French in Action by Pierre J. Capretz, et al (review)

significant factors frequently overlooked in synchronic analyses of IO-taking verbs. In fact, second order IOs still occur with some helping/hindering verbs (applaudir à son initiative). Central to the monograph is a detailed, quantitative analysis of the valency change in eight helping/hindering verbs. Troberg distinguishes first order from second/third order objects and groups her data into fifty-year intervals from 1300 to 1849 according to the author’s birth date, highlighting that the change occurred in the abstract grammar acquired by authors as children. In easy-to-read tables and charts, we see that the actuation of the change clusters between 1500 and 1649, starting with first order objects. Troberg claims that the rise of the DO was really triggered by a change in the semantics of simple prepositions. In Medieval French, à could express both Place (“at”) and Path (“to”) functions, but once à could no longer express Path, first order objects of helping/hindering verbs were no longer licensed, and the DO took over the functional domain of the IO. Although this book is addressed to historical linguists well versed in Minimalist theory, advanced students could profit from the numerous, accurately-glossed examples illustrating the change, along with its vestiges (lui aider/prier in Canadian French). Chapter three could supplement a discussion on IO-taking verbs in a Structure of French course, while chapter four could present an excellent change-in-progress case study for History of the Language. Troberg ties this minor change into the loss of productive verbal prefixes (advoler, appenser), verb particles (boire fors“drink up”), and complex adjectival resultatives, all structures, she argues, dependent on a null Path morpheme. Overall, this corpus-based study is a significant contribution to historical linguistics and an excellent porthole from which to explore the more encompassing typological change in the evolution of French from a satellite-framed to a verb-framed language (Talmy 1985, 2000). Florida International University Peter A. Machonis Methods and Materials edited by Frédérique Grim Capretz, Pierre J., Barry Lydgate, Béatrice Abetti, and Marie-Odile Germain. French in Action. 3rd ed. New Haven: Yale UP, 2013. Book: ISBN 978-0-300-176100 . Pp. 376. $70. Workbook: ISBN 978-0-300-17612-4. Pp. 496. $46. Created by the late Pierre Capretz in 1987, French in Action is arguably one of the best-known and most popular French programs still in use. The new edition remains unchanged in several ways; still at its core is the extensive use of authentic, contextualized language, presented in 52 half-hour video segments that alternate between scenes of a French class (with Capretz as the teacher) and the story of a young couple (Robert and Mireille) and their family and friends. Each chapter focuses on one video segment, 282 FRENCH REVIEW 88.3 Reviews 283 and includes a transcription, comprehension questions, vocabulary, and a culture section (Documents) covering a wide range of contemporary and historical topics presented through literary excerpts, mini-portraits of famous Francophones, comics, newspaper and magazine excerpts, jokes, and short readings. New to this edition is the expansion of Documents to include songs and new information about Francophone cultures, the use of color illustrations throughout, and new segments (Le journal de Marie-Laure) in which Mireille’s younger sister (a prominent character in the video) discusses her life, society, and culture through journal entries dating from the 1980s as well as via Twitter postings. These segments give learners a personalized, more profound view of many aspects of French culture in an engaging format that seeks to go beyond mere facts and promote genuine cultural understanding. The workbook provides additional support for the video, extensive training in pronunciation (rare in contemporary textbooks) and a thorough treatment of grammar. Ancillaries include a test bank, an instructor’s manual (with instructions for presenting the videos), an audio series, an optional study guide (suitable for distance learning or self-study), and the online video series: . Instructors accustomed to contemporary textbooks may criticize the FIA approach on several accounts: the extensive written scripts, the focus on comprehension questions and controlled activities, and the comparatively small number of open-ended communicative activities. Similarly, course delivery is traditional: while an e...