UNTIL THE FRENCH MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ESTABLISHED A COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF SPOKEN FRENCH AND TO DEVELOP A NEW TYPE OF LANGUAGE COURSE, THE MOST WIDELY ACCEPTED METHOD OF INSTRUCTION IN FRANCE WAS THE DIRECT METHOD OF BERLITZ AND GOUIN. FROM THE COMMISSION'S RESEARCH, A NEW AUDIOVISUAL COURSE, "VOIX ET IMAGES DE FRANCE," WAS DEVELOPED. THE COURSE CONSISTS OF THREE PARTS--(1) THE SKETCH, WHICH PRESENTS A DIALOG WITH NEW VOCABULARY, (2) THE "MECANISME," WHICH SHOWS DIFFERENT GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURES, AND (3) THE "EXERCISES PHONETIQUES." BY MEANS OF ACCOMPANYING TAPES AND FILMSTRIPS, THE NEED FOR TRANSLATION TO THE NATIVE LANGUAGE IS VIRTUALLY ELIMINATED. THE CORRESPONDING COURSE FOR ENGLISH IS THE "METHODE AUDIO-VISUELLE D'ANGLAIS," WHICH MAINTAINS THE SAME BASIC FORMAT AS THAT OF "VOIX ET IMAGES." ALTHOUGH DESIGNED FOR ADULTS, THE COURSE IS BEING USED IN LYCEES WHERE ITS TWO LEVELS ARE COVERED IN 3 YEARS. "PASSPORT TO ENGLISH" CONTAINS ADDITIONAL GRAPHIC SYMBOLS TO BETTER AID THE STUDENT, AS WELL AS PATTERN DRILLS WHICH "VOIX ET IMAGES" LACKS. ANOTHER COURSE, "LEND ME YOUR EARS," HAS BEEN USED FOR CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION. THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE "TESOL QUARTERLY," VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1, MARCH 1967, BY TESOL, INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20007. (FB)