Application of ASTP Experience to Language Teaching in Secondary and Elementary Schools

Abstract

O N THE basis of available information concerning the trends or changes introduced into language classes in public high schools as a result of the ASTP experience it seems likely, unfortunately, that the lower schools in general have made very little direct application up to this time of any of the lessons which might be learned from this extremely important experiment in the teaching of modern foreign languages. One might say quite accurately, perhaps, that the publicity given to the language work in the ASTP and to the situation behind it as revealed by the apparent need for such a program brought into prominence and reinforced certain basic principles that had long been advocated by some teachers and practiced as far as possible under existing conditions by directors and teachers of language programs in some communities. In other words, the ASTP language program stimulated consideration of improvements in modern language teaching along certain lines in some localities, and this, apparently, is the chief contribution up to this time of the ASTP to the possible improvement of opportunities for learning modem foreign languages in the lower schools. It is difficult to predict to what extent popular misconceptions of the real nature of the language classes in the ASTP, of what was accomplished in these classes, and of how it was done, may offset the benefits which probably could and should be derived from a study of the experiment. I am afraid, too, that, in spite of the publicity given to the program, altogether too many administrators and teachers have no knowledge of the real character of the program, or, while acknowledging its apparent success, still feel that it was conducted under ideal conditions none of which can be reproduced in the traditional school situation, and are therefore inclined to fail to make use of any aspect of the program even experimentally. So, in the belief that this situation is both unfortunate and unnecessary, I shall mention some of the ASTP principles and procedures that I think could be applied more or less completely to the teaching of modern foreign