WARNING: This passage is written based on the assumption that everyone agrees that foreign language instruction is necessary at some point. This is not because we go to HUFS, nor because we are English majors. It is simply because we live in the modern, real world.
Although experts seem to have different opinions on the exact age, numbers of books and TV programs illustrate that between 12 and 14 is the point our brains start to recognize the language-learning process as study, and that fluency is harder to learn as you get older.
There is no question that the brains' activity is an essential part in learning a language or anything else. But is that all to it?
Not many people would remember what it was like when they were learning how to speak. But we can guess by looking at babies. They are quiet. They are quiet for a long time. In fact babies don't speak in any language for at least a full year. Then they make a sound that the family recognizes as language. They get a huge applause from the crowd.
Can you picture yourself sitting in a classroom full of people speaking a foreign language? Do you think you can sit without speaking any word the entire time without feeling uncomfortable? Babies are granted the time to take in all the sounds, gestures, emotions and culture in the surrounding without any pressure that they have to "produce" any "outcome."
Babies are fearless. They make sounds no one could ever comprehend and somehow, in the end, we feel sorry that we don't quite follow. They are not afraid of making mistakes in learning. And parents are happy to wait throughout the learning process.
To recap our question, should foreign language instruction begin in kindergarten? I agree that we should try to give our children a better chance in learning foreign languages at an early age. I agree that if we can let children learn how people talk and think on the other side of the globe, we should. But I don't think the only way children can learn a different language is through learning it as we – adults – would. Learning and teaching can be simultaneous, but they can be two very different things.
If you think about how babies start taking in the first place, given their brains absorbing every new encounter, it may occur to you that we might not have to try too hard to "teach" them a foreign language. Is it possible that we are too anxious to give them all the opportunities? Do we need to pause and think about the way we do it? Maybe children don't need the stress from sitting in a classroom for 40 minutes straight to learn something new. Maybe all they need is a lot of exposure to the language, some educational content and a lot of fun minus the anxiety.
Self Comment.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I failed to keep the limit of 250 words.
Then, I started out the first two paragraphs as if I were going to write a 2 page long article, and ended up cramming the arguments in the last bit.
Finally, I think this piece could get critiqued on the fact that it reads more like a narrated script rather than a written piece.
Maybe I'll improve with your help.
Looking forward to your feedbacks. Please be gentle?
Haejin, you do agree that foreign language instruction should begin in kindergarten. I can see it.
ReplyDeleteI was interested in using of questioning. I noticed that you asked questions six times in your essay. Questioning can be a good method to attract reader's attention, especially in this type of writing.
However, As you said, the conclusion looks like(or mixed) kinds of body paragraph because it contained new argument. I think all argument need to be discussed in body paragraphs. But I believe you may improve your conclusion part.
Thank you. Am I gentle?
To Haejin from Junseok
ReplyDeleteHi
1. The part of your writing I like most is your first paragraph. You quote the expert's opinion and contradict it. I am impressed because usually people take experts' opinion without any critics.
2. I think your point is that children should be given more change to learn foreign language when they are young. I think your point seems very clearly even though I can't get all of your sentence.
3. And I think your writing would be clear and better if you change your line which is 2nd phrase in last pragraph to 'why don't we just give them a better system to learn language?.' Because I don't get the meaning of your sentence. And I think it seems quite vague.
It is just my opinion though.
4. In my humble opinion, your writing would be greater without 5th pragraph's last line. Cause I guess this line suggesting new topic to discuss like bringing new topic about how different between learning and teaching.
Although experts seem to have different opinions on the exact age, numbers of books and TV programs illustrate that our brains start to recognize the language-learning process as study between the age of 12 and 14, and that point, it gets harder to learn to be fluent. There is no question that the brains' activity is an essential part in learning a language or anything else. But is that all to it in learning a language? Retracing how people learn to speak may help answering this question.
ReplyDeleteNot many people would remember what it was like when they were learning how to speak. But we can guess by looking at babies. At first, babies are quiet - in terms of speaking. They are quiet for a long time. In fact babies don't speak in any language for at least a full year. Then they make a sound that the family recognizes as language. They get a huge applause from the crowd.
Can you picture yourself sitting in a classroom full of people speaking a foreign language? Do you think you can sit without speaking any word the entire time without feeling uncomfortable? Babies are granted the time to take in all the sounds, gestures, emotions and culture in the surrounding without any pressure that they have to "produce" any "outcome."
Babies are fearless. They make sounds no one could ever comprehend and somehow, but it is never considered abnormal or as ‘something to work on’. It is merely appreciated as a process of learning. They are not afraid of making mistakes in learning. And parents are happy to wait.
To recap the starting point of our question, should foreign language instruction begin in kindergarten? I agree that we should try to give our children a better chance in learning foreign languages at an early age. I agree that if we can let children learn how people talk and think on the other side of the globe, we should. But I don't think the only way children can learn a different language is through learning it as we – adults – would. Learning and teaching can be simultaneous, but they can be two very different things.
If you think about how babies start taking in the first place, given their brains absorbing every new encounter, it may occur to you that we might not have to try too hard to "teach" them a foreign language. Is it possible that we are too anxious to give them all the opportunities? Now it is time for us to pause and think about the way we do it - to try and remind ourselves how it would be for a child to build a new set of language. Children don't need the stress from sitting in a classroom for 40 minutes straight to learn something new. All they need is a lot of exposure to the language, some educational content and a lot of fun minus the anxiety.