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

Some seemed to have switched off, much off- task behaviour, swinging on
chairs, chatting, fiddling, ∞vering heads in shirts
Teacher moves on to tape with worksheet

Nationalities in French on worksheet are easily worked out by pupils

One boy is sent out for telling a girl to shut up

Pupils tick ages in boxes of the children registering at the youth hostel

One girl starts ticking anything before the tape is played

Many cannot remember the numbers up to 16

Some do not know how to tick

Teacher checks responses: 'Quel age a-t-il?'

Pupil replies: 'Britannique'

Teacher asks for difference between 'tu∕il' as in 'Quel age a-t-il?'

Pupil offers:' Where does he come from'

Teacher: 'Quel age a-t-elle?'

Pupil offers: 'What's her name'

Some copy answers from worksheet although they have been told that cards on
worksheet contain factual mistakes. Some cannot copy correctly.

The same pupil as last week asks me how to ask somebody their name, this is
the third time she asks, when I point this out to her she tells me she cannot
remember.

Teacherexplains masculine∕feminine endings e.g. australien, australienne,
canadien, Canadienne

Girl writes 'britanienne', although this is wrong she clearly has done some
thinking

Girl who always makes reference to her notes copies everything teacher writes
on blackboard. Her neighbour starts doing the same.

Teacherwrites several sample sentences on board: e.g. 'Quel age a-t-il? Il a 5
ans', 'Ou habite-il? and asks: 'How does the answer start?’
Only 2 can work this out

The same with 'elɪe', only a ∞uple can make the analogy.

Teacher does final check in English: 'Comment t'appelles-tu? What does this
mean?'

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