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

Pupil asks teacher: ^,What's the question again?’

Girl asks me how to ask somebody's name. This is the same girl I practised this
with 3/4 times last week

Pupils practise question and answer in pairs

Techer moves on to next question: 'Quel age as-tu?'

Class repeats in chorus

4 hands go up

One girl offers: 'once' another: 'Je onze ans'

Teacher: 'Not 'Je' but 'J'ai'

Class repeats a series of phrases with different ages

Lots of 'Tschai' for J'ai

Written explanation on the board might have helped to clarify the difference
between 'J'ai^, and 'Je'

Class starts to lose concentration

Teacher asks: Quel age as-tu?'

Pupil answers: 'Je m'appelle...'

One girl, same as last week, refers to the notes she made and her worksheets

Pupil offers: 'Tschai onze ans',

Teacher ignores pronunciation error: Tres bien'

Teacher moves on to: 'Ou habites-tu?'

I offer: 'J'habite ð Acton'

Class picks up what this means

Same boy as last week sent to comer for disrupting

Class works out that 'J'habite', means 'I live'

Teacher goes on to worksheet

Another boy is asked to stand up in corner for misbehaving

On worksheet there are children registering at a youth hostel

Teacher asks what a youth hostel is

Suggestions from children: a city, a place you go when you get lost, a mental
hospital, a place where you can stay like a B and B

Teacher exIains concept of youth hostel

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