S5E01 Atari Conversational French

This episode features Conversational French, originally released in 1980 by Atari. It was one of four language courses offered. It was developed by EMI Audio Visual Services Ltd, and programmed by Gabriel Baum.

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Supplement Scans

Box front cover:

Box back cover:

Announcement in Atari Connection June 1981:

Conversational French in Action

To load the program boot into BASIC and use CLOAD to load the first segment of each tape. Once loaded, enter “RUN” to start.

There are 2 sides of 5 tapes making 10 total lesson units. Each unit along with example screenshots from that section is listed below. I took less screen shots in some sections when I felt they were very similar to presentation in previous sections.

Each sections content is themed:

1 – About You (Tape 1 Side A)

Objective starts off each unit:

Ooooh! ATASCII graphics! These typically depict scenarios you are learning about:

Introducing new vocabulary is generally done by displaying it and playing the speech back so you can hear it. You are typically asked to repeat it:

Building statements:

Most exercises allow you to practice until you’re ready to quit. You typically complete X amount, then are given the choice to finish or keep going:

You’ll often be asked to listen to a conversation and answer questions about what you’ve heard:

At the end of the unit, you are given your assessment:

2 – Yourself and Others (Tape 1 Side B)

3 – Please (Tape 2 Side A)

4 – Find the Way (Tape 2 Side B)

New vocabulary:

5 – Where ? (Tape 3 Side A)

Session activity Quick Repeat. Hear it, and repeat it:

You can repeat the visuals as much as you want, but not the audio:

Another activity type, Look and Listen:

More activity types:

Building the proper answer:

Most units are made up of three sections. When a section is complete, you get this screen while the next section loads (page numbers vary by unit):

Comparisons. Pay attention!:

Building an answer:

Listen to a question, then build an answer:

Hey look, I got it right! (Bien!):

Another activity type, Statements. Here you build sentences:

This activity type, Understanding French, asks you to listen to a conversation, then answer questions about what you heard. It is typically several sentences from two people. The speech flows more rapidly in later units:

6 – When ? (Tape 3 Side B)

Asking questions about things you learned in previous units:

Doing math in French:

Learning and practicing pronunciation:

Answering questions:

Slightly different continuation screen:

Building answers. This is a common exercise:

This unit error during the last section. It got stuck in an endless loop between the last two activities pictured, and never went to the assessment screen. It may have been an error during loading since I used warp speed in the emulator to save time.

7 – Describe It! (Tape 4 Side A)

Learning new vocabulary:

Here you are at a location (SHOP), and asked what objects you might buy at the location and how to say it in French. The location changes:

More new vocabulary:

Here is a twist. Choosing the English from the French you hear:

The next exercise you try to use as many words as possible:

Vocabulary time:

Building answers:

Answering questions about something you’ve heard:

8 – I Like (Tape 4 Side B)

New vocabulary being introduced:

Another activity type, but with a different intro screen:

More building sentence exercise, but this time using a slot machine. You get paid coins for a win:

Instructions for the slot machine:

Another lengthy conversation to hear and be quizzed about:

9 – I Want (Tape 5 Side A)

Another typical listen and repeat:

Here you build a response based on what they want you to say:

This exercise is kind of on the honor system. They ask you to speak a question, then present you with what that question should have been (audio included):

Here you and the computer each have items. You are asked questions or given statements about who has what. You must answer Yes (Oui) or No (Non) about the question/statement. A form of true or false: