_

RIYADH: The incorporation of foreign languages into the curriculum of schools and educational institutions across the Kingdom has increased following parents’ calls for better education for their children.

While the Ministry of Education continues to ban Saudis from joining international schools in the Kingdom, many parents opt to enroll their children in private schools that offer foreign language courses, particularly French and English.

Although everybody agrees on the importance of learning foreign languages and its pivotal role in people’s future and careers, there is disagreement over which age a child should start learning a second language.

Saudi educators encourage learning languages at a young age, saying children have a unique ability to acquire language skills and build first-rate verbal processing skills. Others, however, feel differently, arguing that learning several languages at once may impact a child’s ability to learn their mother tongue.

Abu Ibrahim, a private school owner, supports the teaching of foreign languages to young children, especially if the language is English, which he said is an international language. He considers age six to be the prime time for learning languages, as children possess strong learning abilities and are able to achieve fluency at such an age.

He, however, feels it is not absolute that a child who learns a second language would forget Arabic or become less committed to his or her identity and culture. He added that speaking multiple languages could ease communication between people of different background, especially in the work environment, which often comprises people of different cultures.

Mohammed Al-Otaibi, a teacher at the Ministry of Education, believes second languages should only be taught in high schools. “This would allow children to have time to learn their mother tongue, culture and Islamic principles — which is more important at this age,” he said.

Saleh Al-Thebity, a specialist in children’s literature, said learning another language does not mean giving up Arabic, especially if the curriculum is balanced.

He explained that the reason many schools in the Kingdom have incorporated foreign languages in their curricula is that Saudis in general have a weak grasp of English. He added that this poses as a problem for Saudi students wanting to go to study abroad, as they are unable to take the English proficiency test, which is a basic requirement for admission.

Fahad Al-Motairy, a father, thinks teaching foreign languages to children is important as long as it is taught according to the child’s age and ability. He added that there is a need to teach foreign languages in schools rather than later in life, which can be very expensive.