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

Lesson Five

Teacher introduces mon sport prefδrδ and models: ^,J'aime Ie basket mais mon
sport ргёгёгё c'est Ia natation’.

Pupils are asked to translate this into English

Teacherthen revises: 'Qu'est-ce que tu aimes?’

Lots of hands go up but children use single items of vocab again.

Teacher explains that they are meant to answer in full sentences: ^,J'aime...'
Some produce a full sentence but pronunciation is sometimes weak again.
Again not corrected.

Teacher moves on to preferred sports and asks: Ton sport prδfδre ...?'

Child answers: 'Le tennis'

Pupil opposite asks: 'What does 'prδfδre^, mean?'

Teacher uses flashcard to model whole sentence: 'Mon sport prδfere c'est...'

Teacher says: 'if you can say the lot have a go, if not try the rest, I find it difficult
as well.'

Some confusion here about what exactly they are supposed to say. Most
children now can say 'mon sport prefere c'est...' but many pronounce the 't' in
'sport'. They still say 'le natation' after several weeks of practice.

Pupils go on to do worksheet. Teacher: ^lCompIete c'est quoi?', 'It's almost the
same in English'. Child volunteers: 'complete'.

Pupils ∞mplete sheet in speaking then in writing, they write in the missing
sports.

Walk round and check their work and point out spelling mistakes to a girl. She
corrects mistakes and comes up to me with correct version. Obviously wants to
do well and possibly please the teachers.

Teacher checks work and asks for 'toute Ia phrase'.

Pupils do not seem to understand.

They don't see that they are supposed to answer with the whole sentence and
not just the sport they filled in. Teacher explains in English. Whole sentences
are now read but some are thrown by pronunciation even of words they got right
previously

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