It is the immediacy and authenticity of this
native language video, and its obvious value
for language learners that has motivated us to
take on the project
of procuring live
satellite feeds from
Madrid, Paris, Berlin. Issue 32, Winter 2005
by John Underwood
Director, Language Media Center
We’re all used to seeing live newscasts from overseas. But it’s one thing to watch an English-speaking CNN reporter in Madrid, standing in front of a fountain, giving the American version of a diplomatic congress that has just collapsed. It’s a very different experience to watch a reporter on Televisión Española in Madrid as she gives their version of the event in Spanish-live. Or to catch the morning news in Paris (in French) to get their spin on the Kerry-Bush debate the night before. It is an experience to which some of us in the department of Modern and Classical Languages – and many others on campus – can easily get addicted.
It is the immediacy and authenticity of this native language video, and its obvious value for language learners that has motivated us to take on the project of procuring live satellite feeds from Madrid, Paris and Berlin. The details of the project have been worked out with the assistance of Larry Gilbert (Academic Technology and User Services), Frits Ponsen (Telecommunication Services), and Terry Dayton (Media Engineering and Maintenance, ATUS).
In addition to the Language Media Center, this native language satellite programming will be accessible in all campus classrooms. French programming will soon be available on Western’s channel 90, Spanish on channel 91, and German on channel 92. We are also exploring the feasibility of bringing in live programming from China, Japan and Russia, representing the other three modern languages taught in the department.
In the Language Media Center in Haggard Hall, we plan to install three monitors transmitting French, Spanish, and German continuously from Europe. Because of the time difference (Europe is about nine hours later), we can catch their evening news at 10:00 a.m. and prime-time shows between 12:00 and 2:00 p.m.
And then there are the commercials: Mercedes, Detergente Dash, iPods, Pepsi, Citroen cars, H-P printers ... and of course all of this is without subtitles – unless they’re interviewing Colin Powell or Tony Blair, in which case they have to have appropriate subtitles for the locals.
 Television shows live broadcasts from overseas.
Twenty-four hours of broadcasting daily in three languages produces a flood of data. What makes it manageable is our access to programming guides. We can either choose to watch a live program at a scheduled hour or have the VCRs record them (often in the middle of the night) for later viewing. Using the campus cable TV system, any faculty member can use the live programming in any university classroom with a television display.
Use of the facilities of Modern and Classical Language’s Language Media Center is by no means limited to this particular department. All students and faculty are welcome to come in and watch a foreign film, use the computers, or browse through the various language materials — with the help of our staff of student assistants. We are located in Haggard Hall 114 and open from 9:00 to 4:00 daily. For information, call us at 650-7514 or 650-7453.
For information on using the foreign language programming in the classroom, contact Terry Dayton at 650-2862.
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