Describes the method and the instructional materials entitled "Contacts," which were developed specifically for Nigeria. The discussion covers the use of audiovisual supplementary material, the essentially African sociocultural reference of the text, the methodology peculiar to the Nigeria plurilingual situation, and the goals for both…

Reviews the history of the use of advertisements as instructional material, indicating that they appear almost exclusively in advanced level textbooks for adults and that they are seldom exploited according to clearly defined objectives. Discusses various modes of utilization and suggests criteria for the selection of such materials. (MES)

Explores the resources of television broadcasts for language instruction, particularly when they provide authentic models for the acquisition of communication skills illustrating the functional aspects of language, discourse strategies, and extralinguistic components of a situation. (MES)

A variety of authentic materials drawn from explanatory texts or offering instructions for performing some daily or common task are presented, and classroom activities for building foreign language competence based on the materials are outlined. (MSE)

Use of television as material for French second-language instruction is explored. It is proposed that, over the course of a three-year sequence, students can progress through three stages of listening comprehension skill development: discovery of the medium's unique characteristics; autonomy and mastery in its use; and familiarity. (MSE)

A well-designed set of French language instructional materials, consisting of storybooks, cassette tapes, and oral and written activities designed for five to eight year olds, is reviewed. (MSE)

An approach to teaching grammar that combines an understanding of the error patterns of nonnative speakers and a theoretical model that describes that language is better suited than most to the actual audience of that instruction. (MSE)

A French short story is used to illustrate several possible levels of study for a single literary text: linguistic analysis, textual analysis, and analysis of uses of the romantic form. The approach suggested integrates these levels so that each is enriched by the perspectives offered by the others. (MSE)

Potential uses of newspaper editorials for French instruction are presented, including interpretation of such elements as type style, layout, writing style, grammar, vocabulary and word usage, and punctuation as well as content and context. (MSE)

Outlines sociolinguistic data collection techniques and relates them to the language teaching situation. (AM)

Content and design of the videotape series FDM Video Classe, produced by the journal "Le francais dans le monde," are described and classroom uses suggested. The materials are from authentic television programs, selected to illustrate aspects of French culture. It is suggested that the teacher also provide students with supporting…

A collection of interviews, articles, reviews and news notes of interest to teachers of French. The contents are: an interview with Marc Blancpain; reviews of instructional, cultural and reference materials; notes on items of current interest; and an annotated bibliography of reference, cultural and literary works, and recordings. (Text is in…

The use of a radio interview for teaching advanced listening comprehension is described, and ideas for classroom discussion are proposed. (MSE)

The second volume of a series of textbooks designed for young students of French is reviewed by examining how the dialogs, phonological information, grammar instruction and notes, exercises, characters and their language, cultural information, and photos and documents correspond to the authors' expressed instructional intentions. (MSE)

A discussion of the use of cartoons and humorous vignettes in French instruction is presented. It is suggested that there exists a wealth of such material but little guidance in using it. Problems of cultural context, understanding the use of pictures, and potential for classroom discussion are considered. (MSE)