Alison Thomas

Turning Japanese

Training (June 1998)
An experienced teacher of French and German, Alison Thomas has often used self-study packs to learn other European languages. She decided to see how she would cope in a language that bore no relation to those she already knew and compared five very different packages ...

Travel Talk (English-Japanese). CD-ROM
£19, network or site licence £57, + VAT.
Libra Multimedia Limited: TEL:01753 864547.
WWW: www.libra.co.uk
Email: sales@libra.co.uk

Talk Now! - Learn Japanese. CD-ROM
£24.99 including VAT
EuroTalk Limited: 0171 371 7711.
Email: eurotalk@eworld.com

These are the multimedia equivalents of phrase books. Neither package claims to offer in-depth instruction, but if you are travelling to Japan and are short of time, a little language goes a long way towards securing goodwill.

Of the two, Travel Talk covers more ground. Its Topic Section incorporates 12 subject areas such as transport, shopping and accommodation, its vocabulary section contains over 500 words. The system is the same for both sections. You select an expression in English, click on it to obtain a written translation and hear it spoken, before recording your own version and comparing it with the model. 24 short dialogues exploit the same material, and the programme also tests comprehension and gives you a cumulative score.

Talk Now also relies on comprehension tests to motivate, but does so in a more entertaining and imaginative way through a variety of games and quizzes. Where Travel Talk fails to exploit the visual potential of multimedia, Talk Now has colourful graphics and the association of words and pictures helps to reinforce learning. It has record/playback and print-out facilities. Both programmes are easy to navigate.

The Rosetta Stone Level 1. 2 CD-ROMs
£179 + VAT. Networked versions available.
ABG Software Ltd: 01256 841560.
Email: abgsoftware@compuserve.com

An American interactive language learning system which uses no English at all. The methodology is based on the principle that when we learned our mother tongue, comprehension came first, the ability to create sentences much later. Language is taught through pictures, there are various running and testing modes as well as voice/record and dictation facilities. The programme is not topic-based, instead vocabulary and grammar are systemically built up, while previously learned words and expressions keep recurring as you progress, which aids consolidation. The programme also teaches reading, although you can ignore this if you wish.

Initially sceptical, I was impressed by how well the pictures conveyed meaning, although at times I picked up the wrong message and would have appreciated some source of reference to fall back on. I was generally encouraged by how quickly I progressed...

Times Educational Supplement (6 March 1998)
With the National Grid for Learning already in its first phase and UK Net Year supporting its own wave of initiatives, this year should see a steady increase in the number of schools surfing the Net. For modern languages, this offers exciting possibilities as a whole new world opens up at the click of a mouse. Or does it? The World Wide Web may be a wonderfully rich source of material, but tracking down something to suit your own specific needs can be frustratingly time-consuming not to mention the implications for your phone bill as you spend longer and longer online.

For teachers of A-level French, one solution might be to access FROGNET, a daily digest of French news produced by Radio France and sent out by the French Embassy Science and Technology Service. Its analysis of how different publications have reacted to recent events throws an interesting light on attitudes and culture. There is also a database of articles, classified according to topic, which goes back several months, and a calendar highlighting important moments in history for each day of the year.

Another resource worth looking at is Français Actuel, an interactive CD Rom that has just been released by a new company called CD live. Although at £275 for a year's subscription it takes a hefty chunk out of your budget, the beauty of this system is that once you have downloaded the day's materials (a 5-15 minute procedure) most work can be done offline.

The technology may be state of the art, but the basic principle is simple. The editorial team puts a selection of extracts from newspapers, magazines, radio and television on the Internet, regularly updating and extending the range. Through your CD you access this material, transfer it to your hard drive and take it from there. Articles can be printed out for use in class, video clips and radio extracts (with or without printed text) add a whole new dimension to private study, made easier by the on-disc copy of Oxford/Hachette.

Star ratings (1-3) indicate level of difficulty from KS4 to the most able A Level candidates, the Recherche facility allows extracts to be tracked down by grammar content or curriculum theme. Over 50 topic areas have been identified to tie in with examination syllabuses, and as time passes the size and scope of this bank will expand...