Language(s)

French

Learner level

Intermediate

Institution

London Guildhall University

Name(s)

Contact details

Objectives

To computerise the London Guildhall University first year French course LFBC1. To take the exercises from the coursebook and produce Java applets capable of interactively reproducing the textual material. To place the grammar explanations from the book on the web in HTML. To integrate the two aspects.

Implementation

The coursebook had just been rewritten and the exercises it contained could be reduced to either gap - filling exercises, multiple choice exercises and verb conjugating exercises. There were also translation exercises, but it was quickly recognised that these were outside the computer's simplistic "right & wrong" view. The textual, grammar-based, sections of the course book were converted to HTML using Symantec Visual Page. Three basic applets were written in Java and used to produce interactive exercises. These were shown to a group of first year students who made some written suggestions for improvement. These suggestions were incorporated as soon as practicable. The course was computerised on a week by week basis which necessitated some last minute rushes (burning the midnight oil on Sunday evening). The first exercises were laboriously implemented by hand, however, after a Java authoring facility was created the development process became much easier and more accurate. Other members of the department were involved hunting for typos, bugs etc, which were corrected as they were found. A group of students used the software under supervision for an hour a week in the language lab and students with their own computers were given disks and later CDs.

Outcome

The objectives were by and large attained, but some of those objectives developed in the light of experience and priorities changed over time. All the non-translation exercises in the coursebook were successfully made into interactive web pages and placed on the University's network and made available on disk and CD. The importance of good authoring tools became apparent we realised how much easier and more accurate it was to produce new work automatically rather than manually. The possibility of linking the grammar based "language" units closer to the "content" units became apparent and the need to choose texts for grammar work that relate to those "content" units is now seen as much more of a priority. The response from those students involved in the project was generally positive, but at this stage still anecdotal. It was however very pleasing to be confronted with a small delegation of students demanding to know when the second semester unit would be ready. It is expected that a professional looking, fully tested package should be ready and waiting for the students who arrive next October.

Evaluation

The objectives were by and large attained, but some of those objectives developed in the light of experience and priorities changed over time. All the non-translation exercises in the coursebook were successfully made into interactive web pages and placed on the University's network and made available on disk and CD. The importance of good authoring tools became apparent we realised how much easier and more accurate it was to produce new work automatically rather than manually. The possibility of linking the grammar based "language" units closer to the "content" units became apparent and the need to choose texts for grammar work that relate to those "content" units is now seen as much more of a priority. The response from those students involved in the project was generally positive, but at this stage still anecdotal. It was however very pleasing to be confronted with a small delegation of students demanding to know when the second semester unit would be ready. It is expected that a professional looking, fully tested package should be ready and waiting for the students who arrive next October.

Project url

The package may be viewed on www.lgu.ac.uk/language/details/home.htm but remember you will need Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 or Netscape 4.5 to view it.