In the first paragraph, the word “touted” (R.2) means questioned.

As the innovative methods of the 1970s were being touted by some and criticized by many, some significant foundations for future growth were being laid in what soon came to be known as the Notional-Functional Syllabus (NFS). The distinguishing characteristics of the NFS were its attention to functions as the organizing elements of English language curriculum, and its contrast with a structural syllabus in which sequenced grammatical structures served as the organizers. “Notions”, according to Van Ek and Alexander (1975), are both general and specific. General notions are abstract concepts such as existence, space, time, quantity, and quality. They are domains in which we use language to express thought and feeling. Within the general notion of space and time, for example, are the concepts of location, motion, dimension, speed, length of time, frequency, etc. “Specific notions” correspond more closely to what we have become used to calling “contexts”, or “situations”. Personal identification, for example, is a specific notion under which name, address, phone number, and other personal information are subsumed. Other specific notions include travel, health and welfare, education, shopping, services, and free time.