Thesis Statement: due to the current globalization and the current status of English as a global language, learning English is an undoubtedly required competency for people from any part of the world that need to start being acquired since the youngest age possible.
Alternate Thesis 1: A number of benefits which appears due to a good English command are multiple and incorporate different domains, therefore teaching English should be encouraged among foreigners from their very young age.
Alternate Thesis 2: Teaching the young learners is a complex issue which must be aligned with the specifics of their development and thereby comes as a challenge and a matter of diverse discussions on teaching methodology which is dependable on both global and local factors.
I: Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language comes to young learners as the demand of modern world.
a. The latest tendencies show that children start learning English as their second language at younger and younger ages (Lores 3).
b. Approximately 400 million people all over the world have acquired English as their native language, using English on a regular basis, while more than one billion of people speak some English or study it, belonging to the “expanding circle” countries (Lores 3).
c. According to the Shin and Crandall's research which covered 55 countries, more than 25 countries out of the surveyed ones have introduced English language courses as the compulsory ones by third grade (Lores 2).
II: An increase in English-learning programs has been caused by such factors as a rising demand for English and common perception of learners' parents that English would ensure greater opportunities and thereby better future for their kids.
a. Teaching English from the young age brings a number of further advantages foremost in the wide access to knowledge and gaining better education
b. A good command of English may substantially impact the person's employment since the experts with the knowledge of “lingua franca” are highly demanded nowadays.
III: Early Language Teaching is important
The existence of a certain “critical period” or otherwise called a “sensitive” one in which a child can obtain native-like proficiency in a foreign language is discussed by a number of scholars (Lores 4).
According to Read, a great necessity of learning English at the youngest age possible is justified by such number of advantages as the value of bilingualism and increased time, the possibility of better fluency, developing a greater global awareness and intercultural competence (Lores 5).
IV: While some challenges are global ones, a number of challenges in teaching English vary according to the specifics and peculiarities on the local level.
The challenges of teaching English for foreigners at young age that the teachers are met commonly lie in the compulsory aspect of teaching, relevance of programs on the government level, lack of certain required competencies and adaptability to the educational needs (Copland et al. 757)
One of the common aspects of teaching English visible on the global level is that “teachers identify teaching skills as a particular challenge to which teacher education needs to respond” (Copland et al. 758).
Local challenges may involve time pressures, class size, care needs, as well as the teacher's absence of confidence in speaking English or the lack of certain competences and skills.
References
Copland, F., Garton, S., Burns, A. Challenges in Teaching English to Young Learners: Global
Perspectives and Local Realities. Tesol Quarterly, 48 (4), 2014, 738-762. Print
Lores, C. Teaching English to Young Learners around the World: An Introduction. Boston,
MA: Cengage Learning, n.d., 1-22. Print.
