| Abstract: |
THIS CRITIQUE OF RAYMOND F. KEATING'S 1963 "STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LANGUAGE LABORATORIES" CONSISTS OF FOUR ESSAYS DISCUSSING THE BIASED THINKING AND FAULTY RESEARCH PROCEDURES WHICH CHARACTERIZE THE REPORT. THESE ESSAYS EXAMINE SUCH FAULTS IN THE REPORT AS THE TOTAL LACK OF DEFINITION OF WHAT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION, THE USE OF INAPPROPRIATE AND OUTDATED TEST MATERIALS TO JUDGE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LANGUAGE LABORATORIES, AND THE NEGATIVE PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS. DESPITE ITS MANY SHORTCOMINGS, HOWEVER, THE KEATING REPORT YIELDS OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE THAT THE THE LANGUAGE LABORATORY IS IN EFFECT DOING WHAT IS EXPECTED OF IT. THIS ARTICLE IS A REPRINT FROM "THE MODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL," VOLUME 48, NUMBER 4, APRIL 1964, PAGES 189-210. (SS) |