Basic to composition skill is control of sentence structure and accuracy in mechanics. Although it is often said that a student should not write what he has not first heard and practiced orally, it might equally well be said that he should not be expected to write grammatical patterns that he has not read, inasmuch as there is a difference in the…

This paper describes a teaching method based on generative transformational grammar that has been successfully used in the ESL (English as a second language) classroom. The method and techniques are based on the Elgin-Rush study in which the problem of teaching basic writing skills to native English speakers was addressed. The present study…

This linguistically-oriented text, based on a transformational-generative approach is intended for advanced, adult students of English as a foreign or second language. The book is "especially strong in (1) explaining patterns and meanings on the basis of the deep structure of English, (2) presenting the structural and semantic correspondence…

This is the first volume in a continuing series of working papers on English as a second language. The selections in this volume are divided into two groups. The first is a series of three papers given at the annual meeting of the National Association of Foreign Student Affairs held in Chicago in April 1966. These papers, by P. Schnachter, R.…

THESE PAPERS WERE PRESENTED AT THE 1966 ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR FOREIGN STUDENT AFFAIRS IN CHICAGO AT SECTION MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE. SUBJECTS (AND AUTHORS) OF PAPERS PRESENTED ARE AS FOLLOWS--CURRICULUM PATTERNS (M. FINNOCHIARO), TEACHER PREPARATION (S. OHANNESSIAN), ASIAN…

To help assess the writing ability of college freshmen studying English as a second language (ESL), this study was undertaken to identify particular structures of subordination associated with writing maturity and to develop a diagnostic instrument to test student control of those structures. Following sentence-generating principles of…

The complex nature of grammar and its relevance to teaching today are explored in the light of modern linguistics. Reviewing the development and fundamental theory of transformational generative grammar, the author points out its substantial merit and also its failure to be understood as exemplary grammatical analysis of language rather than…

This teaching grammar is designed primarily for university-level students, but may also be used for adult courses, high school classes, and in junior colleges. The text takes the transformational-generative approach to language, in which the notions of system, derivation, and relation are emphasized rather than categorization and classification.…

This paper examines the important role of English in Puerto Rico and the present situation of Puerto Rico's English language program. The writer gives a brief historical background of linguistics and discusses recent theories of language acquisition and transformation generative grammar. Possible applications and implications of these theories for…