The University of Illinois' Language Learning Laboratory began the process of developing its own videotape materials in 1979 with limited resources. Interest grew gradually among faculty and the graduate teaching staff, who generally designed and produced their own materials and then shared them with colleagues. A wide variety of tapes has been produced, including video to accompany a teacher-written text, modules based on specific language functions, dialogs for listening comprehension, a tape about francophone Africa using the accents and performances of foreign graduate students, special lesson materials, student-produced English as a second language materials, a cabaret performance, class skits, taped lectures, and special event tapes. Other projects are planned, including tapes of native French speakers demonstrating functional language uses and an interactive computer-videotape lesson. The program has shown that self-produced tapes add interest and spontaneity to classroom language learning, can be individualized, can be produced inexpensively, are easily and productively improvised, may be used by different teachers for different purposes, may be made more authentic with native speakers, can save materials research time, and can be edited and used in any way desired. (MSE)