Discusses current research in child language to help teachers understand how young children acquire language skills. (DR)

In an epilogue to the 1967 research report, "Transformational Sentence-Combining" (See ED 018 405.), John Mellon considers the significance of the sentence-combining experience and answers the charges of critics--Wayne O'Neil, James Moffett, and Francis Christensen--regarding his original research findings. Mellon points out, for example, that…

This study was designed to identify specific language variables that could prove to be useful as predictors of a child's success in beginning reading. The study is theoretical in nature and provides background information that may be useful in future empirical investigations. A review of the literature on child language acquisition was conducted.…

The first half of the proceedings report is a transcript of the keynote address by Victor Hanzeli, and the second portion features remarks by other discussants, including Dwight Bolinger and James McClafferty. While Mr. Hanzeli's discussion centers on the relationship between linguistics and the language teacher, he offers background information…