OF PROGRAMMED

The author obiects to criticism- of current programed language instruction (PO materials. In a "conventional FL (foreign lan9uage) class " of 120 class hours a year. the amount of time spent in active, immediately reinforced responding by any individual student would be less than 100 mins.stes. This is in contrast to the shortest PLI program (53 class hours a year).. in which a student spends at least 40 percent of his time respondinog. The implication is that the intensive, controlled responding that characterizes PLI (and many other methods of FL education) may be quite effective. but that it is not merely as effective as other processes of learning. " The most relevant and effective processes may be under the student's ratFyy than the pedagogue's control. The author examines the relevance of transformationalism to FL pedagogy and the various possibilities.of using such language learning mechansims as "intentional imitation. " "shadowing. " and "feedback. " In discussing how programing can develop various skills for further learning, he points out that developing "self-critical skill " can serve in the future acquisition of phonology. and "inferencing " can aid in acquiring new vocabulary. Branched. rather than linear, programing implies an acceptance of indwidual differences among students. Programers should study artists ' control of audience responses. (AMM