A need exists for a large fund of short, disconnected video materials designed specifically for rapid selective access and for use either in the classroom or the language laboratory, starting at the earliest stages of instruction. A theoretical model for creating these materials could be the language learner in public places in the target culture, communicating, functioning, and satisfying intellectual curiosity. Situations could include signs and ads with obvious or familiar contexts, signs for which the context must be inferred, signs and inscriptions requiring that a context be easily understood, materials that must be read to initiate a conversation, and purely conversational exchanges. In such situations the learner must be able to articulate the message orally in a manner recognizable to the native speaker. Two competing video technologies are useful--the video cassette recorder (VCR) and the laser videodisc. The VCR allows reading and writing, while the videodisc allows only reading. However the videodisc offers many advantages over VCRs, including greater capacity, precise and instantaneous cuing, and superior freeze-frames. In producing suitable materials for video use, three principles must be kept in mind: discontinuity, brevity, and maximum simplicity of production values. (MSE)