With instruction this good, who needs subtitles?

NEW PALTZ — The Language Immersion Institute (LII) at the State University of New York at New Paltz has recently published its own teaching materials. The authors of these materials are all SUNY New Paltz LII instructors and the series editor is LII founder and director, Dr. Henry Urbanski, Distinguished Service Professor of Russian.

Written by native speakers with many years of experience teaching at the Language Immersion Institute, the programs cover Elementary Levels I and II, the equivalent of a six-weekend course or two semesters of study. En Francais: Rapid Success in French for Beginners was written by Marc Bendali and Marie-Paule Mahoney; En Espanol: Rapid Success in Spanish for Beginners by Graciela Espana; and In Italiano: Rapid Success in Italian for Beginners by Sandra Immerso.

As important as content, the programs also reflect the spirit of classes at the Language Immersion Institute. Published by McGraw-Hill, the textbooks are accompanied by audio-recordings on three CDs. The audio recordings, which are considered to be a key component of the courses, were recorded in New Paltz by Institute teachers — not actors — to convey the infectious vitality that permeates the classes at the LII.

The immersion approach is predicated on the idea that intensive language study creates a highly effective and exciting learning environment that is congenial and non-threatening, and in which confidence in speaking ability is quickly obtained. In the context of the global village we have become, the LII offers innovative ways to study foreign languages.

Since 1981 The LII has provided foreign language courses for more than 40,000 participants from all walks of life. The Institute’s purpose has always been to proliferate foreign language study among adult learners through creative methods and programs that complement their busy work schedules and help them acquire proficiency in the shortest time possible.

These materials will be used during the LII weekends and two-week summer courses and will be available for purchase by mid-May 2003 in major bookstores, Amazon.com and the LII Web site at www.newpaltz.edu/lii.

For more information about the LII weekend and summer courses, call (845) 257-3500.