Applied theories in the development of self-instructional, audio-video courses at Florida Atlantic University are explored in this article. Development of intralanguage and extralanguage associations of "verbal context" is proposed as a means by which the student might achieve a desired verbal-operant repertoire through self-instruction. The learning theories of B.F. Skinner and N. Chomsky are contrasted with emphasis on the distinction between the behavioral "chains" and the structural "strings" of forms. The specifications of the terminal behavior, items to be taught, organization of the presentations of the items, size and sequence of the steps, and reinforcement mechanisms are commented on in terms of programing procedures. (RL)