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

CHAPTER FOUR

Factors Affecting Foreign Language Learning in the Primary School
Classroom

4.1 Introduction

Wong-Fillmore states that the assumption that the same uniform processes and
developmental schedules which govern first language development also govern
the acquisition or learning Ofanother language has led to the generally
accepted view that individual differences are not significant. However, her own
study of 5 Spanish-speaking Mexican children aged 5-7 acquiring English in the
US (Wong-FiIImoreJ 979) clearly showed that this is not the case:

"...the issue of individual variation is rarely discussed in studies of childhood
second language acquisition, this despite the fact that even the most casual
observations of the language performance of any group of children in the
process of learning a se∞nd language naturalistic or otherwise would reveal
considerable variation in the rate and ease at which they are managing the
learning of it and how well they are able to use the language they are learning.
But because researchers are more interested in discovering what is universal
about the acquisition process than in knowing whether the process might vary
in individuals, the question is never discussed or even raised."
(Wong-Fillmore, 1979: 205)

Wong-Fillmore reported that although there was a 'striking similarity amongst

the children in the acquisition and use Offormulaic language', by the end of 3
months of observation it became 'clear that there were differences between the

five children in what they would achieve' (Wong-F Ilmore, 1979: 205).

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