I need help for an assignement, should school children begin to learn a 2nd language in first grade ?

Question

can you give me your age, it's for a survey, thanks.

Answer 1

Absolutely. I agree that it should be mandatory for all students as early as possible because the younger a child is the easier it will be for them to learn. Our country lapses far behind the rest of the world in this aspect....children in other countries learn English starting at an early age and with us not requiring our children to reciprocate,no wonder the rest of the world sees us as self-centered. I plan to begin teaching my grandchildren French as soon as they learn to speak English. I am 53.

Answer 2

I'm 34 and i think it'd be great if a child learned a 2nd language in first grade. Actually a child should start hearing other languages as soon as possible because by 8 months if they don't hear a sound, they could lose the ability to re-create it (like rolling the r's). Most other countries teach English as a second language starting in grade school.

Answer 3

Can you define first grade? This is the U.K. site and that is not a term I'm familiar with (as a UK trained teacher).

In answer to your question, I believe kids should start to learn a foreign language as early as possible, certainly in primary school.

I started learning French at the age of 8 and have subsequently tried to learn two other languages. It's much easier at a young age.

I now work teaching English as a foreign language to adults and can say that there is a clear difference between those students exposed to English at an early age and those not.
Studies show that students who do not hear a sound that is unknown to them in their mother tongue prior to the age of 3 find it very difficult, if not impossible, to reproduce it.

I'm 49.

Answer 4

i am a teacher assistant in a K-2 grade classroom. We teach our kids Spanish and Sign Language. They have learned more since they've started school in August than I did during 2 years of high school spanish. I believe yes they should begin to learn a different language. I'm 20.

Answer 5

I'm 29 and yes kids should begin to learn 2nd language in first grade and it should be MANDATORY...

I have many friends that are from Europe and they constantly apologies for their English. Most of them have been speaking English since 1st grade. In addition once they pick up English, they often picked up additional languages as well. If anything shows how badly the US education system is it's our lack of foreign language skills.

Answer 6

Yes, my son age 5 has started French and is excited more by learning a new language than by most other lessons

I am 51

Answer 7

I think they should. The earlier you start, the easier it is and the more chance you will have to reinforce and practise. I started studying French at the age of 12 and now excel at it, I would love to have started learning from that age (perhaps not at the time, but certainly now) because then I would be even more knowledgeable in it. I am currently 15.

Answer 8

I would say so. For an example, young adults from Scandinavia all seem to speak beautiful English, It's almost as if they start to study the language at a very early age. Age-70.

Answer 9

Yes-i'm 36 my kids are learning a language. The earlier they start the better. They can remember and mimick a new language better than an adult trying to learn the same one.

Answer 10

yes. I think so the earlier we start learning a second language the better. It makes it equipped from early. Im 17 years old