雅思写作（1）Writing Task 2

WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreignlanguage at primary school rather than secondary school.

Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

题目翻译

你需要花大约40分钟的时间在这项任务上。

你所写作的内容与以下的话题相关：

有些专家认为孩子从小学开始学外语比从初中开始学外语要好。

从小学开始学外语是否利大于弊？

给出你的理由，并根据你的知识和经历给出相关例子。

要求字数不少于250字。

题目分析

本题属于雅思议论文的利弊类作文题，在题材上属于教育类话题。考生需围绕孩子从小学开始学习外语是否利大于弊这一话题展开讨论，写一篇不少于250字的议论文。写作时，考生可先给出自己的观点，再详细地阐述理由。应注意的是，文中利弊都可以涉及，但最好有所侧重，以使自己的观点更加清晰。

参考范文

Traditionally, children have begun studying foreign languages at secondary school, but introducing them earlier is recommended by some educationalists. This policy has been adopted by some educational authorities or individual schools, with both positive and negative outcomes.

The obvious argument in its favour is that young children pick up languages much more easily than teenagers. Their brains are still programmed to acquire their mother tongue, which facilitates learning another language, and unlike adolescents, they are not inhibited by self-consciousness.

The greater flexibility of the primary timetable allows for more frequent, shorter sessions and for a play-centred approach, thus maintaining learners' enthusiasm and progress. Their command of the language in later life will benefit from this early exposure, while learning other languages subsequently will be easier for them. They may also gain a better understanding of other cultures.

There are, however, some disadvantages. Primary school teachers are generalists, and may not have the necessary language skills themselves. If specialists have to be brought in to deliver these sessions, the flexibility referred to above is diminished. If primary language teaching is not standardised, secondary schools could be faced with a great variety of levels in different languages within their intake, resulting in a classroom experience which undoes the earlier gains. There is no advantage if enthusiastic primary pupils become demotivated as soon as they change schools. However, these issues can be addressed strategically within the policy adopted.

Anything which encourages language learning benefits society culturally and economically, and early exposure to language learning contributes to this. Young children's innate abilities should be harnessed to make these benefits more achievable.

范文翻译

传统上来说，孩子们在中学已经开始学习外语了，但是教育学家建议让孩子们更早地接触外语学习。这项政策已经被一些教育部门或个别学校所采纳，它既有积极效果也有消极效果。

这项政策的支持者持有的显而易见的论据是幼儿比青少年更容易学会语言。幼儿的大脑已经被设定好了去习得母语，这有助于另一种语言的学习，而且他们不像青少年那样，会被自我意识所约束。

小学课程表的灵活性更大，可以分为更多更短的课时，并且提供以玩为主的教学方法，从而保持了学习者的热情，使得他们进步。他们日后对语言的掌控将从这段早期的接触中受益，因此对他们来说学习其他语言的时候自然就会更容易一些。他们也许还能更好的理解其他文化。

然而，它也有一些弊端。小学老师们都是通才，他们自身也许不具备必要的语言技能。如果必须请专家来授课，那么上文提及的那种灵活性就会削弱。如果小学的语言教学不是标准化的，那么中学的语言教学将面临一种情况，即中学所招的学生有着对不同语言的不同的掌握水平，于是这种情况下的课堂教育会使学生在之前所学到的东西一无所用。如果换了学校会使原本学习热情高涨的小学生变得消极，这项政策就毫无优点可言了。不过，在政策允许的范围内可以对这些问题进行策略性处理。

任何鼓励语言学习的东西都会使社会在文化上和经济上受益，而且提早接触语言学习也会对此有所助益。应该充分利用幼儿与生俱来的能力，从而使这些益处更容易实现。