ABSTRACT
Primary school French teachers, or those who are thinking of introducing French, consequently cannot have access to reference works dealing with this subject in the same light as that in which the rest of the curriculum is to be seen. This chapter defines some relevant aspects of various fields of studies in primary education generally; child development theory; theoretical studies of linguistic and intellectual development in particular. It highlights some practical consequences of the practice for the children and their schools. By means of structured interviews with teachers and children in a number of schools, the chapter assesses the impact and some of the more subtle side effects which the inclusion of French may have in a whole educational context. The educational needs of children in the junior school, however, have not been the starting-point for the thought and planning of primary French.
