Whole Language Defined

WorldNetDaily ^ | 8/27/2002 | Dr. Samuel Blumenfeld

[supercat]

"The whole language approach is based on the idea that reading and language involve figuring out what you think somebody is trying to say in a particular context."

In other words, pick up a book, guess what the author wanted to say, and that's what the book says. Sounds like a pretty good technique of speed reading. Wonder if it could be done with books still sitting on the shelf.

BTW, even if the "whole language" approach did allow students to be taught a useful vocabulary, it would still not allow them to readily expand their vocabulary not use tools like a dictionary (one who understands rules of phonetic construction can usually, perhaps with a few attempts, locate an unfamiar word in a dictionary after hearing it; one who does not understand such rules would have no idea where to begin).

Sounds a bit like the goals of Newspeak, doesn't it?