An exploratory study of the interaction between language teaching methods and child characteristics

Abstract

The present study examined whether the relative efficacy of two language teaching methods was predicted by pretreatment subject characteristics. Forty handicapped preschoolers were randomly assigned to two language teaching methods (i.e., Milieu Teaching and the Communication Training Program). No main effects of treatment were found. However, seven statistical interactions between pretreatment subject characteristics and language teaching method indicated that lower-functioning children benefitted more from the Milieu method and higher-functioning children benefitted more from the Communication Training Program. The results were discussed in relation to the extant literature reporting subject-by-language-teaching-method interactions. The importance of replicating the present results and specific suggestions for subject selection criteria and pretreatment subject characteristics likely to interact with language teaching methods similar to those used in this study are discussed.