TOPIC: 1st Grade ( Practice 39 )

 

Agree or disagree

 

 

POINTS:

 

Since English education was reformed in 2011, English as a foreign language has been taught in elementary school. Despite the criticism by some educators, I believe there are more advantages created by studying English.

 

First, language acquisition ability is the highest when children start learning at an early age. It is often said that the younger they are, the more likely they are to learn correct pronunciation. In addition, they can improve listening skills and build up vocabulary more easily if they start to learn a new language.

 

Second, as the world is increasingly globalized, English has become the international language. With this trend, having good English skills is imperative in today's world. Furthermore, prospect for a successful career will be much higher when we develop the ability to communicate in English well.

 

In conclusion, although some worry that learning a second language at an early age might impair the ability of one's mother tongue, children can benefit more from learning a foreign language when they are very young. The importance of English as a global language will be growing, not shrinking.

 

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English has been predominantly spoken in the world. With this trend, there is a growing awareness that English should be taught as a compulsory subject in elementary school. Although some people point out that there are negative effects created by teaching English in elementary school, I personally believe it should be taught at elementary school.

 

First of all, it is generally believed that learning a foreign language at an early age helps learners acquire better pronunciation. In fact, once you reach a certain age, it is almost impossible to master perfect pronunciation for the target language. Therefore, studying English in elementary school gives students the opportunity to learn good pronunciation.

 

Secondly, since English is a global language, it should be taught in compulsory education taking a longer time. So far, in Japan, English is a compulsory subject which can be learned for only 3 years. However I don't think three years are long enough to master English. Considering today's situations, students should learn English longer as a mandatory subject.

 

Lastly, learning English can also help students think of the importance of their mother tongues. By studying a foreign language, students can find the difference or similarity between Japanese and English. Therefore, they will come to consider how their native language functionally works, which eventually will help to develop their mother tongue.

 

For these reasons, learning English in elementary school is necessary. Learning a foreign language at early age is anything but harmful.