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

messages rapidly’ might explain why some children fail to learn foreign
languages successfully Differences between individual children might be
partially explained by differences in general cognitive abilities, by previous
language experiences or by language specific abilities rather than by age; as a
result children of the same Chronolog cal age might not be equa Iy ready for
those aspects of foreign language learning which require attention to the formal
properties of language. Forsome ch Idren 'formal' foreign language study might
hold both interest and challenge while for others attending to formal aspects of
language might seem a fruitless exercise. Categorical statements that all
children σfa similar age are collectively able or unable to deal with formal
aspects offoreign anguage learning would therefore seem to be ill-conceived.
Offering a foreign language from a specific age thus presents a considerable
challenge in a school system which is largely based on chronological ages
rather than stages.

4.3.4.3 Language Awareness as a 'Spin-off

It has been argued that a degree of language awareness would seem a
prerequisite for successful foreign language learning in a school context. In
return this learning can have a positive influence on children's general language
development and stimulate growth in their language awareness. As is argued
in a chapter in Brumfit (1995) on 'language awareness' or 'knowledge about
language' in language education, the National Curriculum recommendations for
language awareness in both English and Modem Languages t∞k little account
of a Vygotskyart perspective of language development.

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