Buổi 100: Writing Task 2 – Opinion: dạy ngoại ngữ từ tiểu học

In many countries, foreign languages are now introduced in primary school, often from the age of six or seven. I agree that starting early can be beneficial, but only if certain conditions are met; without them, an early start may achieve very little.

The main argument for beginning at primary school concerns the kind of skills young children develop most easily. The evidence on age and language learning suggests that early exposure, provided it is substantial, is particularly helpful for pronunciation and listening, areas in which older learners often struggle. Young children also tend to be less self-conscious than teenagers and therefore more willing to experiment with new sounds and make mistakes. Moreover, starting early simply gives learners more years of study, allowing them to build a solid foundation before the pressures of examinations begin.

However, these advantages are far from automatic. An early start is only valuable if teaching is sufficiently frequent and of good quality. A single short lesson each week, taught by a teacher who is not confident in the language, is unlikely to produce lasting benefits and may even establish incorrect pronunciation that is difficult to correct later. There is also a risk that children who struggle at this stage form a negative attitude towards the language. Another concern is that primary curricula are already crowded, so adding a new subject may reduce time for basic literacy and numeracy.

For these reasons, I believe that the decision should depend less on the starting age itself than on the conditions that accompany it. Schools that introduce foreign languages early need qualified teachers, regular lessons and continuity between primary and secondary education, so that progress made in the early years is not lost.

In conclusion, starting a foreign language at primary school can give children a valuable head start, particularly in pronunciation and confidence. However, an early start without adequate teaching is unlikely to be better than a later, well-supported one.

Subject: Change to delivery date – Order 2741

Dear Ms Park,

Thank you for your order of 20 November.

Unfortunately, we cannot deliver on Monday 7 December as planned. One of our machines needs repair, and the work will take three days.

We can now deliver on Friday 11 December, before 12:00 noon.

Please reply by Wednesday 2 December to confirm that this new date is acceptable. If it is not, we will suggest another solution.

We apologise for the inconvenience.

Kind regards, Nguyen Thanh Son