Nadia's opinion

Introducing English learning at earlier ages in school
settings.

Children learn better a second language if they start to listen to it when they are two or three years old. For that reason, in my opinion, schools have to introduce English learning at earlier ages. The key is to find the way for teachers to teach English language and motivate students at the same time, because, the problem is that a lot of students are not motivated to learn English and it is more difficult to assimilate the contents of the language.

I started to study English at the age of twelve and I remember that it was very difficult for me to learn the language. Suddenly you have to study vocabulary and verbs that you have never listened to before. For that reason, if we start studying English at the beginning of our education we will familiarize with the language and be able to understand vocabulary and basic structures of the language. For example, in Pere IV School, in Barcelona, children at the age of three are doing classes of English twice a week and they learn through simple games and songs. They have a good time and lost the fear to learn a new language and to express themselves with it.

We know that small children need to live their childhood. For that reason, all they learn in this stage has to be significant and motivational. They have to be interested in learn new contents. Maybe some schools demand too much to their students, imparting classes of computer to children over the age of four, or other subjects that probably could be studied in primary. But everything depends on the methodology that you use in those classes and if the children really attribute meaning to the contents that they are learning.

I agree with that it is necessary to put emphasis on learning language. From my point of view it would be an important decision to change the system to get students with interest in learn English. With the necessary resources, schools can offer this subject even to children that begin their education.

To conclude I would like to add that nowadays English is necessary for all and a fundamental requirement in our Curriculum Vitae or resumé. Then, we have to try to bring near the language to the children. We cannot forget that it is fundamental to find the appropriate methodology and find teachers that really know how to motivate their students so that the students can find meaning to learn a new language.

Nadia's anecdote

One summer day I went to the Zoo of Barcelona with my boyfriend. We walked all the morning until we were very tired. Then, we saw that people rent “minicars” to visit the park and we decided to rent one for an hour, to put end up our visit to the Zoo. Logically, I wonted to drive. I had never driven a vehicle before. I only have driven my bicycle, but I was convinced that I would make it well.
Everything was ok until I was getting near a mother with her baby. The problem is that when I tried to avoid her I collided against a tree! At the beginning I was petrified and embarrassed because everybody was looking at me! But when I saw that I only had collided to the tree, I started laughing without being able to stop, but my boyfriend got so angry because he sad than I made a fool of oneself!
At the end, when I stopped laughing, I tried to put the “minicar” in the road and we could go on with the visit. After that, it was me who got angry because of his unconscious anger!

Montse's Anecdote

When I was six, I was in my house watching tv with my sister who is six years older than me. She was boring, I suppose, and she took one of these little round stickers patched in oranges and some other fruits. She folded it and put it into my nose. I started crying and I went to the kitchen where my mother was cooking and I explained her what my sister had made to me. While I was crying my sister was laughing all the time because for her it was so funny. My mother said to me to expire but as I was so young instead of expiring I was inspiring, and we all were so nervous. But at the end I could extract the paper from my nose. And now I laugh a lot when I remember this but in that moment I was so angry with my sister.

State your opinion about content-based teaching, specifically, teaching a normal school subject (e.g. Geography) in English

Learning a foreign language requires more than singing a series of nice words, declining endless lists of verbs or memorizing tricky grammatical structures. Content-based teaching is a perfect means to overcome the shortages present in such educational model. Why can’t we introduce the child to a deeper knowledge and understanding not only of the language itself but of its culture by means of geography, mathematics or science?

Having no doubt regarding the need to use English as a language for teaching rather than teaching English as a foreign language, we must seriously ponder over how to best face this educational approach. Shall the Education Department contract experts with a good English level or shall it train its teachers of English in a wide range of disciplines? Quite a thorny question and even tougher answer. But, let’s not get stuck on who will teach and let’s think about what subjects should be taught in English in order for the students to make the most out of them.

I firmly believe that all learning must be based on contents, but nevertheless not on any contents. In one way or another, the contents chosen to teach English should be significant to the student. So, without the aim to offend any teacher, I would strongly support teaching foreign languages through those subjects (in fact, any subject if the teacher is willing or capable to give it the appropriate approach) with which the student can make a connection to his daily life. With all the significant new knowledge before them, the children would have the chance to dramatically widen not only their vocabulary but also their savoir-faire thanks to the interaction in English with more than just one teacher and with their classmates, with whom they would have the chance to explore new language territories that once were terra incognita.

I am aware that many of you readers might be thinking that my words are nonsense considering the real situation of education in our country, and that, no matter what the government decides, the only way to learn a foreign language is and will be through total immersion learning (near drowning, at least economically speaking), whether in private English language schools or living abroad.

However, and being realistic about the limits and possibilities regarding the implementation of this educational approach, I positively assert that just as sports need practice and a variety of rivals so do languages. The more challenges you face as a language learner the more fit your brain will get.

Joaquín Sánchez (T3)

Sara's opinion

Will the knowledge of English attained at the end of the degree be sufficient for your future career?

I do not know how my knowledge of English will be at the end of my degree, neither if it will be sufficient to teach it to children. I only know that to be able to teach English, I still have to learn a lot.

To be a good teacher of English we need to have a high comprehension level of the language as a whole matter. It is necessary to feel confident with, it in order to be able to transmit it to the children and to make them understand and learn the language correctly according to their age.

I consider that the knowledge of each student will definitely depend on himself, on his efforts to learn the language properly and to learn how to communicate it to the pupils.

But I also consider that the university must give the support necessary to acquire the excellent level that we are going to be required. It is only three months the course has started, but I have realized of the huge lack of time comparing the enormous amount of contents that have to be taught.

I am inclined to believe that it is a problem of priorities, if we are going to teach English we need to know English first of all.

I think that the planning of the studies to become a teacher of English should change in order to give more importance to the language in the degree. As a politic has said, to make the level of the teachers of English be excellent, it is a matter of budget and politic will. So hopefully the planning will be changed to become better and not worse, as many times has happened.

In conclusion, I am sure that if we had more time to learn English during the degree, our level would be good enough to teach it. I am also sure that if we want to have an excellent level we will manage to have it, with or without changes in the planning of the studies.

Laura's opinion

Introducing English learning at earlier ages in school settings.

Small children seem to learn very quickly, more than teenagers even if they have more skills and abilities to study. Learning a new laguage has always been hard and difficult and normally people who are studying a new language need to travel abroad to the country where the language is spoken, or make a continue work every day to finally get fluency on it.
This essay will defend the importance on introducing the english language at earlier ages in schools to make easily the knowledge of it in the future.

One of unique things in small children (aged three years old or less) is that they have an incredibly facility to learn everything very quick and without effort. In these ages their brains are, we could say like “open” for everything, and they can sutdy a lot of different thing at the same time. This can be exemplifyed with the studie that had been done by different educator which show that children can learn until five languages in their childhood without problems.
I do not think that children can be overeducated. However I feel truthfully that as more things they learn, the better would be for them in the future to learn easily beacuse their brains have been activated from the very beginning of their childhood.

One of the most interesting things is how children can understand the difference between languages, and make a language very fast as if it was his or her own one. This could be said as their mother tongue even if that one is not spoken by his or her parents.

One of the main problems in Spain is the poor level of English that students rich when they finish the secondary education, and also when they finish their degrees. In this connection, we should try to encourage parents and educators to see the facilities that introduce english to young children would give to the future students and furthermore to our country. The more children are educated at this age, the better students we will have.

To sum up, although there are not enough teachers for kindergardens, not enough capital from the government to promove this new method, and moreover the teachers who finish university are only showed how to teach children from 6 years old, we need to examine how we could change all that, and striogly think if we would like to change tha language skills of our children.

single song

It happened last year in London. It was my first job as a bar tender. I worked on the till and I had to ask the customers for their oders. One day with a big friendly smile I was behind the bar:
- Good morning Sir, what would you like to have?
- A coffee- he said.
- Single, Sir?
- No, I'm married.
As you can imagine, I was quite embarrassed, but it didn't finish here. He ordered more things and he paid by credit card. Once I had taken the card I gave it back to him for signing and I said:
- Could you /sing/ here, please?
Everybody was laughing and I couldn't understand why untill my colleague told me:
- It is /sain/!!!!!!

Will the knowledge of English attained at the end of your degree be sufficient for your future career?
No, I don’t think it will be and this is due to some fundamental problems in our educational structure which I am going to look at now.

First of all I should admit that I am not yet technically prepared to answer the question. I am just starting the course so I can’t predict for definite what my level will be at the end of it.

In my opinion the first problem we have is the subjects. Some of them look very attractive and helpful for our career. However, their content is often uninteresting, too easy, far from reality...also some of the teachers are always rushing us. At the same time I realise that a three month term is not enough time to teach in enough depth or to learn. I would propose one more year of studying this career. Having more subjects in and about English might help too.
Once this problem is resolved, our course will improve and we will be more prepared. Maybe then our society will have more respect for our career!

Secondly, everyone knows that if you want to have a good level of English you need to spend time abroad. My question is why doesn’t the University help us with more grants or opportunities to study in an English speaking country?

As a third point, why we don’t have enough knowledge? Perhaps because we already start our career in a very low level. Should we have a previous english entrance exam? I think so. In this way from the first day everybody would be a little more prepared than we are now.

Another question I have and it is not understable for me is why we have to wait till the third year for our practise (practicum), a real one, as teachers. It is not just our knowledge that we need for teaching, methods, strategies, resources... .All these we can learn by just being in the classroom with the children. Like in other countries, why we don't have the placements in schools when we start the career, tying in our theory with our experiences?

To sum up with my pessimistic opinion I still hope that the University will help me, even if I know I will have to go abroad again at some point.

nuria

Natalia's opinion

Introducing English learning at earlier ages in school settings. What is your opinion?

Introducing English learning at earlier ages in school settings is a purpose of the government. In my point of view it will be better for the future of the children to learn English at the age of 3 or 4 years old.

First, the knowledge of foreign language in Spain is too low. In other countries of Europe, speak two or three languages at the same time and this is why their level is very good. They usually learn foreign languages when they are small children, so they improve them little by little. Besides, they usually have a communicative method to learn them. As a consequence, they do not have problems to travel around the world and speak English fluently.

Apart from that, I agree with the idea of teaching English at earlier ages because children will have the skills they need to communicate in English properly. Moreover, several scientific studies of human knowledge show that children have the best ability to get new contents.

However, it is necessary to improve the level of the English teachers in order to be able to offer a good education for our children. Besides, more teachers are also necessary for the Catalan education.

In conclusion, I believe that English is becoming more and more important for the professional career of our students. The ability of speaking different languages makes them different and gives them more opportunities to get a good job.
Natàlia Riera

Alba's opinion

Will the knowledge of English attained at the end of my degree be sufficient for my future career?

While some people claim that the level of English required to teach different subjects such as Maths or Visual arts using English as the vehicular language is lower than the level at university, In my opinion, the level is high enough to work as a teacher.

In the first place, I strongly believe that the knowledge of English attained at the end of my degree will be suffer due to the fact that the University of Barcelona is one of the most important one of teachers' formation.
For this reason, his great deal of prestige is synonymous of good formation and I can state that we will be qualified to give lessons of other subjects in this language as well.
It is true that we must learn even much more, but for it, we are going to continue studying, to extend our knowledge and to manage to be capable of being good teachers.
Furthermore, I feel that everything what we will manage to know at the end of this degree will be even much for what we will manage to give when we will be teaching, since we can not forget that we will give lessons to children of ages understood between six and fourteen.
In addition, I must say that It could also be advisable to remain during a time in the foreign in order to acquire fluency with the language.

On the other hand, there are people who state that the English language is one of the principal deficits of the Spanish education and specially of the Catalan one. Thus, they think that the level of English that we will have at the end of our degree will not be sufficient.
They also claim that It is a common believe that for most of the students, English is one of the hardests subjects at school. Moreover, they deny that the teachers are qualified to give classes of diverse subjects in a foreign language.

However, I believe that are wrong, and if they think this way is because they must not know from sure that we are giving a large variety of subjects to prepare ourselves.

Taking everything into account, It seems to me that after three years at university, We will be able to have a good command of the language and at the same time, a basic knowledge of didactic strategies.
For this main reason, I trust in the training that is been given to us nowadays as future teachers. As I believe that it is the necessary one.

Lorena's opinion

Introducing English learning at earlier ages in school settings.
The government had said that Catalan students have not an English level enough, so , governments want to add more English at schools in order to improve it.

A good idea for improving the language could be do subjects in English. Another way for improving English is that children from infantile education began to learn this language.

Surely, there are a lot of different opinions about this. There will be people that think it is the worst way for improving that, because it won’t help them, nonetheless it will do that children make confuse themselves. If teachers use English for learning all the subjects, children won’t understand all concepts at the same way, so, it will make the results became worst.

However, I’m agreed with another hand. In my opinion, the main concept of that isn’t that teachers must do all subjects in English. I think it won’t be the best way. Nevertheless, I think the most important thing is improving the language adding it since infantile education.

The idea of introducing English learning at earlier ages in school is a good way for doing it best. If teachers of English make subject’s English since children are babies, they will learn more than nowadays. Learning things is more easy for children than for old people, so, it is a good idea to improve the main language for doing anything, since they are more perceptible. I also think it can be funny for themselves. The main thing is that teachers do the subject for enjoying themselves.

To sum up, It is important to emphasise that if teenagers that are studding for being teachers of English have not the best level, it is impossible to do that children about 3 and 4 years old, learn and understand concepts.

My opinion of introducing Ennglish learning at earlier ages in school settings

Nowadays we are living in the Community Europe. The international language is English. Therefore the language most important to know is English. More and more the English is more necessary.
Today is essential to communicate with people, because more people are foreign. It is necessary to speak with them.
Years ago, we learned English with thirteen years, and now we do not have the level enough to keep a conversation. Now learning the pronunciation is more difficult.

In the times, the children are learning English at the earlier ages. It is easier to learn in the earlier ages than in the adolescence.
At six years old they learn English. From my point of view this is the best stage. In first position, because it to get used to pronunciation.
Incredible as it may seem there are proof to prove the exit when the English is learning at earlier ages.
If the English is learning in the infantile stage, the children will learn more quickly. The lexicon will increase a lot. Therefore when the children will finish the primary stage will be a very competent person.
They will develop linguistic competence.

The Scientist prove that the children that learning two o more tongues in the first years, develop an upper level of intelligence that the children that are studying only one.
To learn a lot of English is the future, because the international tongue is English.
In other words the second tongue in the enterprises is English, in many works it is very important.

If children learn English, they succeed in the labour world. If the learning English is doing in the earlier age, it will be better because the children will learn English and Spanish together.
To learn other tongue will favour the learning arts graduates.
I think that are not many disadvantages for this.
Thus, it is an excellent idea



pAK

Will the knowledge of English attained at the end of your degree be sufficient for your future career?

It seems to me that we will not have the needed level of English in order to teach with guarantees. Three years are not enough to learn all what we will need. We will learn more than we will need in order to teach children between 6 and 14 years old but, if we want to be great professionals, our level of English should be higher.

To start with, our English vocabulary should be similar to our Spanish vocabulary. There is no need to know and understand all the existing words that we can find in the English language, but it would be an interesting thing to know as much vocabulary as we could.

In addition to this, grammar mistakes will drive us crazy. We are not perfect but when we had finished our degree we will make a lot of grammar mistakes. Phrasal verbs and prepositions are very difficult to understand and to use them correctly.

Furthermore, listening and speaking will also be a problem for us. In theory, we will have to speak in a similar way that English native people. I think we will not speak like they do. We will not understand a whole conversation; we will not know how to say a lot of words in many conversations. In my opinion, we will need to go abroad, for 6 months for example, in order to speak English fluently. In our degree this stay abroad should be obligatory because it is extremely necessary to improve our language. What you would learn there in 6 months you will learn it in Spain in a few years.

All things considered, we will not have learnt all we need to know in order to be great teachers of English. We will be nice teachers, that’s for sure; but we will not be nice English speakers.

angels' opinion

Àngels Oliete
Grup t3
16/12/05


OPINION ESSAY

The shortage of English is one of the most principal handicaps in Catalan education. In my opinion, introducing English learning at earlier ages is the best solution to improve the low level of English in Catalan schools.

In the first place, it is a common belief that young children learn new languages very easily. In addition, there are recent studies which prove that children under six years old have a specific brain structure that allows them to learn easily different languages.

Furthermore, children at earlier ages learn English through games, stories and songs, which is an important motivational factor.

However, there are still a lot of schools where start English subject at six years old.

In conclusion, it is clear that learning English in the first years of education it is beneficial to acquire a good grasp of English.

Laura's opinion

Intoducing English learning at earlier ages in school setting

The student in Catalonia have a level of English too low and it is a big problem for Catalan Education, for that reason “La Generalitat” of Catalonia wants that children about three years old learn English in school and it wants to do classes like Maths or Geography in English, too. But there is a problem, because most of the teachers do not have a good level of English. In this essay, I will discuss arguments for introducing English in kindergarten.

Nowadays, English is the language most used in all the world, that is why children need to learn this language as soon as possible. One example is that if you want to travel you need speak English to communicate with people and almost everybody needs English for their job. Also, I think children learn everything easily than adults, who have it more difficult to learn things in a lasting way.

I think English classes must be in English and not to talk and translate into Spanish, because thus children will get used to listening and speaking English since they are small. If they do not understand what you tell them, you can use gestures or you can do what you want them to do. Also, I think it is a good idea that schools do three hours a week of English, and I agree with the idea that teachers do an intensive English course and they can go abroad to learn this language, too, because it is good for children and for themselves.

To sum up, teaching English since children are three years old is a good idea, because they have more facility to learn a language and because later it is more difficult. Also, I think this plan should incorporate other things, for example not to translate films that are in English and books, too and TV should broadcast more educative programs in English for children.

Isabel's opinion

INTRODUCING ENGLISH LEARNING AT EARLIER AGES IN SCHOOL SETTINGS

From my point of view, introducing English learning at earlier ages in schools is necessary nowadays because the use of this language is growing up diary.
The level the Spanish’ students acquires when they finish Primary School is lower than the level that the European students acquire.

To learn a new language is easier for children than for adults. Catalan’ children learn both languages, Catalan and Spanish at the same time during their infancy and they don’t realize they are learning too much information. This fact is due to the presence of the two languages in all the aspects of their life: at the school, at home, with their friends, on TV…children practise both languages all the time. I think that, in consequence, to introduce English learning at earlier ages in all the aspects of life, could be a good change on Catalan Education.

Secondly, English is an active language. The learning of this language will be useful and can represent an opened way to move on in the society. In my opinion, to teach English since children begin the school and to prepare the teachers for it should be introduced in Catalan Education.

To sum up, I think that English teaching should be revised by the Government because it is known that it would be easier and more useful for our children to start learning English early.

Laura's opinion

INTRODUCING ENGLISH LEARNING AT EARLIER AGES IN SCHOOL SETTINGS


In my opinion, introducing English learning at earlier ages is important because nowadays this language is necessary for our live. In Catalonia, for different reasons, students have a dreadful level of English In this essay, I will look at some of the arguments for learn English in infancy.

In my opinion the main reason to learn English at earlier ages in the school is because Spanish students have a lower level of English than the other students of the European Community. Another countries like Holland, France or Belgium students have English as a second language. They begin to study English more early than us. This is an advantage because in a future they could have more accessibilities than us. For example if you are looking for a job you will have more possibilities if you speak English well than another person who don’t speak it.

Another reason to introducing English learning at earlier ages is because English is the second language most spoken in the world. According to one study there are more than 350.000 native English speakers and more than 400.000 speakers of English as a second language. Most business, relationships, information's are in English and is necessary to know this language because we are living in the information society.

Finally, I think that learn English in infancy is positive for child’s development. When you learn a new language you are increasing your communicative ability. If you begin early to learn English you will have more possibilities to manage better in your relations.

To conclude, I hope that all the schools begin soon to teach English because it is positive for all the children and for they future.

Laura Regales

Introducing English learning at earlier ages in school settings.

What is your opinion?

An important task of education is to give children the tools that they need to function as full members of society. Since communication in today’s society has an international character we need to teach our children an international vehicular language, like English. Governments and specialists are debating on when to start with teaching children this foreign language. I believe that introducing English learning at earlier ages in school settings can benefit children.

In the first place, the younger the children are, the more flexible the brain is. Without effort they learn to understand and speak different languages as it is an unconscious process. When children get older, the brain starts to work differently. It becomes stiffer and much less suited to learn a language spontaneously and automatically.

Furthermore, children nowadays get confronted with English at an increasingly younger age. In their daily life when using a computer, internet or television they need to deal with English. Therefore we need to start with the introduction of English at an earlier age as a response to their needs.

However, not everybody agrees with this vision. It is argued that the introduction of a foreign language at an earlier age will not benefit all children, for instance children with learning disorders.
Moreover children of immigrant families who speak with their parents in their native language might have difficulties when they need to learn an extra language in the beginning of their school career.

Despite these objections, for the majority of children it will be positive to learn a foreign language at an early age. What we should not do is set up a English schoolprogramme to which all children need to adapt. This will always cause drop outs. Progressive education looks at the needs of the individual and takes the child as the starting piont. Or do you think that the child needs to adapt to the system?

Ana Romero's Opinion Essay

In Catalonia, students and teachers have a poor level of English and the Government wants to introduce English language in infant and primary schools.
The goal of this new plan is to include English in two subjects more: Mathematics and Plastic Arts.
I believe that English is an important subject as a foreign language and it should be include in the curriculum, but I wonder if intruding English learning at earlier ages in school could be successful for our children.
In my opinion I think if the level of students in Catalonia is bad is because of the teachers. Teachers do not have a properly English educations and this is the reason by Government is planning to retrain them. I strongly believe that this retraining is really useful for our teachers, part from this; the Government has an excellent idea because they want to invest in courses and stay at foreign countries.
It seems to me that the new plan could be confused in earlier ages. Contrary to what most people believe, in Catalonia people are bilingual and learning both languages have many difficulties for students. I think that it would be much better start English subject in earlier ages and introduce normal school subject in English in a future and afterwards you will see if the plan is working.
In another hand Spanish starts to be taught when kids are 8 years old and Government pretends starts teaching a language completely stranger for our students.
Taking everything into account is going to be better if the Government train our teachers because this is the base of the Education but Government also should consider if teaching English in earlier ages can have good results in a future.

Alba's Opinion Essay

“Introducing English learning at earlier ages in school settings”

The Catalan Government has decided recently that in three years time English will be imparted earlier in schools. Children will start to learn this language at the age of 4 years approximately. In my opinion, I think that this is a good decision, so English level in Catalan students is normally lower than the rest which have the children and teenagers of most important countries which are not English-speaking.

In my view, introducing English learning at earlier ages in school is a good idea for some reasons. Firstly, I think that learning a language, it does not matter which language it is, the sooner we start the easier it is. If we are get used to think, talk, and write in a particular language, like Catalan, it is probably that when we want to study English we can not familiarize with it very quickly. So, is important to learn languages simultaneously because we can not do comparisons between their grammar structures, vocabulary and pronunciation, which are some of the common problems in the students.

Secondly, one of the points that the Catalan Government has taken into account to make this decision is that the level of English which have the students when they finish the Secondary studies will be better if they start to learn English earlier. Nowadays, is considered that the students who finish the Secondary studies have to have a specific level of English which they have had to learn during their school time. Although, it is usual that the children who really want to be good in this language have to do extra lessons in a School of Languages or with a particular teacher, because the Public Education does not help them to achieve this results. Moreover, these extra classes suppose an extra expense which not everybody can afford.

On the other hand, an opinion exists about the negative consequences of learning English earlier in schools. There are people who think that it will be a problem for their child, because they will be not concentrated in the subjects, they will pay more attention in understand the language that in what teacher is talking about. Opponents of this view say that the fact of study two or more languages at the same time is one of the causes that can make appear in the children problems of learning, caused by the confusion that the memorizing of different structures idiomatic simultaneity supposes.

So, it is an important reason to do English learning compulsory since an early age. I am strongly agree with the fact that is an obligation of Public Education to guarantee to their students a minimum knowledge of English, which should be on a par with the rest of Europe.

My opinion essay

Introducing English learning at earlier ages in school settings. What is your opinion?

nowadays it is talked in the news that our government wants to introduce the subject of English earlier in schools. Concretely at the age of 3 or 4 years old our children should be learning this language.

This is a good idea because the younger children are the faster they learn everything, and English will be very important for them in the future, so it is not an unnecessary thing to learn in their school life.

Another important point of this is that if they start learning English at 3 or 4 years old, when children finish secondary school they will have achieved a better level of English than we have now, and easily than us, because for them this language will be like Catalan or Spanish.

On the other hand it will not be easy for teachers to teach this language to children of this ages, because they will have to adapt all the teaching methods to this children. Teachers will have to teach their students almost everything by using songs or games, in order to make this students understand what they are talking about and memorise the most important things.

However, I think that not many things will change if we teach English at earlier ages but we continue on not trying to make them use this language oraly, because if they know perfectly all the grammar of the language but they have not talked in this language in all their lives, we win nothing. That's why I would recommend that teachers should make their students talk in English and show them that this will be necessary for them in a future.

To sum up, I really am for introducing English at the age of 3 or 4 years old in school, but it is not enough to introduce it grammatically, we need to introduce it oraly, too. No one says it is an easy task, just all the contrary, but, in my opinion, the results of this task will be worth the effort it needs.

Ana's Opinion

Introducing English learning at earlier ages in school settings. What is your opinion?

In my opinion, introducing English learning at earlier ages in school settings is a good idea because this manner the children learning English easily through lyrics and plays. The children must to learn English in the schools as the same time they are learning another subjects.
In Catalonia, the situation needs urgently revisions because the level English in this country is not enough and the children must to control this language when they have finished their obligatory education. They will need English in the future for a job or for can be most cultured.
Secondly, I think actually, in Catalonia there are schools where the level English is very different. In private schools or concerted schools level English used to be superior because the children beginning to study English in inferior courses even in infantile stage. Although in public schools the children beginning to study English in a primary stage.
By this reason, the level of the children when they are finished the obligatory education is very different. Some had enough or good level where as the others had an inferior level because they have been studied English only for the last courses.
This way the children are been placed in an unjust situation because they will need to learn the language that others kids to know already.
Finally by this motive I think is necessary that all the schools, publics, private or concerted schools introducing English in the programs as an obligatory subject as the Gym, Mathematics or History since an infantile stage.
The kids are three years old have an ideal age for learning a language because they are a sponge and they are capable to absorb all is happening around them.
They can learn English easily whereas learning it when you are adult is very difficult.

Ana Vázquez Sampayo T3

Rosa's Opinion

Introducing English learning at earlier ages in school settings. What is your opinion?
After the declaration of the Minister of Education of wanting to introduce English in Infantile Education and in other lessons as mathematics, geography, etc. I think there will be multitude of opinions. On the one hand, ones must think it is a good idea since in this way the level of English in children will increase and it will cause that teenagers who finish ESO will have a sufficient level of English to speak it very well.
On the other hand other people will think this new situation only will cause that children in Infantile Education have more difficult to attend the others subjects and English one is not easy since it requires practice, study vocabulary, understand grammar, etc.
In my opinion the fact of introducing English in Infantile Education is not a bad idea. I think it could be a good idea if it is focus in a good way; teaching it with games, doing much practice and doing exercises which encourage children to want to learn and practice it.
Moreover, children in Infantile Education usually want to learn much new things, information, subjects, etc. They would arrive at home saying to theirs mothers they already know English. Is a good way of promote this new language.
Attending to the other news of wanting to teach others subjects (as mathematics or geography, for example) in English I think it could cause that teenagers would not understand the contents in the same way of being thought in their language. In my opinion, teachers would change the program of the subject of English and increase the level required in exams in order to increase the level of English when teenagers finish ESO. Another way to encourage them to learn more English is inform them of Language schools, private lessons, etc.

Juanjo's opinion

WILL THE KNOWLEDGE OF ENGLISH ATTAINED AT THE END OF YOUR DEGREE BE SUFFICIENT FOR MY FUTURE CAREER?

I can imagine the near future: all people in schools speaking English as the main language. Do not you believe it?

You have just to think about what is hapening with Catalan language when a foreign student is arrived to any school: all people speak him/her in Catalan as the vehicular language, so he/she learns it quickly in a very effective way. This learning process is called "lingual immersion" and it is, perhaps, the best way to teach a new language.

Fortunately, the younger the children are, the easier to put in practise this method is. That is why the Education Department is considering this option as the more important one. In fact, its success depends directly on the abilities and knowledge of the speakers (teachers, in this case).

I have no reasons to think I will not be ready to speak fluent enough at the end of my degree: students will become good English speakers because we will be prepared for that in all senses:

-Firstly, the diferent subjects are programmed in order to provide students with different strategies, from easier to more difficult ones: structures, vocabulary, phonetics/pronunciation, fluentcy, listening, ... Llengua Estrangera, Lingüística or Adquisició i aprenentatge de les llengües estrangeres are some examples. Indirectly there is the opportunity to learn more thanks to different general subjects taught in English, too.

-Secondly, the different subjects are also programmed to teach the students to be good teachers having different general information: Psychology, History, Mathematics, Literature, Art, ... So, theoretically it is supposed we will have enough resources to put in practice an English lingual immersion, as the Education Department wants.

To sum up, only the students who were really interested in learning English (future teachers and children) will be able to success in this project. Because, do not forget it: human factor is impossible to predict.

Veronica's opinion

"Introducing English learning at earlier ages in school settings"

I think that introducing English learning at earlier ages in school settings is a good idea in order to improve the level of English language at school. It is true that Catalan students do not have a high level of English language, however, it is necessary to know all the causes of this problem.

It is very easy to blame teachers of English for this failure instead of doing something all together: schools, families, mass media...For instance, the DVD system let children and parents watch films and cartoons in original version and other languages at home, but very few families do it. In fact the most of parents can not speak English and this is another important thing because the children can not practise English at home with their families. Besides that Spain got over this language problem since Franco's dictatorship, when he forced people to speak only in Spanish language, it means that practising and learning English is a political and historical problem, too.

When I was a child I learnt Catalan and Spanish language at the same time and I did not realize that I was learning both languages. Thus, Catalan children can learn English at earlier ages without problems if they practise English every day as well as Catalan and Spanish. But, it is possible? Can they practise English outside school? I can not answer these questions yet.

On the other hand, I think learning languages is very positive for children because they can develop their knowledge and their capacities for studing, speaking and working. Also they could get a good job in Spain or outside Spain because English is the business' language, it is the most international language.

As well, it is important that teachers have a high level of English in order to improve English learning. But this is only one of a lot of things to do if we want to solve the problem.

Laura's anecdote

A long time ago, when I was thirteen years old, I was on holidays in a lovely town in North Catalonia called Port de la Selva.
It was a beautiful sunny morning when my family decided to go out all morning to the sea with our little boat.
The hours were running very fast and I was having the most relaxing day of all that summer.
Suddenly, I heard lots of noises from somewhere. I looked back and saw a lot of people in the pier waving theis hands.
My family and I thought that they were saying “hello” to us, so we replied them and started to wave our hands. We only had to wait a few seconds to realise what was going on. Our little boat started to move too much, and it was very strange because the sea was totally calm. Because of that we turned back again and saw an enormous animal at the back of our boat. It was a whale!
We were very lucky that nothing happened to us! But we moved the boat as quicker as we could back to the pier.
The next day all the local newspapers wrote about that.