At its 8th April meeting Anstruther Rotary was entertained by club member Bill Batchelor relating his experiences of brushing up his French - undertaken as a project before holidaying in France. This proved to be a virtuoso performance using laptop and digital projector to show photographs, play music, download news and editorials from ‘Le Monde’ and stream video clips via a WiFi link to the Internet!

Bill demonstrated the web-based learning he had experienced during two terms of intermediate-level classes at St Andrews University – and all (well almost all!) conducted in French. We heard that, in this approach, learning is based around contemporary literature, songs and poetry.

We listened to ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’ from Edith Piaf, as well as contributions from Renaud and Serge Gainsbourg. These latter two perhaps best described as introducing a vernacular colour to the learning process! Bill admitted that he was certainly not the youngest in the class and it was clear from his comments that teaching methods have certainly progressed since his own schooldays.     

Needless to say the technology did not entirely behave itself – but was kept more or less in check by the odd glare and judicious nudge. It was though a very interesting talk because of content and, especially, because of the way it demonstrated the use of technology. Following questions a vote of thanks was proposed by Eric Dewhirst,