Implementing Technology in the Foreign Language Curriculum: Redefining the Boundaries between Language and Culture

This article reports a case study of the implementation of an innovative set of computer programs specifically designed to accompany a college level 1 French text. The computer materials were culturally based and included not only Parisian French speakers but also speakers from francophone countries in Africa and the Caribbean. The students' reactions were mixed. They complained that the culture lessons were unimportant and distracted from their learning the grammar rules and vocabulary. The study indicated that understanding college level students' beliefs about language learning is helpful if innovative language programs are to be successful.