Heinle Unveils Liaisons; A Captivating New Program Introducing Students to the French Language

BOSTON, Nov. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Heinle, part of Cengage Learning and leading provider of innovative teaching and learning solutions for the world languages higher education market, today announced Liaisons, an innovative program for teaching introductory-level French in higher education. The program consists of a textbook paired with an engaging original film, thought-provoking communicative activities, and numerous interactive online activities.

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The components within the Liaisons program are carefully linked together, to show students how to make connections with their classmates, instructor, community and the French-speaking world. With an engaging mystery film integrated into the curriculum, the program provides a wide array of activities designed to stimulate interaction inside and outside the classroom. The underlying pedagogical framework in Liaisons helps students first to discover new vocabulary and grammar, then to connect form and meaning through a set of confidence-building activities and in the end, to understand, interpret and create in French.

"This program is very well thought-out and current to beginning learners of French," said Margaret Dempster, instructor, Northwestern University. "I particularly like the communicative way and input-output method and how they are incorporated into the book and used throughout the learning process. This book integrates the main skills – listening, reading, speaking, writing and culture – in a relevant way for the beginning learner of French. This program also takes into account the specific challenges that new instructors face when just starting to teach."

The most innovative aspect of this program lies in the feature film, which was shot on location in Quebec and France, and is completely in French. The film Liaisons is a first-rate production with a renowned cast including Mylene Savoie (from the Canadian film Exode), Guillaume Dolmans (from the French television series Cœur ocean) and Johanne Marie Tremblay (from the Oscar-winning film Les invasions barbares).

"I would describe the film as an interesting tale of suspense," said Valerie Lamour, student, New York University. "It has an interesting plot and likeable characters, some adventure and a little romance. It was fun to read. I would enjoy seeing it in an introductory class."

Heinle plans to unveil the Liaisons film via a red carpet premiere event on Friday, November 18, 2011 during the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) 2011 Annual Convention and World Languages Expo in Denver, CO. Authors, Wynne Wong, Stacey Weber-Feve, Edward Ousselin and Bill VanPatten, will be at the event to meet with attendees and discuss the program and film.

For more information on the Liaisons program, or any other world languages products from Heinle, please visit www.cengage.com/community/heinleexperience.

About Cengage Learning and Heinle

Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide. Heinle, part of Cengage Learning, is a leading provider of innovative teaching and learning solutions for the World Languages Higher Education market. The company's products and services are designed to foster academic excellence and professional development, increase student engagement and improve learning outcomes. For more information please visit www.cengage.com or www.cengage.com/community/heinleexperience.

SOURCE Cengage Learning