NUCLEATION AND THE AUDIO-LINGUAL APPROACH.

IN THE PRE-NUCLEATION STAGE, THE STUDENT IS CONCERNED WITH STORING, OR INTERNALIZING, THREE KINDS OF LANGUAGE PATTERNS--(1) ONE REPRESENTING THE SOUND STRUCTURE, (2) ANOTHER INVOLVING A PORTION OF THE SYNTACTIC STRUCTURE, AND (3) A THIRD--CALLED SANDHI VARIATION--ARISING FROM THE ACCIDENTAL CO-OCCURRENCE OF CERTAIN SOUNDS MAKING UP THE ELEMENTS OF SYNTACTIC CONSTRUCTIONS. "SANDHI" (SOUNDS LIKE SUNDAY) MEANS "A PLACING TOGETHER." THIS PHENOMENON INVOLVES THE INTRUSION OR THE DROPPING OF ONE OR MORE SOUNDS WHEN TWO FORMS CO-OCCUR IN THE SAME CONSTRUCTION. ALTHOUGH THE USE OF DIALOGUES AND PATTERN PRACTICE EXERCISES MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO VOCALIZE AND EVEN ANALOGIZE TO A FAIRLY HIGH DEGREE, IT IS FAR LESS SUCCESSFUL IN THE AREA OF AUDIO-COMPREHENSION. THE ASSUMPTION THAT A MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN SPEAKING WILL RESULT IN A CONCOMITANT IMPROVEMENT IN LISTENING--IF NOT IN READING AND WRITING--IS NOT NECESSARILY BORNE OUT. REAL MASTERY OF A FOREIGN LANGUAGE INVOLVES SEVERAL SUCCESSIVE BREAKTHROUGHS, EACH OF WHICH IS FOLLOWED BY AN ACCELERATED SPURT OF LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY. THERE APPEAR TO BE AT LEAST THREE SUCCESSIVE PROFICIENCY LEVELS--THE PRE-NUCLEATION STAGE, THE POST-NUCLEATION STAGE, AND THE MASTERY STAGE. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE RIGHT NOW SHOULD BE TO PROVIDE THE RIGHT MATERIALS AND THE RIGHT LEARNING CONDITIONS WHICH WILL ENABLE THE LANGUAGE STUDENT TO REACH THE POST-NUCLEATION STAGE. WHAT IS ADVOCATED IS NUCLEATION FIRST, THEN NEAR-NATIVE LISTENING AND READING COMPREHENSION. THE POST-NUCLEATION EMPHASIS ON COMPREHENSION HAS OTHER IMPLICATIONS. IN THE CASE OF READING, THE USE OF AN ENGLISH CRUTCH FAVORS A SMOOTHER TRANSITION TO LIBERATED READING THAN THE "HUNT AND PICK" METHOD, WHICH IS CLOSER AKIN TO PUZZLE SOLVING. IN ITS PRESENT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT, THE AUDIOLINGUAL APPROACH IS FAR MORE LINGUAL THAN IT IS AUDIO. THE MOST UNDER-ESTIMATED AND LEAST UNDERSTOOD ASPECT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING TODAY IS AUDIO-COMPREHENSION. THIS DOCUMENT IS A REPRINT FROM "THE MODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL," VOLUME 49, NUMBER 8, DECEMBER 1965, PAGES 482-491. (AUTHOR)