Book Preface

Welcome to the Fourth Edition of Deux mondes! We are excited about our new edition, which we believe is our best ever. In this edition we have brought in fresh, new themes of current interest, updated existing themes, and integrated practical new ideas from the field of second-language teaching.

Keeping Pace with the Profession: From Proficiency to the National Standards

Built on the foundation of three highly successful editions, the Fourth Edition of Deux mondes offers a truly communicative approach that supports functional proficiency in all language skills. We believe that competent speakers must have an appropriate background knowledge of the communicative and cultural contexts in which language occurs. Deux mondes considers cultural competence to be an integral part of language learning and integrates it as a part of developing communicative competence by providing natural contexts, and by offering many perspectives on Francophone culture through readings and authentic materials.

Moreover, Deux mondes supports the National Standards, as outlined in Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21^st Century (1996; National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project, a collaboration of the ACTFL, AATG, AATF, and AATSP). As presented in the Standards, the five “C’s” of Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities describe what students should know and be able to do as a result of their language study. Deux mondes provides a solid foundation for their implementation.

Communication: Deux mondes emphasizes communication in meaningful and personalized contexts in the target language. Throughout the program, students listen to and read comprehensible French and have ample opportunities to use French in guided and free conversation, interviews, information gap activities, role-play, writing, and other kinds of activities that are theme-based, not grammar driven.

Cultures: The Info and Les Francophones sur le vif sections present various perspectives on the cultures of the French-speaking world. Dans le monde francophone offers communicative activities based on authentic materials. Throughout the book, students listen to, read, and respond to texts written for or based upon interviews with native speakers.

Connections: Chapter themes and activities encourage and enable students to link their study of French with their personal lives and other subjects they are studying.

Comparisons: Recurring features such as La langue en mouvement, Info, Les Francophones sur le vif and Espace vidéo, and the activities in Dans le monde francophone lead students to make comparisons between their world and that of French-speaking people.

Changes That Make a Difference

Throughout the review process, we received valuable input from instructors and students alike. As a result, we have made a number of changes in the Fourth Edition, without altering the basic concept and approach of Deux mondes.

• Activités et lectures pages have been revised to present a clear system that facilitates easier lesson planning. Each activity is labeled by type, placing it into one of 14 categories (for example, Enquête, Discussion, Casse-tête, Récit). Suggestions for teaching and sample lesson plans for each category can be found in the Instructor’s Manual.
• Many Activités and the readings have been updated to reflect changes in the cultures of the French-speaking world.
• Chapter 8, Parlons de la Terre!, has been extensively revised to reflect the strong interest in environmental issues among Francophone people in Europe and, indeed, people throughout the world.
• Chapter 11, Les moyens de communication, has undergone a thorough revision to accommodate the technological advancements of the electronic age in the French-speaking world and elsewhere.
• The readings have been extensively revised and include two new features: (1) Les francophones sur le vif offers short narratives drawn from responses from native speakers, who relate their personal experiences pertaining to the chapter theme. (2) La langue en mouvement highlights a particular aspect of the French language tied to current Francophone cultures, or the historical and ongoing links between the French and English languages.
• A new feature, Exprime-toi!, offers optional and highly idiomatic vocabulary items for students to use in partner or group discussion activities.
• More visually based activities (some with new realia) have been added to each chapter.
• New web-based features are integrated into each chapter. (1) Cliquez là! is a unique feature that enhances many oral activities and readings in each chapter, encouraging students to use the Francophone web on their own. They can learn more about the Francophone world, pursue their own interests, or experiment with performing tasks such as finding a hotel room or making a purchase. Cliquez là! activities can be assigned as homework or used for personal browsing. The new Deux mondes website (www.mhhe.com/deuxmondes) offers a wealth of additional task-based activities to provide students with more opportunities to practice their language skills as they experience cultural contexts.
• A new video section, Espace vidéo, has been added to each chapter to highlight short, functional language video clips tied to the chapter theme.
• The fundamental scope of the grammar syllabus has been retained. However, some topics have been rearranged in accordance with communicative needs, and we have increased the amount of grammar practice in some cases.