I would like to support that pupil should be taught other languages at the very beginning of their education. As one begins schooling, they are full of curiosity, and they always want to learn new things, which include foreign languages. At this time in life, the brain of a child is still developing. It exhibits rapid growth, and this period is essential for learning and memory. At a young age, when children are exposed to foreign languages, they are also exposed to different cultures that come along with the language learned. Exposure to diversity ends an era of primitive thinking for children as they grow up.
There is a common phrase that says if you don’t use something frequently, it becomes useless. In scientific terms, it refers to parts of the human body becoming vestigial. Definitely, it’s unlikely for the brain of a child who is learning foreign languages to be dull. During this period in the life of a child, they are curious to know something new about the language that they are learning; hence, the child’s brain is constantly at work, something that most people refer to as the ‘brain gym.’
Learning a foreign language as a child broadens one`s future in terms of career; for instance, when one wants to become an Air hostess, Pilot, Doctor, Teacher, Nurse, or Media personality, it is more advantageous to them if they happen to be multilingual meaning that they can easily offer their services worldwide as they are at an advantage of overcoming the language barrier.
It is of great importance to note that the study of another language at an early stage reduces the chances of one suffering from Dementia. Dementia is a disorder that presents with signs such as memory loss, problems in decision-making, and loss of language. One who could learn and speak foreign languages since childhood is unlikely to suffer from this disorder because one of the advantages of being multilingual is that your brain is able to solve problems with ease. Also, they tend to become sharper and wiser because their brain is constantly learning new skills.
It is always an achievement for most children to talk about something they know about their friends. Sometimes, it can be an amazing movie they watched, or it can be a poem they read about they once heard somewhere. Some of this art is usually in its native language. When a child is exposed to the study of different languages at a young age, when the brain is still developing, it is easier for them to comprehend and appreciate some piece of art in its original form. Sometimes, they are able to read out loud to their friends, and in so doing, this improves their confidence in front of an audience.
We as human beings are at more ease when we speak about our problems to someone in our native language. This act improves the trust you have in somebody and develops some deep connections with them. In the life of a child, it is important to note that they will not remain as children forever. One day, they will be adults, and they will also need someone to talk about their inner emotions with, or someone else will need them. Hence, it is very prudent to prepare them for such eventualities by giving them early exposure to foreign languages.
To sum it up, studies have shown that in 9 out of 10 children who learn foreign languages, their overall performance has indicated a tremendous improvement. As one learns a language, there are rules for learning a language. The same will also be carried forward to other subjects in the form of self-discipline, and it is widely known that self-discipline is one of the key features of academic excellence.
REFERENCE
Ap Sari – Global Expert; Journal Bahasa dan Sastra, 2019
Diane August, Timothy Shanahan Developing Literacy in Second Language Learners
write