IELTS Essay Topics with sample answer.
IELTS Essay # 217 - Children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school
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IELTS Writing Task 2/ IELTS Essay:
You should spend about 40 minutes in this task.
Write about the following topic:
Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school.
Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant example from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer 1:
Due to the advancements in communication systems, the relation among nations has been increased markedly. As a result of this, learning a foreign language at an early age has become a controversial issue in the global village. Some experts claim that primary school is the best place for learning another language instead of secondary school. I firmly believe that there is a defensible basis for this argument.
The proponents of this view discuss that there are many reasons behind of their claims. The most important one is about recent research. The studies have shown that the children between 4-9 ages have a great opportunity to learn new languages. Also, they clarify their claims by an example, a survey among 200 pupils, has shown that the above mention ages have a crucial role in children building character and developing their personality. Moreover, give the special care and settle down proper curriculum could be much beneficial for them in this way. Consequently, because of carefree mind children can catch more points in this level.
In parallel, I personally side with this idea. The key point to justify this attitude could be illustrated by a personal tangible example. A couple of years ago, I met a German family with an interesting story. To cut the long story short, Lucas, the first child of the family, has started learning the English language at secondary school and now the level of his English skill is almost intermediate. Conversely, his sister has started English and France together at primary school. Now, she can speak very fluently both of them. On balance, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the primary school can pave the way for learning a foreign language easily. Although, it should be considered that the method and atmosphere of the school play a key role in learning.
All in all, we should own up to the fact that learning a foreign language has become a key factor in our lifelong. It goes without saying, having a strong basis in a new language can uplift us towards prosperity. Primary schools are the best places to enhance our children's language ability. Also, in this special span, the pupil’s minds are dead ready to catch an awful lot of new things and what could better than learning a second language than that.
[ by - Reza ]
Sample Answer 2:
It is widely believed that studying a foreign language in the first year of school is more effective than in secondary school for children. Drawbacks and benefits of this topic will be covered in this essay.
On the one hand, pupils studying only three or four years in the school even at that moment do not properly concentrate on the lessons. It could be difficult to compel children to learn something else besides their curriculum subjects. For instance, my little sister always wants to play, even if there are loose ends. In addition, students of a primary school firstly should learn the fundamentals of exact science such as mathematics and physics. Otherwise, they might not understand them later. Furthermore, if a student does not know his native language perfectly, it is useless to learn a foreign dialect for him.
On the other hand, this is a fact that children, who are approximately between five and nine years, have the capacity to remember things twice as fast and effectively than people from other age groups. For example, when I was in the third-fifth grades, I used to memorise new words very quickly and for a long period. However, now I cannot even learn many new phrases. Secondly, studying a foreign language is very helpful. Students can understand the expression, lifestyle and culture of a different country and is helpful for enhancing their perspectives. English is an international language on which over one billion of people are communicating. Hence, being able to learn a second language will give competitive advantages for the children.
To sum up, the minor disadvantages will never prevent us from concluding that knowing foreign phrases will be never excessive. In future knowing one more language might be very prestigious.
[ by - Alima Imanbayeva ]
Sample Answer 3:
Learning a foreign language is a new trend followed nowadays. Even in schools’ curriculum, a subject with a different language is a must. Many believe that students at primary schools should start learning a foreign tongue and should not wait till secondary school level. I also believe that it has several advantages. The growth of an individual brain and increase in opportunities will support the argument.
Firstly, learning a foreign language is helpful for the growth of a child’s brain. A study by United Nations has proved that learning any language other than the native one activates various new parts of the brain which were never used before. As a result, it increases the grasping and learning-power of a child. Not only this, it also accelerates the working of one’s brain. Therefore, making kids to learn a new language at an early age will help them in their mental growth.
Also, nowadays people are getting drifted towards multinational companies. Here, opportunities are more for employees who know more than one language. Being multilingual helps a person get onsite opportunities. Hence, getting growth in career depends on this. Infosys, for instance, gives priority to their employees who have a good command over the English language, for any vacancy they have in the USA. So, getting used to a language at an early age will make one comfortable and confident.
Looking at the points discussed above, we can come to a conclusion that advantages of learning a foreign language at an early age outweigh the disadvantages. Therefore, this practice must be followed by all the nations. I believe many countries will include a foreign language in its school as a mandatory subject for the advantages it has to offer.
[ by - Kapil Batra ]
Sample Answer 4:
Some experts think that the best time for young people to learn a new language is at primary school. While this could bring many benefits and drawbacks. I believe that the advantages are far more than the disadvantages.
Learning a foreign language at primary could have some possible disadvantages. Firstly, it could be a waste of time since children need to focus on other subjects such as math, science, and their own mother tongue language, which they might need it more than the foreign one. Secondly, children may get confused because of learning many languages at the same time and this could have a negative impact on their development. For example, it is claimed that bilingual children develop the ability to talk more slowly than monolingual kids.
On the other hand, I think that children learn faster at a young age because they are less self-conscious and shy. So they can easily pick up the right pronunciation and try to copy it. Furthermore, children enjoy practising languages through games. Thus, learning and copying others could be a fun in itself for them. In other words, for children learning languages is not a hard task as it is for adults. In addition, languages nowadays are as important as science and math. Acquiring an international language like English could be very important for young people to get better job opportunities in the future.
In conclusion, it seems to me that the benefits of teaching children foreign languages as soon as possible outweigh the drawbacks.
[ by - Omnia Touski ]
Sample Answer 5:
In today's modern world, language plays an indispensable role in both studies and jobs as well as during socialising. Thus, some professionals encourage the children nowadays to start learning a foreign language at primary school and claim that it will be too late for children to learn it in secondary school. In this essay, we will examine both the benefits and drawbacks of this issue.
Undoubtedly, learning a totally new language is tiring and requires more time to master it. It, indirectly, increases the burden of a primary school pupil who is supposed to learn new things in a stress-free environment. If they have to learn a new language in primary school, they will be loaded with more tonnes of homework every day. In fact, more time should be allocated to study more useful subjects such as Science and Mathematics. These subjects are considered as stepping stones to a prospective job. If one day they become a scientist or a doctor, they may contribute endlessly to our nation by inventing essential drugs in combating diseases.
However, there is another side of a coin always. To begin with, picking up a foreign language enables the children to develop a better foundation in a foreign language. They are more likely to speak it more confidently in front of the crowds. It is proven that children who learn a new language tend to make fewer mistakes in writing an essay. Not forgetting to mention that, they will have the ability to express things more clearly as they have a better vocabulary than those who start late. In addition, they may come across with foreign cultures when learning a foreign language. To illustrate, it can be learnt from the literature and poems. By knowing the culture of others, they may not experience cultural shock and are able to adapt well when staying in other countries for the purpose of studying. They are, obviously, become more knowledgeable and more open-minded which help them to look at a specific issue from different perspectives.
In conclusion, the benefits of learning a foreign language in primary education apparently outweigh the drawbacks. I believe a person equipped with more languages is definitely needed in our society to make our country more prosperous and flourished in the decade to come.
[by - Lee Wing Qeen ]
Sample Answer 6:
In our modern society, the question whether the children should start to learn a foreign language at the primary school has been widely discussed. A fair portion of people believes that studying a new foreign language at primary school is better than secondary school for children, while others hold the opposite point of view. As for me, I side with the first one.
On the one hand, children at a young age are fast learners. The recent research published an education centre, indicates that children can master different languages as many as five. For some kids in China, they can even start three different languages, such English, French and German together when they are six years old. Apparently, young children have more ability to learn foreign languages. In this case, as the first study institution, primary school should offer the class of the foreign language studying for children.
On the other hand, more subjects open in secondary school is the other main reason that a second language study should be started at a young age. Children start to learn some new subjects, such as Chemistry, Biology and History. The more classes they have, the more homework they need to do after school. Obviously, they would spend a little time on a foreign language. There is no doubt that it takes time to master a foreign language, especially the pronunciation. If they spend enough time on practising their speaking ability, how could we expect Chinese children speak fluent English? Therefore, children should learn a foreign language at primary school, instead of secondary school.
In conclusion, in order to learn a foreign language, it is better to start it at the primary school rather than the secondary school for children.
[by - Wang Zhe, Veta ]
Sample Answer 7:
Scholars have recently debated an issue of whether or not a foreign language should be taught in elementary school instead of higher level. There are, certainly, some consequences of teaching foreign language in primary school, both positive and negative results. These points of views will be elaborated through the following paragraphs.
To begin with, scholars believe that understanding a foreign language in elementary school may contribute a more incredible communication skill of pupil in the future regarding their ability to catch up insight is incredibly fascinating during this period. This phenomenon is related to a fact that elementary school period is considered as “golden period” of pupils since their brain cells grow remarkably connecting one cell another in the whole brain hemisphere. Indonesian pupils, who learn English while they are in primary schools, for example, can speak English more fluently than those who do not get the same treatment at the same level.
Despite, the gain, there can be a lack stumbling learning an international language in elementary schools. Teachers’ ability is the real example. Most of the teachers in primary schools are generalists and get used to deal with more general subjects in school. By asking them to teach foreign languages, English, for example, may be a difficulty in conveying knowledge over that such specific subject to students. And therefore, when entering higher level school, there will be a wide variety of students understanding in English and will lead to a problem of adjusting what particular topics should be given to students in the higher level.
All in all, understanding foreign speaking in primary school can be achieved through maximising the golden period of students. However, the capability of teachers also must be considered in order to ensure the subject distributed well to students.
[by - Linda ]
Sample Answer 8:
It is true that foreign languages should be taught at the primary school level for the betterment of children. I strongly believe that it has more advantages than the disadvantages.
There are several advantages of studying a foreign language from primary level. First and foremost, during this period, children are more flexible and they can grasp any language very easily. But, if they try to learn in their secondary level, they cannot follow rules and regulations of other languages easily due to the greater influence of mother language. Next, naturally, children are more curious and eager to learn new things in their tender age. Therefore, proficiency and fluency in new or unfamiliar language can be achieved at primary school which would help them enormously in the long run. Lastly, excellence in foreign languages is greatly beneficial for professional development as well as financial betterment. Since a long time is needed for acquiring deep knowledge in every language, every child has to start learning a second language as early as possible, otherwise, their future will not be safe.
However, there are certain drawbacks that cannot be avoided if a child starts learning a foreign language in the very early stage. Firstly, they cannot understand the real meaning of many aspects of the language as they are not mature enough. Moreover, they sometimes do not take the language learning seriously. As a result, the importance of that language will be reduced in their mind, which would cause many detrimental effects. Furthermore, sometimes, children show disrespect and lack of interest towards foreign language because of the increased workload in schools. As a consequence, they may develop a negative attitude in learning, especially towards language learning.
To conclude, despite certain disadvantages, a vast amount of benefits should be considered by society and individuals while deciding whether their school going children should learn a foreign language or not.
[by - Jibins Poulose ]
Sample Answer 9:
Essay Topic:
Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school.
Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
Answer:
As commonly seen in the most parts of the world today, the trend among children, especially those in kindergartens or in elementary schools, learning English or a second language is on the rise. Some people believe that it is a good thing, while others claim that it will be an extra burden for them in such an early age and the learning of a second language should be started at the secondary level. In my opinion, this trend, on the whole, brings more advantages than disadvantages. I will analyse both sides of the arguments before a reasoned conclusion is drawn.
On the one hand, the supporters of this trend emphasis on the adaptability and quick learning abilities of juveniles. This is to say, children have a higher capability of learning new languages as compared to elders. For example, according to a recent research conducted by UNICEF, learning pace of children is 40% much faster in their early age rather when they are young. Hence, it is certainly a welcoming effort to teach them a second language at an early age.
On the other hand, the syndicates who refute this idea show their concerns that toddlers are usually highly occupied with their academic syllabus. Therefore, to get them learning a new language will inevitably put an additional burden beside their studies. For instance, it can be clearly seen that children who bear the extra pressure of studies eventually get affected by health related issues. Thus, we should not neglect the element of health’s hazards in any learning process.
To summarise, by analysing both sides of the view, it is clear that both sides present solid evidence. However, I strongly believe that learning English at an early age is undeniably more favourable in terms of adaptable and flexible nature of children. Therefore, advantages of learning a second language in kindergarten outweigh its disadvantages.
[Written by - KB]
Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
Many specialists opine that young pupils should learn a second language at elementary school instead of secondary school. From my point of view, there are indeed more benefits to that than to start learning a foreign language in high schools.
The first obvious advantage for young children, compared to adults, when it comes to learning a second language is that they are more adept at absorbing new language rules and knowledge. So, this is perhaps the best time to start teaching them a second language. Moreover, research shows that learning a second language is always better for children to excel academically. Due to this, teaching them a foreign language early would invoke them to learn and do better in schools and later in their adult life. For instance, more than 70% of bilingual young students secure better grades in high school compared to their counterparts. This emphasises how important it is for students to start learning a second language as early as possible.
Moreover, secondary level students are likely required to concentrate more on academic subjects such as mathematic, economics, or science, more than a language. Thus, they would be less interested to learn a new language if they do not already have a better foundation of that language in primary school.
Admittedly, elementary school-goers deserve to spend time playing in the field and do non-academic activities more often which also improving their motor function. So forcing them to study another language, if they are not willing to do so, would be a disaster for their mental growth. In consideration of this argument, I do believe that we should not insert a foreign language course to them forcefully and intensively. Rather a few hours per week of classes for that and a fun way to learn a new language would be a much better idea.
In conclusion, teaching a new language to young students at the elementary level have many benefits which definitely outweigh the few negative aspects it has. So it is expected that schools and parents would let their children learn a second language sooner than later in life.
[Note: The alarm rang before I concluded it, what band score would I earn for this? Thanks.]
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