THE "METHOD OF INFERENCE" IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY

CHAPTERS I AND II OF THIS EXTENSIVE REPORT STATE THE PROBLEM AND OBJECTIVES OF A PROJECT IN WHICH RECOGNITION IS GIVEN TO THE POSSIBILITY OF INSTRUCTING STUDENTS TO MAKE INFERENCES AS A MEANS OF EXTENDING THE LANGUAGE LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM, LANGUAGE LABORATORY, AND TEACHING MACHINE. FROM THIS BASIC CONCEPT EMERGED THREE PROBLEM AREAS DESCRIBED IN CHAPTER III AND DISCUSSED IN DETAIL IN FOLLOWING CHAPTERS. THUS, IV, V, AND VI ARE CONCERNED WITH THE FIRST PROBLEM AREA ON HOW TEACHERS MIGHT COMMUNICATE AND TEACH INFERENCE-MAKING TECHNIQUES TO PUPILS. THE "INFERENCEABILITY" OF FRENCH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR AMERICAN STUDENTS IS THE NEXT PROBLEM AREA DEALT WITH IN CHAPTERS VII AND VIII, WHICH ALSO DESCRIBE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES. THE THIRD AND MAJOR CONCERN IS THE STUDENTS, AND CHAPTERS IX AND X DISCUSS SUCH RELATED ISSUES AS (1) TO WHAT EXTENT SEVENTH-, EIGHTH-, AND NINTH-GRADERS ARE CAPABLE OF MAKING INFERENCES, (2) WHETHER THEY CAN ADJUST RATIONALLY TO PROBABILISTIC INFORMATION AND TO CONTRADICTORY CUES, AND (3) WHETHER THIS WILL ENHANCE THEIR FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACHIEVEMENT. THE FINAL CHAPTER GIVES A SUMMARY AND STATEMENT OF FUTURE PROSPECTS. TABLES AND FIGURES ARE INCLUDED THROUGHOUT THE REPORT, AND FIVE APPENDIXES GIVE THE SAMPLE TESTS, AND ADDITIONAL TABLES OF INTERCORRELATIONS OF MEASUREMENT OF INFERENCE-MAKING, GENERAL ABILITY, AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACHIEVEMENT. (SS)