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Encyclopaedia Britannica’s
Foreign Language Instruction Films of the early 1960s The purpose of this page is to describe three groundbreaking foreign-language instruction series of films made by EB in 16mm format in the 1960s: Je Parle Français, La Familia Fernández, and Emilio en España. They were all produced by Milan Herzog, who passed away in 2010, at the age of 101. Films in these series have almost entirely disappeared from media libraries, and were apparently discontinued by EB from approximately 1977 onward. Departing dramatically from how foreign languages had been previously taught, the EB series consisted of video-audio-lingual instruction (VAL), a term coined by Charles Benton, in which films would be coordinated with audio tapes and visual aids, including filmstrips. The series were based on a continuous narrative, with the same characters appearing in each series’ films. They were well-directed, well-acted, suggested some degree of character development, and were intended to impart important elements of the culture, as well as the language. The series are described below. If you have access to any of these films, wish to donate them to our archive, or have stories or anecdotes relating to the making of these films, please contact us, as the films, and the history of their making, are historically significant. Je Parle Français (View Lessons 1-13 of Je Parle Français) This series was filmed in 1960-61 and produced by Herzog in conjunction with Otterbein College professor La Velle Rosselot (may have been born Eathel La Velle Rosselot, b. 1912, d. 1970) and Georges Matoré, Dean of Language & Civilization Dept, Sorbonne. There were 62 speaking roles, and a crew of 16. Rosselot was the prime educational consultant and curriculum developer for the film project. Her father was a history professor at Otterbein, and her brother Gerald was one of the founders of Scientific Atlanta. She apparently died of an unfortunate accident, and may have left no heirs. Rosselot makes at least one appearance in the series as herself in lesson #7, Pouvez-vous Me Dire… The films were made by Tadié-Cinema in France, and distributed by EB in 1963. The camerawork was by Guy Jorré. Actors were not credited. There were a total of 120 films made in the series, most of which were between 5 and 10 minutes in length. No film was longer than 10 minutes in duration. The films are notable for the spectacular black and white footage shot by Jorré of important French monuments, such as Mont Saint-Michel and the chateaux of the Loire. They depict France as it was in 1960, including wonderful fashions (e.g. the magnificent dress worn by the wife in the Chaumont film), family members smoking cigarettes in the films, and the relative lack of motor traffic. The story line revolves around the travels through France of Anne, a Québecoise, her French friend Margot, and Margot's uncle, who acts as her guide. Today, aside from what may be in EB’s vaults, no complete edition of these films nor teacher’s manuals appear to be extant. It is believed that manuals were in 4 volumes, covering lessons 1-27, 28-66, 67-81, and 82-120 respectively. In 1970, a newer edition French series, also called Je Parle Français, was distributed by EB, consisting of what are to believed to be 20 films. They are not part of the Herzog/Rosselot series, and consist of a series of travelogues with French dialogue. In 1974, EB released yet another series of Level 1 French instruction films, also introduced as Je Parle Français and consisting of 20 titles, each of which was directed by Michel Beaudry, Michel Boyer, Jean Goumain, or Jean Leduc. This series, produced by Milan Herzog, may have also been distributed under the name Pays Francophones. It is believed that these newer editions caused many schools to de-accession the older 1961 series, accounting for its rarity, or perhaps total disappearance from extant media libraries. La Famila Fernández [View lesson 54, 'Otra Carta'] This was the first-level Spanish course that was part of EB’s El Español por el Mundo series. It was filmed in Mexico in 1963 and produced by Herzog in conjunction with educator John W. Oller, who was the prime educational consultant and curriculum developer for the film project. Also serving on the consulting team was Angel González Araúzo. The films were produced by EB in collaboration with the Department of Education of the Republic of Mexico. The film director for this series of 54 titles was Irving Rusinow. There was a cast of ten individuals, some of whom were, or became, well-known. Among them were:
Emilio en España This was the second-level Spanish series that was part of EB’s El Español por el Mundo series. It was filmed in Spain in 1964 and produced by Herzog in conjunction with educator John W. Oller, who was the prime educational consultant and curriculum developer for the film project. Also serving on the consulting team was Angel González Araúzo. The films were co-produced by EB and Ancora Films, in collaboration with the Ministerio de Educacción Nacional, España. Films were directed by Antonio Ribas, who, it is assumed, is Antoni Ribas i Piera, b. October 27, 1935 in Barcelona, d.October 3, 2007. This series is notable in that follows Emilio, from the first-level Fernández series, as he travels through Spain, visiting his grandfather in Sevilla, and his cousin Paco in Barcelona. Not only are various regions in Spain explored, but differences in Castellano and American Spanish are contrasted. There were 27 films in the second-level Emilio series. EB’s third-level Spanish series began with 10 titles in the Coloquios Culturales series, made by the same production team, with the same actors, and following the story of Emilio as he leaves Sevilla and flies to Barcelona. We’ve been unable to find a teacher’s or student’s manuals for these films, and are unsure as to whether they were actually ever released commercially. The Coloquios films were identified in the private collection of Milan Herzog (now here at the AFA), printed on Eastman film, and contained all titles. EB’s level-three Spanish series ends with 10 films in the Emilo series, and again, we have to teacher’s manual to confirm that their distribution. In summation, there appear to be 47 films in the Emilio series, 27 level-two, and ten level-three. Ten of them were called Coloquios Culturales films, with the same production team and narrative continuity. John W. Oller, who served as the educational collaborator and creator of the curriculum, also served as the collaborator on at least 9 other Spanish language films for EB, on the subjects of art, dance, theatre, and culture. These films are among the most extensively researched and produced foreign language instruction films ever made. Their story lines, acting, and directing were exceptional. The fact that they’ve almost completely vanished from institutions and libraries in unfortunate, as is the dearth of documentation in terms of teacher’s manuals and other materials. Please contact us if you can add to the story by providing more information. |
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