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

person singular ^,il∕elle^, might have helped children more in coming to terms with
the structural properties of the language. Most early schemes start by
introducing the first and second person singular ^,je∕tu^, as it is assumed that
children want to talk about themselves. Having to manipulate language
between questions and answers from ^,je' to ^,tu', however, causes ∞nsiderable
problems not only for the young learner. A change from answer to question or
from question to answer in the third person singular 'il/elle", however, would
require a lesser degree of manipulation from the learner.

Crucially, the pattern of foreign language provision cannot be ignored and one
lesson a week only does very little in helping children to remember language
material. Perhaps not surprisingly then, given the infrequency of French
lessons, children in both schools did not seem to remember language material
easily. Lesson observation notes from both schools, interviews and
questionnaires indicate that some children found it very hard to remember
anything at all and that almost all found it easier to remember words than
complete sentences. Extended sessions, possibly on a daily basis, however,
are unlikely in the primary school where, given the demands on the curriculum,
time is a precious ∞mmodity. This would seem to place written language
centre stage. The importance of reading and writing skills in remembering, in
supporting memory and in learning a foreign language successfully in the
classroom has already been discussed previously. Ifchildren cannot read or
write and if there is no or only limited reading and writing during lessons,

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