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

discussed. The S∞ttish researchers are right in stating that not all assessment
needs to be geared to individual learners and that paired interviews are
’economical and offer less stressful contexts’. However, the writer would like to
argue that it is the characteristics of paired interviews which can mask
differences between individual children, differences which might question the
common belief that younger is better for all.

The reader will remember from the beginning of the chapter that the aim of the
Scottish evaluation was to find out 'whether a particular cohort (FLPS) is more
advanced than another cohort (non-FLPS)' (Johnstone, 1991: 37). However,
during the course of the evaluation the focus was shifted from comparisons
between non-project and project pupils to comparisons between project pupils:

"By the se∞nd round of paired interviews in May 1992 attention had switched
from project vs non-project comparisons to inter-stage comparisons of three
project ∞horts - P7, S1 and S2. The main questions to be addressed in this
round were: - What are the main characteristics of 'project* pupils' listening and
speaking at P7, S1 and S2?; and to what extent is progression evident from P7
to S1, and S1 to S2?" (Low, Scottish CILT INFO 1,1993: 6)

Such a fundamental shift would seem crucially important and detrimental if one
is to establish whether an early start does indeed make a difference compared
to a later start.

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