The University of Arizona Critical Languages Program and the University's Computer Assisted Language Instruction Group recently announced the availability of five new titles in the Critical Languages Series:
-Beginning Ukrainian
-Intermediate Cantonese
-Intermediate Turkish
-Intermediate Kazakh
-Advanced Kazakh
These five new titles are the latest products of an ongoing research and development effort that began in 1995 with a major grant from the National Security Education Program to produce introductory courseware in six less commonly taught languages: Turkish, Korean, Cantonese, Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, and Kazakh,
The latest generation of courseware is available in DVD -ROM format and requires a computer running Windows 2000 or XP. (They are not intended for standard home DVD players.) They can be used either by independent learners or by students in a traditional or self-instructional classroom setting. Each courseware package was produced in cooperation with the National Association of Self-Instructional Language Programs a nd is the equivalent of a one-year college course. Thousands of students worldwide are using the Critical Languages Series. It is also being used at the US Foreign Service Institute, the Canadian Foreign Service Institute, and many colleges and universities.
Each DVD contains lessons for the learner using video dialogues and readings by native speakers, thousands of audio recordings, graphics, and annotations. Handy browser features enable users to easily review words and pronunciations, and to access five types of exercises-- multiple choice , fill-in-the-blank , audio flashcard , pronunciation , and listening dictation --which enable users to test and improve their knowledge of each lesson. Learners with microphone-equipped computers can record and play back their own voices, then compare their pronunciation with that of the native speaker.
All the latest courseware has been developed using the program's MaxAuthor authoring system with funding from: the US Department of Education International Research and Studies Program, the Office of the Dean of the University of Arizona College of Humanities, and the National Association of Self-Instructional Language Programs, whose secretariat is housed here at the University of Arizona, with Professor Alexander Dunkel as its executive director.
Chief research engineer Scott Brill and Professor Alexander Dunkel are presenting these new materials this summer at the Interagency Language Roundtable Showcase ( www.govtilr.org ) outside Washington , D.C.
Work is also underway on a subscription-based, online delivery system for these
titles. If you are interested in being a beta-tester for these titles, please send an e-mail message to Scott Brill at brill@u.arizona.edu . For more information about the Critical Languages Series, see http://clp.arizona.edu/cls .
The suggested retail price of each of the five new DVDs is $79.95. They are distributed by the University of Arizona Press (800-426-3797).
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