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

2.3.3.1 Learning the Syntactical System in the Classroom 97

2.3.3.2 Summary On Syntactical Development 98

2.3.4 Maturational Constraints and Lexical Development 99

2.3.5 Maturational Constraints and the Development of
DiscourseandPragmatics 103

2.4 CognitiveExpIanations 107

2.5 AffectiveConsiderations 108

2.5.1 AffectiveandsociaIConsiderations 108

2.5.2 Empathy and Acculturation 111

2.5.3 NaturaICharacteristics 114

2.6 Quantity and Quality of Exposure Time 114

2.6.1 LanguageStatus 116

2.7 Some Unanswered Questions and Problem Areas 118

2.8 Conclusion 125

CHAPTER THREE

Learning Outcomes from Primary School Foreign Language

Classrooms in Scotland and England

3.1 Introduction 130

3.2 Learning Outcomes from Classrooms in England 131

3.3 The Scottish Evaluation of Learning Outcomes in the

National Pilot 133

3.3.1 TheFrameworkforthescottjshEvaIuation 133

3.3.2 General Findings 135

3.4 A Review of Evaluations of Learning Outcomes 136

3.4.1 Phonological Development 137

3.4.2 Syntactical Development and Pre-fabricated Language 138

3.4.3 Lexical Development 143

3.4 4 DevelopmentofDiscourseSkiIIs 145

3.4 5 Performance at Standard Grade 147

3.4.6 Learners of Different'Abilities' 151

3.4.7 Learning Strategies 155