For a linguist of any linguistic persuasion

Abstract

semantics at both the lexical and sentential levels is of crucial importance. This is also true for the teaching of any language. As advocated by both linguists and language teachers, it is true that ramified linguistic formalizations and theoretical arguments of generative-transformational grammar havelonly the remotest connection with language teaching; yet whether you are a theoretically oriented linguist or a practically minded language teacher, your basic observations and generalizations about language have to be empirically justifiable.