‘Does age matter?’ - A study of Year 6 and Year 2 perspectives on learning Modern Foreign Languages as a new subject
Laura Whitwood
PGCE Primary 2010-11
email:laura_whitwood@hotmail.co.uk
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of age upon children’s perspectives on learning Modern Foreign
Languages as a new subject, using French as the focus language. French is introduced to a Year 2 and a Year 6 class as a new subject and their attitudes towards their preconceived ability, enthusiasm and confidence to speak the language as well as at which age children feel that languages should be introduced will be looked at in detail. Comparisons will be made between the perspectives of the Year 2 pupils and the Year 6 pupils who are aware that they will be expected to learn languages in secondary school. Currently, Modern Foreign Languages are an entitlement at primary level, however it will be discussed whether or not it would be beneficial to pupils and teachers to make languages a compulsory subject within the primary curriculum. Research was conducted in a large primary school in Peterborough and included a class of twenty-eight Year 6 pupils and twenty Year 2 pupils. Moreover, it will be shown through this study the dual impact of increased enthusiasm to speak the language as well as increased self-confidence in their own
ability in the study of Modern Foreign Languages.
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The full paper is available for download as a pdf file 327-360-whitwoodl
Citation: Whitwood, L. (2012) .'Does age matter?' - A study of Year 6 and Year 2 perspectives on learning Modern Foreign Languages as a new subject. 'Journal of Trainee Teacher Educational Research, Volume 3, pp.327-360 (Downloaded from http://jotter.educ.cam.ac.uk/, [date of access])