Product Details

• Actors: Eve Marie Forcier
• Directors: Lorna Jamison
• Format: Color, Digital Sound, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• VHS Release Date: November 1, 1993
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1896223206
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #643,365 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the Director

Over the course of a 20 year teaching career, I have taught literature, media design, and English to both children and adults. Currently, I am completing a graduate degree in instructional technology. While teaching English to immigrants, I used film with more fluent students but felt that less advanced students were missing out on a very effective learning tool - a virtual field trip that contextualized the language. Thus, I set out to create a video for beginning and intermediate level speakers that integrated proven principles of language acquisition.

The fundamental approach is based on the research of eminent language specialists. James Asher has shown the effectiveness of pairing physical response with language. Stephen Krashen emphasizes the importance of comprehensible input for language acquisition. Patricia Kuhl's work agrees with Krashen as she has found that adults make their speech to infants clearer and more distinct. Also, Kuhl's work shows that the processing of language information occurs through multiple modalities, including vision and audition, both in early infancy and adulthood.

The video includes many other features that enhance the learning experience - a high level of visual support, familiarity of the themes, likeability of the character, humour of the situations, a variety of music, and repetition of key vocabulary.

A sample video of each vignette was field tested on language learners and their feedback, along with that of teachers, provided me with valuable insights for refining the script. People of all ages - children, teenagers, and adults - were enthusiastic about it. When the video was finished in the four languages, I marketed it to schools and learning programs in Canada, the United States, and Japan. The response was overwhelmingly positive. As well, individuals who have used the video at home have found it very effective. It is the favorite video of the actor's own toddlers and they have watched it in one language or another hundreds of times. The video was originally intended for use by individuals at home and I'm pleased to now have the opportunity to offer it for individual purchase.

Product Description

This is an interactive language learning video with a unique technique. The technique is based on action-linked communication. Physical actions corresponding to the spoken language are presented by a Chaplinesque character. As an aid to memory, the viewer is encouraged to act along with the character.

This technique integrates the latest research on effective language acquisition. Both humour and music are used to relax the learner and, along with the physical actions, create a most enjoyable language learning experience.

This 90-minute video, available with a workbook, comes in four different languages - English, Spanish, French, and German. Each video presents high frequency vocabulary, common verb tenses and basic sentence structures in functional situations.

The grammar and vocabulary in the twenty lessons is designed for beginner to intermediate level speakers. The language presented includes expressions encountered with native speakers of the language. Each lesson is carefully constructed to enable the viewer to make the transition from listening comprehension to speaking.

The workbook reinforces the language encountered in the video. It contains the complete script of the twenty lessons and two written exercises for each lesson. The answers are in the back of the book and the Spanish, French, and German workbooks include the English translation.

Until now, the video and workbook have been available only to schools. Both teachers and students have been enthusiastic in their praise of the comprehensive and entertaining approach incorporated in the video. It has proven very popular with both children and adults in classrooms throughout North America.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Close, but no cigar..., September 20, 2002

By 

Steven Cain (Temporal Quantum Pocket) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hallo Peter (includes workbook) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The overall presentation is good and there is a great deal of useful vocabulary in here. My one beef is that the entire workbook is in German, with absolutely NO translation, explanation or introduction and the video cassette has absolutely no details on the plain white cover.

Without a dictionary, you cannot possibly make any real use of this package, even though the quality of the mime is good enough to convey the basic drift of each lesson. As for "Peter", any guys left questioning their sexuality should note that "he" is played by Eve-Marie Forcier.

There DEFINITELY should have been an English translation and some kind of rudimentary introduction in English.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Amateurish, November 30, 2001

By 

"bobdm" (Spokane, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hallo Peter (includes workbook) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This has the production values of a bad home video. The content is so simplistic and stilted that it is painful to watch. Even my 2 year old twins demanded that we turn it off after 2 minutes. My wife, who is German, first asked if there was some way to return it after opening it. She then made me promise to let her buy any German videos in the future.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Show, Not Tell, September 8, 2000

By 

Ed Meers (Calgary, AB, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hallo Peter (includes workbook) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Peter, in the German language video Hallo Peter, is the best German teacher I've had. I followed him through 20 entertaining lessons and learned a lot of German vocabulary. I even seemed to have picked up some grammar and learned how to formulate different kinds of sentences along the way. Peter doesn't tell me about German, he shows me German. He puts the language into action and I found I could remember it by mentally rehearsing the actions. Almost subconsciously, briefly visualizing Peter's actions, gestures, expressions, and general situations brought the word or phrase to my mind. I did study a little German before and just wanted something to brush up on the basics. I was surprised at how well this video worked for my purpose and then some. Doing the exercises in the student book consolidated the language and prompted me to remember even more. The English translation that accompanies the workbook is a great help, especially because it is not a literal translation. Expressions and idioms with which we are familiar in English are given a German equivalent so it's very practical. I would recommend this to any beginning or 'returning' student of German of any age and I think it would be a wonderful experience for teachers to bring to their students. Well done, Peter. Thanks.