The following methods of presenting a foreign language are all detrimental to a student's potential of reaching genuine fluency. The reasons why are explained in subsequent answers to the questions of this orientation program. It is harmful:

1. to emphasize the written word before relative oral fluency* has been attained

2. to be overly critical of incorrect grammatical usage in the early stages of the student's language learning

3. to overemphasize the irregular aspects of the language's structure in the initial stages of learning

4. to provide translations to the learner's native language, either orally or in writing

5. to conduct significant amounts of instruction in the learner's native language

6. to attempt to introduce reading material before the student has undergone sufficient phonics instruction and has attained relative oral fluency*

7. to require the performance of written composition before relative oral fluency has been reached, and before phonics instruction and extensive elementary reading have been performed.

* The term "relative" oral fluency refers to fluency (spontaneous speech attaining a rate of approximately 10 complete sentences per minute) within the limited scope of the student's active vocabulary. As a measuring stick, the student should have an active vocabulary of at least 500 words and be able to express himself at the aforementioned rate of speech before reading and then writing are introduced.