A Critical Examination of the Beliefs about Learning a Foreign Language at Primary School

"... the performance in schools was at least as good as it was before FLPS was
introduced. Furthermore, this standard was being reached by a substantially
w der range of pupils than before, including many who might not previously
have ∞nsidered taking a language at certificate level. This was consistent,
therefore, with the hypothesis that experience of foreign languages in the
primary schools leads to a greater proportion of the population of pupils
achieving satisfactory levels in certificate awards." (Low et al.,1995:143)

The writer fully accepts the difficulties in objectively measuring any long-term
attainment due to the large number Ofvariables involved. Nevertheless, it is
questionable whether 'the hypothesis that experience Offoreign languages in
the primary schools leads to a greater proportion of the population of pupils
achieving satisfactory levels in certificate awards' can be equated with the
suggestion 'that the advantage of primary school learners over secondary
school beginners was being maintained up to the age of sixteen'. Such a
conclusion seems difficult to reconcile with earlier statements that 'even in those
areas where there appear to be some gains such as improved listening skills or
risk-taking in speaking, these are often not of a long-lasting nature and
frequently diminish as children grow older¹. It would appear that an alternative
interpretation cannot be excluded namely that an increased number of pupils
took the examination as a consequence of a 'languages for all policy* introduced
during the projects, and that, by implication, an increased number of pupils
might have taken the exam without primary school experience and that
improved methodologies and attempts to meet the needs of all children could
have led to similar outcomes. The maintaining of standards can therefore not

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