À table! À la découverte du repas gastronomique des Français par Christine Andant, Annabelle Nachon (review)

Methods and Materials edited by Frédérique Grim Andant, Christine, et Annabelle Nachon. À table! À la découverte du repas gastronomique des Français. Grenoble: PUG, 2016. ISBN 978-2-7061-2509-6. Pp. 128. Recent years have seen a flood of new FLE textbooks, some of which—Le nouveau taxi, Alter ego, and others—have enjoyed great success, both in France and abroad. Such textbooks, with their affordable prices, emphasis on practical learning activities, appealing format,and orientation toward Common European Framework of Reference standards, offer viable alternatives to American commercial textbooks. À table! follows in this tradition, but unlike other FLE textbooks, which typically focus on a myriad of diverse cultural contexts and themes, À table! is squarely centered on all things gastronomic. Following some helpful introductory notes and several pages of literary and historical quotes related to gastronomy, the nine chapters of the book each consider a particular aspect of French food culture: cooking, meals, shopping, wine, regional specialties, and more. Each chapter, in turn, is divided into six distinct sections, each accompanied by a variety of practical activities designed to test comprehension and to build skills in reading, speaking, listening and writing. The Découvrir sections provide several cultural and literary readings to set the theme. The Comment dire? sections provide new vocabulary, information about usage, grammar and culture. The Le produit sections, as the name implies, highlight important products such as bread, truffles, fruits and vegetables, even porcelain china. Biographies (gastronomic , of course) are the focus of the Le portrait sections, while the La recette sections present a selection of recipes, such as bœuf bourguignon, macarons, and bouillabaisse, through detailed directions and copious photos, and offer teachers the opportunity to add cooking and eating to their instruction. Each chapter ends with a Faisons le point section, designed to assess learning. The book is filled with beautiful color photos and illustrations, and is immediately attractive and appealing. However, what makes this title a very interesting option for French courses is not just its focus on gastronomy, but the depth and richness of its content, drawn from a great diversity of sources, which runs the gamut from literature to contemporary popular culture. Moreover, the activities are well-designed and engaging, and, as is the case for many activities in the book, answers are provided in the appendix. The free companion website includes audio for the textbook’s listening activities as well as additional material such as videos clips and readings, in a simple, easy-tonavigate format. Typical of FLE textbooks, the only language used here is French. Students will find no English-French glossaries in the appendix or notes in English, although the French explanations are clear and well consider the needs and level of the learner. Teachers of third- or fourth-year college French students, the population 262 FRENCH REVIEW 91.3 Reviews 263 for whom this book seems most well-suited, will find in À table! not just a rich and fascinating exploration of the complex relationship between the French and their food, but an exciting (and very reasonably priced) option for language courses with a focus on culture. University of Arizona Joseph Edward Price Girardet, Jacky, Jacques Pécheur, Colette Gibbe, et Marie-Louise Parizet. Tendances. Paris: CLE International, 2016. Méthode de français A1. ISBN 978-209-038-525-0. Pp. 160. Méthode de français A2. ISBN 978-209-038-528-1. Pp. 160. Méthode de français B1. ISBN 978-209-038-531-1. Pp. 176. Girardet, Jacky, et Jacques Pécheur. Tendances. Paris: CLE International, 2016. Cahier d’activités A1. ISBN 978-209-038-526-7. Pp. 118. Cahier d’activités A2. ISBN 978-209-038-529-8. Pp. 118. This series of French methods for beginning and intermediate students first sets itself apart by adopting a task-based approach for a targeted audience of older adolescents and adults. Each unit of Tendances presents a task-based scenario that covers four lessons, culminating in an individual or group project. Projects range from creating a Facebook page for the class at the A1 level, to creating a blog on current news about the students’ hometown at the A2...