Thèmes: AP® French Language and Culture by Geneviève Delfosse, Eliane Kurbegov, and Parthena Draggett (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Thèmes: AP® French Language and Culture by Geneviève Delfosse, Eliane Kurbegov, and Parthena Draggett Leonard Marsh Delfosse, Geneviève, Eliane Kurbegov, and Parthena Draggett. Thèmes: AP® French Language and Culture. Vista, 2022. ISBN 978-1-54332-911-7. Pp. 437. Any instructor looking for authentic resources suitable for an advanced French course will find it all here in one place. These high interest multi-media resources come integrated with a plethora of activities designed to target the development of communication skills in interpersonal and presentational modes, both in writing and speaking. The text is organized into six thematic units (Thèmes), each one containing six lessons (Contextes), the last two of which prompt the student to go deeper into the unit’s theme. Each unit ends with a video clip which serves to sharpen listening and interpretive skills. The student is then tasked to use higher level cognitive skills to compose an integrative essay synthesizing the theme. These essays range from simple comparison to opinion and argumentative essays. Students are aided in their analysis by Venn diagrams, flow charts, tables, graphs, and bandes dessinées. One such context in the theme of science and technology is that of making moral choices with regards to sustainable development. Clearly a certain level of sophistication is targeted in these integrative essays. Especially helpful are numerous marginal strategy tips varying from simple ways to paraphrase to the more complicated ways of identifying cause and effect, thus useful in interpretive reading and argumentative writing. Of particular note is attention to language register. Formal and familiar registers are represented in linguistic input and are prompted in student output activities, all of which are carefully scaffolded and fully developed. The attractively presented readings treat a wide range of global and cultural interests. They are relatively short and manageable because they are designed mainly as springboards for student language production. Media reside on the text’s Supersite which is not reviewed here, and which also offers course management tools for instructors. The text is marketed as conforming to the College Board Exam Description and specifically the AP® French Language and Culture Examination. In fact, the text’s six Thèmes align squarely with the six themes required by that exam and the Contextes follow its recommended contexts. In addition, the text’s exercises and activities are geared to support all the communicative tasks tested by the exam. However, this comprehensive compendium of authentic resources at the advanced French language level should not be considered simply or primarily as a tool to “teach to the test” but rather as a powerful support for any advanced course in French language and culture. [End Page 181] Leonard Marsh La Salle University (PA) Copyright © 2023 American Association of Teachers of French