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Summary
This program allows professors to take advantage of various existing
technologies to easily use any films supported on
laser discs, quick time movies (on CD-ROM) as well as time-coded videos for educational purposes.
This tool also allows the creation of entire interactive
texts around a film, with the addition of scripts, menus, photos,
dictionnaries thus creating a linguistic environment for successful
language learning.
The film (in a high resolution) will appear on the screen of an AV
Macintosh without the cumbersome subtitles in English. Underneath the
film image, a dialog box will allow the student to choose between
several levels of linguistic information (no help, key words only, full
script, full script and cultural footnotes) and to navigate between
scenes at various speeds (by chapter, by scene, by line of text.) These
four levels will be easily accessible at any point of the viewing
session as will be the switching between the different speeds.
Moreover, the modular design of the program will allow for the addition
of listening comprehension tools as well as a battery of comprehension
exercises, self-testing and visual recognition exercises in stage II and
III of the project. The first film "Un monde sans pitié" will be fully
developed and the finished program will be printed on a CD-ROM.
Objective
To facilitate the use of original language materials in the classroom
and during independent studies.
Problem
In spite of the quantity of video material available to students in the
US, the lack of narrative films in the original language without
subtitles has long been a source of problems. Various solutions
(ranging from masking the English text on the monitor with tape to the
reedited quick-time version of the film) are both artisanal and
unsatisfactory since they do not solve the major language barrier for
the introductory and intermediate level language students:, that is, the
personalized access to the right amount of information for successful
comprehension.
Subjects
The film "Un Monde Sans
Pitié" (A World Without Pity) by Eric Rochant, 1990, France. is to be fully
developed. "Set in Paris, this film is a hard-edged romance for today about an
alienated generation facing tomorrow" (from the film's sleeve); other films to follow.
Delivery
The film (in a high resolution) appears on the screen of an AV Macintosh
without the cumbersome subtitles that are covered. Underneath the film
image, a dialog box allows the student to choose between several levels
of linguistic information (no help, key words only, full script, full
script and cultural footnotes) and to navigate between scenes at various
speeds (by chapter, by scene, by line of text.) These four levels can
be easily accessible at any point of the viewing Moreover, the modular
design of the program allows for the addition of listening comprehension
tools as well as a battery of comprehension exercises, self-testing and
visual recognition exercises in stage II and III of the project.
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ReelWords
Interactive film subtitling program
- Shoggy Thierry Waryn,
- M.A. Creator and Researcher
- Daybreak production, Boston
- Programming
Sponsors
ReelWords has received the support of The
Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning consisting of seed money
for the program.
Special thanks
- Eric Rochant, for the use of the original script of un Monde Sans
Pitié
- PICS, the Project for International Communication Studies in Iowa
City, IA and in particular Anny Ewing, French series coordinator,
- and the staff of the French section and the staff in FL&L for their
support and suggestions
Direct all inquires to
Shoggy Thierry Waryn
Availability
The program will be available for testing in Fall 1997, delivery Spring 98.
Audience
The primary target for the product is any level language class
since it is a flexible tool. Any film (and soon CD-ROM) can be
accompanied by text. The product is both for inside and outside the
classroom: inside the class the films can be shown and displayed on the
screen. Outside the class, the fully developed film can be studied by the
students at their own pace.
Format
Macintosh AV with full card and laser disc player.
The program is written with Macromedia Director.
Any AV Mac can be used as a display (but the application will also be
compatible with dual-screen displays used in the LLARC).
Subsequent versions of the software will take advantage of the
multiplication of large screen monitors (17-inch and above). The
current version is meant for standard 13 in. (or larger) displays.
Note
For copyright reasons, scenes from "Un Monde Sans Pitié" could not be used on this page. Instead, the PICS laserdisc "Autour de Paris" was used to demonstrate placement of subtitles.
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