Syntactic and linguistic complexity have been studied extensively in applied linguistics as indicators of linguistic performance, development, and proficiency. Recent publications have equally highlighted the reductionist approach taken to syntactic complexity measurement, which often focuses on one or two measures representing complexity at the…

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)