TEACHING WRITTEN FRENCH

Abstract

In recent years language teachers generally have accepted the guiding principles of the "aural-oral," "audio-lingual" or the "new" approach to second language learning. In practice, this approach, whatever it may be labelled, frequently produces rapid progress in the spoken language in the early years, and enthusiasm, with a slowing down and disenchantment when the learner begings to grapple with the complexities of the written form of the language. Observation and experience suggest that there is a dearth of good programmes for developing the skills of reading and writing. Furthermore, too few teachers have an understanding of the differences between the morphology and syntax of the spoken and the written language and the contribution of linguistic science to the development of effective procedures in teaching a second language.