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

from native-speakers of the various languages. Children would then learn how
to count, how to tell and ask somebody's name, age and domicile. They would
Ieam to identify classroom objects and/or learn the names of animals.

Teaching in School Two did include some explicit grammar teaching such as
genders, definite and indefinite articles and personal pronouns. This had not
been the case in School One. Reading and writing activities were rare and
usually limited to isolated words or phrases on worksheets or on the
chalkboard.

6.2.7 TeacherUseofEngIish

English was used to explain classroom procedures and sometimes to check
whether children had understood French language input Pupils were
encouraged to make contributions in French but if these were made in English
they were also welcome. The possible advantages, disadvantages and
implications of the use of the 'first' language or the target language in the
monolingual and multilingual classroom is not within the scope of this study.
It would seem important to state, however, that as a considerable number of
children experienced difficulties with English either as their first or their se∞nd
language, making reference to English might, at times, have complicated rather
than clarified matters.

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