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

on the spread of other languages in the secondary school curriculum despite a
national diversification programme attempting to extend the number of first
foreign languages being taught. The Office for Standards in Education,
(OFSTED, 1993) reported that only around 25% of pupils study a language
other than French and NALA View (1995) reported a 'significant' deterioration in
the provision of languages other than French at secondary level.

The Scottish National Pilot has, to some extent, tried to avoid focus on one
particular language by offering French, German, Spanish and Italian.

Neverheless, French is still the most widely taught language, probably again for
'historical' and practical reasons and the individual child, of course, still focuses
on one language only. Burstall stated that many children would have preferred
to learn a language Otherthan French:

"Over 60 per cent of those who dislike learning French would nevertheless
like to have learnt a language other than French, taking the view that there
are more important languages than French to learn. This point of view is more
frequently expressed by boys than girls and tends to be associated with
particular areas of the country." (Burstall, 1970: 43)

Within the ∞ntext ofthe Scottish National Pilot it was reported that while many
children did not want to change the language they started at primary school or
'lose the chance to build on the experience they already had of one language',
out of 44 children interviewed 14, about one third ofchildren, had changed their

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