Les Clés du DELF B2 by Marie Bretonnier et al (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Les Clés du DELF B2 by Marie Bretonnier et al E. Nicole Meyer Bretonnier, Marie, Ana Gainza, Emmanuel Godard, Yves Loiseau, Marion Mistichelli, et Jean-Paul Sigé. Les Clés du DELF B2. Deuxième édition, [2007]. Klett, 2021. ISBN 978-84-16657-70-4. Pp. 208. Well-chosen chapter themes entice student and instructor alike. Visually appealing (colorful, well laid-out), this text achieves its stated purposes. It both prepares the student for the DELF B2 exams through activities integrating reading, scaffolded building of vocabulary, grammar, concepts and subjects, and can serve as a general textbook for fifth-semester French students. In addition, it can easily be integrated into a French for Specifics Purposes course. The structure is consistent throughout: lexical activities, grammar (including a mémento), Textes et Documents, and a brief fiche technique build listening and written skills throughout the volume. The mémento concisely summarizes the grammar point that students have practiced inductively. The later fiche technique further delineates the desired skill of the chapter (e.g., l’argumentation, faire un plan, le non-verbal dans l’interaction) with suggestions on acquiring it. For instance, for the first chapter, the fiche covers expressing la cause and la conséquence, in order to help students develop their argumentation in a more sophisticated way. The final section of each chapter S’entraîner au DELF B2 targets oral and written comprehension as well as written and oral production through different media. While labeled as preparation for the DELF exam, these exercises are useful for practice in a more general class targeted to developing more advanced oral and written skills. This section contains recent authentic articles, as well as helpful clés and conseils with yellow highlighting. Topics and readings remain varied and engaging throughout the work. For instance, the first chapter activities cover identity, friendship, belonging, popular conversation topics, characteristics of Generations X, Y and Z, etc., in a manner that will encourage class discussion. Personally, I am delighted to see a text whose images are the most inclusive I have seen so far. In addition, articles such as “Pourquoi les marques investissent le créneau ‘no gender’?”, “Bénévolat: c’est tellement bon pour la santé,” and others address non-binary identity, feminism, paternal rights, ecological concerns, migrant difficulties in obtaining citizenship and other topics of great relevance to students. The third chapter provides culturally relevant activities and readings about the work world, and helps students understand work contracts, conditions, job ads, and how to present oneself (whether at an interview, through a curriculum vitae, lettre de candidature, or social media). This chapter would be great for a French for Business course or unit. The book closes with six practice exams that instructors will surely find useful. Those purchasing the text will be able to access high quality online audios and interactive activities for all of the chapters. The student thus benefits from an engaging gamified experience when practicing their lexical and cultural acquisition. The instructor’s guide pédagogique contains [End Page 179] answer keys, transcriptions, and more. In addition to the multiple ways one can use this volume, the strengths include engaging activities combined with authentic, recent materials that reflect diversity, equity and inclusion of the French-speaking world, both in word and image. Ana Gainza and Yves Loiseau, the authors who updated the volume, have done a great job assuring relevant and engaging materials. [End Page 180] E. Nicole Meyer Augusta University (GA) Copyright © 2023 American Association of Teachers of French