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

The same pupils take part and the same group more or less simply put up with
what is going on.

Lesson Two

Teacher makes sure that every table has a mixture of boys and girls

Teacher starts by revising: 'Je m^,appelle...', 'J'habite...', ^,J'ai...ans'

Checks in English: 'If I say...what does it mean?, 'Oil habites-tu? What does
this mean?'

Gets pupils to ask any of these questions across the class.

Pupil 1: ^,Quel age as-tu?'

Pupil 2: 'Je m'appelle...'

Pupil 3: 'What was it again Sir?'

Teachergives model sentences again, pupils repeat

Pupil 3: 'Quel age as-tu?'

Pupil 4: 'Dix ans' (native speaker).

Pupils keep asking around class

Pupil 5: 'Tu habites?'

Pupil 6: 'J'ai dix ans'.

Teachergives model again, pupil repeats.

There is now some unrest around class, they cannot listen to each Otherfor
long

Teacher moves on to use of 'iɪ/elle'.

Teacher:' We did this a couple of weeks ago.'

Models: 'll a dix ans', What does it mean?'

Nobody remembers

Teacher tells class,' il' is for 'he' and 'elɪe' for 'she'

Pupils are asked to whipser a question into each others ears then tell class
information given

Pupil 1: 'Quel age as-tu?'

Pupil 2: 'J'ai...ans'

Teacher asks: 'Quel age as-t-il∕elle?'

Some pupils answer 'll∕Elle a...'

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