In learning English as a foreign language, we believe that the totality of the four language skills, hearing, speaking, reading and writing, come together hand in hand to enable the learners to master English. However, we have found that the learners (mostly college level) generally show a higher proficiency in reading comprehension than in hearing comprehension in their English learning process. The aim of this paper is to make a specific analysis of the related factors in the difference of the two levels of hearing and reading comprehension, based on a correlation ratio study. To study the related factors mentioned in the previous paragraph, the examinees (second year college students) were given several carefully constructed tests, over a certain period of time. The tests were made to examine the various elements of language skill, including sounds, content, vocabulary and sentence structure. They were designed for controlled response within a specified time. Results of the tests were tabulated and analyzed, and comparisons were made of skills displayed at various stages of the testing period, as well as skills displayed by first year students with one year less language training. Conclusions reached by our study may be said to include (1) a revelation of the actual extent to which hearing comprehension is inferior to reading comprehension; and (2) evidence that through extensive drill, particularly language laboratory drill, the auditory skill of students is increased, resulting in a lessening of the hearing and reading skill difference.

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In recent years language teaching and learning have come to be studied scientifically. Language learning is now thought to be in organization of three systems, thus; 1. the phoneme system 2. the system of syntax 3. the meaning system All languages have this system of classification. And when we Japanese learn English, first of all we must compare each of English systems with each of Japanese systems. Participants of an Intensive Course are being taught the phonemes and the syntax as systems. This report is on the acquisition of the English phomeme system. Experiment s I. Subjects Subjects were shown in Table 1. IC (Freshman, Class C) received the Intensive Course in Language Laboratory, from November 20, 1968 until to December 20, 1968. IB (Freshman, Class B) and IIA (Sophomore, Class A) did not receive the Intensive Course but they were tested and the results are compared with those from the IC Class. II. Aural Recognition of English Phonemes Procedures: Ss were asked to listen to and write down English words shown in Table 2 that R.P. Inglis recorded in random order. Results: Table 2 shows 1). how phonemes were heard, 2). lo what degree each phoneme pair was recognized. Many Ss confused the English phoneme pairs that did not have such phoneme contrasts inJapanes. Consequently each time they used the one Japanese phoneme that corresponded to the English phoneme. Recognition of a phoneme pair that should be recognized as voiced and voiceless is easy for Japanese, because the distinction of the voiced and voiceless sounds in Japanese is observed. IC at the 2nd test seemed to be acquiring the English phoneme system. III. Pronunciation of English phonemes Procedure: Ss were asked to produce the words shown in Table 3. Results: Table 3 shows 1). how phonemes were pronounced, and 2). comparison between the 1st test and 2nd test of IC, and between each class at the 2nd test according to how many subjects pronounced each English phoneme correctly. Many Ss pronounced similar Japanese phonemes in place of English phonemes. This means that they don't perceive the difference between the two phoneme systems. English phonemes are substituted by another English phonemes. The confusion is found between English phoneme pairs that are asked to be distiguished from each other. Words pronouced with an added vowel. The structure of Japanese sound is cvcv, and it is difficult to pronounce the English sound structure cvc or cc (consonant clusters). Discussion When we learn English, perception of the difference between the English phoneme system and theJapanese phoneme system should be made first of all. Mr. Saeki provides us with an efficient method for this. After this has been inculcated the English phoneme system should be built up through aural recognition and pronunciation, by being taught as a system that has some basic phoneme pairs which should be emphasized.

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Preface For the last four years I have been concerned with making LL materials as a director of the LL in Tezukayama University. The LL classes have been really in the test stage, trying this way and that, sometimes making mistakes, wasting time and money. But now they are beginning to be on the rail, to our great joy. On these experiences, some comments are going to be given in terms of possibilities and limitations of LL materials. Body Comments are be divided into four parts: 1. making materials for the independent LL classes. 2. LL materials which can be used both for the conversation classes and the LL classes. The LL's are held in the latter half of the classes after the conversation classes. 3. LL materials supplementary to the grammar lessons. 4. Materials supplementary to oral composition lessons. 1. LL materials for independent LL classes Materials for independent LL classes are mostly made up of pattern practice drills. They have lots of effective and efficient merits because they enable the students to do productive drills according to each cue given, and also make them concentrate on basic, and useful expressions. But the weakest point of them is that they don't have context or situation which will make it possible for the students to exercise their association power. Consequently students are easy to be bored. 2. Supplementary materials for conversation classes. Teachers can carry on the classes much more smoothly because most of the conversation materials have situations. Useful patterns can be got out of the situational conversation and they can be practised with the context. Intonation pattern drills can also be made, such as imperative intonation patterns or echo question patterns. The trouble is, however, such kinds of materials take too much time since students are required to understand the situation, before they go on drills. 3. LL materials used together with grammar lessons. Traditionals grammar handbooks are classified clearly, so according to the classification LL material can be arranged clearly. But overall materials cannot be made since some patterns or expressions are frequently used and some are not, or difficult to make for the LL materials. They also don't have context for each item. 4. LL materials supplementary to English composition lessons There are some difficulties in making LL materials attached to the composition lessons, some of which are the ones as to on which side we should stand, on Japanese side or on English side. The cross cultural problems should also be thought of. But for the basic drills, LL materials, if well organized, will help students improve their composition ability. Conclusion As a whole, psycho linguistic studies should be exploited in order to make more effective LL materials.

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With the advent of programmed learning fifteen years ago, there was some hope that a general theory of education and its application to the language learning and teaching areas might be well developed. Meanwhile, the PL approach has developed isolatedly from other methods of language, and the concept of programmed instruction is gradually being replaced by more vague notion of educational technology rather than methodology, while on the other hand, the educational machines such as teaching machine and the LL in the limit of AV Materials along with the computing machines which had appeared as a boom in every field, have made a remarkable progress in the whole world as well as in Japan. At present the 'multi-media' approach is in vogue and, as the media multiply, there seems to be proportionately less knowledge of how to use them to their best advantage. This must be the reason why the real status of each media in the field of education and the relationships between those theories and apparatuses have not yet been distinguished until now. Recently I have known a pioneering work by Dr. Klaus Bung whom I met at the Section meeting of the 2nd International Congress of Applied Linguistics held in Cambridge last September, on the subject of the Programmed Learning in relation to the LL and I believe that his merits done in the area concerned should really be recompensed by introducing the summary of what I am about to disclose here the mystery of the concept of linguistics and the strategies at which he aimed to challenge. (1) Programmed learning and the LL: What is the aim of the LL? Is the speaking everything? And should we be satisfied to find the PL aimed at only the graphic side without attending to the other side of the acoustic area? No, the both sides for operating PL works would be creative production. (2) Types of language programming:... The American-style Linear Programme and the method to separate grammar from language performance are not be sufficient, but these defects will be removed by adopting 'RU-programme' which is assured to fit both of AV and Audio-Lingual Materials into the limit of PL frame-work. (3) Scoring Machine with RU-Algorithm: Reforming a simple linear machine known as 'Skinner disk', we have realised the use of RU-Algorithm which might possibly induce an effective method of developing learner-centred intensive learning. (4) Subvalidation: This is a kind of ad hoc 'minimum research' which assesses its truth of the validity of its assertions. (5) Audio-Adapter: This device will be effective to work out intensive simultaneous instruction in small groups and save much more time-consuming than in large groups in the traditionel LL. (6) Problems of task analysis for language programming: Firstly, by dividing the upper layer as the programmed and the lower layer as the non-programmed, and vertically, the acoustic at the right and the graphic at the left, 25 skills are properly distributed in both sides almost symmetrically. These skills will also be classified 'receptive' for the boxed or 'productive' for the non-boxed. Thus, hoiding any one component among language 4-skills, the sequence of word-phrase-clausefragment-sentence and the relationships of functioning between each component will be maintained. (7) A model for the construction and use of adaptive algorithmic language programmes : The model containing generative grammars of the native and target languages is controlled by PS (problem selector) and effects changes in the universal task diagram ... and both questions and answers are compared by the comparator until they will reach their identity. Since the 4-phase model- listen, speak, read, and write- will generally hold 3 faults as inflexible, unrealistic, and unscientific. Diagram... could possibly avoid all these faults. Good programmes cannot be written without good models. Then

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Recent psycholinguistic studies show that in foreign language learning there is a significant relationship between the student's achievement and his attitude toward the people whose language he is studying and their culture. This paper deals with the American student's attitude toward foreign language study on the basis of data resulting from a questionnaire given to some 950 freshmen of the University of Illinois in October, 1969. The writer discusses 1) the student's foreign language background, 2) foreign language programs in high school, 3) the student' interest in foreign language study and degree of personal involvement in it, 4) direct feedback from the student to the teacher concerning special aspects of the instruction process, and 5) the students' attitudes toward foreign cultures. It is claimed, given the present situation in Japan, that research which relates language achievement and attitude of the learner is necessary and should be encouraged for the improvement of our foreign language education.

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