Third International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

Interactive documentaries (idocs) are projects that document the “real” and combine digital interactive technology (images, text, audio, animation, graphic design, etc.), web technologies, and documentary practice. An interactive documentary allows the audience members, in this case, our foreign language learners, to make the work unfold through their interactions, moving the story forward and giving it meaning by exploring the components that interest them most. I believe interactive documentary films offer endless possibilities in language teaching and are an ideal medium for integrating the target culture and for promoting engaging discussions. Thus, language learning is based on real cultural contexts so that the students become more engaged with the world. In order to integrate this world into my class, I became a documentary filmmaker myself. My goal was to offer an opportunity to discover everyday life in Nantes as I experienced it during my stay in France. The result was my idoc : « 5 months in Nantes », where the viewers choose the side of the city they would like to explore in their stay in Nantes (touristy, green, historic, university, political, etc.) in order to become familiar with different French-speaking contexts and make connections with their own experiences. Furthermore, I propose a series of activities, that I have done with my students, to prepare them for the filmmaking process and allow practice of the target language with the idoc. Finally, participants will have the necessary tools and resources to carry out this type of project with their students.