Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should begin learning a foreign language as soon as they start school. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position. ============================================================================== First we have to realize that the environment for a non-native speaker to learn a foreign language is very much different from that of a native speaker. Take English language for example. An American since the day he or she is born has access to comprehensive English language media: the family members talk to him or her; all sorts of material with information written in English. For a non-native speaker such as one in Taiwan, however, although via the Internet a child can have contact with various kinds of knowledge in English, the opportunity and occasion for training verbal comprehension and usage is com- paratively rare. Therefore, the advantage of letting a child learn a foreign language before they are familiar with their mother tongue is unclear. But that is not to discourage from efforts for acquisition of ability to receive knowledge through a different language, compared with the scenario when one can benefit from access to all cutting edge scientific development plus basic knowledge in reading materials especially in English. To have in command another language is to open another window to new information. Moreover, language establishes logical thinking. The Chinese language and Western language have much difference, one of which is the grammars. To write a correct sentence, one has to follow rules based on the logical relation between those building blocks, like construction works of stacking layer upon layer. Finally, I admit there's no clear cut answer to this question, but I think there needs not one, because some people just aspire to learn some foreign languages. The problem is only to learn efficiently or effectively. --

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