Question:
I am looking for information on existing interactive video packages
for use with ESL learners. I've been able to find very little thus
far, but I've been told that such instructional materials exist. let me know of any (or of any in the works),
Answer:
I presume Bill is looking for specifically ESL material and not the
ABC/Voyager/National Geographic stuff. Like him, I'd love to hear of
anything really exciting in the ESL line. The most appealing package I've
seen so far was in French (a la rencontre de Philippe) - the Athena unit at
MIT who developed it apparently have plans for an ESL program, but it may
not be ready until 1995. Gilberte Furstenberg (gfursten) or Suzanne Koons
(smkoons - both @athena.mit.edu) should be able to give you more
information. Karen Price (at ESL, 51 Brattle St, Harvard Uni, Cambridge, MA
02138) is also apparently developing some good stuff.
On the Business English side, there's the Connections range from BBC
English/Vektor, which comes at a range of levels and allows several options
(e.g. subtitles + tutorials in English/L1, hear phrases repeated by
British/American speakers, record your own voice etc.,). It looks pretty
good if you want access to authentic NS speech situations and want to
repeat/practise `modelling' at the phrase or stimulus-response level.
The drawback is that they come with a hefty price tag and they are not
nearly as involving as the MIT material - you watch situations rather than
actually taking part in them. But I suspect they're about as interactive as
you can get at the moment in the repeat and practise line.
There's an extensive backup package to go with it. Might be worth checking out
for the range of optional facilities provided. The situations look authentic
and the whole thing looks very professional. Vektor Ltd can be reached at:
Technology House
Lissadel St
Salford
England M6 6AP
Fax: (+44) 061 745 8077
Dyned have produced a package based on the Longman `Functioning in Business'
material which is also not bad of its kind, but allows no branching and seems
to rely heavily on multiple choice questioning. Looks like we have to wait a
few years for the good stuff to arrive!
Judy Snoke mentioned an involving package produced/being developed by
IMZAT(T?) in Northern Virginia (in one scenario you give directions to the
hospital while your friend is about to give birth in the car beside you).
Anyone know details about that? It's for the Amiga, and is expensive (like the
BBC material).
Like Bill, I'd love to hear of any really good interactive ESL material.
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