For the purpose of this study, an interactive multimedia computer program was created for the French film, Le Retour de Martin Guerre . Eleven segments of the film were selected and the dialog from each segment was organized into manageable chunks (see figure 1). A video clip for each segment was then digitized.1 Using Quest on an IBM system and a template, an interactive multimedia language learning tool was designed.2 From a menu for each film segment in this program, students are able to choose from several different learning options while viewing the video clip: ECOUTER (listening to the video), LIRE (reading the video script), or ECOUTER ET LIRE (simultaneously listening to the video and reading the script) (see figure 2). To further increase their mastery of the language from the film, the students are able to complete several different types of exercises: JEU DE PHRASES (unscrambling sentences), JEU DE MOTS (unscrambling words), MOTS MANQUANTS (filling in missing words according to their part of speech), and DICTEE (a dictation)(see figure 3). This multimedia program3 also features an electronic dictionary available on screen at all times. When students click on the DICTIONNAIRE, they have access to the French and English definition of a word as well as its French pronunciation(see figure 4).

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Videocassettes of the entire film, Le Retour de Martin Guerre, were also used in this study. These videos of the French version of the film included English sub-titles.

1 Videodisks of foreign films can be repurposed in order to create an interactive multimedia program such as the one described in this study instead of using digitized video clips.

2Quest (Allen Communications) was used to develop this multimedia program on an IBM system. However, at the present time, the DOS-based authoring program, ToolBook Multimedia (Asymetrics), has emerged as a standard for multimedia software developers. It is easily learned and allows teachers to develop exactly the type of interactive programs they want.

3This program can also be used as a supplement to the viewing of the video, Le Retour de Martin Guerre . In addition to the activities described above, the program includes a French/English encyclopedia with text and pictorial descriptions of the time period, self-tests on the content of the film segments, on the vocabulary and on the historical background of the film (immediate feedback given) as well as writing activities on the entire film. However, for the purpose of this study, only the seven activities mentioned in the program description were offered as options to the students.