La maison d’Oncle Max par Nicole Fandel (review)

Reviews 245 theoretical and difficult to apply in practical terms. However, there is enough of the practical to provide educators with new ideas for the use of the theatrical in their teaching, or the inspiration to begin to do so. The diversity of approaches and topics represented in this volume demonstrates that the role and use of theater in second language teaching is a complex, varied topic, one of great potential usefulness to teachers and learners, and one that clearly merits greater scholarly and practical attention. Texas Tech University Joseph Edward Price Fandel, Nicole. La maison d’Oncle Max.Yarmouth, ME: Wayside, 2012. ISBN 978-1877 -653-32-2. Pp. 97. $22.50. Workbook: $18.50. This text is designed for beginning French students who want to have a successful experience reading a complete story in French. The story of Max and his five friends during summer vacation takes them to the South of France to visit Max’s uncle. Once they arrive, however, they find that Oncle Max is missing and that they must follow his clues to determine where he is and why. The text has three primary goals: to facilitate reading, to relate cultural information, and to entertain. Stories like this should be in great demand because many current textbooks do not provide the kind of coherent, interesting stories that would encourage language learners to interact with the target language for fun.However,writing entertaining,accessible texts can also be challenging. In terms of accessibility, one strategy the author uses is to directly translate words into English (in parentheses after the French word or phrase). This strategy could get mixed reactions from teachers and student readers. On the one hand, we know students often stop the reading process to look up unfamiliar words (even when these words may not be absolutely necessary for comprehension); therefore, having immediate access to the meaning could be very helpful. On the other hand, the English translations could distract some readers (especially if the French word was not unfamiliar). Some teachers might prefer synonyms or explanations rather than a direct translation. It will be up to individual readers to determine if the English words in parentheses are distracting. The book’s cultural focus includes references and explanations that arise as the story of Max and his friends unfolds. While important, my students felt that the references were somewhat forced. For example, the boys take the TGV to travel to Vaison-la-Romaine where Uncle Max lives. Taking the TGV is certainly culturally authentic and a great detail to include. However, the lengthy explanation about what the TGV is, how it works, why it was constructed, and other details did not feel natural for the characters to be discussing—even if the reader knows they are discussing it in order to write an article for the school newspaper. Again, teachers and readers will have different reactions. If cultural information is a key goal, this story includes good lesson material. If plot development is the primary focus, the excess of cultural asides could feel inauthentic. On the whole, La maison d’Oncle Max provides an opportunity for students to begin reading in French. In terms of entertainment, it would probably appeal most to elementary and middle school students, but could also be used with beginning high school students. The workbook also allows for additional language practice. Teachers looking to incorporate reading and build literacy in French would do well to include texts such as this, as students can get great benefits from working with complete texts in the target language. Lipscomb University (TN) Kelly L. Kidder Jubb, Margaret, and Annie Rouxeville. French Grammar in Context. 4th ed. New York: Routledge, 2014. ISBN 978-0-415-70669-8. Pp. 266. $34.96 (Kindle $27.92). Cette édition vise à affermir et étendre les connaissances grammaticales de l’apprenant au niveau intermédiaire et/ou avancé. Il s’agit d’encourager l’usage écrit et oral du français standard par le biais de textes et d’exemples judicieusement choisis. Chaque rubrique illustre la mise en contexte qui privilégie l’authenticité et la diversité francophone. L’ouvrage est divisé en trente et une rubriques d’in...