Espaces by James Mitchell, Cheryl Tano (review)

Reviews 195 “les verbes pronominaux ne peuvent pas être mis à la forme passive”(115). Si certains points de grammaire peuvent être sources de confusion, les notes lexicales, les exercices et les expressions expliquées et contextualisées sont à recommander. Western Washington University Edward Ousselin Mitchell, James, and Cheryl Tano. Espaces. 3rd ed. Boston: Vista, 2015. ISBN 9781 -62680-054-0. Pp. 768. $266. This textbook is a clearly-presented and well-organized beginning-level French manual. Each of the fifteen chapters is divided into sections A and B, with each section comprised of the following: Espace Contextes (Contextes or vocabulary and Les sons et les lettres); Espace Roman-Photo, a photo-novel depiction with transcription of each character’s dialogue of the video segments that fosters student learning by allowing students to listen and read simultaneously in French as well as prompting class reenactments of the video segments; Espace Culture (Culture à la loupe and Portrait, short glossed readings with guided comprehension questions); Espace Structures, two distinct grammatical presentations per section with concise explanations and examples to support the appropriate range in difficulty of written and speaking exercises; and Espace Synthèse (Révision—comprehensive speaking activities that encompass the chapter’s grammar and vocabulary, Le Zapping—cultural activities incorporating video, for Section A, and À l’écoute—techniques for improving listening skills, for Section B).Rounding out each chapter is Savoir-Faire,composed of Panorama,detailed cultural readings to complement the chapter’s two Culture à la loupe and two Portrait components; Lecture, longer readings with strategies that help students to read for the main idea and arrive at individual conclusions; and Écriture, a themed composition activity with suggested methods that encourage students, for example, to express and support their opinions, while brainstorming their ideas before actually writing their formal composition, followed by recommendations for revising.While currently most beginning-level French textbooks propose a broad range of materials on the Francophone world, Espaces offers a balanced approach. Specifically, each chapter’s Espace Culture will typically have the focus of Culture à la loupe be on a cultural aspect of France and that of Portrait be on a similar aspect of another Francophone country. Thus, from the start, students are exposed to the wide range of countries and cultures where French is spoken and are able to make informed comparisons. Then, these comparisons are reinforced in Panorama which focus on a variety of French regions and departments or other Francophone countries or regions. The Espaces Supersite, whose features vary by access level selected by the instructor, is the user-friendly online source for combining textbook, technology, and media resources (online virtual and partner chats,a downloadable digital image bank,oral testing suggestions,and streaming video of Roman-photo episodes, with instructor-managed options for subtitles and transcripts in French and English). It is the precise synchronization between the textbook and the Espaces Supersite that allows for more face-to-face communication and enhanced exposure to relevant authentic materials. Canisius College (NY) Eileen M. Angelini Film edited by Michèle Bissière Block, Marcelline, ed. World Film Locations: Marseilles. Bristol: Intellect, 2013. ISBN 978-1-84150-723-1. Pp. 128. $22. Publié dans une série dédiée à l’étude de films selon la ville qu’ils montrent (entre autres: New York, Paris, Madrid, Melbourne, Reykjavík, Helsinki), cet ouvrage propose d’explorer la production cinématographique qui met en valeur la cité phocéenne.Afin de stimuler une cinéphilie géographique, World Film Locations: Marseilles s’avère riche en illustrations (cartes, photos de sites, captures d’écran) et comporte quarante-six analyses de scènes tirées d’autant de films organisés chronologiquement. La majorité des œuvres incluses sont françaises, bien que s’y mêlent quelques films principalement anglophones comme les remakes de la trilogie de Pagnol, The French Connection et sa suite, ou encore A Good Year, de Ridley Scott. Sept essais d’environ mille mots s’intercalent parmi ces analyses de scènes.Ainsi Steven Ungar historicise-t-il la production cinématographique représentant Marseille tandis que Rebecca Prime se focalise sur la trilogie de Pagnol Fanny, Marius et César. L’essai de...