Reviewer Quotes

OVERALL

  • "I am very impressed by the LIAISONS program. The grammar sections are outstanding; the way that vocabulary is presented is engaging and pedagogically sound; the readings are relevant; the film looks interesting, and students are led to think critically and express themselves creatively. I am excited about this book."
    --Stacey Katz, Harvard University.

  • "A well-integrated program that provides a detailed and entertaining introduction to the study of French in a novel and creative manner."
    --Claude Fouillade, New Mexico State University.

  • "A rich and modern textbook trying to address present-day students with intercultural activities and questions that speak to them."
    --Sylvie Blum-Reid, University of Florida.

  • "The vocabulary and grammar presentations are excellent. They provide students with rich resources for skills development"
    --Marvin Gordon, University of Illinois, Chicago.

ACTIVITIES

  • "[The] activities are engaging because the focus is on meaning. This in my opinion is the best part of this textbook. Students are engaged in a real task where they are trying to find information, compare it, organize it, share it, they are observing, deciphering, drawing conclusions, etc. I think the activities are well paced, there is a good flow."
    --Angele Kingue, Bucknell University.

  • "Overall, the activities are engaging and motivate the students to communicate. The book uses current issues and examples relevant to the students' lives."
    --Margaret Dempster, Northwestern University.

  • "[There is an] amazing richness of comprehension-based activities to reinforce vocabulary, structures and communicative functions from this chapter."
    --Valery Wust, North Carolina State University.

VOCABULARY

  • "The thematic vocabulary is outstanding. Students can directly use the new vocabulary while commenting on the pictures above of the "personnages importants." It is just the right balance of number of words."
    --Berenice Le Marchand, San Francisco State University.

SCOPE AND SEQUENCE

  • "Overall, the scope and sequence of this textbook have a definite edge compared to other first-year textbooks I have used because of their creative connections and their reliance on carefully designed [. . .] activities."
    --Lucile Duperron, Dickinson College.

THE FILM

  • "When I started reading the story, I wanted to know the end, I had to keep reading. The story is captivating, one is really drawn into it. I like the mystère, the suspense. It is a true detective story, with the usual high points one finds in a suspense genre. I like the universal nature of the rapport between Claire and her mother. The story will allow for great group discussion"
    --Angele Kingue, Bucknell University.

  • "An engaging storyline of a college student with a family mystery that plays itself out, with hints of malfeasance, madness and romance."
    --Kathryn Murphy-Judy, Virginia Commonwealth University.

  • "I find the storyline engaging and I think that the cliffhangers at the end of each segment will keep students wanting for more. I also like the pace of the movie, making sure it always moves from one location to another will have students wonder where they are going next. It will also make sure that they will know that they will learn more about local culture at every stop."
    --Eddy Cuisinier, Western Kentucky University.

  • "I think it [LIAISONS] could be very useful. I think it would make the language come alive for many students. Having a story line to follow, along with the video, dialogue and intrigue would truly benefit many of the students I have this year."
    --Amelia Bowen, Old Dominion U.

  • "I think they'll [students] love it. The film has mystery, suspense and romantic interest components. This is a type of plot that will engage a student's interest."
    --Marie Level, Baylor University.

WRITING/READING

  • "I was very impressed by the process writing approach. Writing is a difficult skill to incorporate and I love how it is approached in the sample chapter. Giving students a way to organize their thoughts and providing models is an absolute necessity and many books overlook this. I’m thrilled to see this approach to writing in a first-year text! Bravo."
    --Kelly Kidder, Lipscomb University.

CULTURE

  • "I think the strengths of this program are the film and the culture. Bravo! The topics are relevant, engaging, and diverse. The students will definitely be "hooked' by the culture. I also think it's crucial to discuss the importance of the French language in the world so that students will know they are being served by their French study and be motivated to do their best. Good work! The culture is quite ample so instructors can choose the topics they most enjoy if unable to cover all of them . . . "
    --Cheryl Schaile, Texas A & M University.

  • "I really like that the culture is fully integrated as part of the chapter and not in addition of it. It will help the students feel that the culture is truly weaved inside the language. The information is accurate and up to date with what students want to learn. The way culture is presented in this textbook shows that the Francophone world is not limited to France, Africa or Canada. I especially appreciate the fact that it presented Francophones from different walks of life . . . "
    --Eddy Cuisinier, Western Kentucky University.

  • "The integration of culture would be my first reason for choosing the book. It gives a good insight without boring the student will a lot of details. The content is modern, timely and appropriate for the beginner."
    --Patricia Siegel, State University of New York, Brockport.

  • " . . . I think this book does an excellent job at presenting vocabulary through a very thorough and interesting lens of French culture."
    --Nicole Denner, Stetson University.

  • " . . . I have never seen a textbook where the role of francophone culture promises to be so consistently present and where the potential for student interest in francophone culture promises to be so strong. I am excited at this prospect of using this text. . . "
    --Joe Price, Texas Tech University.

  • "This is the first textbook I have ever encountered which deals with real humanitarians in France and in the francophone world! A much needed cultural topic! Thanks for addressing this 'lacune'."
    --Christine Gaudry-Hudson, Millersville University.

  • "In language courses students want relevance to their own lives and their future endeavors. We now live in global communities where the need to develop cross-cultural communication skills is critical. This ability can then be applied across disciplines and career paths. This approach reflects the cutting edge of language pedagogy today. Students need to improve their cultural literacy in order to be more marketable in the future . . . "
    --Lee Slater, Old Dominion University.

GRAMMAR

  • "I like the fact that the grammar is linked to the film--this grammar in context is always useful for students. I am glad to see that you are framing the grammar question with the concept of self-study--this is so important!"
    --Heather McCoy, The Pennsylvania State University--University Park.

  • "Grammar explanations are excellent, simple accessible [. . .] Explanations are progressive and the difficulty and nuances are introduced slowly which makes it less threatening for the learner."
    --Dominique Hitchcock, Riverside Community College.

  • "The grammar explanations are quite accessible because they are succinct and to the point. The grammar activities give ample opportunity to practice."
    --Claudine Giacchetti, University of Houston.

  • "The grammar explanations are beautifully done: they give the broad lines of the concept quite well and yet also offer the type of refining comments and assistance with mental categorizing of them that I have always offered to students. I am seeing some of these important yet tangential explanations for the first time in a text: bravo!"
    --Stephanie Duisberg, Pima Community College NorthWest.

  • "The grammar explanations are excellent: clear, simple and comprehensive without being exhaustive (and exhausting). There are plenty of opportunities to practice in the sample chapter provided, and I was especially pleased to see that idiomatic expressions from more than one French speaking countries were used (and taught) here. Again, this is one of the clear strengths of the manuscript."
    --Jean-Louis Hippolyte, Rutgers University, Camden.

STUDENT FILM SCRIPT REVIEWS/COMMENTS

  • "I actually thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. It was very descriptive and easy to follow [. . .] The characters were very interesting, and were well described. There was a good amount of information on each of them to fully get a feel for their individual roles."
    --Morgen Powell, Virginia Commonwealth University Student.

  • "I do think I would have enjoyed this film as a part of my introductory French classes, I think this is a good way for students to learn. I also like that it integrates Quebec culture, I think that’s important."
    --Sarah Stevenson, Southern Illinois University--Carbondale Student.

  • "I think this film would really be a great film to aid in an Introductory French class. It was exciting, and fun to follow [. . .] It is simple enough to follow along and you want to keep reading (watching in the case of the film). It really would be a great tool for anyone trying to improve their French."
    --Jennifer Haggard, Camden Community College Student.

  • "I would describe the film as an interesting tale of suspense [. . .]. It has an interesting plot and likeable characters, some adventure, and a little romance. It was fun to read. I would enjoy seeing it in an introductory class. It is more interesting than many of the things I had to watch in my beginner French classes."
    --Valerie Lamour, New York University Student.