ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics - Volume 56, Issue 1, 1982

The field of teaching reading to English-speaking students and the field of TESOL (Teaching English as a Second or Other Language) need to borrow from each other more than they are now doing. To this end, the author here applies notions from the field of reading to TESOL. This is done within the framework of a taxonomy of the elements of reading instruction. For each division on the taxonomy, there is given information that a TESOL teacher would need for applying material from the field of reading. Also, for each division there are suggested ways in which the specific needs of non-English speaking students can be met.

Aitchison 1976 and others have argued that children acquire the syntax of their native language by 'learning surface patterns and how to manipulate them', rather than by inferring a level of underlying structure in the general sense of transformational grammar. This paper seeks to refute Aitchison's position by attempting to show that the arguments on which the conclusion is based are unsound. The original evidence (progressive aspect, full and truncated passives and WH-questions) is re-examined and some additional data adduced to support the view that children do indeed approach language expecting to find an underlying level (or levels) of structure.