Because many children are not able to learn foreign languages, schools should not force them to learn foreign languages. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some feel that since it is challenging for children to learn a foreign language, schools should not 1make this subject a priorityemphasize this subject area. In my opinion, the challenge is 2the very reasonthe entire justification for supporting second language education.

Critics argue that the majority of children are simply incapable of learning an additional language. The best evidence for this is anecdotal and relates to the 3growing workloadincreasingly large burden of work placed on young children. Schools in many parts of the world, particularly in high-achieving nations such as South Korea and Japan, 4have long school daysare in session for many hours and students learn an array of subjects. They are usually taught English, the world’s lingua franca, and this is especially difficult for speakers of Asian languages, 5which share little linguistic history with Englishwhere there is little shared linguistic history. The end result is often that students waste time and 6may feel discouraged and experience low self-esteemmay feel discouraged and lack self-esteem.

However, children can learn languages better than adults and 7the challenge this presentsthe challenge presented is itself an important lesson. 8If schools investIf the schools have invested in proper training and use engaging materials then the lessons will not be boring and there is a stronger likelihood of success. Research has shown that language learning is most effective before the age of 7, with pronunciation becoming a stumbling block for older learners who already have 9established pronunciation habitsfixed vocal formations. Moreover, the difficulty of learning a language encourages children to work harder and 10develop their learning skillsexpand their ability to learn in creative ways. This applies to all subjects but languages stand out as students must seek novel memorization techniques and view the world from a completely different perspective.

In conclusion, despite the 11low success rateslow rates of success in many cases, the impact of attempting to learn a language is itself tremendously beneficial. Schools should therefore continue funding this part of the curriculum.