Understanding Core French Grammar by Andrew Betts

Abstract

THE FRENCH REVIEW, Vol. 91, No. 1, October 2017 Printed in U.S.A. Methods and Materials edited by Frédérique Grim 195 Betts,Andrew. Understanding Core French Grammar.Wilmington, DE:Vernon, 2016. ISBN 978-1-62273-068-1. Pp. 164. Neither a textbook of French nor a reference grammar, this volume claims to bridge the gap between the two. Betts acknowledges that the book “has evolved from teaching notes over the last 25 years.”It is best seen as a wordy narrative of how French differs from English rather than what the author calls an explanation of “how the core systems of French grammar work.” Chapter 1 shows the formation of the three conjugations in the indicative tenses. The strength of this chapter lies in the abundant side-by-side translations of examples from each of the tenses. One exception is the mistranslation of the passé composé“Ils ont lu”as“They have been reading.”The same kind of mistranslation of the passé composé appears in a tense chart, part of which is regrettably reproduced on the book’s jacket. Verbs conjugated with être in the passé composé are listed according to a cryptic mnemonic (DRAPERS VAN MMT 13). Notably missing from this list of common verbs is the intransitive passer. Chapter 2 treats a miscellany of verb constructions ranging from passives to inversions. Most important in this chapter is what Betts calls a“starter pack”for the subjunctive. Despite his claim that“[t]his is all very vague,”I find consummately clear and incisive his single paragraph explaining the basic contrast between the subjunctive and the indicative and acknowledging that “you will gradually gain a feeling for it.” Chapter 3 on pronouns begins with a ponderous disquisition on English language subjects, direct objects, and indirect objects, all anchored around a classification of verbs into three types. Charts for the French pronouns are abundant. Chapter 4 presents adjectives, adverbs, and articles. Here also is included a cumbersome narrative on when to use C’est or Il est with an adjective before à or de plus the infinitive. Fortunately, many examples are given, leaving it up to the astute reader to intuit the passive or active sense of the infinitive. In the treatment of articles, des is wrongly classified as a plural partitive article rather than the plural indefinite article. The very nature of the partitive is that it cannot be plural. Chapter 5 on the“Primacy of Spoken French”positions the spoken language in the context of Ionesco’s plays characterizing language learning as meaningless rote repetition. The author acknowledges the danger that his self-test exercises in the appendix might fall into the same category as Ionesco’s characterizations . This chapter shows three differences between spoken and written French. An appendix provides exercises for translation into French with answers. They are coordinated with grammar points in the chapters. The entire volume would benefit from a scrub to eliminate a few misspellings, typos, and an inaccuracy in the translation exercises. The book is not intended for the complete beginner, but it might be useful for a beginning teacher who is looking for exact words to help explain to students “why it is like that in French.” La Salle University (PA) Leonard Marsh Billat, Astrid A., and Bénédicte M. Boisseron. La culture francophone: le monde à l’écoute. Indianapolis: Hackett, 2016. ISBN 978-1-58510-392-8. Pp. 325. Integrating culture in language learning is one of ACTFL’s goal areas to improve students’progress towards proficiency, as an emphasis on culture promotes an understanding of the relationship between a foreign language and the three Ps (Products, Practices, Perspectives) of the target culture. Since 2013, with the revisions of the World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages, the teaching of culture in the foreign language classroom has shifted from an instrumentalist approach to a focus on developing intercultural competence by understanding the three Ps and promoting meaningful cultural interactions. In such a context, La culture francophone stands out among its competitors when presenting Products (recipes, literary excerpts, or films). Furthermore, it prompts students to reflect on Perspectives and Practices through the sections entitled Personnalité phare, La vie de tous les...