Décibel 4 par M. Butzbach, et al., and: Méthode de français B1, Cahier d’activités B1 (review)

Voltaire, Ray Bradbury, Joseph Conrad, un court exemple de Philip Roth et Ernest Hemingway, etc. Par ailleurs, les exemples peuvent emprunter au langage scientifique, médical, technologique, journalistique, et même filmique. Jacques Bourgeacq est un enseignant chevronné qui a fait carrière dans l’enseignement du français deuxième langue et des cours de stylistique comparée.Cet ouvrage agrémente de façon importante le domaine de la traduction qui est somme toute vide de méthode valable, surtout en troisième année. University of Florida, Gainesville Sylvie Blum-Reid Butzbach, M., R. Fache, C. Martin, D. Pastor, et I. Saracibar. Décibel 4. Paris: Didier, 2016. Méthode de français B1. ISBN 978-2-278-08741-9. Pp. 108. Cahier d’activités B1. ISBN 978-2-278-08742-6. Pp. 96. In keeping with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, Décibel 4, fourth in a series of manuals for students age 11 to 15 and with a particular emphasis on oral communication, is designed for the Threshold/Intermediate Independent User (B1) capable of: understanding the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in environments such as work or school; dealing with most situations likely to arise while travelling in an area where the target language is spoken; producing simple connected text on familiar topics or ones of personal interest; and describing experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions while briefly giving reasons and explanations for opinions and plans (CEFRL).Although the manual and accompanying Cahier may both at first appear slim, they are jampacked with culturally relevant and age-appropriate content that will easily inspire students to communicate with confidence in a wide variety of situations. One can therefore envision Décibel 4 being used as a supplement to an existing class textbook, infusing the class with a fresh approach. For example, Unité 5—Décrire quelqu’un de façon détaillée, begins with Portraits-robots, an array of twelve caricatures of individuals with different and distinct facial features (e.g., “taches de rousseur” versus “grain de beauté,” “cheveux crépus” versus “cheveux gominés,” “lèvres fines” versus “lèvres charnues”). The detailed drawings are depicted in a humorous fashion to facilitate acquisition and retention of vocabulary by students. The questions that accompany the Portraits-robots move from simple (“Observe. Qui a les lèvres fines, une frange et des fossettes?”) to ones involving listening comprehension (“Un vol a été commis. Écoute et trouve le portrait-robot du suspect.”) and an interactive game (“Qui est-ce? Choisis un de ces personnages. Tes camarades posent des questions pour deviner de qui il s’agit.”) (55). Offering an introductory unit (Mesurer où en est son français) and six main units (Donner une appréciation positive sur un voyage, Parler de son caractère, Se renseigner, demander des informations précises, Protester, se defendre d’une accusation, and Décrire un objet), each of the six main units of Décibel 4 features Communication, 232 FRENCH REVIEW 91.4 Reviews 233 Grammaire,Vocabulaire,Sons et graphies,Civilisation,and Tâches finales that encompass an interdisciplinary focus, strategies for better learning (e.g., mind maps that foster enhanced retention of unit material), DELF B1 practice, a CD MP3 for listening activities, and a DVD for video sequences. For assessment and/or curricular planning purposes, the table of contents provides a succinct Compétences clés for each unit. To reinforce the practice provided for the DELF B1 examination, “Vers le DELF B1,” aimed at helping students do a self-assessment of their abilities, is available at the end of every two units.Appendices are Transcriptions; Résumé grammatical, conjugaison et phonétique, a colorful pronunciation guide with clear graphic images; and Actes de communication, a listing of suggested vocabulary organized by theme (i.e., Exprimer la surprise, l’indignation). The pedagogical guide is downloadable for free at . Fulbright Specialist (NY) Eileen M. Angelini Chaitkin, Carol, AND Lynn Gore. Painless French. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2016. ISBN 978-1-4380-0770-0. Pp. 297 (Book + online site). Barron’s is a familiar name for review books of...