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Tête-à-tête, conversation, composition, lecture by Isabelle Saulaün-Gorrell Review by: Judith A. Baughin The Modern Language Journal, Vol. 78, No. 1 (Spring, 1994), p. 123 Published by: Wiley on behalf of the National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/329281 . Accessed: 28/06/2014 15:13 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . Wiley and National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Modern Language Journal. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 91.213.220.184 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:13:34 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Tete-a-tete, conversation, composition, lecture

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Tête-à-tête, conversation, composition, lecture by Isabelle Saulaün-GorrellReview by: Judith A. BaughinThe Modern Language Journal, Vol. 78, No. 1 (Spring, 1994), p. 123Published by: Wiley on behalf of the National Federation of Modern Language Teachers AssociationsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/329281 .

Accessed: 28/06/2014 15:13

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

Wiley and National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations are collaborating with JSTOR todigitize, preserve and extend access to The Modern Language Journal.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 91.213.220.184 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:13:34 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

123

SAULAUN-GORRELL, ISABELLE. T'te-&-tete, conversation, composition, lecture. Boston: Heinle, 1992. Pp. vi, 140. $27.75, paper.

Thte-a-tAte, conversation, composition, lecture is an excellent text for use in intermediate and more advanced composition and conversation college-level courses. The main emphasis of the book is on the improvement of reading skills while developing the oral and written compo- nents. This book contains twelve chapters, each with a different theme. Because individual chapters are completely independent of the others, they may be covered in any sequence. The themes are well chosen and deal with a variety of topics, including, among others, fam- ily life, medicine and health, food, university studies, sports, the francophone world, the economy, and ecological and societal problems. The selections and materials presented are, without exception, relevant, up-to-date, and informative.

Each chapter uses the same format. The A savoir section begins the unit and introduces students to the words and vocabulary essential for the entire lesson. The Pratiquons section fol- lows with seven or eight specific exercises, such as making word associations, giving antonyms and synonyms, and defining words drills that reinforce what the student has already studied. The next part of the lesson focuses on two Activ- itis. With excellent pre- and post-reading strate- gies, the passages contain short newspaper and magazine articles, cartoons, advertisements, and other contemporary realia tied to the cen- tral theme. While the strategies are used as a starting point for conversation and word expan- sion, the readings prepare the student for the Lecture. This Lecture, which could be considered the pinnacle of the chapter, is a prose selection based on authentic documents from France and other francophone countries. Selected articles and extracts, for example, come from Santt Magazine, Express International, France-Amirique, and Figaro-Magazine. Although longer and more difficult to read than the previous selections, the Lecture contains useful exercises for making the reading more meaningful. The three re- maining sections, Discutons un peu, Mettons-nous en situation, and Soyons creatifs, encourage stu- dents to expand on these materials.

The chapter, Les vacances en francophonie, is a typical example of the detailed planning, well- chosen cultural selections, and diverse material

that can be found in Thte-&-tite. The lesson be- gins with practical vocabulary and short exer- cises directly related to the vacation topic. The following Activites center on two different French-speaking areas: la Tunisie and le Mont- Dore. Both are described in short, lively adver- tisements designed to entice visitors. Preread- ing hints and questions create an interest in and an understanding of these regions. The student then encounters a more complex reading, Les Antilles franfaises. Using the same techniques as those in Activitis, an introduction provides addi- tional background and information. The article itself, authentic and contemporary, gives facts about climate, location, and local customs. Un- familiar words and expressions are glossed, as in the other Lecture sections, making the material more accessible. The final sections of the lesson skillfully guide the student in applying what has been learned through the presentation of skits, oral exposes, round table discussions, group proj- ects, and written essays. All of the exercises and activities focus directly on improving reading while increasing oral and written skills.

The material throughout the text is both stimulating and interesting. Teachers of inter- mediate and advanced courses will find Tite- d-tite a useful learning tool.

JUDITH A. BAUGHIN University of Cincinnati

SISKIN, H.JAY, THOMAS T. FIELD &JULIE A. STORME. Ouvertures: cours intermidiaire de fran- fais. Fort Worth: Holt, Rinehart, 1993. Pp. xv, 419. $34.00, paper. KRUEGER, CHERYL L. Cahier d'exercices et de la- boratoire. Fort Worth: Holt, Rinehart, 1993.

Ouvertures means business, and the authors clearly know and delight in theirs. The sheer heft of the student workbook/lab manual (245 pp.) and instructor's manual (70 pp.) is a tip- off that unstinting care and thoughtfulness have gone into building a complete and cohe- sive second-year college course. Additional components are a laboratory program (unavail- able for this review) with tapescript and a stu- dent cassette comprising authentic interviews with speakers from around the francophone world. Technical values of the cassette are good, and tie-ins with the video program Camera I are a further plus. As a whole, the package does a

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