Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should begin learning a foreign language as soon as they start school.

Speaking another language is very important in our society today. Whether you go on vacation or apply for a job, a second language is essential. Because of this, some people believe that children should begin learning a foreign language as soon as they start school. Others disagree. In my view, doing so would be a huge waste of time for both the student and teacher for two important reasons.

First, children are too young to choose a language to learn. When you are a child, you don’t know about the world. As a result, the foreign language you learn is chosen for you and you may not want to learn that language. For example, when I was in high school, my school required me to take a foreign language. I really didn’t know what to choose because I had no idea what language would really be useful, so I decided to study French. However, after graduating and learning a little more about my future and goals, I realized that a different language, such as Chinese or Japanese, would have been more useful for me. As a high school student, I wasn’t able to make the smart choice. Accordingly, I don’t believe a young child will be able to. This experience taught me that learning a foreign language at such a young age is not such a great idea.

Second, you won’t develop a complete understanding of the language. Sometimes instructors are students of the language and not native speakers. Also, the students you learn with are not experienced with the language. Consequently, you learn slowly and often inaccurately. For example, a coworker decided to study Korean after graduating from University. Instead of learning in a school, he decided to work in Korea. He applied for several different positions and was able to find a job. After two years, he returned and speaks Korean well. I don’t believe he would have the same skill if he had studied in a school because in the country native speakers of the language surrounded him. I also know students who have studied a second language only in school, and their ability does not compare to his. As you can see, learning a second language in school is not effective; it is far better to travel abroad where that language is spoken.

In conclusion, speaking a second language is important, but starting to learn one as soon as you enter school is not. Not only are children too young to choose the right language but they also won’t develop a complete understanding of it if they are. We should all work to open our minds and learn more but in the most effective ways possible.