THE DUAL PURPOSES OF THIS 1965 PILOT STUDY OF THE 103 NATIONAL DEFENSE EDUCATION ACT SUMMER INSTITUTES IN ENGLISH WERE TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT HOW A STUDY OF INSTITUTES COULD BEST BE CONDUCTED AND WHAT OUGHT TO BE THE PURPOSES OF SUCH A STUDY, AND TO REPORT ON WHAT THE INSTITUTES ACCOMPLISHED, TENTATIVELY EVALUATING THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. THE PRIMARY DATA WERE COLLECTED THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRES SENT TO THE PARTICIPANTS AND STAFFS OF THE INSTITUTES, AND 3 TO 5-DAY VISITATIONS CONDUCTED AT NINE OF THEM. RECOGNIZING THE INHERENT LIMITATIONS OF SUCH AN ANALYSIS, THE PILOT STUDY DID INDICATE THAT MOST TEACHERS STUDIED MATERIAL THEY COULD PUT TO IMMEDIATE USE IN THEIR CLASSROOMS, AND THAT THE MATERIAL WAS IN SOME WAY APPROPRIATE TO THEIR PECULIAR SHORTCOMINGS, NEEDS, AND RESPONSIBILITIES. THE PROBLEMS OF THE INSTITUTES WERE GENERALLY THE OUTGROWTH OF THEIR UNIQUE NATURE--SHORT, UNIFIED SUMMER COURSES IN SUBJECTS TAUGHT TO STUDENTS WHO ARE TEACHERS THEMSELVES. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO JUDGE INSTITUTES, BUT RATHER TO DESCRIBE THEM, COMMUNICATING TO NON-PARTICIPANT TEACHERS AND INSTITUTE DIRECTORS WHAT IS NEW AND EFFECTIVE IN THE INSTITUTES AND THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH. THE INFORMATION NECESSARY FOR SUCH A REPORT COULD BE GATHERED BEST BY (1) QUESTIONNAIRES WHICH PROBE NOT ONLY SUPERFICIAL OPINIONS ABOUT THE INSTITUTES BUT ALSO THE MOTIVES AND EXPECTATIONS OF PARTICIPANTS, (2) FOLLOW UP STUDIES ON PARTICIPANTS, AND (3) INTENSIVE INTERVIEW VISITS TO INSTITUTES BY TEAMS COMPOSED OF A TEACHER OF ENGLISH AND A KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSON WHO IS NOT A TEACHER HIMSELF. (DL)