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

"These experiences in early language learning were not ∞nsidered to provide
overwhelming proof of the great advantage of an early start. On the contrary,
they led to a vigorous demand, around 1950, for early education in the mother
tongue (UNESCO 1953)." (Stern, 1996: 361/2)

1.2.3 TheAnnanReport

Hawkins (1981) stated that the Annan Report (1962) made a seminal
contribution to the teaching of French in schools. The Annan Committee went
beyond its brief on the teaching and development of the Russian language at
secondary school and proposed that it would be advantageous if a first foreign
language would be started at the primary school if such teaching were to take
place 'in good conditions and by the right methods'.

1.2.4 The Kellermann Project

One experiment in teaching French to young children in state primary schools,
the Kellermann experiment, took place in Leeds in 1961 and was to give strong
support to the Pilot Scheme. Kellermann, a bilingual teacher, taught French
from March 1961 to July 1961 to a specially selected group of boys and girls
who had just passed the 11+ examination and had gained a place at grammar
school. Children were taught French for 21 periods a week with the initial focus
on spoken language. Written work was introduced after 3 weeks when aspects
of history and geography were also taught in French. As Kellermann (1964)
reported, these highly motivated children were taught in 'optimum conditions'
with the full support of the headteacher, staff and parents alike. She put her
success down to 'a fortunate coincidence of various factors' such as excellent

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