Certain aspects of transformational grammar can be effectively applied to the ESL classroom. The use of the "there" insertion rule in explaining declarative sentence patterns is described as an example. (AG)

GENERATIVE THEORY NOW DOMINATES MACHINE TRANSLATION AND HAS BEGUN TO TAKE OVER THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN THE SCHOOLS, AS ONE PUBLISHER AFTER ANOTHER COMES OUT WITH A TRANSFORMATIONALLY-ORIENTED SERIES OF TEXTBOOK FOR HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH. THE AUTHOR FEELS, HOWEVER, THAT THE EFFECTS OF THIS THEORY ON LANGUAGE TEACHING HAVE BEEN NEGLIGIBLE…

This paper attempts to give a unified view of the workings of noun clauses. These are considered according to three main types corresponding to three different kinds of source sentences. All three types can be used in any usual noun-phrase function, especially subject, direct object, and prepositional object. Four factors which complicate the…

The approaches of traditional grammar, descriptive linguistics, and generative grammar are largely complementary rather than exclusive. Traditional grammar defines eight parts of speech according to meaning or function and concerns itself almost wholely with the written language. Descriptive linguistics postulates that English has a set of unique…

Translation of a paper presented at the Northeast Confernece on the Teaching of Foreign Languages held in April 1966 in New York, New York. (DS)

This article reviews the historical development of applied linguistics in foreign language instruction. Five major principles influencing early applied linguistic theory are summarized, emphasizing the oral nature of language. Central to the article are discussions of: (1) prescriptive or normative grammar, (2) transformational grammar, (3)…

Revised version of a lecture presented November 28 in Norderstedt and December 12, 1972 in Kiel, West Germany. Reviews findings of the Pennsylvania Foreign Language Project and the European Symposium on Work with the Language Laboratory in a Media Context, March 2-3, 1972 in London, England. (RS)

This paper provides an overview of recent developments in the science of linguistics, and considers their relevance to the teaching of Spanish in Puerto Rico. First, three significant trends are explained and summarized: (1) structuralism, which emphasizes phonetics, pattern, and distribution, and rejects meaning as a tool of analysis; (2)…

Gives a brief overview of FL teaching, from the prelinguistic to the linguistic era, and discusses the advent of an era characterized by an eclectic approach which makes full use of all linguistic data, without being subservient to any linguistic theory, and gives full importance to sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic considerations. Available…

Theoretical Assessment of the dialogue as a potential language-teaching device. Appendix and supplementary reading list included. (DS)