A Frequency Dictionary of French: Core Vocabulary for Learners by Deryle Lonsdale, Yvon Le Bras (review)

cinema is somewhat unbalanced. His treatment of Québécois cinema is the most complete and is approximately twice the length of the other two studies. One might wonder how Sanaker’s research could also inform and be impacted by the study of Maghrebian films (and/or films made in France by émigré filmmakers and French filmmakers of North African heritage) that are not limited to the subject matter of the French-Algerian war or situated in a colonial context. In addition , the book would benefit from the inclusion of an index, which would enhance its practical use for research and classroom purposes. Despite these limitations, Sanaker presents his arguments clearly and convincingly, while developing solid analyses and providing stimulating original reflection. This book will be of interest to scholars and students in French and Francophone studies as well as to those in the fields of film and linguistics. Iowa State University, Ames Stacey Weber-Fève Methods and Materials edited by Sarah Jourdain LONSDALE, DERYLE, and YVON LE BRAS. A Frequency Dictionary of French: Core Vocabulary for Learners. New York: Routledge, 2009. ISBN 978-0-415-77531-1. Pp. 304. $35.95. Learning vocabulary in context is invaluable to language learners. To further aid in that endeavor, this resource provides a systematic presentation of the most frequently used terms in French. While professors try to instill grammar rules in the minds of their students, we all know that real communication begins with individual words. Comprehension can occur despite minor grammar errors, but if one is not well-equipped with a strong vocabulary, expression and comprehension are difficult. A recent addition to similar tools in other languages, the authors offer to fill the gap of a missing element in the gambit of tools for learners of French. In the preface, the authors explain the logic behind their system and detail the processes involved in the data collection as well as the way in which the dictionary is organized. Once this information is reviewed, the dictionary is quite user friendly. The terms are organized thematically, alphabetically, and by theme and part of speech. The corpus is derived from 23,000,000 French words from both written and spoken sources and obtained manually through glossing techniques. Each entry is numbered, the part of speech is identified, and there are sample sentences or expressions in French along with the English equivalent to give a context and/or an example of usage. In addition to the entries, there are thematic tables throughout the dictionary, and each vocabulary word is numbered so it can be easily found within the frequency index. According to this research , “le” is the most frequent term while “écrouler” lands in the last spot. Thus, there is some real variety in the types of terms represented. I find the thematic tables to be one of the most useful elements since they provide a collective view of words related to a theme or concept. Then, the more curious learner can check to see how frequent each vocabulary word is. Each time I travel to France with students, I have them purchase a notebook with alphabetical tabs in which they note new words under the appropriate letter, Reviews 609 and I have them write the word as well as the context in which they heard it. If they are still unsure about something, they are advised to do further research using a quality dictionary or by asking someone. By the end of their time in France, they generally have a decent compilation of words that were somehow meaningful to them. No doubt many of these words will also be found in the frequency dictionary. Thus, I can definitely see the usefulness of such a tool. For those students who never quite find the time to take note of new words, Lonsdale and Le Bras have provided a very complete study to which they can refer. Serious learners of French can indeed gain some insights from this dictionary. Eastern Kentucky University Randi L. Polk MESKILL, CARLA, and NATASHA ANTHONY. Teaching Languages Online. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters, 2010. ISBN 13-978-1-84769-271-9. Pp. 208. $39.95. Just as teaching foreign languages requires...