Savoir-faire plus: le français à l’université by Géraldine Enjelvin

Abstract

dig deeper and gives more practice with all learned structures, by completing translations, analyses, compositions, and games, in addition to more traditional grammar and vocabulary exercises. The oral and written tests focus on the students’ ability to apply the concepts they have learned while relating them to their lives or current topics happening in their country or the world. Students will not be inactive in a class taught with this manual. There are a variety of exercises to assign at home and in class, to do in groups or alone, and many ways for the students to acquire the newly explored themes through the study of a selection of award-winning films. Armstrong Atlantic State University (GA) Dorothée Mertz-Weigel ENJELVIN, GÉRALDINE. Savoir-faire plus: le français à l’université. New York: Routledge, 2009. ISBN 978-0-415-44475-0. Pp. 193. $38.95. CDs: ISBN 978-0-415-44476-7. $90. Promoted as a textbook for advanced undergraduates, Savoir-faire plus appears to meet the needs of various course structures. At first glance, it seems to be something of a cultural text, with a rich selection of content and activities building on cultural themes. However, upon closer inspection, one will notice that the book also contains extensive activities designed to build skills in speaking, listening, and writing, and at a level sufficiently challenging for third- or fourth-year university students. The book consists of ten chapters, each divided into four sections. The chapters are labeled according to a set of rather broad social and cultural issues such as work, student life, and the media, for example. The individual sections, in turn, present these themes with great diversity and include a number of complex issues, such as body image, privacy, violence, social justice, and hazing, making for a presentation of culture that is more diverse than what is typically found in textbooks for advanced learners. The themes explored in each section are presented in a series of cultural artifacts: texts, E-mails, articles, and recordings exchanged between a small group of Francophones and learners of French. These artifacts are followed by a succession of discussion questions and engaging activities, designed to reinforce and build upon the linguistic notions and functions identified at the beginning of each chapter. It is this series of activities that lends a unique, active, student-centered quality to the book. The diverse selection of themes offers strong potential to attract and maintain students’ interest. A companion Web site accompanies the textbook, providing additional practice, transcripts of recordings , quizzes, and answers to activities. A two-CD set, while sold separately, is an essential part of the textbook, as it contains the texts of the listening activities as well as many of the written texts in the book. For all its strengths, the book does present a number of potential shortcomings. For one, grammar is presented briefly, as a review, although the major points of French grammar are treated, and in some cases, are contextualized through the cultural artifacts used in the text. Secondly, despite its focus on communicative goals, English is used in some of the activities, particularly in the grammar practice activities, which often consist of English-to-French translation. Finally, the book is distinctly British, and while the occasional use of British terms such as “A Level” may not pose any serious difficulties to North American learners, the frequent comparisons between the cultures of France and Great Britain may occasionally prove problematic. Despite these potential shortcomings, Savoir-faire plus offers much to merit its Reviews 1241 consideration as a primary text in courses for advanced undergraduate learners: an extensive set of engaging, well-considered activities, a good review of the essential points of French grammar, and a balanced focus on skill-building, all in the context of a diverse and varied presentation of culture. Texas Tech University Joseph Edward Price PONS, CATHY, MARY ELLEN SCULLEN, and ALBERT VALDMAN. Points de départ. 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2013. ISBN 0205879861. Pp. 400. MyFrenchLab with Pearson eText $175.80. As a ten-chapter version of the best-selling elementary text Chez nous, the second edition boasts flexibility in pedagogical approach and desired...