in schools,foreign languages are not currently a compulsory part of the elementary curriculum.Lord Dearing,a government adviser,points that “For foreign languages,the earlier the better”,and he also states that it should be “embedded” in primary schools (BBC,14 December,2009).Besides,the former Education Secretary Alan Johnson considers that languages should be put at the heart of learning (The Guardian,August 27,2009).Nevertheless,there are still some skeptics and a few opposite opinions,especially among some professional educators and psychologists.Harley (1995) proves the notion that during the whole learning process,children make slower progress as a result of their poor capacity for learning the grammar of foreign languages; therefore,it is detrimental for them to start early since “gains are not straightforwardly linked to the time spent learning” (Fisher,1996).In addition,children should not put under early stress on the brain function since they have already had to learn a variety of courses.(Carnegie Corporation of New York,1994,pp.4-7).

In this essay,I intend to challenge Fisher’s theory that children should not be put under stress early ,as well as Harly’s statement that it is inappropriate for children to start early due to their poor capacity for learning grammar.On the contrast,children should learn a foreign language in primary school due to their psychogenesis,superior ability of responding new challenges and increased globalization.This paper will firstly argue for the advantages of children’s starting to learn a foreign language early because children’s brain functions still not fully matured and they are more easily influenced.Further arguments will be given that young learners are braver to imitate native accent and finally,increasingly intensified and competitive society will be cited as a reason for learning a foreign language early.

一、Physical Reasons

Generally,compared with adults,children who are placed in a foreign environment seem to pick up a foreign language more accurately and faster because they are more impressionable than adults.More specifically,as children’s brain functions have not fully matured,they are more easily influenced and this influence endures into a long time (Fisher,1996,pp.3).Immigrant families have observed their children’s facility of language-learning.For some families,after they immigrated to new countries,their children would usually be sent to local schools.However,only a few months later,their children could speak like native speakers and sometimes they even have to use their children as interpreters when they communicate with local people (Andersson,1969,pp.42).Therefore,children are developing the variety of language skills at a fast speed and Fisher (1996) even points that this speed will never repeated in their lives again.Besides,as children’s sound systems are developing,they excel adults in imitating sounds,which is propitious for them for possessing the native-like pronunciation more accurately and with the increasing age,people’s ability of imitating native speakers would decline because some characteristics of their brain functions or sound systems have already matured and it is difficult to alter them.(Tahta,1981).

(1) Mental Reasons

Furthermore,when being confronted with new challenges,young learners are superior to adults for responding enthusiastically,without self-consciousness.It is acknowledged that practice makes perfect and the most crucial point for learning language is speaking out and practicing more often.However,adults seem to be afflicted by self-consciousness and in order to avoid making mistakes and being laughed at by others,they prefer to learn language silently,without speaking out loudly,which makes them miss opportunities to practice and therefore,it has detrimental influence on their pronunciation.In contrast,compared with adults,young learners are likely less embarrassed than adults and are more active to imitate native speakers,without the inhibition of making mistakes,which could help them get a more native-like accent (Cameron,2001,p.I).What’s more important,the most frequent reasons why adults or adolescents learn foreign languages are mostly for their jobs or passing examinations,which are considered as a heavy burden or only tasks by adults.Nevertheless,as to children,their natural tendency to explore new experiences and knowledge enable them to learning a foreign language with more interest and happiness in more relaxed atmosphere,rather than being under pressure,which make their progress more efficient.

(2)Benefits for children’s future Development

Finally,due to the fierce competition,learning a foreign language in primary school has significant benefits for children’s futures.More precisely,as to the rapid development of society and globalization,whether they are in schools or in society in future,children have to be confronted with varies kinds of competition.To illustrate,like other aspects of our life today,education also reflects intensified competition.Since the increasing struggle for entrance to the best universities,most parents hope their children to be outstanding.However,being proficient in a foreign language might differentiate one child from another.Although young children are talented in learning language,the acquired practice and training are still crucial,otherwise,children’s inherence of learning language might disappear (Fisher,1996,pp.2).Therefore,acquired practice and training would make each child’s development unique.Besides,in an increasingly globalized and competitive society,foreign languages are becoming the indispensable tools for gaining more knowledge in a variety of fields.Specifically,nowadays,due to intensified International corporation and communication,national boundaries seem to be less important,which implies that children’s futures are likely to have an international context.Therefore,being acquainted with the international environment might be considered an indispensable part of children’s growing up.For example,since primary foreign language learning has already begun to be implemented in Scotland,both foreign languages and international culture are now accessible to Scottish children (Driscoll,1999,pp.3).Consequently,we might be confident that Scottish children are growing up with a wider scope of knowledge and a greater sense of European community or even the whole world,because foreign languages,as powerful tools,could enable them to get a large quantity of valued information and broaden their horizons.

二、Conclusion

As has been shown,children should learn a foreign language in primary school.Despite that young learners are likely to have relatively poor capacity for learning some professional language skills such as the grammar and linguistics,however,all the evidences above have already proved that schoolchildren have a variety of characteristics to become natural and successful language learners,in particular because that compared with adults,children are more impressionable in a foreign environment and when facing to new challenges,they seem to be braver and utilize nearly every chance to practice,without self-consciousness.Besides,learning foreign languages early in primary school would have a powerful impact on children’s futures,especially making them accept challenges better in complex and competitive society.What is not clear is that how to make children’s learning strategies more efficient,further studies,especially in the filed of the foreign language teaching of young learners may eventually suggest an answer.

參考文獻：

[1]Andersson,T.(1969)Foreignlanguagesintheelementaryschool.Austin:The Steck-Warlick Company pp.42.

[2]Brierley,J.(1994)Givemeachilduntilheisseven,2ndedn.London:Falmer Press.

[3]Burstall,C.(1970)Frenchintheprimaryschool.England and Wales:National Foundation for Educational Research.

[4]BBCNews. Teaching languages,primaries urged.14 December,2006 Available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6177389 .stm (Accessed 6 September,2009).

[5]Carnegie Corporation of New York (1994)Startingpoints:Meetingtheneedsofouryoungestchildren.New York:Carnrgie Corporation pp.4-7.