Peer Review

Initiation au Vocabulaire de l'Analyse Filmique

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Reviewed:: Aug 16, 2016 by World Languages

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Overview:: This tutorial introduces college and university students to the basic elements of cinema in French. Its main objective is to familiarize students with the vocabulary of cinema in ways informed by film analyses and specific case-studies. By paying particular attention to questions of image, camera work, the technique of creating a montage and sound, this resource aims to help students gain a working knowledge of key concepts in cinema study. The tutorial also lends itself to in-class integration of video clips, which language instructors can use to create cultural activities aimed to encourage class discussions and written practice. It features a glossary of movie vocabulary, movie excerpts and learning assignments that are interactive with immediate feedback. Learner will acquire tools and skills necessary to understand and analyze movie production. This tutorial will serve college undergraduates or graduates enrolled in advanced language classes or those who are interested in art integration or movie analysis.
Type of Material:: Tutorial
Recommended Uses:: The video clips and exercises in this tutorial are best used for intermediate and advanced language courses that integrate cinema. The presentation of the material is visually engaging and can be easily adapted to reading and listening comprehension practice activities, self-paced modules, collaborative and individual projects. The use of case studies videos for classroom discussions where students learn to debate cultural topics related to film as art and/or film as a social practice can motivate them to explore cinema in new, interdisciplinary ways. Other uses: French Cinema, French Cultural Studies on-line modules/entirely on-line courses.
Technical Requirements:: Windows Media Player, Browser, HTML,
Identify Major Learning Goals:: Learners will understand and interpret French movies on a variety of topics and demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between French movie production and the French culture. They will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between French movie analysis and French culture to reinforce and further their knowledge of movie content and production. Students will demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the culture through movies and on their own. They will demonstrate an understanding of the basic interpretive techniques of film-making: know how camerawork, editing, mise-en-scène are used to create meaning. Appreciate how a combination of industrial, commercial and artistic factors contributes to shape the history of cinema as an art form. Demonstrate an awareness of the ways in which films are made from socio-political and ideological angles and how these shape the representation of characters, places, etc. Develop cultural competency skills through the experience of seeing and hearing native speakers. Improve listening comprehension as well as reading/writing skills with the help of video clips and additional materials.
Target Student Population:: College General Ed, College Lower Division, College Upper Division, Graduate School Intermediate and Advanced French Language and Civilization Courses; French Cinema Studies; French Cultural Studies Other user groups are: French Language Faculty, Teaching Assistants and Sessional Lecturers; Independent learners; Advanced French language learners, Intercultural and international studies and movie students and production students.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Users will need a strong working knowledge of French. Intermediate reading and listening comprehension skills in French are needed. The videos have the potential to be used as a teaching tool for teachers who are looking for an additional way of motivating their students to engage in cultural debates and film analysis. Basic computer and web navigating skills are needed.

Content Quality

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Strengths:: This module provides a complete tutorial for the analysis of movies in the classroom. It can be used without requiring the used to create additional assignment.The high content quality of the video clips in this resource can engage students and motivate them to further enrich their language and culture experience. The clarity of native speaker presentations can serve as a model for students who want to perfect their oral and written expression in French. An added strength is the multi-step process for teaching and learning cinema concepts and terminology: concept definition and demonstration, additional features of the concept, video-integrated specific examples, connected concepts. The manner in which the topics are presented will lead students through the process of learning and understanding basic concepts in French, connect them with what they already know and help them gain more clarity and understanding in film-making and cinema terminology.
Concerns:: None.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

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Strengths:: From a cultural point of view, the resource will engage students and encourage them to reflect upon and make sense of new information related to film-making and the importance of cinema. With each module, concepts can be reinforced through video control tools that allow for stopping and starting the clips at any point. Independent learners can self-check their answers for feedback. Teachers could make use of these clips for listening and reading practice, comprehension and vocabulary review in a traditional classroom and have students complete exercises individually or cooperatively, in small groups. In flipped classrooms or entirely online courses, learners have the flexibility of reviewing concepts by going back to the table of contents, checking new terms in the glossary, and viewing a variety of clips by clicking on the film index and self-assessing their learning at their own pace. The resource has the potential to offer learners new ways of looking at films and develop their interpretive skills through class discussions and debates.The learning objective is clearly presented at the beginning of the presentation as well as the organization of the tutorial. Each lesson is scaffolded and structure in way that leads the learner to the mastery of the concept taught.
Concerns:: Teachers should ensure that students have mastered the basic concepts and terminology before proceeding to a new module. As students are exposed to new concepts, they build background knowledge, useful for understanding complex terminology.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

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Strengths:: The tutorial is visually appealing and easy to navigate. Each module follows a predictable structure and uses a flexible approach that can be easily customized and adjusted for individual needs. As learners work through exercises, they receive immediate feedback and can make sense of new concepts by expressing opinions, making judgments or discussing the relevance of the examples provided. The level of difficulty and content of the exercises are designed to be of use to intermediate and advanced students in French, Cinema or Cultural Studies. The wide variety of video clips provide multiple means of engagement that appeal to learners with different aptitudes and prior experience. The definitions and clear explanations in each module are supported by audio-visual information in an accessible format. This website is very engaging and visually appealing. There is table of content and interactive activities.
Concerns:: None.

Other Issues and Comments:: This tutorial offers college and university students a theoretically informed and culturally significant exploration into the development and ongoing transformation of film-making techniques and can be an excellent resource to the different ways in which films may be studied and discussed as an integral part of culture. The content in each of the eleven sessions is clearly presented and successfully introduces students to the basic elements of cinema through the authentic experience of listening to native speakers.
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