This paper discusses the acquisition of second-language skills through the use of visual aids. In teaching English as a second language, pictures, slides, and film loops are usually presented with appropriate, and more or less predictable, spoken or written English. These visual images, however, may arouse interests beyond the answers provided by the caption or the instructor (e.g., How does a Thai establish the meaning of "polar" in the context of "zoo" upon being shown a picture of a family of polar bears at a zoo?). Questions raised by the author concern the student's primary interest--is it in the mode of presentation or in the message? What kinds of messages have the widest appeal? Can this interest be used to trigger the acquisition of second-language skills? Under what circumstances? How can suitable films be selected? Where are they available? Described is a 1967 study of an ESL program at a West Coast university in which three film series were presented to graduate and undergraduate students in the course of a three-quarter academic year. It was found that the film as a mode of presentation had a strong appeal, especially for the undergraduate, fall-term overseas student. The findings of the fall-term study (discussed in this paper) yielded "promising hypotheses" for the winter- and spring-term studies (to be discussed in a later paper). (AMM)