Comprehension approach

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The comprehension approach is an umbrella term which refers to several methodologies of

language learning that emphasise understanding of language rather than speaking.[1] This is in
contrast to the better-known communicative approach, under which learning is thought to
emerge through language production, i.e. a focus on speech and writing.

The comprehension approach is most strongly associated with the linguists Harris Winitz,
Stephen Krashen,[2] Tracy D. Terrell and James J. Asher. The comprehension-based
methodology mostly commonly found in classrooms is Asher's Total Physical Response
approach;[3] Krashen and Terrell's Natural Approach[4] has not been widely applied.

The comprehension approach is based on theories of linguistics, specifically Krashen's

theories of second language acquisition,[5] and is also inspired by research on second
language acquisition in children, particularly the silent period phenomenon in which many
young learners initially tend towards minimal speaking.[6] In contrast, the communicative
approach is largely a product of research in language education.[7]

Winitz founded the International Linguistics Corporation in 1976 to supply comprehension-

based materials known as The Learnables;[8] several positive articles have been published
testing these picturebooks with their accompanying audio recordings, mostly with Winitz as
co-author.[9]

[edit] Footnotes
1. ^ Winitz (1981); Gary & Gary (1981a and 1981b).
2. ^ See www.sdkrashen.com for some of Krashen's books and articles, available on-
line.
3. ^ Asher (1969; 1981). Further information is available at TPR-World (Sky Oaks
Productions, Inc.).
4. ^ Krashen & Terrell (1983).
5. ^ Krashen (1982).
6. ^ Winitz et al. (1995); cf. Gibbons (1985), whose own interpretation of the 'silent
period' is that children's silence reflects lack of linguistic knowledge or bewilderment
within their new language environment.
7. ^ Acar (2005: 4).
8. ^ e.g. Winitz (2003); see also the International Linguistics Corporation's Learnables
materials on-line.
9. ^ e.g. McCandless & Winitz (1986).

[edit] References
  Acar, A (2005) 'The "communicative competence" controversy.' Asian EFL Journal
7(3). Retrieved 20 January 2007.
 Asher JJ (1969) 'The total physical response approach to second language learning.'
The Modern Language Journal 53: 3-17.
 Asher JJ (1981) The total physical response: theory and practice. In H. Winitz (ed.)
Native Language and Foreign Language Acquisition. New York: New York
Academy of Sciences. pp.324-331.
 Gary JO. & Gary N (1981a) Comprehension-based language instruction: practice. In
H. Winitz (ed.) Native Language and Foreign Language Acquisition. New York: New
York Academy of Sciences. pp.343-357.
 Gary JO. & Gary N (1981b) Comprehension-based language instruction: theory. In H.
Winitz (ed.) Native Language and Foreign Language Acquisition. New York: New
York Academy of Sciences. pp.332-342.
 Gibbons J (1985) 'The silent period: an examination.' Language Learning 35: 255-
267.
 Krashen SD (1982) Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. Oxford:
Pergamon.
 Krashen SD & TD Terrell (1983) The Natural Approach. New York: Pergamon.
 McCandless P & Winitz H (1986) 'Test of pronunciation following one year of
comprehension instruction in college German.' The Modern Language Journal 70:
355-362.
 Winitz H (ed.) (1981) The Comprehension Approach to Foreign Language
Instruction. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
 Winitz H (2003) The Learnables, Book 1. Kansas City, MO: International Linguistics
Corporation. 6th edition.
 Winitz H, Gillespie B & Starcev J (1995). 'The development of English speech
patterns of a 7-year-old Polish-speaking child.' Journal of Psycholinguistic Research
24: 117-143.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehension_approach"

Categories: Language acquisition | Linguistics | Learning theory (education)

Abstract
We review our efforts to model user command production in an attempt to characterize the
knowledge users of computers have at various stages of learning. We modeled computer
users with a system called NETWORK (Mannes and Kintsch, 1988; 1991) and modeled
novice, intermediate, and expert UNIX command production data collected by Doane et al.
(1990b) with a system called UNICOM (Doane et al., 1989a; 1991). We use the construction-
integration theory of comprehension proposed by Kintsch (1988) as a framework for our
analyses. By focusing on how instructions activate the knowledge rele/ant to the performance
of the specified task, we have successfully modeled major aspects of correct user
performance by incorporating in the model knowledge about individual commands and
knowledge that allows the correct combination of elementary commands into complex, novel
commands. Thus, experts can be modeled in both NETWORK and in UNICOM. We further
show that salient aspects of novice and intermediate performance can be described by
removing critical elements of knowledge from the expert UNICOM model. Results suggest
that our comprehension-based approach has promise for understanding user interactions and
implications for system design are discussed.
Key words  levels of user expertise - human-computer interaction - novel plans - discourse
comprehension

Dr. Stephanie Doane is Assistant Professor of Psychology and appointed at the Beckman
Institute at the University of Illinois. Shereceived her BAin Experimental Psychology from
the University of California, Santa Barbara, her MS in Experimental Psychology from
Villanova University, and her PhD in Cognitive Psychology from the University of
California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Doane's research has focused on skill acquisition and the
development and validation of theoretically-based computational models of cognitive
processes. Her current research addresses issues of learning to interact with complex systems
and the role of learning context in skill acquisition.
Dr. Suzanne Mannes is Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Delaware. She
received her BA in Psychology from the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh
and received her PhD in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Her experimental research focuses on the role of prior knowledge in text comprehension,
particularly as it pertains to problem-solving abilities. She also investigates the use of hybrid
computer systems to simulate results from such studies.
Dr. Walter Kintsch is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Institute of Cognitive
Science at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He received his MA and PhD degrees in
Experimental Psychology from the University of Kansas. His main area of interest has been
the psychology of language and memory. He is currently the editor of the Psychological
review.
Peter Poison is Professor of Psychology and member of the Institute of Cognitive Science at
the University of Colorado. He received his BA degree in Psychology and BS degree in
Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and his PhD degree in Psychology from
Indiana University. Dr. Poison's research has focused on the development and empirical
evaluation of mathematical and computer simulation models of cognitive processes including
transfer of training, problem solving, and the acquisition of cognitive skills. His current
research deals with quantitative models of human-computer interaction and the application of
such models to the design of more easily learned computer systems.

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Kitajima (2003)
Kitajima, M. (2003). Comprehension-Based Approach to HCI for Designing
Interaction in Information Space. Human-Centred Computing: Cognitive, Social
and Ergonomic Aspects (Volume 3 of the Proceedings of HCI International 2003),
pp.1031-1035.

Comprehension-Based Approach to HCI for Designing Interaction in

Information Space

The traditional view of HCI has been based on a cognitive psychological analysis,
in which people have to translate their intentions into the language of the computer
and have to interpret the computer's response in terms of how successful they were
in achieving their goals. However, with the ubiquity of information appliances, this
view becomes inadequate. People are no longer simply interacting with a computer
they are interacting with but they use various combinations of information
appliances and media available for them to accomplish their tasks defined in
information space. This opens up the possibility that any single task can be
accomplished in various ways. This paper argues that such users' interaction
processes can be better viewed as the processes consisting of comprehension of the
current situation formed by integrating various sources of available information,
followed by selection of an appropriate action based on the comprehension. A set
of implications for interaction design for information space is derived based on this
comprehension-based view of HCI.