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2. Approximation principle in teaching and assessment of language performance.
The term ‘approximation” was introduced by H. E. Palmer in his seminal report “Concerning 
pronunciation” in 1925. This term was used by the scholar regarding evaluation of the pronunciation 
quality in English by Japan students (Jalolov, 2017. р.303-304). Palmer claimed that the criteria as
“right” or “wrong” were not appropriate to bilingual education. So, concerning pronunciation the 
scholar understood by that a tolerant attitude to the norm deviations in the target speech production.
However, this principle further was not developed in the methodology of FLT by foreign scholars. 
Although, operating with “approximation system” term by Nemser implies Palmer’s ideas. 
In the local methodology of FLT the approximation principle is one of the most important not 
only in teaching pronunciation but it has been refracted to development of the language skills and 
assessment of language proficiency. 
To understand how the approximation principle work, first, it is necessary to analyse the definitions 
of the terms “approximate” и “approximation” given in the dictionaries.

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SCIENCE AND EDUCATION
Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary (1997. 
p.58):
approximate (v)- come near, nearly correct or exact.
approximation (n) – the quality or state of being close 
or near, quantity that is close in value to but not the 
same as a desired quantity.
ABBYYLinguo dictionary:
approximate (v) - close to the actual, but not completely ac-
curate or exact
approximation (n) - it correlates with inaccuracy, inexacti-
tude, imprecision, uncertainty, discrepancy, error, inexact-
ness, roughness.
Analysis of these definitions give evidence that approximation principle means approximate 
language system in attitude to the language norms of the native speakers, that is permissible to have 
some insignificant shortcomings and gaps (language errors) not impeded to mutual understanding in 
communication. While implementation of this principle into language classes a teacher should ignore
some errors in the learners’ speech in a target language, thereby creating favourable conditions to 
avoid learners’ psychological barrier and to organize rational learning and assessment process. In that 
case the language competence can be considered as satisfaction (Schukin, 2006. p.172; Fokina et.al., 
2009. p.63-64) in spite of some errors existence.