Relates the central ideas of Wilhelm Vietor to their historical context, since he was the dominant figure of his time, in the history of applied linguistics. Author shows how Vietor's reforms of foreign language teaching found acceptance in subsequent language teaching, particularly in Germany. (SL)

This article (1) discusses the relationship between grammatical and communicative competence; (2) examines aspects of grammar theory; (3) discusses pedagogical problems inherent in traditional notions of grammar; and (4) summarizes the pedagogical and research implications of a new perspective on the role of grammar in foreign language…

It is argued that three misconceptions about language learning have limited the utility of performance objectives in individualized second language instruction. These misconceptions--confusion between competence and performance, inadequate identification of linguistic elements, and assumption that linguistic elements correspond to learning…