Basic English Course Filmed

Thousands of foreigners will soon be learning English as it is spoken at Harvard. Under a grant from the Ford Foundation, the Language Research Center is producing a filmed course in Basic English here.

The course, using the "Language Through Pictures" method developed by I. A. Richards, University Professor, and Christine M. Gibson, research associate in Education, is designed especially for use in underdeveloped countries, where teaching man-power is limited. It can be used either as a supplement to a regular course or by itself.

The half-hour lessons will be based on the text and stick-figure drawings of English Through Pictures by Richards and Miss Gibson. However, each lesson will include two live sequences, using local actors, to aid in comprehension, and to give the students variations in American voices, accents and personalities.

A Cuban television station plans to make the first commercial use of the series next fall.