The design of instructional and reference materials for French language teaching is discussed, focusing on design principles that facilitate individual, independent learning of vocabulary. (MSE)

The problems and value of television as instructional material for the second-language classroom are discussed, and a new videocassette series produced by the journal "Francais dans le Monde" is described. Criteria for topic and segment selection are outlined, and suggestions are made for classroom use. (MSE)

A rationale is presented for using humor as a French language teaching tool, and several class activities designed for different language skill levels and using humor as a central element are described. Some suggestions are offered for selecting appropriate instructional materials. (MSE)

Choice of texts for use in French language instruction is discussed. It is argued that the text's format (e.g., advertising, figurative poetry, journal article, play, prose, etc.) is instrumental in bringing attention to the language in it, and this has implications for the best uses of different text types. (MSE)

A method and activities for approaching textual analysis with language students and making it something other than an academic exercise is discussed and illustrated. The technique uses reading by a variety of methods, oral and quiet, for producing insight into the text. (MSE)

A typology of classroom exercises according to the functions they serve in teaching textual and discourse competence and focusing more on the text than on the sentence is proposed. (MSE)

It is proposed that the multiple-choice test can be useful in helping language students understand the meaning of text better without overwhelming them. Techniques for drafting effective questions are discussed, and a sample list of questions is presented. (MSE)

It is proposed that video materials for French language instruction help illustrate two closely related aspects of the foreign language, linguistic and cultural. Guidelines for video materials selection are offered, common pitfalls are noted, and principles used by a French applied linguistics group to develop a series of materials are outlined.…

Ways in which the French teacher can use print media for language skill development are offered. Classroom techniques for exploiting these texts for instruction in grammar, reading comprehension, writing, and oral expression are presented, including ideas for selecting a variety of authentic materials. (MSE)

Argues that effective use of the print media in French instruction requires considerable preparation and participation on the teacher's part. A variety of exercises for thematic and lexical awareness, comprehension, guided production, autonomous production, simulation, grammar development, and other objectives are suggested. (MSE)