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EuroTalk Advanced French DVD-ROM - Au coeur de la loiNB: This review first appeared in ReCALL Vol 13 No. 2, November 2001 Distributor: EuroTalk ltd. http://www.eurotalk.co.uk System Requirements: Windows 98/2000, Pentium 200Mhz, 64 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, 800*600 16 bit colour display, 50MB free disk space, soundcard and Microphone (optional) Price: �34.99 Intended use/area of application Euro Talk have produced a DVD application for advanced learners of French who wish to improve their communicative ability. The DVD has as its main focus an episode of a popular French television detective drama Au coeur de la Loi. The tasks that are included in this package are all based upon events and scenes from the episode of this television programme. It is a self-contained package, that is to say the user requires no supplementary media or materials to use the DVD. Ease of use The DVD will load automatically if the auto-run function is activated on the DVD ROM drive. The first screen allows the user to choose the language in which the help screens will appear. Along with this choice, there are also troubleshooting notes regarding the DVD and recording sound in the application. This proved to be a useful addition as during testing problems were experienced when using the voice recording section of the package. Screen Layout The use of icons as opposed to textual descriptions and menus helps to create an uncluttered screen, even on smaller monitors. The colours have been chosen with care and complement each other well to give a modern appearance to the whole package. The subtitles that accompany the video are displayed in a white font on a black background and other text is contrasted well with backgrounds and graphics present on the screen. The icons are sensible in their design, the use of the classic video cassette recorder metaphor for play/stop ,fast forward and rewind in the video section for example. Custom icons are explained adequately either on the jacket of the DVD or within the screen specific help. The main praise however has to be reserved for the quality of the video. The reason for choosing to release this package on DVD as opposed to CD-ROM is evident when watching the video. The audio too is sharp and clear and combines with the images to give the impression of watching an actual television programme. Pedagogical Content Aside from the video and text section, the episode can be viewed in either its entirety (fifty minutes) or as individual scenes. The DVD comprises five other sections: a dictionary, concordance, recording your voice, video-quiz and the test section. The dictionary has both audio and pictorial examples of its entries. Similarly, the word look-up adopts the same method of explanation, although as opposed to the isolated word of the dictionary, the chosen word is placed in context with one or more examples from the video. While these are adequate in their content, it would have been beneficial to have them available while watching the video. The user can choose to be one of nine characters in the record your voice section. This section is aimed at the user being able to master different registers and adopt paralinguistic features associated with French. The four different exercises in the test section are vocabulary, missing words, what is the next line? and spelling. There is a practise section that allows the user to become familiar with what is expected and how to manipulate the actual test, it is either 'point and click' or 'drag and drop'.The user can attempt as few or as many of these practise questions as is desired. In the test section the user must complete the exercises against the clock. The test section is scored out of 400 and the user has the opportunity to print out a certificate of achievement if they desire, the reward for a good score is a gold, silver, or bronze medal with a score of 375 or above winning a gold medal. The video quiz is where the user is pitted against a virtual opponent (another interesting use of DVD capabilities). The questions are based on semantic factors of spoken French, the user must choose the correct meaning to a slang phrase for example. Ponder too long and 'Matthieu', the opponent, could steal the point, this is a great motivational feature. Overall Comments The overall look of Au coeur de la Loi is impressive, the DVD format certainly shows how video can look when used in a CALL application, yet, it does tend to distract from the lack of other features. While the exercises and the video quiz are visually pleasing and of a decent length, there does appear to be very little user support and the quality of the feedback is not up to the standards of other features present. The only feedback present on the tests is either a green tick for a correct response and a sound (either a gong or a beep) to signify an incorrect choice. The user cannot review the mistakes that have been made and there is no explanation of errors. It is difficult to provide error feedback on a multiple choice exercise but with a package that has such potential a little more learner support would be desirable along with a more interactive dictionary available when watching the video. RICH BUCKLEY |
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