Instruction of Foreign Language in Kindergarten
Without any doubt, knowing at least one foreign language is really needed in almost all of the parts of the world nowadays. Both in peoples’ education, working and social lives, a foreign language has a leading role and nobody can deny this. No matter how old people are, it is taught all age groups to make them not only qualified but also sophisticated human beings. However, there is a much-debated issue on foreign language instruction should begin in kindergarten or it should not begin. While many people are against the view of foreign language instruction should begin in kindergarten, there are also numerous people who are in favor of this idea.
In the first place, there are some people who do not support that foreign language instruction should begin in kindergarten in terms of children’s not having enough ability to learn another language except their mother-tongue. These people assume that at this young age, the learners should first comprehend their own language properties. Otherwise, they can be confused and even the process of learning their native language can be difficult for them. However, the proponents of the idea that foreign language education should begin at a very young age claim that because of those children’s having a better capacity to acquire and absorb the knowledge, they are good at learning a new language easily when it is compared with older people. Also, one of the other benefits related to this aspect is the learners’ being able to have an accent by imitating their teachers while they are doing the lesson or activities. To exemplify, there are interdental words in English and many of the Turkish people have some difficulties in saying those words. But, if the little children start learning English language in kindergarten, when they talk to native speakers in the next years, they think that there is no difference between themselves and those native speakers in terms of being able to produce interdental words.
In the second place, the people who are against learning a foreign language in kindergarten consider that there can be some problems in the future because instead of children, it is the parents who decide on what language their children should learn. In the oncoming years, those children may realize that the language they have started to learn in kindergarten does not draw their attention anymore. Additionally, the learners can think this foreign language they know does not have any proceeds when they settle on their occupation. As a result, the language that has been learnt may be just a waste of time for them. On the other hand, the ones who stand up for the idea that the education of foreign language should be given at a young age defend that this kind of instruction should not be thought as a waste of time even if the new language is not used in the future. These supporters believe that if a child who begins learning a foreign language in kindergarten does not even use that language in his oncoming years, it does not mean that he will not use it until the end of his life. For example, there is a girl who starts learning Spanish at a very young age is expected to know English when she decides on her occupation. Even though this child will not use Spanish while she is working, one day the girl may make up her mind to advance in her career path and she may go to Spain. Thus, in spite of the fact that the parents choose a different language for their children without asking their opinions, there are not any negative sides of this choice. Also, there is a famous saying about this aspect which is “One language means one person, two languages mean two people.”
In the final place, while speaking with a native speaker or with their teachers, the possibility of the children’s making grammatical mistakes or not being able to understand what is asked can cause the learners be ashamed of themselves. This point is last but not least for the opponents of instruction of a different language in kindergarten. These people believe that if one of the students does a mistake when he is speaking, the friends of him may make fun of him. As a consequence, the child can lose his self-confidence because of his friends’ not tolerating his mistake and this situation can affect the rest of that child’s life. On the contrary, instead of losing her self-reliance, the proponents of the opinion that foreign language instruction should start in kindergarten assert that this type of foreign language learning constructs it. For instance, if the young student answers a question and both his teachers and friends congratulate him by applauding, that student starts thinking he is good at this lesson and he believes in himself, too. Furthermore, foreign language education at a very young age can offer a chance to make cultural connections. According to Melissa Sherrard, it is thought that children who are educated a foreign language at an early age expose to other cultures in a positive way. These children are able to know some information about the other peoples’ values, traditions and also language characteristics by studying a new language. Through getting better in terms of making contact with different people from different parts of the universe, the learners become more and more concerned with and they also become aware of there are many other ways of lives different form their own ones.
Taking everything into consideration, despite the fact that there are lots of humans who say that foreign language instruction should not begin in kindergarten in the sense of children’s not having enough skills to learn a new language at an early age, parents’ deciding upon which language their children learn and the probability of the young students’ making some mistakes which affect them negatively; there are also several other people who advocate the view of education of foreign language should start in kindergarten regarding absorbing and acquiring the information better at this age, having benefits in working life and building self-reliance. From my point of view, I support that the instruction of a new language of course should be given to children at an early age. Related to my opinion, there is a very famous Turkish proverb which says “You cannot teach an old dog new tricks.”
REFERENCES
Sherrard, M. The Advantages of Learning a Foreign Language at a Young Age.
Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_6801193_advantages-foreign-language-young-age.html
Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_6801193_advantages-foreign-language-young-age.html
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