This article concerns second language teaching with a format-based method. The following article in this issue concerns foreign language teaching using the same approach. In the present study, the differences between a format-based teaching approach and a standard approach used as treatments in a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group design are described in detail. The hypothesis tested is whether the effects of a format-based teaching method and a standard second language teaching method differ after two years for children at the age of 6. Results of MANOVA analysis for repeated measures show that the groups are quite comparable on the dependent variables, with some small differences in development between the two groups. Univariate results reveal that these differences favor children in the experimental group for sound articulation and favor children in the control group for sound discrimination. The results of the present article and those of the following article are discussed in light of broader issues concerning the differences between second language and foreign language teaching.