STUDENT INTERACTION WITH MINITEL TELECOMMUNICATIONS JoAnn Hammadou University of Rhode Island

The Promise of Telecommunications of how to carry on multilevels of instruction Telecommunications seem to offer an simultaneously. This option may improve ideal solution to several thorny educational the teacher's ability to provide tasks for problems: (1) how to provide up-to-date students at one level of proficiency that will cultural info171Ultion to students when the continue to move them forward while teacher'sownculturalinformationmaydate teacher-centered work continues with an­ to much earlier personal trips abroad, (2) other group. For example, telecommunica­ how to provide up-to-date foreign language tions from a computer workstation have informationinspecializedareas outside of the been used to correspond with native speak­ teacher's realm of personal experience (e.g., ers abroad, to generate authentic reading nursing, business or engineering), and (3) texts· on up-to-the minute news topics, to howtoprovidestudentsin the United States research specialized topics (such as busi­ with authentic contexts in which to develop ness, science or education), to simulate buy­ their fledgling language skills. Telecom­ ing and selling or to actually order goods munications may, therefore, help provide from abroad, and to serve as an example of experiences and information to students that technology in daily life in Europe. are otherwise difficult to obtain. These calls for the use of telecommuni­ Telecommunications might also be one cations are subsumed under the larger call solution to a logistics nighbnare that teach­ to educators to incorporate the use of tech­ ers often face. With a 1982 survey, Brickel nology in education. Teachers of all content and Paul identified the major topics of con­ areas have heard requests to help their stu­ cern for inservice secondary school teach­ dents become more computer literate. They ers. One of the most common responses have been told that all teachers should in­ was the need for guidance in developing crease their use of modem technology. The and teaching innovative curricula, includ­ response to these requests has been mixed. ing the use of self-instructional material. In Some teachers report that they do, indeed, addition, approximately 40 percent of the have access to computers, but that these respondents were teaching multilevel computers sit silently on closet shelves col­ classes (more than one level in the same lecting dust. Other teachers expend tre­ class hour or more than one language in the mendousamounts oftimeandenergy learn­ same class). While teaching a level three ing about computer programming and cre­ course and a level four course simulta­ ating their own courseware only to hear neouslyisnotacommon problem in univer­ criticisms such as the following: ''Their sity language courses, the impact of false software represents a herculean investment beginners and the strain of widely diversi­ fied student backgrounds is. For all of these JoAnn Hammadou teaches in the De­ teachers, the computer workstation may be partment of Languages at the University of seen as a potential answer to their problem Rhode Island.

VoL 24, No.2, Spring 1991 7 Minitel of time for little return" (Smith 1987). Some national network of electronic information teachers, such as Sayers and Brown servic~alled Minitel. In 1978, Minitel inBilingual Education, proclaim their efforts was designed as the world's first electronic in computer networking to be ''a perfect fir' telephone directory. De Lacy claims: for their students. In sum, there are reasons ''Strongly influenced by a 1978 report on the to believe that telecommunications/ com­ computerization of France, which warned puter networking could meet several edu­ that the technophobic French, unless they cational needs, but many educators have rapidly became computer-friendly, would reason to be skeptical or at least cautious in be left home making Camembert and coq au their reactions to this hope. vin while the ·Americans and the Japanese fought itoutin the microchip major leagues, The Scope of Telecommunications in Telecom officials came up with a plan to General and Minitel in Particular force the French to the keyboard" (De Lacy Telecommunications is the juncture of 1987). The Minitel computer terminal was computing and communications technolo­ distributed to telephone owners free of gies. It is a rapidly changing set of services charge in place of the already costly-to­ and equipment that are the current driving producetelephone book. The French people force, experts say, behind a technological would become familiarwithcomputertech­ revolution. The impact of this new combi­ nology, and their then antiquated telecom­ nation of computer technology and com­ munications system would be improved munication technology, some believe, "will and supported. Besides giving away the rivalthatofthereplacementofmusclepower terminals as part of the telephone subscrip­ by machines" (Wright 1990). In fact, many tion fee, the French government chose a are adopting the phrase "information pay-as-you-go policy for use of information economy'' coined by Marc Porat of Apple services that were steadily added to the Computer to describe a fundamental shift network. Unlike in other countries, the in our economy away from a base defined French do not pay any access or subscrip­ by goods produced to one in which wealth tion fees and are charged on their telephone is generated by amounts and types of infor­ bills only for the time they use the network. mation managed. The information content The computer telephone directory has of a product (such as advertising and legal grown now to more than 13,000 services services) now accounts for a greater per­ available to over five million Minitel users centage of its cost than its consumable con­ in France alone (France Telecom). Users can tent does. While these changes in focus are buy and sell, using credit cards, from an extremely confusing even to business man­ enormous range of companies. They can agers and economists, one change is very call up information on agriculture, educa­ clear: the minimizing of the national border. tion, jobs, taxes, leisure activities, entertain­ The "information age" is bringing Marshall ment, and real estate. They can book travel McLuhan's ''global village" further into re­ plans, consult news and weather forecasts, ality. Fax machines, automatic bank tellers, manage their finances, and chat with cellular phones, computer networks, and friends---all24 hours a day. high-definition television are adding to our ability to "abolish both space and time as far West Germany and Great Britain also as our planet is concerned" just asMcLuhan started similar networks at the same time described it in 1964. but have been much less successful with only about 200,000 subscribers each. The Meanwhile, in France, the government- Prodigy system in the US and Captain owned telecommu_nications monopoly system in Japan also have not done well. (Telecom) has put mto place the largest France's Minitel has spread, however, to 8 IALL Journal of Language Learning Technologies JoAnn Hammadou seven other countries, including the United principled support of empirical investiga­ States, where it is making steady gains. The tions. Pedersen warns that when testimoni­ need for increasing international coopera­ als "are permitted to sway important cur­ tion is the one worrisome unknown for this ricular decisions without corresponding burgeoning network. Experts warn about research evidence, enthusiasm becomes a the lack ofinternationally agreed upon tech­ serious flaw'' (1987). Without the descrip­ nical standards, the unknown effect of the tion of context, subjects, and limits of a pendingEuropeancommonmarket, (Guterl research study, applicability of a given tes­ 1990) and the need to share costs interna­ timonial to a new situation is unknown. tionally (Wright 1990) ·as potential stum­ McGraw's testimonialforthelanguagelabo­ bling blocks to continued growth. ratory, that it would allow the teacher to "enter into a much closer individual rela­ Need for Research in Pedagogical tionship with each of his students," may Applications of Minitel have been less helpful to the failing lan­ Despitesomereservationsaboutthecon­ guage labs of the late 60s than would have tinued growth of Minitel, its current suc­ been research that demonstrated how best cesses have inspired educators to call for its to capitalize on the strengths of the technol­ use as a pedagogical tool For example, ogy. Challe, in The French Review, calls for its Another lesson from past research ef­ pedagogical use for the following reasons: forts on technology for those interested in its force as a current social phenomenon in pedagogicalusesoftelecommunicationslies France, its wealth of culturally authentic in the area of comparative research studies. documents, and its diversity for use in teach­ The computer has been the source of anum­ ing language for specific professions (1989). ber of studies of the Method A versus Both AAlF and ACTFLhave offered work­ Method B variety.1 These studies have tried, shops to American foreign language teach­ for the most part, to prove that the use of ers in its use. computers is beneficial. Unfortunately, these What should not be overlooked in this studiesallsufferfrom theunavoidableprob­ equation is the need for research that will lem of lumping many factors together that investigate which pedagogical needs, ifany, then becomeconfoundedaspossiblesources telecommunications can successfully ful­ of differences measured during the study. fill. This research should have as its ulti­ The disappointing results from these stud­ mate goal a body of facts from which sound ies should dissuade future researchers from educational choices can be made. Other­ attempting equally problematic studies of wise, conflicting calls from various experts telecommunications versus some traditional in the field will leave practitioners without aid to instruction. support. For example, Curtin and Shinall On the one hand, advocates of telecom­ claim that students should be "in control of munications must be willing to accept and the material" when using computer assisted actively disseminate "negative" results in instruction, but Pedersen's research dem­ the studies of their pedagogical use. Other­ onstrates that, at least in reading compre­ wise they will doom telecommunications hension, program control over the display and the computer lab to the dismal fate of of passages results in greater comprehen­ the language lab through overextended sion than reader controL Research results promises. On the other hand, skeptics about may contradict current "common sense" telecommunications must keep an open but lead to fuller understandings in the long mind to the potential values of telecommu­ run of the best use of educational technol­ nications and the computer. Earliest at­ ogy. Testimonials alone need the more tempts with them may falter and only later, Vol. 24, No.2, Spring 1991 9 Minitel

through trial and error, uncover their great­ left to their own devices to explore, experi­ est potentiaL Without an open mind to this ment, and learn as much as possible about possibility, skeptics will risk handicapping the system in a completely independent themselves and their students during the mode. The author hopes that researchers growing information and technology age. may be interested as a result to pursue an­ The pedagogical use of telecommunica­ swers to some of the many questions that tions in foreign language education has not the encounter generates. yet been developed as an area of research. The Setting No research studies on the subject have yet been published. It should be noted that not At the University of Rhode Island, one only quantitative studies are needed but MacintoshPluscomputerterminal was out­ that qualitative studies of the phenomenon fitted with the Minitel emulation software are also necessary, because they will also provided free of charge by Minitel Services provide important information. The statis- . Company and a 2400 baud modem con­ 4 tics ofquantitativestudies guard rigorously nected to a telephone line. This system was against two general categories of error. located in the language laboratory. '7ype one error" is believing one's results The Participants to be true when they are not. Rejecting a Two students, Denise and Jim, were se- hypothesis when it is really true is "type lected to explore the system. Both students two error." But another danger is what had just finished their second year at the Tukey is credited with calling "type three university, were majoring in Business and error''-asking the wrong question (Kirk & minoring in French, and had similar expo- Miller 1986). A thorough qualitative study sure to the use of computers. Both students will submit data to multifaceted analyses had been enrolled in the same French courses that can help educators understand the im- together throughout their two years, hav- pact of telecommunications on language ing just completed a traditionally third year learning and can direct further study into sequence of Conversation and Composi- promising new areas. Identifying promis- tion courses designed specifically for Busi- ing questions to ask in the first place is one ness 1 French students. They had also com- of the strengths that the ethnographer, or pleted the same set of three courses using qualitative researcher, can bring to the in- computers: a computer science course that vestigative picture. was an introduction to computer program- What follows is simply a description of ming, a business computing course and a two language learners' introduction to tele- statistics course. Neither student had used communications. This pilot investigation theMacintoshcomputerextensivelybeyond uses elements from the ethnographic study required word processing in their French paradigm which include: an open-ended composition work, but both had worked studythatsearchesforbothtrendsandstudy more extensively on mM PCs and main- questions within the data rather than an- frame computers for their business assign- swers to specifically prescribed questions, ments. Both students had used computers participant participation in data analysis, a for the following tasks: writing programs, willingness to deal with many variables at running programs, using spreadsheets, once outside of experimental controls, and calculating statistics, word processing and the use of inductive reasoning to assess playinggames. Neitherownedacomputer. results and generate the relevant questions. Both students were enrolled in French study The purpose here was to describe the Ian- abroad programs for the following year. guage learners' initial encounter with a tele- One student, Denise, had spent 4 months in communications system when they were France, whereas Jim had never been abroad. 10 IALL Journal of Language Learning Technologies JoAnn Hammadou

Both were successful students of French ods of correspondence between any two or with French GPAs above 3.0. more parties involving both audio and vi­ An Overview sual electronic devices." Denise: "Commu­ nication via TV, radio, computer, etc." They The participants were instructed to ex­ had less notion of the meaning of Minitel. plore the Minitel system and learn as much Jim: "? A telecommunications system?" about the system as they could during two Denise: ''a program." Both students were independent sessions with it. (See Appen­ told that they were being asked to explore a dix for instructions given to participants.) telecommunications system, discover how Each participant completed a questionnaire it worked and report on its usefulness to on prior knowledge of computers, telecom­ other students. Each student visited the municationand French study. Each partici­ computer station in the language labora­ pantspenttwo thirty-minutesessions using tory separately on two occasions for 30- Minitel. Theirthink-outloud processes while minute sessions on Minitel. using Minitel were tape recorded and tran­ scribed. Each completed a post question­ At the beginning of the first session each naire and participated in a post interview student was given a short document to read with the observer. from Minitel Services Company, the first volume of Minitel Highlights, a newsletter The Limitations for Minitel users that provides a short intro­ The description that follows lacks sev­ duction to the system, lists some common eral of the characteristics ofa complete quali­ computer problems, and defines theMinitel tative study. For example, there is confir­ touchbuttoncommandsfor Macintosh com­ mation between the observer and the indi­ puters. The newsletter explains, for ex­ vidual student participant about the accu­ ample, "Minitel is the first Electronic Direc­ racy of the description of these events but no tory of on-line services offered by local, third party's view. Nor is there time or national, international businesses and en­ space here to complete the cycle of generat­ trepreneurs. ByexploringtheMinitelWorld ing clear-cut research questions and pursu­ Directory, you can locate a complete range ing their responses through further data. of on-line services-from chat, shopping, The author hopes that the descriptions here and travel to corporate services or special­ will serve rather as a call to do so by many ized services for the hearing impaired." others. Furthermore, transcription was in The students were then instructed to standardsentenceformatanddidnotrecord acquaint themselves as fully as possible with all potentially valuable linguistic informa­ the elements of the Minitel network that tion such as length of pauses, intonation, appeared interesting to them and to think etc. Certainly no mandates for pedagogical aloud into a tape recorder as they worked in practice can result from a description of two order to maintain a record of the process individuals' exploration of a network. that they went through to learn the system. Rather it is hoped that questions for further They were told to work independently and study will be provoked by the descriptions not to expect the observer to answer their that follow. questions for them while they were on-line. The Encounter During each of the four sessions the stu­ Although both students had had anum­ dents explored the Minitel network ran­ ber of occasions to use computers, neither domly after being given the goals of learn­ student had ever used a telecommunica­ ing as much as they could about the system, tions system. In questionnaires prior to the finding what interested them, and evaluat­ experience they had some ideas, neverthe­ ing the network's potential benefits to other less, on themeaningoftheterm. Jim: "Meth- students. The observer sat quietly in the Vol. 24, No. 2, Spring 1991 11 Minitel back of the small room behind the student the "MGS Directory'' three times, used the as the student talked outloud and sampled ''Services by Category'' menu two times, services in the Minitel network. Through and quit and reentered the system two times. the personal choices they made, each stu- Selection difficulties. Both students had a dent tried different services within the net- difficult time moving about within the sys- work. tem. During Denise's first session the sys- Seruices selected. Jim sampled twelve tem did not respond as she expected or different services during his first session wanted it to on three occasions. During andthreeservicesduringhissecond. Denise Jim's first session he received responses sampled four services during her first ses- different than expected on 24 occasions. sion and eleven during her second. Overall During Jim's second session he received they sampled a comparable number of dif- unanticipated screens from what he ex- ferent services during the total hour spent pected seven times, while Denise received connected to the Minitel service. The vari- unexpected screens nine times.2 Thepartici- ety and branching capabilities of the net- pants and observer agreed that nearly all of work are reflected in the variety of the selec- the unanticipated computer responses oc- tionsmadebythetwostudents. Despitethe curred when trying to change from one fact that the students entered the system at service to another. Although both students the same main menu of choices and were reported later that they originally noticed both completely dependent on the menu the "Change Service" touchbutton, neither choices to guide their choices (having no remembered at first to try this function key prior knowledge of services to allow them and as a result they received unanticipated to bypass menu offerings), their choices results 26 times when trying to leave a ser- quickly led them in different directions. Of vice Oim, 18; Denise, 8). Denise did try the the fifteen services explored by each, only ChangeServicetouchbuttonduringhersec- one service was viewed by both students. ond session on two occasions but was still For example, Jim explored a news service, surprised to find herself back to the earliest three business services, three sports ser- main menu. They also received unantici- vices, and a regions of France data bank; pated screens trying to access a service thir- Denise tapped the Airport and Airlines ser- teen times and when using a service four vices, French phonebook, a chat line, and a times. Typical of the entry problems is science data bank. Both investigated Denise's comment, '1 got a message saying Eurobase, a business related data bank. that this program was not accessible by this While exploring the different pathways number. Now I'm a little bit confused." of the menu-driven system, each student Typical of the exit problems was Jim's com- selected a different selection approach. Jim ment, " I'm going to get out of this. OK. I selected ''French Connection" from the main want to learn how to leave. Every good menu and then selected the French ''MGS menu should have a way to quit." An Directory'' within that to select names of example of the unexpected within a service services to sample. He repeated this route occurred when Jim moved through several nine times. Only twice did he try an alter- screens about regions of France. He said, nate route for finding lists ofservices through "Figure they'll give a map of France? Neat. "Services by Category," and once he quit Why don't I get a map though?" completely and reentered the system. Linguisticelements. Theparticipantshere Denise, on the other hand, used the earliest were asked to think aloud as they worked encountered list of services directly in the with Minitel. The result is conversations ''French Connection" menu seven times, with, at various times, themselves, the ob- continued to the second layer of choices in server, or the computer. Given the task of 12 IALL Journal of Language Learning Technologies JoAnn Hammadou thinking aloud, they alternated their focus ticipants was English. There were only among questions to themselves, descrip­ three instances in all in which the French on tions of their choices I actions, reading text the computer screen seemed to be a stum­ from screen, questions addressed to the bling block, however. Jim asked the ob­ observer, and questions or answers ad­ serverthe meaningofenvoie and CV, which dressed to the computer screen.5 were defined. In the final example, Denise Jim's first remarks on tape were ad­ read "Pas d'annulation sur champs vide," dressed to the observer, "Do I just put it on and said, "Which I gather means I can't do here?" The observer declined comment in that." While the French on the screen was order to take a reduced role in the student's generally not an obstacle, the participants explorations, so Jim's next remarks were, spoke, apparently as they thought, in En­ "You're not going to tell me. For informa­ glish, even translating into English many of tion... [now reading from the screen] For the screens of text that they read in French. help press guide#3. I'm already confused." Only a few spontaneous thoughts were ex­ A few minutes later thescreenaskedJimfor pressedinFrenchaswhenJimsawadiscon­ his secret identification. He asked, "Do I nection from a chat line and said "Elle est have an identification? Then he read, "Tapez sortie" or when Denise read from the screen envoie." Now turning to the observer he "plus de vol ce jour," "question pour un asked, ''What is envoie?" and received an autre voyage," ''pas devol precedent." answer ("Send.") He continued to the ob­ Participants' Reactions server, ''Whatismyidentification?" ('1don't know.") Finally addressing the computer In the postquestionnaire, both partici­ screen he said, '1'11 try Jim. Envoie. Incor­ pants now had a better idea ofwhatMinitel rect? No. That's me. Honest." is. They defined it as "a global computer At one point in the conversations with network, based in France, which allows ac­ the computer, the words on the screen be­ cess to various public and private services;" came those of a living, breathing individual and, "a type of telecommunication, it hooks at another keyboard in France connected to you up with other businesses, people and the computer system. For Denise that con­ information programs all over the world." nection was unknowingly to a "messagerie When asked what they liked best about r~' (soft porn chat line) at which point her telecommunications they answered: "In "think aloud" went silent for a time and the future, in a business setting, telecommu­ resumed with: "After reading some per­ nications could be useful in the board room, sonals, definitely decided that Club Femme eliminating the need for actual meetings of was not for me." foreign or distant parties;" and, "withMinitel I could find the number ofa friend in France When entering a chat line service, Jim's withoutthehassleofanoperator. Ifl wanted screen displayed a connection with that of to buy orsellsomethingicould andicanget someone's in France. He read (and informationabouttheairportsforwhenigo translated): "Do you know how to get re­ to France." sults of the bac high school exam? He said and typed onto his screen: "Je n'ai jamais Jim's advice for Minitel's educational passe le bac. Je suis amencain." At which uses included: accessing French news sys­ point he reported, "Oh good... She's discon­ tems, learning about different cultural ele­ nected." ments such as the availability of leisure No directions were given to the partici­ activities, and "meeting people'' in French. pants in regards to choice of language use Denise suggested that students be given an during their encounters with Minitel. The assignment to plan a trip to France and overwhelming language choice of the par- gather such information from Minitel as Vol. 24, No.2, Spring 1991 13 Minitel

exchange rates, someone's phone number, addition, she was left wondering at the end their flight time to Paris, and choice ofhotels why she had been unable to access some of and restaurants in France. Both agreed it the services listed. ''It just said not acces­ was ''fun" and "educational" Denise rec­ sible but it never explained if it was not part ommended· that the "French Connection" of a subscription, the program was messed services would be most helpful to French up or what." Both felt that they had met the classes, and she thought that the "linguis­ goal of learning as much as possible about tics" section that she was unable to access the system in the time limit they had been sounded promising. Jim was more reserved given. inhisrecommendationsforpedagogical use. Jim enjoyed most being "approached" Despite sounding very engaged and enthu­ by the subscriber from France about the hac siastic when using the system himself, his exam, and Denise enjoyed most finding the first written comment to its educational uses phone number of a friend in the phone was ''I don't see any." He then modified directory. Most of their comments, how­ that by saying that students could be asked ever, related to Minitel's potential for the to ''meet'' someone through the system or business community. keep up with news or news headlines. He warned that he had used much less French Discussion himselfusingMinitel than he did with other The participants' exploration of the previous French lab assignments such as Minitel system clearly highlighted its diver­ those linked to videotapes. Jim warned sity. While randomly exploring the system, against using the personal ads and Denise the students quickly branched off into dif­ recommended against any of the chat lines ferent areas and services. This brings imme­ (based on her experience), saying that they diately to mind thepossibleuseofMinitelin did not "have anything to do with learning instruction that focuses on individualiza- computers or French." tion and on learners' personal interests or One post-question was: How could needs. Unlike a printed textbook or a reader Minitel be improved? Jim answered: "More that remains static, the Minitel screens are user friendly. I have a feeling that whoever notonlyupdateddaily,buttheirtextssample wrote the programs assumed that the users a very large number of topics and interests. had some computer knowledge." Denise Where a premium is placed on needs assess­ reported: "By being able to go to the main ments of individual learners, as is often the index without relogging on, telling you ex­ case in adult educational programs, the actly why you can't do certain things." Minitelnetworkmayprovideaready-made Both participants expanded on these chance for continuous variety in learning thoughts in final interviews. When asked material, pre-catalogued by topic. Differen­ about the troubles they encountered they tiated learning within each of the areas of both made no mention oflanguage barriers, computer literacy, language and cultural but discussed their accessing and exiting insights may result if students are given troubles. Their solution, they agreed, had open-ended tasks or strictly defined ones. been to run through all the touchbuttons or Jim's concerns thathewasleamingmore function keys that looked remotely pos- about computer use than he was language sible. When asked what they would have use must be addressed. If Minitel is to be a prefered to do differently, they could not tool of the foreign language curriculum, its think of anything. Denise added, "Random usefulness in the linguistic area should not choosing is how I like to go through things. be overshadowed by its usefulness in the I like to browse until I find something that computer literacy area. In this domain an looks interesting and then look at that." In interesting mix of variables may be at work 14 IALL Journal of Language Learning Technologies JoAnn Hammadou

to influence where learning occurs. Factors to expanding their computer skills and cul­ that need to be accounted for include: the tural knowledge than to developing their participants' knowledge ofcomputers, their language skills. However, these students' language proficiency and the task assigned language proficiency level was beyond the and the students' view of it. For example, in novice level, their readil)g skills were good Jim's case, the need to acquaint himseHwith and the task at hand apparently left them thecompletelyunfamiliarsystemcouldhave comfortable with only attaining the gist of overloaded his ability to concentrate on the specialized text Given a more challenging French language on the screen. Or his pre­ task linguistically or with learners of differ­ vious ability in French may have made the ent ability, the focus might switch to include reading of the screens too easy for him to the language at hand. These participants feel thathewaslearninganythingnewabout also may not have been aware of the lan­ the French language. Also, the lack of need guage learning or at least language mainte­ to extract any particular informational con­ nance that they were able to sustain even tent from the services for the given task may with the task given them. have reduced attention to the linguistic The participants and observer did agree messages beyond a cursory view of them. that all of the problems during this experi­ Itisalwaysdifficulttoknowwhetherthe ence were computer related and not lan­ type of language the participants used was guage related and this despite the fact that the result of the task assigned to them the two participants had considerable com­ (thinking aloud while exploring the sys­ puter experience. If the source for this dif­ tem) or whether this language would have ficulty lies in the task itseH and not the been there regardless and was simply cap­ learners, then the language teacher may tured and made visible by the think aloud well see this as an indication that greater procedure. It seems likely that it was, at guidance to students will expedite their use least, influenced by the assignment given. of the system. If they are given demonstra­ The transcripts of the participants' think tions or concrete examples of pathways aloud protocols show an interesting diver­ through the system that they can imitate, sity of conversational-like styles, albeit in they may move more swiftly to attending to English. The use of the computer as a part­ the data contained within the system rather ner in dyads or even triads with two stu­ than its own intricacies. The student en­ dents may prove to be a profitable line of counters with Minitel described here also inquiry when pedagogues seek to simulate suggest the usefulness of establishing some different conversational patterns for stu­ base line information about a sample of dents in the target language. The ability to students' independent, unguided use of the generate diverse target language system in order to use their problems with conversation and generate new and accu­ the system to create helpful guides or train­ rateculturaldatacould maketelecommuni­ ing for similar students. cationsa particularly powerful tool ltwould Reading gains have never been put to be useful to know what telecommunication the empirical test using telecommunications tasks tend to stimulate what types of stu­ texts as reading materials. Minitel texts dent language and how successfully the often require a response from their reader native language could be avoided in com­ and, therefore, have a built-in interactive pleting them.3 quality. This interactive quality may be exploited in instruction to demonstrate to Pedagogical Implications learners the successfulness of their compre­ The format of this encounter, according hension of a text, for example. to the participants, seemed more conducive As stated earlier, the vast diversity of Vol24, No.2, Spring 1991 15 Minitel services accessible with Minitel seems tai­ activities. lor-made for curricula that feature individu­ Handicaps to Overcome alization, accommodation to the individual's The primary obstacle to the use of tele­ needs and interests or specialized topics. communications in general and Minitel in The encounter described here implies the ?articular is the total absence of principaled use of telecommunications to foster reading mvestigations into its strengths and weak­ comprehension or spontaneous written in­ nesses to guide educators' curricular plans. teraction. Current pedagogical uses of tele­ Nevertheless, individuals can and are ex­ communications, however, feature the use perimenting with the inclusion of telecom­ of the network to generate real but distant ~unication activities into the language cur­ audiences for students' more polished writ­ nculum. One of the primary difficulties ten communication. For example, the that they are facing is economic. Minitel Harvard-Stanford Communicative Colla~ services require a phone connection to one rative used electronic mail to co-produce a ofMinitel's many major US cities, which for studen~newspaperofstudentwritings.Stu­ many users involves a long distance phone dent editors collaborate until an acceptable call. More importantly, users must pay a finished product can be created and shared per minute fee for their use of a given ser­ between the two institutions (Frommer & vice that may vary from$ .19 to $1.59. Ac­ Ba.rs~n). Some high school programs have cess time must be limited, therefore, to fit also mtegrated this writing/reading com­ most educational budgets. ponent into the language curriculum. In North Kingstown High School, RI, for ex­ There is no Minitel mechanism for cut­ ample, upper-level students send letters to ting off an individual studenfs overuse of native speakers of French through the chat the system, though there are two automatic lines of the CTL-City network6, often main­ backupsystemsforcancellingchargeswhen taining a running correspondence that can an individual user leaves the system with­ then be shared with other students via over­ out properly logging off. This inability to head display. The authentic context for force an individual student off the network writing with a distant audience that this who may choose to overuse it, coupled with allows adds realism and meaning to the the potential of high credit card bills if that task of writing in the foreign language. ~ere to happen, require vigilance and mhouse supervision by educators that Pedagogical emphases for the language choose to include the service in their cur­ classroom may develop, therefore, around riculum. At this time such financial audience awareness for prewritten texts, considerations rather than pedagogical ones spontaneous written communication, read­ may mitigate against open-ended assign­ ing comprehension of screen texts, cultural men~ or the use of random sampling of awareness or data gathering, or even possi­ sei'Vlces by students and dictate more struc­ bly the three-way (or more) language ex­ tured, pre-organized computer activities. changes brought about by discussions amongstudentpartnersand their computer In addition, educatorsmustpreparetheir terminal. Instruction in the target language r~ction to the "messageries roses." Responses about how to use telecommunications be­ ~vary, of course, depending on the insti­ comes another possible example of content tution and the individuals involved, but instruction in a second language when 12 questions such as how or if to avoid them becomes the vehicle for instruction in com­ and what prior advice to give students who puter literacy. The selection of learning encounter them need to be established ahead goals will obviously shape the direction of of time. curricular planning for telecommunications Funding can be found for worthwhile 16 !ALL Journal o_f Language Learning Technologies JoAnn Hammadou causes and should not be the sole reason for NOTES failing to expand into new curricular areas. 1. See Pedersen (pp. 104-108) for a thor­ Computerscreenscanbecapturedandsaved ough review of these CALL studies and as graphics for later use to reduce on-line Chapelle and Jamieson for further dis­ times and costs, for example. Students can cussion of threats to research validity. work at computer terminals in pairs or 2. The principal provider of access to groups, not only to reduce costs but to add France's Minitel in the US is Minitel another language learning dimension to the Services Company, which provides free experience. Nor are the "messageries roses" emulation software (914-694-6266) for an insurmountable obstacle to the use of ffiMorcompatible, Commodore, Apple telecommunications for pedagogical pur­ nor Macintosh personal computers. It poses. On the contrary, the growing phe­ is a gateway to 21 other countries as well nomenon of telecommunications suggests as France's Minitel, Telecom being a numerous interesting possibilities within part owner. The service has phone con­ theforeignlanguagecurriculum,andanum­ nections to France via 122 US cities. ber of promising avenues for educational 3. The students had no preconceived no­ research. There remain many potential ar­ tion for the content of Minitel whatso­ eas of innovation and experimentation in ever, but they soon developed expecta­ the foreign language curriculum. If tele­ tions for results to key function co~­ communications can serve as an additional mands and types of screens (e.g., menus aide to the language learner, educators and or text) that they would see as a result of researchers should explore its uses and re­ these commands. The observer identi­ port to the educational community at large fied 43 comments of surprise in the tran­ on the outcomes for students. scription of the sessions that the stu­ dents confirmed as unanticipated re­ APPENDIX sponse screens. Instructions to Participants 4. These categories were postulated by the You are exploring the use of the Minitel observer and accepted as accurate by system of telecommunications. In two half­ the participants. hour sessions, you are to try to acquaint 5. Examples to date are with ESL students yourseH as fully as possible with the elements lacking a common native language for of the Minitel network that appear most inter­ whom English is the only common esting to you. means of communicating in the second Use the tape recorder to keep track of Ianguageenvironment(Esling;Johnson). everything that you do with the Minitel The effect that the artificial nature of a system. Describe into the recorder every­ similar foreign language discussion thing that you do as you do it. Try to would have is not known, although, maintain a complete oral record of the pro­ from a pedagogical research perspec­ cess that you go through in order to learn tive, the increased ability to monitor all about the system. foreign language input received make After you logoff the system, write down this area of language research any comments that coine to mind about the particularily appealing. experience and any questions about Minitel 6. CfL-City (CTL) can be accessed through or about the experience that you want an­ Minitel. It is the US subsidiary of the swered. Paris-based CTL Telematique, one of the largest service providers on French Minitel. For the North Kingstown High Vol 24, No.2, Spring 1991 17 Minitel

School French program-see Leveillee. theTeachingofForeignLanguages. New Other high school programs are de­ York, NY, Apr. 19-22,1990. scribed in Sayer and Brown. Guterl, Fred. 1990. Vive le terminal. Scien­ tific American Mar. 1990: 88. REFERENCES Johnson, Donna M. 1991. Second Language and Content Learning with Computers: Barson, John. 1991. The Virtual Classroom Research in the Role of Social Factors. is Born: What Now? Foreign Language Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Acquisition Research and the Classroom. Testing: Research Issues and Practice. Ed. Ed. Barbara F. Freed. Lexington, MA: Patricia Dunkel. New York, NY: Heath. Newbury House. Brickel, Henry M.,andReginaH. Paul.1982 Kirk, Jerome, and Marc L. Miller. 1986. Reli­ Ready for the '80s? A Look at Foreign ability and Validity in Qualitative Research. Language Teachers and Teaching at the Beverly Hills: Sage Publications. Start of the Decade. Foreign Language Annals 15:169-84. Leveillee, Normand A. 1990. Computer Technology in the Foreign Language Challe, Odile. 1989. Le Minitel: Ia Telema­ Classroom. Unpublished manuscript. tique a Ia Franc;aise. The French Review 62: 843-856. McGraw, Myrtle B. 1959. The Roles of the Teacher and the Student in the Elec­ Chapelle, Carol, and Joan Jamieson. 1991. tronic World. The Modern Language Jour­ Internal and External Validity Issues in nal 43: 218-20. Research on CALL Effectiveness. Com­ puter-Assisted Language Learning and Test­ McLuhan, Marshall. 1964. Understanding ing: Research Issues and Practice. Ed. Media: The Extensions of Man. New Patricia Dunkel. New York, NY: York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Newbury House. Minitel Services Company. Minitel High­ Curtin, Constance,andStanleyShinall.1984. lights. Vol. 1. Purchase, NY. Programing for Learning. CAUCO Jour­ Pedersen,I

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