{"data":[{"id":527,"title":"Recorridos","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2017,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"spa","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"The language of the Siglo de Oro can be an insurmountable barrier for many readers. This textbook provides historical information, narrative techniques, lists of characters, themes and key words before they begin to read each chapter of Don Quixote. While reading, vocabulary glossed in comprehensible Spanish appears in the margin opposite challenging words. Cultural references and proverbs from the work facilitate a deeper understanding. Each chapter contains checks for understanding and ends with activities to build vocabulary. It includes required chapters 1-8, 10, 17 and 74 for AP classrooms.","contributors":[{"id":4422,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Betsy","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Arnold","location":null,"background_text":"Daughter of an international businessman, Betsy grew up immersed in South American language and culture. Inspired, she majored in Spanish at Miami of Ohio, then earned her Master’s in Spanish literature at Kent State. Betsy has been a master AP teacher and has also taught at the college level. Through her teaching years, she continued to expand and refine her skills with summer study abroad experiences with her students. Her frequent summers in Santander, Spain resulted in a summer teaching job at the University of Cantabria. Recognized as an outstanding teacher by her district, students that admired her commitment, expertise, and dedication to their growth packed Betsy’s classes. Active in the world language community, Betsy has served as president of Houston Area Teachers of Foreign Language Teachers and as Team Leader for other Spanish teachers in the schools where she taught."},{"id":4423,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Rose","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Potter","location":null,"background_text":"A life-long student of world languages with a master’s degree in Spanish Literature, Rose has taught all levels of instruction, PreK-16. She served as an AP Spanish teacher, department chair and district foreign language coordinator for Eanes ISD in Austin, Texas. She founded a business to organize college credit study abroad programs for high school students that continues today, SPI Abroad. As a member of Project ExCELL team, she helped write the Texas Foreign Language Standards. Since 2004, Rose has mentored pre-service teachers for the UTeach-Liberal Arts program at the University of Texas at Austin, first as a University Observer and, presently, as an Assistant Clinical Professor. A dynamic presenter, she trains teachers nationally and internationally. The Recorridos project ignites one of her greatest passions, facilitating the student-centered instruction of challenging material."}],"subjects":[{"id":31,"name":"Languages","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"P51","visible_textbooks_count":123,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/languages"}],"publishers":[{"id":463,"url":"http://espanolabierto.org/recorridos/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:40.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:40.000-05:00","name":"COERLL"}],"formats":[{"id":786,"type":"PDF","url":"https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/items/6ee2c52e-1b12-4b48-be5a-7a28f4bd05bb","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1308,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://www.amazon.com/Recorridos-por-literatura-hispana-Aventuras/dp/1937963101/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":4,"reviews":[{"id":3347,"first_name":"Carmen","last_name":"Fernandez Florez","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Grand Valley State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook breaks down in a very comprehensible and engaging manner one of the most important works in Spanish literature. The authors give enough context for students of Spanish as a second language to be able to understand a reading that otherwise can be challenging.\r\nThis book facilitates a student-centered instruction of challenging material, scaffolding not only the vocabulary and grammar, but also the cultural context in which the novel was written.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Despite breaking down the cultural information of an important period of time (Siglo de Oro), the authors summarize the main milestones and literary concepts with great accuracy.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Works such as 'El quijote' will always be relevant, and being able to present this literary piece to today's students in such an attractive manner is definitely valuable.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"While reading the textbook, one can really notice how it was written having the audience (AP students) in mind. The content is clear and every chapter follows the same structure: a reading passage with comprehension checks throughout the reading, glossaries next to the reading, and a final section where the student is asked to produce a more detailed analysis of the reading, including a 'retell the story' section, and an oral activity. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Every chapter follows the same structure and works different skills: reading, writing, and speaking.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text can easily be combined with any other material or textbook the teacher might be using in their course. Chapters are rich in content, but short enough to be able to use them as a side material. At the same time, this textbook is great for content courses (i.e. Spanish literature), but also for other type of courses such as 'Spanish Advanced Composition', 'Advanced Grammar', etc.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topic of the text is presented in a clear manner from the beginning, and the structure of each chapter is consistent throughout the text. This makes it easy to use the whole textbook in a course, or to just use individual chapters since they are clearly organized and, to some extent, independent from each other. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No navigation problems, and all images in the textbook are clear. All the display features help catch the reader's attention.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"All the readings are real/original passages with no grammar mistakes.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This textbook provides a great source for cultural discussions with students. Each of the chapters presents a different reading passage from 'El Quijote', and these texts usually include different vocabulary words and idioms that lead to the different customs of the 17th-Century Spain.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Great resource to engage students in the reading of a masterpiece where students are guided throughout their reading process. This guidance makes the 'Siglo de Oro' and 'El Quijote' accessible and entertaining for a generation whose interests differ from those of Sancho and Don Quijote.","created_at":"2019-12-03T16:37:40.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-03T16:37:40.000-06:00"},{"id":3434,"first_name":"MARIA INES","last_name":"Canto ","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Recorridos es un texto diseñado para los estudiantes del español como segunda lengua de nivel avanzado. Específicamente, se trata de una selección y resumen de los capítulos más representativos de la primera novela en español, El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha. Los capítulos están presentados a manera de edición crítica con el vocabulario más relevante al lado derecho. De igual manera se presentan las ilustraciones de Gustave Dore y otros elementos culturales que tomaron como punto de inspiración la novela de Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.\r\nEste es un buen texto de transición para los estudiantes de español que ya han tenido un curso de gramática avanzada y que desean empezar a trabajar elementos básicos de análisis literario.\r\n","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Recorridos se propone hacer accesible un texto del siglo XVII a un público del siglo XXI. Por tanto, incluye una introducción adecuada que prepara al lector en términos culturales para entender la trascendencia de la novela de Cervantes. Los términos literarios, históricos y culturales presentan un buen marco de referencia que permite al/la profesor(a) expandir o condensar los conceptos que considere relevantes. \r\nDesde una perspectiva histórica decolonial sería útil anotar la doble influencia que representó la llegada a América de los españoles y el proceso de colonización que se llevó a cabo , pues existe esta alimentación mutua entre la ficción y la realidad que se comunica en las Crónicas de Indias y en las Novelas de Caballería. No hay que olvidar que el Buscón —obra de Quevedo que inaugura el Barroco— concluye con su protagonista queriéndose ir a las Indias en busca de otro destino. De igual forma, el proceso de Conquista aparece también referido en el Quijote.\r\nOtra sugerencia sería eliminar las generalizaciones que proyectan una perspectiva idealista. Ejemplo de lo anterior es que el Quijote representa \"el alma de España\".\r\n\r\n","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Recorridos es un texto de gran trascendencia para los nuevos lectores del Quijotes, pues como mencioné anteriormente, la introducción y el vocabulario final constituyen una buena estructura para que el libro se vaya ampliando con actividades y referencias a lo largo del tiempo.  \r\n","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"El texto en español está finamente cuidado.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"El texto incluye actividades que van de lo más sencillo a lo más complejo. Se inicia con preguntas de comprensión lectora enfocadas en contenido y posteriormente se ahonda en elementos discursivos y de análisis literario. Las preguntas son únicamente de contenido, pero lo que sí resulta interesante es que las preguntas de comprensión lectora se distribuyen a lo largo del capítulo y esto permite una lectura pausada y modulada. Cada capítulo se cierra con un ejercicio de vocabulario en donde se provee una lista que completa un párrafo que resume lo acontecido en el capítulo. Es un buen ejercicio de repaso, pero puede tornarse repetitivo.\r\nLa sección de comentarios escritos u orales plantean aspectos intrínsecos del texto en cuanto al manejo de ciertos recursos discursivos o conceptuales. Por ejemplo, el uso de la imaginación y el uso del humor en ciertos capítulos (p. 22). Asimismo, el trabajo de selección del vocabulario es notable.\r\n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"El diseño de las actividades es pausado y se puede dividir y reorganizar fácilmente. El último ejercicio del libro de \"Comentario escrito u oral\" retoma elementos generales de la obra desde la crítica literaria. Por ejemplo: la realidad vs. La fantasía o el idealismo del Quijote, la parodia o sátira de los libros de caballería, la antítesis existente entre Sancho y el Quijote, el humor, los ideales y propósitos del Quijote, la inversión de valores en los personajes y la muerte del Quijote.\r\nAl final del libro se propone una discusión comparativa entre unos versos de La vida es sueño de Pedro Calderón de la Barca y el Quijote, con el fin de mostrar la trascendencia ideológica del Quijote en la literatura posterior.\r\nUna sección que resulta muy sugerente es la de \"Palabras que nacieron con la obra de Cervantes\", pues marca de forma concreta el aporte de la novela a la lengua española.\r\n\r\n\r\n","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Las actividades están bien organizadas y la estructura del libro es consistente. No obstante, en la introducción se hace alusión a la forma de la sátira y la parodia, pero hasta el capítulo 2 no ha habido ningún ejercicio que las nombre directamente. Estos términos están presentes en el vocabulario, pero no hay una sección específica que las trabaje y, aunque se formulan preguntas con respecto a las novelas de caballería que aluden a estas formas discursivas, no hay una elaboración teórica puntual al respecto.\r\nPor otro lado, hay preguntas que podrían aprovecharse para usar estructuras gramaticales como las comparaciones para hacer que el estudiante use la forma con dirección.\r\nLas Cinco C’s de ACTFL: Comunicación, Cultura, Comunidades, Comparaciones y Conexiones están presentes al final de todo el texto y sugieren algunas actividades, pero éstas no están desarrolladas paso a paso en ninguno de los capítulos, por tanto, estas actividades parecen un tanto desconectadas del entrenamiento anterior, pero son una excelente sugerencia para el/la profesor/a.\r\n","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"El texto se maneja fácilmente.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"En español no hay errores gramaticales. Sin embargo, una o dos construcciones podrían tener un fraseo más natural en español, pero nada que impacte el objetivo general del libro.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"El punto cultural está ampliamente desarrollado en la selección del vocabulario, así como los productos y los elementos gráficos que van ilustrando los capítulos. La referencia a la plástica de la época es un aspecto cultural y de realce al texto. De igual forma se incluyen formatos extra-literarios inspirados en el Quijote en los cuales el estudiante puede tener otro tipo de experiencia. En cuanto a las Comparaciones, se propone una investigación de parejas en la literatura que representen la complementariedad de Sancho y don Quijote. En lo que toca a este punto, los ejercicios orales u escritos proponen las comparaciones conceptuales internas de la novela.\r\nOtro aspecto cultural que introduce el libro son las diferentes teorías en torno a la identidad del autor del falso Quijote, lo cual es un dato muy útil para seguir reflexionando sobre la trascendencia de la obra en la literatura en español. Entre los datos relevantes ofrecidos está el siguiente: El Quijote ha sido el libro más publicado en el mundo después de la Biblia ( p. 70).\r\n","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"N/A","created_at":"2019-12-25T22:41:58.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-25T22:41:58.000-06:00"},{"id":4514,"first_name":"Alejandra","last_name":"Rodríguez","position":"Assistant Professor of Spanish","institution_name":"Hanover College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Recorridos afronta la tarea de ofrecer El Quijote de manera abreviada y, sin embargo, atractiva para los estudiantes de AP Spanish. En este sentido, con buen criterio, hace una selección de capítulos que darán al alumno la visión general necesaria para acercarse a la obra. Estos capítulos aúnan partes importantes de la trama, diversión y elementos que invitan al análisis literario. Para el conocedor de El Quijote, o para alguien buscando un libro de contenido más específico resultará carente de episodios ineludibles para entender la transcendencia de la obra de Cervantes. Sin embargo, alcanza todos sus objetivos con respecto al nivel académico al que está destinado, y servirá igualmente para niveles superiores en donde El Quijote sea una unidad del curso y no el contenido completo del mismo, y también como lectura complementaria.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"El libro no contiene errores ni sesgos y su contenido es siempre acertado con respecto a sus objetivos. Se trata de un libro que no se inclina hacia ningún marco crítico concreto, sino que se enfoca en crear un texto que invita al estudiante a adentrarse en el mundo de la literatura en español, y más concretamente en El Quijote. Por ello mismo, deja libertad plena al profesor para que presente el análisis de su elección, ofreciéndole excelentes puntos de partida. Pueden echarse en falta detalles como que no esté listada la libertad entre las materias principales del libro, u otros temas relevantes para las distintas escuelas críticas, pero nada que invalide el texto desde ninguna perspectiva.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Recorridos es un libro de texto muy asequible para los estudiantes, sobre uno de los libros de mayor influencia en la historia de la literatura. Por su objeto, fundamental en la cultura hispánica y occidental, y su presentación, ajustada, precisa, informativa y educativa, se trata de un libro que se mantendrá perfectamente utilizable en el aula durante muchos años.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"El texto está escrito de una manera clara y concisa, y sólo se puede señalar que algunas materias hubieran requerido explicaciones más cercanas a los estudiantes. Por ejemplo, en la exposición sobre conceptismo y culteranismo, probablemente será necesaria la intervención del profesor para transmitir la auténtica dimensión de lo que significan o en lo que consistían esos dos estilos. En otras partes, como por ejemplo en la exploración sobre la quijotización y la sanchificación, las autoras están más presentes y acercan más el contenido al estudiante. No obstante, el hecho de que cada capítulo tenga un glosario de términos relevantes y que las autoras elijan acertadamente asuntos paralelos que complementan los pasajes de El Quijote, contribuyen a la gran claridad que presenta el libro.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"El texto es muy consistente con lecturas de los diferentes capítulos y con ejercicios al final de cada capítulo que afrontan de manera recurrente el trabajo lingüístico, tanto escrito como oral,  creativo y recreativo; también se trabaja sobre el vocabulario, tanto memorísticamente como en contexto. Además de eso, cada capítulo y unidad tiene contenidos nuevos tales como datos complementarios sobre el contexto o el contenido del libro, diferentes actividades animando al estudiante a adentrarse más en la época, una selección de citas memorables de El Quijote e incluso la incursión en el mundo del refrán español.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Mientras que la estructura de Recorridos lo convierte en un libro de texto eficientemente modular, su contenido no facilita tanto la reorganización, puesto que la selección de capítulos forma en gran parte un todo dentro del conjunto de El Quijote. De esta manera, evitar la auto-referencialidad es una tarea imposible, puesto que para entender un cierto capítulo hay que haber leído el anterior y sin lugar a dudas, reorganizar o evitar unidades haría muy difícil la comprensión general de la historia. Sin embargo, dentro de esa especificidad, puesto que Recorridos afronta el estudio de una obra literaria, el carácter del libro en sí está ideado de manera perfectamente modular. No sólo presenta el libro con la división por capítulos original, sino que también incluye posibles pausas de lectura dentro de los mismos capítulos, con preguntas de comprensión por bloques. Esto permite asignar la lectura de los capítulos en varias veces.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Los temas están organizados de manera lógica y clara, con la suficiente repetición como para dotar al alumno de una estructura previsible en su estudio y la suficiente variación para incluir informaciones nuevas e interesantes en las diferentes actividades e informaciones no repetidas de cada unidad. Las unidades presentan actividades que trabajan el aprendizaje lingüístico, literario, e histórico.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Un libro de texto muy fácil de manejar a todos los niveles, con un diseño que se hace amable a la vista y que al mismo tiempo presenta una maquetación muy apropiada para adultos jóvenes.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"El libro no contiene ningún error gramatical, salvo alguna errata comprensible como Avelleneda en la página 70, cuando debería ser Avellaneda.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Recorridos no presenta ningún aspecto culturalmente insensible u ofensivo en ningún aspecto. Muy al contrario, en los ejercicios presenta actividades que invitan a tratar temas relacionados con minorías, trayéndolos al presente, y al mismo tiempo, adentrarse en la cultura y en el mundo en el que nació El Quijote, con sus luces y sus sombras.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-01-05T11:13:55.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-05T11:13:55.000-06:00"},{"id":34714,"first_name":"Ida","last_name":"Day","position":"Associate Professor of Spanish","institution_name":"Marshall University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is designed for the students of advanced Spanish, and covers one of the most important and representative topics of Spanish Literature - Don Quijote. It is a great resource that provides a good overview of the novel, and introduces students to cultural and historical context of the time when it was written. Also, it contains activities for grammar, reading comprehension, and vocabulary practice.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have not found any errors. The content is accurate. The book focuses on the specific area of Spanish literature, and offers an opportunity to discuss the topics from a critical perspective.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book is very relevant since the topic of Don Quijote is timeless and universal - it can be discussed from various perspectives and be applied to any epoch or context. The text contains specific questions to the chapters, and also allows the instructor to elaborate and carry the discussion further. The book can be used for both written assignments and class conversation.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Even though the language of the epoch can be difficult for students, the book provides vocabulary words which makes the reading comprehension easier. The questions to the text are specific and straightforward, which also facilitates understanding. Apart from vocabulary translation and exercises (e.g. filling the blanks), it provides definitions of terms - very useful to promote cultural competence of the students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The structure of the book is consistent. Each chapter contains introduction to the text and follow-up activities. It is organized in a clear way, so students can quickly get used to the structure, and know how to prepare at home and work in class.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is divided into sections. Each one contains certain activities that can be used for written and oral practice. The activities can be easily reorganized, which gives the instructor freedom to select the material he/she wants to cover in class. I liked the specific questions to the reading material, since they provide an overview and allow to assess reading comprehension of the students. After completing these questions, the instructor can proceed the way he/she considers appropriate/useful for the specific class. The text can be easily realigned without presenting disruption.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a clear and logical way. The text contains a variety of activities for practice and review.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is very easy to navigate. Everything is well-presented and organized in a logical way. There is nothing confusing.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not found any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book offers material for cultural discussion. It contains not only fragments of one of the greatest novels ever written, but also vocabulary and terminology relevant to the epoch, as well as visual/graphic material. It gives students an opportunity to deepen their cultural understanding and historical knowledge - to understand Spain's customs and traditions of the Siglo de Oro.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2023-11-01T17:00:34.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-11-01T17:00:34.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/recorridos","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:10:40.000-06:00"},{"id":194,"title":"Liberté","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2003,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"This French book is aimed at a first-year college student. Its features include: Each chapter is built around communicative strategies. Clearly defined objectives in communi- cation, culture, and grammar are given at the start of each chapter, and summary exercises at the end allow students to measure their mastery of these objectives. The exercises in the in-class (A) sections are composed mainly of guided practice and extension activities, along with occasional comprehension checks and comprehensible input. Some further activities are indicated in the instructor's marginal notes. The teacher can provide teacher- directed “setting-the-stage” activities, comprehension checks, and further comprehensible input before beginning each section. Many models are provided to the students to give them a secure context in which to practice their vocabulary before they are asked to produce independent language. The grammar included is explained in a more narrative form and in more detail than is typical for first-year textbooks. The grammar (B) sections should be read by the students outside of class before the communicative activities requiring those grammar points are done in class. By providing more explicit grammatical detail than is usual in a first-year book, the author hopes to stimulate students to reflect on the grammar of their own language as well as of French, helping students to become aware that their study of French is not just about mastery of a new language and culture, but about a more critical view of their own. The amount of grammar is less than is typically contained in a first-year text. The grammar included has been chosen to meet the needs of the communicative goals of each chapter, and these have been selected based on what a student ranking intermediate-low to -mid on the ACTFL oral proficiency scale should be able to accomplish. The grammatical concepts included in this book focus on those that will be needed for the sentences and questions that a typical low-intermediate speaker can form, and those are emphasized repeatedly. The book implicitly and explicitly recycles material from previous chapters on a regular basis, so that students can see their learning as a continual progression rather than as a rush from one grammar point to the next. The book is ideally used in a classroom with internet and projection capabilities; the PDF version of the book contains hyperlinks to video and audio-based activities as well as navigational links to referenced exercises within the text itself.","contributors":[{"id":2993,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Gretchen","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Angelo","location":"California State University","background_text":"Gretchen Angelo teaches French language and literature at California State University, Los Angeles."}],"subjects":[{"id":31,"name":"Languages","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"P51","visible_textbooks_count":123,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/languages"},{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities"}],"publishers":[{"id":75,"url":"http://www.lightandmatter.com/french/","year":2017,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-12-29T21:26:18.000-06:00","name":"Gretchen V. Angelo"}],"formats":[{"id":390,"type":"PDF","url":"http://www.lightandmatter.com/french/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":10,"reviews":[{"id":225,"first_name":"Virginia","last_name":"Pannabecker","position":"Librarian","institution_name":"Virginia Tech","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"First, for anyone interested in this book, click on the 'adopt this book' button to get to the website with the complete version (http://www.lightandmatter.com/french/). The PDF version available for download on the open textbook library site is only a partial version (April 21, 2015). The website (http://www.lightandmatter.com/french/) offers full version (with or w/out answers) for students, and for instructors. *Per this website, the audio recordings used for lab exercises are only available to institutions that adopt the text - upon request to the author.\r\n\r\nLiberte is fully comprehensive as a 1st year French language textbook, and comparable to similar commercially published textbooks in its extent, topic coverage, grammar, vocabulary, and cultural information. \r\n\r\nEach chapter is thorough in content, instructional methods, oral and written practice opportunities, and supplementary materials such as direct links to youtube videos, images, and other materials online. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, error-free, and unbiased. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This content is up-to-date and has been written and illustrated in a way that will make most of it relevant for a long period of time. The copyright is 2003 and there are a few things that should be updated at this point. One example would be one or more of the maps of french-speaking countries where country names and geopolitical boundaries have changed since the book was written. However, such examples are few and the text is written and arranged in a way that would make creating necessary updates relatively easy and straightforward to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This textbook is clear, easy to read, and provides exceptional explanation of terminology, from elaboration on basic vocabulary to definition and explanation of instructional terminology. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"This book uses a consistent structure for each chapter, and consistent methods of presenting information throughout. I would like to see the wonderful 'self-check' sections that fall at the end of chapters 1-4 added in for the other chapters as well.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Not only is the text easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points according to different instructor preferences and teaching contexts, but it also is provided in both a full version and as a set where the full version is broken into thirds - for the purpose of smaller course approaches.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This book presents a well-designed organizational structure, and easily flows from one chapter unit to the next, each building upon the earlier chapters. As noted above in the question about interface, the embedded links allow for easy navigation throughout the book itself, and also to supplementary materials online.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The links embedded within the PDF versions of this text make it easy to move throughout the book, and also outside of the book to supplementary materials online.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not encounter any grammatical errors - in either the explanatory text, or the exercises, activities, or quizzes.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text incorporates examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, nationalities, and backgrounds. It represents the spectrum of francophone regions in the images, contextual examples, and cultural information passages.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"***This book was created with learner-centered, active learning instructional practices in mind. I particularly appreciate the learning objectives that begin each chapter, and even more, the 'self-check' sections at the end of each of the first four chapters. ","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":249,"first_name":"Frédérique","last_name":"Grim","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is a first-year book that can be easily used over 2 semesters in a program. It covers functions necessary to reach intermediate-low to intermediate-mid proficiency (although this proficiency would probably be not be reached until the 2nd year). It is organized in an order that is expected for this content and is easy to follow. It covers all the typical topics covered in 1st-year programs and provides a large range of cultural information.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I did not notice any inaccuracy overall. One aspect that I would have liked to see is the IPA transcription reflecting more the verbal mode, as it was done sometimes but not others (as for (à demain)).\r\n\r\nA few vocabulary words don't seem to represent the current standard word, such as \"séjour\" ou \"salle de séjour\", used less than \"salon\" in France.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book follows well the proficiency guidelines given by ACTFL as well as the 5 Cs. The 5 Cs could be more obviously stated throughout, which could facilitate planning for teachers. This allows the book to be very practical for instructors.\r\n\r\nThere are several cultural instances where questions are asked to make learners compare their own cultures with the ones mentioned in the chapter. Many good questions triggering critical-thinking skill. The particular comparisons mentioned in the text are such that they do not change overtime.\r\n\r\nThe content starts with a focus on words and expands throughout the chapters, adding complexity to the content, the texts and the expectations.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Not too much grammar, which is a good in order not to overwhelm students. It also follows the content that the ACTFL guidelines prescribe for intermediate-low to -mid students would know.\r\n\r\nThere is a clear push for working on pronunciation, with the introduction of the IPA, for which I COMMEND greatly. Maybe beginning books do not emphasize pronunciation as much.\r\n\r\nThe activities are a little bit squished together, making reading them a little difficult to read through the directions and the activities themselves.\r\n\r\nAs mentioned later, the instructions for the activities could be clarified or at least illustrated more often with an example.\r\n\r\nI understand it is an open textbook, so the quality of the images is decent for this situation. There are however a few pictures a little difficult to see in details and some writings difficult to read without zooming in.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is very consistent throughout all chapters. There are the same sections in each chapter, which helps the instructor organize his/her lessons. \r\n\r\nIt also does a good job at recycling material from previous chapters as well.\r\n\r\nOne good example of consistency is the use of the IPA to support pronunciation. However, this means instructors would need to know it. This is a great way to keep pronunciation as consistent and as accurate as possible.\r\n\r\nOverall, the book follows what most textbooks present in term of communicative functions and themes.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"There are many sections in each chapter of the book, which allows for easy use of it. All components of a program is included within this text: the main text, the workbook and lab book. There are some links directly added to view videos. This format makes it for long chapters, but at the same time, all is clumped together. There is also a self-check up at the end of each chapter to see if students are comfortable with the concepts viewed in the chapter. This is a good way to encourage students to reflect on their learning.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Each chapter starts what what students will be able to accomplish, according the the ACTFL proficiency guidelines and based on the national standards, when applicable. It also announces the grammar needed to accomplish those functions.\r\n\r\nSome instructors will be happy to see that the instructions for in-class activities are in French from the start. Although the notes are in English, as well as the grammar and other sections, which are meant to be covered at home. The early sections of each chapters are in French so that the instructor can use those in class without a need to use English. For home practice, the instructions and explanations are in English to be sure the students understand. The cultural tidbits are also in English, which allows students to understand. Nothing prevents the instructor to repeat it in French in class.\r\n\r\n\r\nWith the activities, I think it would be nice if there were more examples before letting students try out. \r\n\r\nThe grammar section is in English and long, but the goal is for students to prepare at home with as many details as possible and a few activities to practice. It would be imperative to have a system that strongly encourage students to read ahead of time, in order to have a class solely based on communication.\r\n\r\nThe lab and workbook activities are also integrated in the same manual. However, it wasn't clear on how to access the audio section. The activities in the workbook did not always seem to be clearly explain. When it asks to use an adjective to complete sentences, it would be helpful for the learners to see what type.\r\n\r\nOverall, the textbook is well-organized and predictable since it follows the same format throughout each chapter.\r\n","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text is linked to a few videos (Youtube videos) and links that allows the learners to navigate through the book.\r\n\r\nThe videos (youtube) are on cultural topics (in English and in French).\r\n\r\nBesides the videos, which are not numerous, there is not much audio support for outside work. The lab manual comes with some audio (if textbook adopted), but otherwise, this might be a place where more support could be developed.\r\n\r\nThis book is not easily applicable to a Hybrid class, unless the instructor is willing to create a significant amount of auxiliary material, since this textbook does not come with an online platform.\r\n\r\n","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The grammar is accurate and covers the major aspects needed to reach intermediate-low to intermediate-mid proficiency. It is greatly detailed to provide as many opportunities for students to understand it, and in particular, it is in English to help with comprehension.\r\n\r\nThere are quite a few comparisons with the American cultures and English grammar, which is a great way to make an impact on students. \r\n\r\nThere are sometimes many grammatical aspects to be studied in one chapter (as the past and future tenses in the last chapter), which might make acquisition difficult as learners might feel overwhelmed. More practice might be helpful.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The culture aspects are well developed. Except for a few older pieces, the information is accurate, interesting and relevant. There are many cultural windows offering a wide range of information. Some of the windows are linked to a video that brings more meaning to the content.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, it is a good text. I believe there could be a stronger communicative component added to it via the activities. There are good communicative and open-ended activities but not many. Instructors will need to add a few more proficiency-based activities in order to push their students.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":297,"first_name":"Robert","last_name":"Sanders","position":"Assoc. Prof. of Spanish (BA French, PhD Spanish, 10 years experience directing a large first year Spanish program)","institution_name":"Portland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Note: Using the “Adopt this book now” link will take you to the most recent edition.\n\nA student edition with and without answer key and a teacher’s edition with and without answer key are available. I reviewed the teacher’s edition with answer key, last updated April 7, 2015. The scope and sequence are very good; the material covered is everything one would expect from a first-year text. It is organized around communication, culture and grammar, as described in the introduction. Its twelve chapters can be easily divided into two semesters, three trimesters or four quarters. The TOC is clear and fairly detailed, although there is no chart or table of scope and sequence at the beginning nor is there an index, glossary or verb charts such as one often finds at the end of basic language texts. \n\nSome highlights include: the instructions to the teacher are quite good; the “lab manual,” a workbook or manual of activities expected perforce with basic language textbooks is integrated into the textbook, with each chapter’s worth of exercises appearing at the end of the chapter (this is particularly good for modularity); there is an answer key (available to students as well) at the end of each chapter rather than at the end of the book (also good for modularity); and the International Phonetic Alphabet is introduced early on, as key vocabulary in each chapter is presented with its IPA pronunciation (there are also summary lists of key vocabulary at the end of each chapter, as one would expect). Also, the text takes advantage of freely available video on the web, which is generally of good quality.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have a bachelor’s degree in French literature, so I won’t comment on the accuracy of the French or the explanations, but I directed a first-year Spanish program at a large state university for ten years, so I do feel qualified to say that the presentation of material appears very effective.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Most of the content of the text concerns language, longstanding patterns of usage and culture, both in terms of famous artists and behavioral culture. Therefore the text has pretty good longevity. An example of something that might easily be eliminated without harming the content is the rate of exchange for the Euro on page 23.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Again, I only have a bachelor’s degree in French literature, so I won’t comment on the French, but the English presentations and explanations are cogent and accessible. This is particularly true of the grammar explanations, which students are expected to study at home. The author explicitly seeks to create a culture of grammatical awareness in both English and Spanish.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The chapters are very consistent, as is required for texts of this type. The chapters do gradually shorten, from about 75 pages in each of the first chapters to about 45 pages in each of the last chapters. This is not surprising for a first year language text as students are gradually required to produce more language themselves (writing and speaking prompts, and the exercises and activities that contain them, become shorter while students produce more language in response to them).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The fact that the lab manual or workbook is integrated into each chapter and the answer keys (if you chose one of the editions with answers keys) appear at the end of each chapter make this text much more modular than most texts on the market. The fact that it is generally free and the text videos are available online make modular use of this book quite possible. The audio for the integrated lab manual is currently only available from the author (this is expected to change in 2016); the author provides the audio files free of charge for partial and complete adoptions.\n \nI think this text is about as modular as I would be willing to accept. First year language programs require texts whose material is highly integrated, that is to say that material previously presented, practiced and explained becomes subsumed or repeated in later chapters. This “spiraling” refreshes student memory and helps students develop more complex patterns of expression by combining more discrete expressions acquired in previous chapters. In other words, it is not advisable in a language program to combine many individual chapters from different texts into a pastiche. Nonetheless, any of the chapters in this book could easily be used for review or to bolster a non-traditional language program for which one did not want to adopt a complete text, such as a short term study abroad program to a French speaking country (eg. a SA course on aging in francophone Africa or architecture in France). ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization flows very naturally and in accordance with ACTFL proficiency tasks, starting with the most immediate context (self, others, people, objects, classroom, family, work) and ending with the more abstract (past, future, commands).","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"This is the area where lack of development spending by a publisher is most notable. The line art (illustration) is pretty good and the text makes great use of freely available video and photography. I would have no hesitation in adopting this book, but a few things that could be addressed include: \n\nColor and style scheme: This textbook is very plain and although well organized, it would benefit from more color and style design. Basic language texts are highly structured, with many thematic sections (dialogues, grammar presentations, cultural observations, listening practice, etc.) that repeat in each chapter. Using a color and style scheme makes these sections more readily identifiable and speeds familiarity with the text for teachers and students. \n\nVideo links: I reviewed the .pdf as available on lightandmatter.com. There are numerous video clips in the textbook. The videos are on YouTubeTM and generally have 240p resolution, which is low for a desktop and is not the best quality, but works well on mobile devices because of the low demand for data. They worked well on my iPad, iPhone and PC desktop. The video settings in YouTubeTM allow the student to slow the playback to half speed, and YouTube’s software does a pretty good job of preventing audio distortion. The content of the videos is very good, culturally relevant, and is of native speakers of French. Some of the videos have ads. I would suggest using a visual style clue in the text to indicate the presence of links to videos, in addition to the word “clip”—there are also other videos linked in the text without any indication of a link other than the pointer switching to link on mouse over; links should be more prominent and a styling cue will help the user know if their device is failing to detect the link. Following the links on my desktop did not open a new window or a new tab, and as a result navigating back to the textbook always take one back to page one. Following the links on Apple mobile devices allows the videos to be opened in YouTube’s app, so you don’t lose your page in the textbook.\n\nAudio links: The audio to accompany the integrated lab manual is pretty good and the actors are native speakers. I would feel comfortable assigning it. To get access to the audio for the integrated lab manual, you will need to contact the author. She plans to have all of the audio online at lightandmatter.com by the end of 2016 so that contacting her will not be necessary. She also plans to rerecord some of the audio clips for better quality and to update any dated material. Each audio file covers an entire chapter, and is 15 to 60 MB, generally too large for mobile devices. Access to the files is currently provided through Drop BoxTM, requiring users to create a free account. It would be nice for these audio files to segmented and linked in the text at each exercise, and without the Drop Box intermediary. \n\nTypesetting: The typesetting is pretty good. I would suggest using a smaller font in the margin note textboxes; this will alleviate some of the issues arising from full justification in such a narrow space and will further distinguish the notes from the body text. \n\nI am sure the author is still working on cleaning up a few typos, such as: many of the side notes to the student and Au professeur there is a space before the colon and this should be removed; there were some margin notes in which “note” was written in italics and I’m not sure if this was intentional; on page 18, in the box containing “Grammaire: Voir B.3 “Le verb être,” page 42,” “être” should be italicized; on page 21, the asterisks in the center of the Bingo tables need to be centered horizontally and vertically; the portraits on page 25 need to be the same size; on page 40, in the body text and margin note, “tu” and “vous” in “Tu and Vous” should probably be italicized (talking about words as words); on page 49 the Au professeur note overlaps the table; the margin note on page 50 should read “…use of “four score” (“four score and seven years ago”) in the Gettysburg Address”; the last sentence on page 87, about the Marseillaise, needs a period; the Au professeur note on page 170 is set below the page; text in the vocabulary note on page 214 is overset outside the textbox; on page 519 the body text is overset on the right margin; on page 521 text is overset in the margin note; on page 523 there are some issues with the display of the table and images.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I will only comment on the English in the text and on punctuation, as I only have a BA in French (and a PhD in Spanish). I did not see any grammatical or orthographic errors. I think the text has been pretty well proofed, despite a few typos mentioned above.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Liberté presents important behavioral, historical, social and demographic information and encourages culturally appropriate verbal and paraverbal communication practices as well as an appreciation of francophone communities. The book is inclusive of francophone peoples in the Americas, Europe and Africa. I did not see any insensitive material in the book. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I am amazed that a book of this quality is available for free. If I taught first year French (I directed a large first-year Spanish program for ten years) I would very seriously consider adopting this book, and I congratulate the author for single handedly bringing it together. \n\nI think the author will continue to improve this book and its adoptions will grow. The only area of concern I have are the audio files; they work pretty well but will need to be segmented and compressed for future mobile users.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":873,"first_name":"Frank","last_name":"Anselmo","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Louisiana State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Gretchen Angelo offers a fine French-language book that is very thorough and precise and without any major or noticeable flaws in the information presented regarding grammar, phonetics, and culture.  The only flaw with this work, however, is Angelo’s stated intention that this is book will facilitate a communicative approach to teaching the target language.  In the first line of Angelo’s Introduction, she states: “Each chapter is based around communicative strategies.” (9)  If the main objective of using a communicative approach is to eliminate the use of the student’s native language and minimize the need to explain grammar details (especially the finer points of grammar or exceptions to common use), then this work falls short of this objective being that the use of both English and of extensive grammar explanations is more akin to a traditional approach to language instruction.  \n\nTo her credit, Angelo admits that more grammar detail is offered in this work than is typical of a first-year language book: “The grammar included is explained in a more narrative form and in more detail than is typical for first-year textbooks. […] By providing more explicit grammatical detail than is usual in a first-year book, the author hopes to stimulate students to reflect on the grammar of their own language as well as of French, helping students to become aware that their study of French is not just about mastery of a new language and culture, but about a more critical view of their own.” (9) While this approach may be fine in a setting in which it is the professor’s intention to employ a traditional approach to teaching language (and I will admit that the grammar that Angelo presents is thorough and accurate), I am not convinced that this book can be wrapped (so to speak) in a “communicative” package.\n\nMoreover, when Angelo presents the “communicative” material in the earlier chapters, she runs into two common problems that are not easy to resolve: the use of French that is beyond the student’s initial ability to comprehend and the use of English to present culture.  If this were to be a truly communicative approach, I would suggest that the author simplify the French and eliminate the cultural passages until this material can be presented both entirely and effectively in the target language.  \n\nIn the first case (French beyond the student’s comprehension level), I notice that many unfamiliar words are used in directions as early as the second chapter: refaire/donner/prendre/chaque (to name a few).  This would probably only cause confusion and frustration in the class, forcing the professor (I imagine) to resort to English to explain the directions.  \n\nIn the second case (using English to present culture), it seems that it would be perfectly acceptable to wait to introduce the culture until the students are more capable of understanding the language in order to avoid the excessive use of English in the “communicative” sections.  In one particularly interesting instance in which this flaw comes to light, links are given to two clips that explain “faire la bise” in the first chapter.  In one clip, a Swiss man explains the practice entirely in language that a beginning student could never hope to comprehend.  In the other clip, a young man from New Zealand is seen and heard speaking with a native French speaker.  While the skit is amusing, it is very odd that the fellow from New Zealand speaks English to the French man while the French man responds in French with English subtitles on the screen.  It’s a very unnatural and peculiar form of communication and is not at all indicative of the objectives of a “communicative approach.”  If this textbook is truly to be a “communicative approach” to introduce the target language, then neither clip is all that effective in the first chapter; in the first case, the language is far too advanced for the student and, in the second case, it is not realistic communication.  When Angelo introduces cultural material in French in chapter two, she again resorts to French that is beyond the student’s ability at this level; after discussing several differences between American and French homes, the author states: “peut-être qu’un jour, vous les observerez!” (87) This seems to me to be an inopportune moment to introduce the simple future or direct object pronouns to a beginner.\n\nIn one very peculiar case, Angelo even seems to apologize to her student users for French being difficult.  When introducing numbers from 60 to 100, for instance, the author states: “it is unfortunately best for you to learn the harder system, because that is what is used by the vast majority of French speakers.”  (49) While her point may be correct with regard to these numerals, this still does not seem like a very motivating strategy to convince beginning language students to continue their studies; it might be better to remove “unfortunately” and “harder” from the beginner’s textbook if one is to encourage students to pursue their interest in the target language.\n\nAngelo also does an very thorough job of introducing French phonetics; however, her one flaw is that she assumes either too much prior knowledge of the Internal Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) or a young student’s natural interest in the minutia of phonetics and thus offers (like her grammar section) information that is far to complex or detailed for a beginning student. For instance, when trying to offer the student pronunciation guidance with the French word “sérieuse” in the first chapter, the author gives: [se rjøz] (52).  I am not so sure that many college freshmen in the United States would quite know what to do with this information even though (admittedly) Angelo does attempt to explain the IPA symbols later in the chapter.  Angelo also uses a footnote in this section to explain a case in which liaison is used but admits that such cases are rare; when using the “communicative approach” to teaching language, it seems as though it would be more effective if one did not bring rare cases or exceptions to the attention of the students but focused instead on common usage; the student can figure out the exceptions to the rules later on. In another case, while trying to instruct the English-language student how to produce the difficult /y/ sound in French, she offers the following advice: “To pronounce the single letter “u,” round your lips tightly as if to say [o] but say [i]. This sound does not exist in English.” (34) Here again, I am not so sure what a college freshman in the United States would do with such information, especially if this student is still not aware that the vowel sound /i/ is pronounced differently in English and French ~ a pronunciation fact that many American students still struggle with even after four semesters of college French.  \n\nIt is also regrettable that Angelo, who seems to be a fine grammarian, resorts to using what she calls informal English when presenting comparative forms, such as in the case of “He is taller than me.”  (321) Granted, the author does use footnotes to explain herself in each instance, but she is clearly conflicted about this herself if she has to excuse her use of “informal” (or what some grammarians might even call “incorrect”) English.  Given how thorough her explanation of grammar is, one would have to assume that the English speaker using this textbook would not be confused by the correct use of English grammar.\n\nThe most disappointing aspect of this book for me, however, is the use of English mnemonic devices to teach the target language. In one instance, Angelo uses the English mnemonic “CaReFuL” to explain when these final consonants of –c, -r, -f, and –l are not pronounced.  The use of such “tricks” (as she calls them herself) seems counterintuitive to me if one were sincere about using a “communicative approach” to teaching the target language.  The most disappointing use of an English mnemonic device was when the author used “MRS. P. VADERTRAMP","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The material presented in this book is extremely accurate and correct; I would just suggest that it be simplified if this were to be used as a truly communicative textbook for beginners and (especially) that many of mnemonic devices (“tricks,” as Angelo describes them) be eliminated. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The information in this book is relevant and up-to-date; however, the images of many of the politicians pictured here will soon have to be updated.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"It seems to me as though the book is more appropriate to a student with a more advanced knowledge of the language (especially regarding the detailed grammar and phonetics sections) than is typical of a first-year student in the United States.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is very consistent in terms of the terminology used and the material presented; it presents all that one would expect to find in a first-year French language textbook ~ in fact, much of it could be simplified if this were to be used as a true first-year “communicative” textbook.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter in the textbook is clearly divided into “communicative” activities and a very thorough grammar section (all in English). The grammar sections contain very detailed information on French phonetics.  Much of the information presented in the grammar and phonetics sections could probably be used in more advanced courses just so long as the professor does not mind presenting this material in English and is open to the mnemonic suggestions for learning proper French grammar and pronunciation.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook presents the material in a gradually progressive manner within an expected organization of any first-year language textbook; the “communicative” sections of the first two or three chapters, however, might be difficult to teach and should be simplified.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There are many links that allow the reader to progress to subsequent parts of the book.  This was especially true of the material that appeared in the earlier “communicative sections” of the book should the student want additional information about the grammar or the pronunciation of the information presented.  It was, however, difficult to return easily to the section/page that one had originally left to find the extra information in the first place.  I also had trouble finding common words in my search bar.  For instance, “sérieux” provided not finds.  A search for “fenêtre” brought me to a picture of dog sitting on a windowsill in Paris but could not locate any other uses of the word in the textbook.  Also, the reference for footnote #7 in Chapter 6 was labeled as #6, which created some confusion. (324) ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Angelo’s English grammar and French grammar are both very good; the author expresses herself clearly and correctly.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The textbook is culturally relevant in all the ways that one would expect a 21st-century textbook to be.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"No.","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1134,"first_name":"Peter","last_name":"Eubanks","position":"Associate Professor of French","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all of the usual material addressed in the first two semesters of a university French language course.  The grammar coverage is quite comprehensive, and I particularly appreciate the wide array of cultural notes introducing students to important aspects of French and Francophone culture.  There is no index (though there is a very helpful Title Page) and there is no glossary.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, error-free, and unbiased.  It needs to be continually updated; there were a small handful of outdated references and anachronisms, but these can easily be fixed.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date, and with regular updates and reviews it will remain relevant (particularly where certain cultural notes and contexts are concerned).  The grammar itself is timeless.  To make this textbook more up-to-date pedagogical trends, I would like to see more use of film (short films or feature-length), and to see these updated every few years.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is exceedingly clear and well-organized.  I appreciate very much that the beginning of each chapter states very clearly what the learning objectives for the chapter are.  The use of English in this case will be very helpful for first-year French learners.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is very consistent, employing a \"spiral\" method in which certain materials are recycled throughout the text in order to help students to gain mastery through repetition.  Like any good textbook, the material builds on itself throughout the book.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text materials can easily be divided into subunits suited to the instructor's purposes, who may easily pick and choose which materials to use or not to use.  The book is not overly self-referential and easily divisible into specific exercises, projects, or emphases.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization is excellent.  The chapters are neatly divided into grammar, vocabulary, cultural, and oral exercise sections.  The presentation of these materials is consistent and predictable, which makes learning the material easier.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface is generally excellent.  There were occasional red marks and other awkward signs on the PDF version that I pulled up (2014 version), but spacing, navigation of materials, and clarity of visuals were all excellent.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors.  The overall coverage of the grammar is excellent.  The book covers everything I would hope to cover in the first two semesters of introductory French (and then some!) in terms of grammar.  I wish there were more emphasis on vocabulary, however.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.  It makes an effort to discuss Francophone culture outside of metropolitan France, but I would like to see more authentic cultural readings and notes, even at the first-year level.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I would like to see more integration of film and music.  I would like to see more cultural texts, especially authentic ones (not always artificially constructed texts created specifically with this textbook in mind).  I would like to see a greater emphasis on vocabulary.\n\nThe grammar coverage is excellent, the organization is clear and predictable (which is very helpful for our first-year French learners), the exercises are very useful, and I like the emphasis on oral learning exercises.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2137,"first_name":"Denzil","last_name":"DeSouza","position":"Senior Manager","institution_name":"The Open University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This e-book aims to achieve the intermediate low-mid ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) standard for students. It certainly has achieved this primary objective covering the four pillars of language learning: Speaking, Writing, Listening (Understanding) and Reading, using various multimedia techniques and phonetic transcriptions.\n\nThe book is clearly written for English language speakers and does a very effective job of explaining in English where necessary, whilst at the same time running activities French.\n\nThe table of contents is effective, structured and clear, however there is neither an index nor a glossary which would have probably made studying the book much easier.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is extremely accurate without any noticeable errors. The author has taken care to explain the French language in detail (in English) to students, so that they are fully understanding of the language's intricacies; e.g. gender, pronunciation, and writing techniques. It is based on \"Standard French\", as spoken ion Central France, which is understandable to all French speakers around the world.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Having studied French language and culture since 1972, I think that the contents of this book won't become obsolete very soon. Whilst French as any other language will always evolve, the level that this book is aimed at, would always that it forms the foundation, of further study.\n\nIn addition the digital assets could be amended where necessary; e.g. the YouTube video explaining \"la bise\". \n\nIt's longevity is self-evident as it was published in 2003 and is still both appropriate and relevant today.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is very clear in its structure and formatting. Each chapter starts with the objectives, then continues with exercises and activities and a contextualised vocabulary update. A grammar section follows, with a  lab exercise and summary. The final section contains a set of revision exercises, nicely rounding off the chapter and ensuring the objectives have been ,et.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is exceptionally consistent, which is always a benefit to students. As they work through the materials they get to know what to expect and are able to plan their studies accordingly. In addition it also clearly helps any French tutors to plan their teaching if they intend to use the book.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The author has structured the book in a very elegant manner for electronic usage. I've been analysing it using Books on an iPad. Each page can fit snugly onto the iPad and can be easily turned.(in portrait mode). As such the reader is able to literally study a page at time. The author has also made good use of side-bars contains tips and hyperlinks to and stand-alone tables containing the words, phonetic transcriptions, and meanings, etc.\n\nThe author has also effectively used both photos and drawings to point out various situations. She has also used symbols to guide the reader as to what the text refers to. For example a partner symbol designates a conversation or exercise in pairs and a microphone symbol refers to interviewing people.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics selected for the book are excellent and relate to \"la vie quotidienne\" in France. They also compare favourably with other study materials I have encountered since I started studying French in the 1970s. The materials are also very relevant , utilising French names, Francophone countries, photos, newspapers and places of interest. It is a pleasure to read.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book's interface is immaculate. As I said I've used and iPad with iBooks software and there are no navigation problems The search facilities find words and phrases without difficulty, including metadata to find photos.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors at all, neither in the French language nor the English language. This is testament to the dedicated work the author has clearly put into writing the materials.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book is culturally relevant. Whilst there are references to Francophone countries, including those in Africa and North America it can also be argued that it is \"France-centric\". Examples are the holidays referred to in one of the exercises relate to France.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I would definitely recommend this book as a text for foundation level at university or \"A Level\". Even though it is written in the USA for an apparent American audience, the author displays a definitive knowledge of the French language and culture.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2569,"first_name":"Christopher","last_name":"James","position":"Assistant Professor of French","institution_name":"Bridgewater College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers the areas and ideas appropriately. However, one weakness of the book is the absence of an index or glossary. Each chapter contains a helpful vocabulary reference sheet, but the book as a whole does not have this. One reason, perhaps, is that the .pdf version of the book is fully searchable, and other online dictionaries exist and are quite useful. Still, an index in particular would be helpful.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book is accurate in its explanations of grammar topics, most vocabulary, and cultural topics. No bias is detectable. Although every French learner’s textbook contains individual quirks of the author, they are not detrimental at all to this book’s objective.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date, impressively so. This may be one of the great strengths of the book, in that the author updates it at least every three years. Although 2003 is listed above with the book's title, it was updated in 2017. The updates made are appreciated, especially in a communicative language course, with names and references the students will understand. Also, cultural articles can be easily updated, e.g. evolving family structures and workers’ rights.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The grammatical explanations in each chapter are quite clearly written. At times, there could be more examples given as illustrations, but offsetting this is the presence of many comprehension-check activities for the students to do as they study. The explanations are readable, and written in prose not typical of introductory second-language textbooks, which tend to be much more bullet-point-oriented and choppy. Also, the mini-vocabulaire boxes in the margins of reading passages and communicative activities are small enough not to be overwhelming to the task but well-chosen for effectiveness.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The language of the text is internally consistent. What is especially useful in this first semester of teaching using the textbook is the consistent structure of each chapter. The author does an admirable job of organizing disparate and varied material – grammatically, in terms of vocabulary, cultural content – within a recognizable and easily-mastered structure.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The grammar sections are reasonably divided. Each chapter contains 8-10 grammatical subtopics (as opposed to many textbooks’ 4-6), which makes for smaller chunks that can be assigned in pieces. I find the smaller-sized pieces of grammar helpful, because it allows me the flexibility to change the order of assignments or to pair sections of the chapter that make sense together.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"As mentioned in the clarity and consistency sections, the book is well-organized. It follows a nicely-graded path of increasing complexity and is presented very clearly and logically. ","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The text excels in this regard, as it is very easy to navigate to other places in the text. Those places are clearly marked, and all the links between pages that I have tried have worked. The one complaint I have is that it is often hard to go back – and find the exact place where I left off. For example, if a grammar topic has been referenced before in a previous chapter, I can quickly and accurately jump there. However, there is one glaring weakness. Once having jumped somewhere else in the book, unless I had made a note of the page number I was on, there is no ‘BACK’ button, as an online interface would have. In other words, within the .pdf format, it is an easily navigable text to jump around. I would like to know if other options could be explored in order to jump back to where I just was before I clicked away.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I have found no typos or grammatical errors so far in the book.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"One of the first videos, an external link to a Youtube clip, is not inclusive in its content. I should make very clear that the book’s author is not responsible for the creation of the video, but it does contain a rather insensitive remark from a male about the way French males might greet each other with kisses on the cheeks. I have not done searches on “la bise”, but imagine there would be other videos available that might be less potentially offensive.\r\nIn the other cases, the videos are culturally sensitive, and inoffensive.\r\n","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"All in all, this has been a good book to use, and students are grateful for it as a resource. My class section is well-organized, and I think the book’s clarity is in part to thank for that. I will adapt the materials, to be sure, but there is plenty here that is workable in order to meet course objectives while defraying student textbook costs. I am in hopes that I might develop more cultural materials, but one nice part of an open-source textbook is that it does not feel like we are wasting ineffective resources; instead, we can personalize (and continue to update) the authentic cultural materials used in class, based on evolving student interests.","created_at":"2019-02-14T22:23:46.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-02-14T22:23:46.000-06:00"},{"id":3417,"first_name":"pierrette","last_name":"SANSONE","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Earlham College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook covers the material needed for students to reach the level of advanced beginners. It includes grammar points that cover the indicative and conditional moods.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book was published in 2003, so most of its cultural references to politics, the media, entertainment, and culture are outdated. \r\nIt could include more references to French-speaking countries, but the author specifies that the language used as a reference is what is spoken in France.\r\nThe book's format is fairly conservative (the fonts, colors, layout, etc.). \r\nThe books contains almost no errors and the French is excellent.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The structure and progression of the book is solid, but the cultural references (Charlemagne) as well as some of the exercises (doing math in French) could be updated. The problem is that the book needs so many updates, partly because the book has become so large, it might be impractical to do.\r\n","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The grammar explanations are explicit and thorough, including information about the history of the language, which makes reading them pleasurable and different from the explanations in many other books.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is internally consistent; I found no errors in this respect. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Learning a language is a cumulative process so this question does not really apply to most chapters. But for some tasks (learning how to ask about the time, talking about the weather, etc.) it is quite doable.\r\n","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The topics are introduced in a logical fashion with a gradual and carefully paced progression in the introductions to the past tenses (i.e., passé composé is introduced in chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7, and imparfait in chapter 9).","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Does not apply to this textbook.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"This is the strong point of Liberté. Though the book says that it uses the communicative approach, it remains an excellent reference book for learning the language in a more traditional manner. There are no errors in the book.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"More modern manuals portray more ethnic and gender diversity in their examples. This is probably the weakest point of Liberté; it does not recognize or incorporate the most recent changes in society and it is ethnocentric.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I have found a number of good activities and excellent explanations in the book that I would love to use for students of mine who need a good grounding in linguistics. The book is not immersive and communicative enough, however, for the active language classroom that I wish to create. I could use Liberté as a supplement in my courses, but not as the primary textbook. ","created_at":"2019-12-20T13:56:44.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-20T13:56:44.000-06:00"},{"id":4406,"first_name":"Sudarsan","last_name":"Rangarajan","position":"Professor","institution_name":"University of Alaska Anchorage","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all the areas taught in a two-semester first year college French course. There are twelve chapters each composed of three sections: Activities, Grammar and Lab Wroksheet and Review. Each chapter includes French-English vocabulary at the end of section 1.\r\nEach chapter focuses on a theme of interest and use to a beginner.  The book incorporates the four major objectives of learning a foreign language: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Cultural understanding. The grammar topics are manageable and not excessive for a first-year textbook. In general, the exercises a written well. Chapters 1-4 conclude with a self-check section that students can use to make sure they have understood the materials covered.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The material presented in the book is quite accurate. Although I have not closely read the entire book, I noticed one minor error. On p. 198, in Ex A1.1, on the left-hand column, in #10 the word \"pour\" should be deleted.\r\n\r\nSome choices in exercises may be eliminated to avoid controversial responses. For example, on p. 25, Ex A.5.4, \"Barack Obama and la guerre d'Iraq\" in the left-hand column and \"stupide\" in the right-hand column could be changed. On p. 26, one of the questions that students must ask their classmates is: \"Tu es impolie?\" (\"Are you impolite?\"). Under no circumstance one would ask another person if s/he is impolite. I understand the author meant it in jest. But still ...","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Relevance in foreign language textbooks relates to cultural content. The sections on culture are generally presented well. Updates should be easy to incorporate.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Overall the text is clear and accessible to students. Whenever needed the author provides an explanation of a difficult term in the margin.\r\nSome explanations are redundant. For example, on p. 13, in ex A 1.3, instructors can do without the diagrams explaining how the students should move around.\r\n  \r\nSometimes the author tends to be verbose.\r\n\r\np. 43, B 3.2 is unnecessary. It should suffice to present the verb être as irregular as the author does in the preceding section.  \r\np. 51, B 7 Gender of adjectives. The explanation needs to be concise. Just stating that \"In French adjectives must agree with the gender and number of the noun they describe\" should be sufficient. The comparison with verb conjugation is unnecessary.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book presents each chapter in more or less the same way. The pattern is easy to follow and there are no surprises.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter consists of sections that are short and numbered with subtitles/intertitles. Instructors should have no problem dividing and assigning them as homework or teaching them.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Most of the material is logically and clearly presented. \r\n\r\nHowever, there is at least one instance where a concept that is taught later in the book is used in an earlier chapter. The comparative is fully introduced in Chapter 4. But, in Chapter 2, students are asked to compare people by age using the comparatives \"older than\" and \"younger than.\" The comparative can be avoided in the latter context.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface for the most part is very good. \r\n\r\nThere is at least one instance where the picture does not correspond to the audio. The author notes in the margin on p. 129 (C.3.1): \"the drawing has been changed but the recording has not yet: pretend there are two beds.\"","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Overall, the French grammar presented is very good. This reviewer noted one error. On p. 198, A 1.1, in #10 (left-hand column), the word \"pour\" should be deleted.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Cultural material as presented in the book is inclusive. The major French-speaking regions are represented.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The author may consider writing a separate instructor's manual. Also workbook may be expanded and published separately.","created_at":"2020-11-27T22:18:47.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-10T16:00:50.000-06:00"},{"id":4629,"first_name":"Claire","last_name":"Holman","position":"French/Spanish Lecturer/Early College Faculty Facilitator","institution_name":"University of Southern Maine","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Positives - \r\n- comprehensive, communicative approach\r\n- thoughtful cultural information in each unit -- students get a full first-year French course\r\n- audio files for oral exercises available from the author when the textbook is adopted. \r\n- well-organized and easy to follow\r\n- students can buy a print-on-demand copy very cheaply\r\n- answer keys included\r\nNegatives\r\n- only available as pdf or print-on-demand so there is no option for auto-correct of exercises and the like","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Gretchen Angelo's Liberte  (volumes I and II) is an excellent resource. We have used it for about 4 years as our first-year French textbook. The textbook is available online in pdf form and accessible to all. In addition, we ask our students to purchase the paper copy through the print-on-demand publisher, Lulu, students. The cost comes out to about $11-$15 dollars per semester. Having the actual text pays off in that students can use the textbook as a workbook as well.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Updated in 2017, the book is still up to date.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Well-organized and easy to follow. Students can easily catch on to the organization of the chapters.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Completely consistent. Each chapter contains activities and readings with cultural information, vocabulary, grammar and listening exercises and answer key.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"As a first-year French language textbook, modularity is a low-level concern. That said, though the chapters build one upon the other, any one could be taught separately.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"With a minimum of explanation, students and new instructors can easily become familiar with the organization of the text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text has numerous links to images and videos (Youtube).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammatical explanations are easy to understand and well-explained, and well-suited to a flipped classroom approach, if desired. Though there are a few typos, overall the proofreading has been thorough and in my experience, students are so delighted at the very, very low price (for the print-on-demand version) that typos are easily overlooked.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"A strength of Liberte is that it does not only focus on metropolitan France, but includes readings and activities related to a wide range of regions and countries in the Francophone world. Of the OER French resources I have seen, Liberte does the best job in presenting French as a language of many cultures and places in the world.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Many thanks to author Gretchen Angelo for her excellent work and progressive thinking in making this textbook available as an open education resource. Bravo!","created_at":"2021-02-20T16:10:44.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-02-20T16:10:44.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/liberte","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:02:10.000-06:00"},{"id":236,"title":"Preadvanced Japanese","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2014,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"Preadvanced Japanese is designed for students who have intermediate competency in Japanese, roughly at Level 2 on the ILR (The Interagency Language Roundtable) proficiency scale, and are working on reaching Level 3.This textbook can be used for self-study, as part of online course, and in a traditional classroom setting. It is comprised of four chapters, intended to be covered in one term of a quarter system. Each chapter has Drills on expressions and grammar, Kanji Drills, and Listening Exercises. These activities are to be performed using the accompanying audio.","contributors":[{"id":3013,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":"Dr.","first_name":"Emiko","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Konomi","location":"Portland State University, Portland, OR","background_text":"Dr. Emiko Konomi received her Ph.D. in linguistics from Cornell University and joined Portland State University as an assistant professor of Japanese in the Department of World Languages and Literatures in 2010. She teaches all Japanese course levels. In 2011 Dr. Konomi received the John Eliot Allen Outstanding Teaching Award. Her research focuses on Japanese language pedagogy and linguistics."}],"subjects":[{"id":31,"name":"Languages","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"P51","visible_textbooks_count":123,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/languages"},{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities"}],"publishers":[{"id":119,"url":"http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/pdxopen/1/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","name":"Portland State University Library"}],"formats":[{"id":169,"type":"PDF","url":"http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000\u0026context=pdxopen","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":170,"type":"Online","url":"http://content.library.pdx.edu/files/PDXScholar/japanese/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":2,"reviews":[{"id":897,"first_name":"Irina","last_name":"Shport","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Louisiana State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook has a clear formal structure of the chapters. It is up-to-date with the current times (the 1st quarter of the 21st. century). It adopts a truly integrated skills approach by having a good balance between oral and reading/writing exercises. It encourages students to become autonomous learners through using learning tools and resources available on the Internet. The language in the book is authentic and engaging. I admire Dr. Konomi's work in compiling her teaching materials and sharing them with the community of students and educators in the environment where big publishers have churned out Japanese textbooks and test preparation materials for decades. The organization of the textbook reminds me of a course packet for 3rd or 4th-year Japanese language course, depending on the program. The book consists of four chapters accompanied by mp3 audio files, which are accessible through the Publisher link, Portland State University Library. \n\nI rated this textbook not too high on its comprehensiveness mainly because of its uninformative Table of Contents; unclear target proficiency level with reference to the ACTFL benchmarks or the JLPT levels; the lack of target grammar lists and grammar explanations; the lack of visual differentiation between audio and video files; and a big difference in expected proficiency of students between the first chapter and the rest of the textbook. This is a really good resource for teaching Japanese, but one really has to look through the text itself and audio thoroughly to understand what the linguistic targets are here and what level of classroom (and what program) it is appropriate for. These impressions of mine are detailed below.\n\nThe book appears to be still in the process of being revised. The description states that the textbook contains three chapters, however, the table of contents and the text has four chapters. It is shorter than a typical textbook would be, perhaps, because it is intended to be used in the quarter system (three 10-week semesters in an academic year), spending roughly 2-2.5 weeks per chapter.\n\nThe chapters are organized by topic, and the choice of topics is really up to the author / language instructor for a classroom at the intermediate-high / advanced-low level of language proficiency. However, the Table of Contents does not provide much useful information about the subject/topic content of the book: The Chapters are just listed by the number (1-4); the audio files are referenced in conjunction with the formal organization of the textbook sections (e.g., Drill A, Kanji Drill, Listening Comprehension Check, etc.). When I looked through the text itself, it turned out that the chapters are named as follows:\n\nCh.1. Self-introduction ??????(???????)\nCh.2. Globalization ????????\nCh.3. Bond ???(???)\nCh.4. \"I am a cat\" ?????????(??????????)\n\nThe main texts in these chapters have the following content:\n\nCh.1. A rather sophisticated self-introduction.\nCh.2. The meaning and impact of globalization.\nCh.3. The 2011 earthquake in Eastern Japan.\nCh.4. Natsume Soseki's classic novel \"I am a cat\" (1905-1906)\n\nSuggested topics for discussion and engagement at the end of each chapter are:\n\nCh. 1. Horoscope, blood types.\nCh. 2. Difference between less formal / sophisticated / advanced and more formal / sophisticated / advanced writing style.\nCh. 3. Nuclear energy among other types of energy.\nCh. 4. Cross-cultural differences in humor.\n\nWhat Dr. Konomi has envisioned as target vocabulary and grammar for the topics covered could be seen in different sections of each Chapter such as Notes on Expressions ???????, Drills ?????, Kanji Drills ???????, Listening Exercises ?????????, and Practice ????. There is no summary of target grammar or grammar explanations in the textbook itself.\n\nThe preface of the textbook would benefit from a clarification of the level of students for which it is intended, with reference to the ACTFL benchmarks or the JLPT levels. The title, \"Preadvanced Japanese,\" suggests that the target audience has an intermediate-high level of proficiency in Japanese. However, the textbook is described as suitable for students at Level 2 on the Inter-agency Language Roundtable (ILR) proficiency scale who work on reaching level 3. Levels 2 and 2+ on the ILR roughly correspond to advanced low, mid, or high levels on the ACTFL scale (Brown, 2007). They also roughly correspond to level B on the CEFR scale (Brown, 2007). I have not had much experience with the CEFR scale as I taught Japanese mainly in the U.S., the University of Oregon. I did have an ACTFL OPI training, and it seems to me that this textbook does not have enough content to help students reach the Superior-level language functions at the ACTFL scale (corresponding to the IRL level 3). It would be helpful for instructors if the description included the recommended number of prior Japanese instruction hours, the suitable level in terms of the more wide-spread ACTFL scale than the ILR scale, and some comparisons to the N1-N5 levels of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). Many students at advanced level plan to take the JLPT in order to study or work in Japan. Some comparison of the textbook level with the JLPT levels would help to orient students who prefer to use this textbook for self-study.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I was not able to go thoroughly through each text and exercise in the textbook (which would be possible if one adopts this book for a quarter or a semester), but the accuracy level in the material I looked at is excellent.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"As I described in my comment on book's comprehensiveness, the choice of topics and content is well-suited for the intermediate-high / advanced-low level of language proficiency but it is not easily discerned from the Table of Contents. A short summary of the content topics listed below shows that these topics will be relevant to many generations of students to come. The text and exercises could be easily updated if necessary, because of the very clear formal structure of the book. For example, to bridge the gap in the expected proficiency level between the first and the last chapter of the book, one could discuss personal information (self-introduction) in a wider social context (e.g., the question of needs, demands, and changing social expectations in choosing majors in college; self-identity, believes, and facts, etc.).\n\nCh. 1. Self-introduction --\u0026gt; Horoscope, blood types.\nCh. 2. Globalization --\u0026gt; difference in writing styles on socially important topics.\nCh. 3. The 2011 earthquake in Eastern Japan --\u0026gt; nuclear energy\nCh.4. Natsume Soseki's classic novel \"I am a cat\"  --\u0026gt; cross-cultural differences in humor.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This may be a personal preference as an instructor who has not used this book in her class yet, but in my view, this textbook would benefit from more clearly stated linguistic (language use) goals for each chapter and from some grammar explanations, perhaps, through contrasting examples in Japanese, if Dr. Konomi wishes to maintain the focus on the development of autonomous learners. The objectives are clearly missing here, or in other words, they are implicit and difficult to discern.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The formal structure and the layout of the book is consistent and easy to follow. Each chapter's organization is a follows: \n- the main (rather short) text (audio recording is available),\n- notes on expressions in the text, \n- reading comprehension questions (audio recorded as well and intended to be answered orally),\n- 4-6 drills on expressions and grammar (audio recorded as well),\n- a listening comprehension exercise in the true/false format (audio recording is available); \n- a kanji drill (audio recording is available)\n- opinions (several one-paragraph texts representing opinions of different people on the discussed topic; audio recording is available)\n- notes on expressions in the opinion texts\n- a kanji exercise (fill-in-the-blank format for isolated sentences, plus translation, short-paragraph writing and short-essay type writing), \n- conclusions with additional discussion question (for oral or written responses)\n- a topic for further exploration (e.g., horoscope, humor)","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are already divided into very manageable, easily recognized exercises and activities.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Each chapter is organized coherently, in a typical textbook fashion. However, how and why particular expressions and grammar points were chosen for drills and exercises is not entirely clear. No doubt these choices were driven by Dr. Konomi's extensive experience in language teaching, but in the absence of clearly stated objectives they seem to be somewhat arbitrary. It would be helpful if these choices were motivated, again with reference to the ACTFL benchmarks, or to JLPT levels, or even to the ILR levels. This would provided a clearer, linguistic goal or benchmark driven organization.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The use of fonts varies, if you compare, for example, Chapter 1 and Chapter 4. A word on p. 6 is highlighted in yellow, which is probably a small editing oversight. These are minor issues, however, and overall the book is easy to follow.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"It is hard to notice these details in a language textbook, unless one gives it a try during a quarter / semester. It appears to be well written.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Given the choice of the chapter topics, the book is rather neutral on the issue of inclusiveness. It is driven by mainstream Japanese cultural attitudes, as far as I can judge, which is not necessarily a negative characteristics for the textbook of this type.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"If my institution still had a Japanese language program (which was axed several years ago due to the budget deficit), I would use this textbook in my classroom. This book may be easier to use by instructors who have had years of Japanese teaching experience and who are familiar with the JLPT goals, ACTFL benchmarks, and typical gaps in vocabulary and grammar knowledge in students who strive for the advanced level in their Japanese. I would supplement this book with setting concrete objectives and additional activities to meet those objectives, and with more technical instructions on grammar for learners who need them.","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":34618,"first_name":"Noriko","last_name":"Sugimori","position":"Associate Professor of Japanese","institution_name":"Kalamazoo College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"明治時代の名作、自己紹介文、東日本大震災について寄せられた人々の声、など多彩な内容になっていて、素晴らしいと思った。","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"内容という点では正確だと思う。が、いくつかタイプミスが残ったままになっているので、後で指摘する。","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"明治時代の名作、自己紹介文、東日本大震災について寄せられた人々の声のどれもが長く使える題材だと思う。","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"この２０年で急速に広がった表現（「テンションが上がる」、「半端ない」など）も取り入れられていたが、説明も載せられており、いいと思った。","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"用語が不統一だと気になることはなかった。","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"どの課も、同じようなモジュールで進められていっており、良いと思う。","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"どの課も、読み物の後、問題という統一した形で進んでいくのでいいと思う。","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"4ページ目からオーディオを聞かないとできない問題が出始めるが、オーディオにどのようにアクセスできるかという説明が全くそれまでにでてこないのは不親切だと思う。","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"助詞の「を」を省略した形の練習が何箇所も出てくるが、他の省略現象も扱って欲しかった。","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"第一課の12ページ（5ページ）に、日本ではよく聞かれても、米国ではあまり聞かれない質問は何かについての問いがあるが、学習者は米国だけではなく、全世界にいると思うので、「アメリカでは」ではなく、「あなたが今いる国では」とか、「あなたの出身国では」に変えた方がいいのではないか。","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"オープンアクセスで出版する時には、タイプミスなどに気づいたらすぐ直せるものだと思っている人はいると思う。51ページ（12ページ）の練習問題Cの問題文が抜けている。66ページ（12ページ）のWriter はWriteの間違い。2014年に書かれたこの原稿が、今レヴューをしている2023年の段階でも直されていないのはどうしてなのだろうかと思った。また12ページのInterview a Japanese personはInterview a speaker of Japaneseに変えた方が、どんな学習環境にいる学習者でも取り組みやすくなると思う。","created_at":"2023-06-22T21:19:33.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-06-22T21:19:33.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/preadvanced-japanese","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:01:36.000-06:00"},{"id":248,"title":"Français interactif","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2019,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"This textbook of classroom activities and homework accompanies Français interactif. Français interactif, the web-based French program developed and in use at the University of Texas since 2004, and its companion site, Tex's French Grammar (2000)are open access sites, free and open multimedia resources, which require neither password nor fees. Français interactif, used increasingly by students, teachers, and institutions throughout the world, includes 320 videos (American students in France, native French interviews, vocabulary and culture presentation videos) recorded vocabulary lists, phonetic lessons, online grammar lessons (600 pages) with self-correcting exercises and audio dialogues, online grammar tools (verb conjugation reference, verb practice), and diagnostic grammar tests.","contributors":[{"id":2989,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Karen","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Kelton","location":"University of Texas, Austin","background_text":"Karen Kelton was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of French and Italian at the University of Texas from 1981 to 2015. She continues to direct the UT Summer Program in Lyon, France."},{"id":2990,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Nancy","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Guilloteau","location":"University of Texas, Austin","background_text":"Nancy Guilloteau is a Senior Lecturer and the Language Program Director of lower division French in the Department of French and Italian at the University of Texas."},{"id":2991,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Carl","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Blyth","location":"University of Texas, Austin","background_text":"Carl Blyth is the Director of the Center of Open Educational Resources and Language Learning (COERLL) and Associate Professor of French Linguistics in the Department of French and Italian."}],"subjects":[{"id":31,"name":"Languages","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"P51","visible_textbooks_count":123,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/languages"},{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities"}],"publishers":[{"id":138,"url":"http://www.laits.utexas.edu/fi/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","name":"COERLL"}],"formats":[{"id":442,"type":"PDF","url":"https://bit.ly/2xo4341","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":443,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://bit.ly/3bRrilS","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":4263,"type":"Online","url":"https://laits.utexas.edu/fi/toc/00","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":21,"reviews":[{"id":502,"first_name":"Mary Elizabeth","last_name":"Oancea","position":"Adjunct Professor of French","institution_name":"Miami University of Oxford, Regional Campuses","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"For an introductory level, the book covers the basic vocabulary, grammar, \u0026amp; cultural content well in a contextual format.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not come across any blatant errors in the online text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Most pictures look up to date however I did notice that some of the cultural content could be considered dated (ie. The Simpsons were used as an animation example and Lance Armstrong was referenced in the Tour de France section, although he had all his medals revoked. There was also a picture of Teletubbies which is fairly old.)\nOverall, cultural references were up to date and accurate with the use of the Euro, sending New Year cards rather than Christmas cards and the photographs appeared to be recent with current styles, clothes, decor, etc.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book has a significant amount of lists, grids, and other graphic organizers in addition to text, which makes it very easy to find information and flows well. I found the text to be very easy to read, as it is clear and concise.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Perfect combination of consistent and innovative with different types of activities in the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"As mentioned previously the text consists of many graphic organizers in addition to the text. This allows the content to be divided into sections easily and the formatting makes the content easy to read and follow as well.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Very well organized.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No noticable interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No noticeable grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I did not notice a wide-range of ethnic diversity in the photographs in this text, so if there is one improvement that could be made, in my opinion, it would be this.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this is an extremely well-organized and content-rich text. I really appreciate how the text is formatted, and the diverse types of activities and graphic organizers used to address different types of learners. Thank you!","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":540,"first_name":"Cécile","last_name":"Accilien","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Kansas University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Français interactif  is a thorough textbook with the companion website “Tex’s French Grammar.”  The companion website  is a valuable and user friendly website for students and instructors alike. I have used the website on many occasions in class and I have recommended it to students outside of class  at a variety of levels ranging from beginning to intermediate to advanced levels courses. \nI have not used the textbook in class but I have used it as a reference. I have also recommended it to my students in higher level French courses who needed to review their French grammar on their own.\nThe book is generally well organized and covers all necessary areas for this level.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and error free. However, I think the book may benefit by being more inclusive of the French speaking world outside of France especially when it is discussing cultural aspects. Instead of only having “In France”, the authors may want to include examples from other Francophone regions.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I think the book could benefit by including activities and cultural notes about the diversity of the French-speaking world.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear, informative and accessible to students for beginning and intermediate French.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent and appropriate in terms of its terminology and framework","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are clear and well-organized with symbols that relate to the type of exercises such as “Pair Exercise”, “Class or Group Exercises” and “Listening Comprehension” exercises. Each chapter can be downloaded as separate PDFS. There are also videos and interviews that can be downloaded on their own. This makes it very easy to use and accessible for students and instructors.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"In terms of grammar, the topics are generally presented in a logical and clear manner. It is appropriate for a language text for this level. However, the grammar could be better presented in an authentic  context.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book is generally free of significant interface issues.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The grammar is clear. The companion website \"Tex’s French Grammar\" is very useful and easy to use with the book. However, it would be very useful if the grammar was taught in specific context with authentic input.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"While the book makes it clear from the very beginning that “it will explore the  French language and culture by following the lives of real students from the University of Texas who have participated in the UT Summer Program in Lyon, France”  [and]  “watch interviews of native French speakers and day-to-day interaction in France”, it will be beneficial to find ways\nto  integrate the French-speaking world including countries or regions such as Belgium, Canada, Martinique, Morocco, Senegal and Switzerland to name but a few.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This book is very useful and I would recommend it. However, given the lack of diversity regarding the French speaking world I would recommend that instructors find additional materials to introduce students to other regions besides France.\nOne possibility for updating the materials would be to recruit graduate students and faculty volunteers who can develop materials to support the book and keep it relevant as well as contribute to its longevity.  This book makes French more accessible to students who have limited financial resources.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":618,"first_name":"Fleur","last_name":"Prade","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Central Oregon Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is one of the most comprehensive French language textbooks in terms of vocabulary and grammar that I have seen in a while. \nThe text covers all the areas of French language and culture thoroughly.  The index is very well organized and easy to understand. The fact that there is a section on Phonetics is a great addition that I have rarely seen in many hardback textbook.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and unbiased. It shows a great over view of the diversity which makes up French and Francophone society.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content/vocabulary is up to date. The text is arranged in a clear manner. When needed I see making any necessary updates will be easy to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written (especially the grammar explanations) in accessible jargon, not too technical which can at times confuse students. \nIn the videos that accompany the text the actors speak clearly and slowly which is comprehensible to a beginning French learner.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in it's clarity and ease in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters can easily be moved around and assigned in different order if desired. The general grammar rules are presented in such a way and there is so much supplemental information available to instructors that the grammar points can easily be expanded upon in a way that does not disrupt the student/reader","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a logical and clear manner, yet can be reorganized if the instructor wants.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface for the most part is great, there are some videos that would not play. The display is very clear. The suggestions/additional information provided on the left or right side of each page adds to the other information that is on the page. \nthe regular reminder in the side margins to speak solely in French: Parlez uniquement en \nfrançais! Si la réponse \nest “OUI”, demandez \nla signature de cette \npersonne. \nIs a great way to encourage students to remain in the target language, this book understands how some students learn foreign languages and the need for kind reminders to use French.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors. The grammar rules are presented clearly.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text presents a true image of French and Francophone Culture, showing the diversity that France and other Francophone countries are made up of.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is one of the few texts that I have found which seems to be truly tailored to the students. The supplemental information that they include on the website to accompany the text is clearly made to help students better understand French. \nThe fact that they have included videos of other american college students using French is a great way for users of this text book to feel hope, by seeing other students who went through the same situation as them (being beginning learners of French)\nThe notes on the side of each of the text's pages are a great addition to the activities that are in the middle of the page.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":850,"first_name":"Natacha","last_name":"Jeudy","position":"Teaching Assistant","institution_name":"Louisiana State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and culture of Elementary French. There is so much material in this textbook that it could not possibly be covered in one semester. Consequently, it would be a good text to have for French 1 and French 2. There are 13 chapters. Chapters 0 to 6 could be covered in French 1 and chapters 7 to 13 could be covered in French 2. However, instructors would have to adjust their syllabi depending on how many hours a week they are teaching. The textbook includes a detailed overview of the functions, structures and vocabulary that will be taught in each chapter. While the layout and design are appropriate and clear, I felt that there were some chapter areas that could be better organized. For instance, in chapter 2, “Quel(l)(e)(s)” is introduced at p. 45 but related exercises do not appear until p. 53. The same is true with the introduction of “irregular –IR verbs” in chapter 3 and then again in chapter 7. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The textbook appears accurate throughout the chapters. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content and vocabulary is up to date. However, it is centered around French culture, but an instructor could easily change and integrate culture from diverse francophone cultures. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written both in French and English. Most of the exercise instructions are written in French, while most of the “Grammaire interactive” instructions are written in English. This is probably due to the fact that all of the the grammatical side notes (in the margins) are in English, while all of the “Cultural side notes” are in French. The book uses armadillo symbols to indicate the focus of the exercises (i.e. vocabulary ; phonetics ; online video clips ; etc.).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The learning objectives are clearly stated. The first page of each chapter is divided into four sections: - Vocabulaire / - Phonétique / - Grammaire / - Vidéos. Each section enumerates what will be taught in the chapters and is followed by two to four pages of vocabulary at the beginning of each lesson. Each chapter offers a variety of exercises (on average about 30 exercises per chapter). The textbook offers a balance of activities: written assignments; individual/pair/group exercises ; listening parts.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The textbook is not clearly divisible. It lacks lessons within chapters. The grammar side notes seem to be working as sub-division, though, and for each grammar point, there are a lot of exercises. But because of the flexibility of the textbook, chapter can easily be moved around and assigned in different order if desired. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Overall, I think the structure is fairly logical. There were some instances where I would rearrange the contents of some chapters. For instance, I would move the imperative mood from chapter 8 to chapter 1 because it is used in some of the exercises. I would also find it easier as a teacher to have embedded videos and audio documents directly into the textbook, rather than to have to go back to a different page to access them. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I did not find any interface issues; however, it took me a while to navigate from the textbook chapters to the videos, audio documents, online exercises. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors as far as I can tell, except for the misspelling of a name: Nicolas Sarkozy first name is without an “h”. Thus, it should be “Nicolas” and not “Nicholas”.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. But I think it could use a broader presentation on the Francophone world, including countries such as Sénégal, Belgique, Martinique, etc...","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a very rich textbook with a lot of diverse pedagogical activities. The fact that the chapters can be downloaded as separate PDFs makes it easy for the instructor to rearrange his or her lesson and to add content. However, I think it lacks cultural links to the francophone world other than France. ","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":851,"first_name":"Gina","last_name":"Greco","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Portland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers the material of first year French appropriately. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not detect any errors.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"We have adopted this book, and it is wonderful to have a solid first year French textbook that is open source. In terms of relevance, the book is not always relevant to students on our campus--significant number of commuters, non-traditional aged students. This textbook assumes students are \"traditional\" college students. But the book still works for us, and students are thrilled to have a no-cost option.\nThe text was made originally for use at UT-Austin, so there are some references to Austin and places near the UT campus. We finesse that by putting those exercises on a Powerpoint slide, and change the references to match our city and campus. That's an easy work-around. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Students have had no complaints about clarity.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Easy to teach with because it follows the same patterns.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters feel well balanced, unlike another texts we have used when the lack of balance made a particular quarter untenable. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"good scaffolding, nice mix of exercises from drill to communicative activities, great flow in the chapters","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Easy enough to navigate. The video quality is not always great, but I don't think it's fair to expect perfect video from an open source text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not detect errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The textbook is France-focused. It would be nice if they would add more diverse material from the French-speaking world.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is a solid option for a first year French textbook. The vocabulary sections are rich, there is a good mix of exercises, and  scaffolding is built in. I am generally happy with this textbook. (Although I don't like the recurring characters, who are animals with personalities. But that's probably just me.)","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":907,"first_name":"Juliana","last_name":"Starr","position":"Associate Professor of French","institution_name":"The University of New Orleans","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Français interactif is a popular, award-winning, and thorough textbook of 347 pages, ideal for first-year French, but also useable for the first semester of second year. It includes fourteen chapters, organized thematically, plus a glossary. Each chapter includes the following components: vocabulary, phonetics, preparation exercises, online video clips of three types (introduction, vocabulary presentation, interviews), online grammar, pair exercises, class or group exercises, listening comprehension exercises, homework/writing exercises to turn in, cultural notes, interactive grammar, and song exercises \"Chansons exercises.\" There are many components to choose from, thus it would be difficult to cover them all in one semester. The simplest and most logical way to divide the content would be to cover seven chapters per semester (0-6 and 7-13), but one could also use it over three semesters (0-4, 5-9, 10-13) and add a supplement like a reader for the last semester.      ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The textbook appears accurate and unbiased throughout. I found one typographical error, the word \"acess\" instead of \"access\" on page 3. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The vocabulary and content are mostly up to date, but the book is centered around French culture of continental France. The organization and structure is flexible enough, however, that aspects of diverse francophone cultures (Louisiana, the Antilles, Africa, the Pacific) could be easily integrated. It needs some updating as far as the content. For instance, instructors would have to explain or omit the Simpsons, the Teletubbies, and Lance Armstrong and replace them with something more contemporary.  \n","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is clear and concise in both its English sections (“Grammaire active” instructions and grammatical side notes) and French sections (“Cultural side notes”). It has a significant amount of graphic organizers (photos, lists, graphs, grids) that make it flow well. \n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There is a nice combination of consistency, balance, and variety. The first page of each chapter clearly states the learning objectives in four sections: Vocabulary, Phonétique, Grammaire, Vidéos. Several pages of vocabulary begin each lesson and there is the right balance of listening, speaking, reading and writing exercises throughout. In fact, each chapter offers an average of thirty exercises aimed at strengthening the four skills. \n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Because of the flexible structure and the fact that each chapter can be downloaded as a PDF, material can be easily moved around and assigned in a different order if desired.\n","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The structure is quite logical. As stated earlier, the material can be easily rearranged if need be. \n","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The only problem was a time issue in navigating between the different components of the book, from the pages of the chapters to the videos, to the online exercises, to the audio files, and back again. Instructors will have to anticipate these issues in order to make his/her classes run smoothly. Those with real technological skills will perhaps want to embed the videos and mp3 files directly into the textbook so as to avoid potential navigational problems.  \n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors, only the typo on page 3 stated earlier. \n","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The textbook is not very culturally or ethnically diverse. As stated earlier, it could use a much broader presentation of the Francophone world. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"What this book most lacks are connections to the Francophone world outside of continental France. But it is particularly strong and comprehensive in the areas of vocabulary, grammar, and phonetics. Indeed, I greatly appreciate the number and variety of exercises. What my students need most is the opportunity to practice and this textbook certainly offers that while also accommodating different types of learners. The fact that the chapters can be downloaded as separate PDFs makes it user-friendly and easy for the instructor to supplement and rearrange with his/her own content and activities. Well done!  ","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":972,"first_name":"Christopher","last_name":"Leoni","position":"Adjunct instructor","institution_name":"Portland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook overall is mostly comprehensive and the traditional grammatical themes appear here as in other first/second year language books. There are very good thematic vocabulary lists at the beginning of each chapter, although clearer delineation of grammar topics throughout thebook could be helpful.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Content is mostly accurate and without error. It should be noted that the Saône river is a \"rivière\" and not a \"fleuve\" (p.83), and that \"quizz\" (p.83) and \"lever le doigt\" (p.20) are marginally correct and/or outdated. There are a few typographical corrections to be made: 'musqique' (106), unbold 'mailbox' (140), bold  (23). See also sections 8 \u0026amp; 9 below. \n\nThe larger question is perhaps regarding cultural bias. See sections 7 \u0026amp; 10.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Though a few nearly archaic suspects appear (blackboard, chalk, paper dictionary) in an early video, this text does an excellent job on updating and invigorating what in other books has become bland vocabulary. In the chapters of Français interactif we encounter 'hip hop,' 'to blog,' 'piercing/tattoo,' \"that sucks\"....and also 'Facebook' and 'mosque.' ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is mostly easy to read and its topics are presented clearly. There is a good balance of informal/formal address (tu/vous) and many of the partner conversation exercises intrinsically provide good platforms for richer discussion, between partners or opened up to the classroom. \n\nThe only occasionally less-clear sections of the book focus on the animal mascots (an armadillo, cockroach, squirrel....) in different conversation exercises. Specifically, the anthropomorphism of these animals makes it difficult to know if we're talking about real or imaginary situations, let alone why.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is generally consistent. A few suggestions would be to: standardize capitalization of grammar section titles in the margins, standardize \"FI\" (14, 166) or \"Fi\", as found in margins, and \"Je rends\" (149) should be \"rendre\" to remain internally consistent. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Great, including modularity of the companion site. There is a slightly less traditional sub-organization of chapters; i.e. there are not clear subheadings/subchapter section numbers to distinguish one grammar point from the next. This isn't necessarily a fault, and no doubt favors conversation over grammar.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There is a good variety of exercises and mostly a clear flow from one to the other in each chapter. I was less clear on what transitions, if any, were intended in shifts between the cultural notes on Lyon and Paris. Though thematically relevant to the chapter, I didn't always understand the shift between the two cities (though perhaps this is typical of other texts to only focus on one city/region per chapter). Earlier I mentioned confusion re the anthropomorphism of the mascot animals. On at least one occasion, I felt the book's flow was interrupted because it was unclear to me whether Tex and Corey were animals, and why the latter had consumed 'too much' insecticide...if this was a metaphor, or real, or....?\n\nLastly, I thought that there was a very interesting treatment of university studies toward the end of the book. Often, textbooks will introduce university/academic vocabulary in the first few chapters, as basic vocab. Here, with more grammar and experience under their belt, the student is able to explore a greater depth of subject matter and vocabulary. At its position in the book, this section should also coincide nicely with the study-abroad student who may, in the second half of their experience, be transitioning to direct-enrollment in a French university. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"One concern I have is that the photos (taken from a camera) will not always print clearly in B\u0026amp;W.  Captions for some or all images may help this. Also, a few formatting issues: hard return after 'sa' (45), line-switch Ex. 2 'lettre' (143), consider bullets before 'du bateau' and 'une promenade' to separate the two expressions (67/margin).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Mostly error-free, as it should be. Please add the grave accent to 'voila' ('voilà') on page 31. Also, the 'œ' letter as seen on page 127 in 'les œufs\" should be consistently used, and not 'o' and 'e' separately as on pages 111, 113, 118, and 166 (bœuf, œuf, vœux). ","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"The text, in my opinion, is not offensive, but it is hardly inclusive of other cultural experiences. Surprisingly there is almost no mention of the Francophone world (one marginal reference on p.54 and some African countries sporadically mentioned in conversation/grammar exercises). This is surprising, first because it does not follow a current trend of Francophone exploration, however introductory, in French textbooks today. Second, if Français interactif must stay only in France, the text does not at all reflect the multicultural and multiethnic nature of France today. The four main French informants in Austin are all white, the only cities in France explored are Lyon and Paris, and U.S. and specifically Texan ethnocentrism prevails. Consider that 6 out 7 nationalities in the nationality exercise, p. 56, are historically white and/or Anglophone. Though elsewhere mentioning mosques and Indian restaurants is truly commendable, photos of BBQ restaurants in Texas (72) and repeated stories of armadillos and cockroaches ultimately do not inform the student about cultural (or zoological) norms in France. Similarly, the names \"Joe Bob,\" \"Tammy,\" and \"Paw Paw\" are very specific to the southern United States and, as such, don't seem at all pertinent to students from elsewhere in the United States. The closest thing to cultural inclusion are the occasionally-mentioned American students Toño and Laila. Laila, it's suggested in one exercise, does speak Arabic. Perhaps writing her name with an accent (Leïla) would show a more authentic (and very modern) norm in France/French. \n\nThis text is clearly intended for University of Texas students, either while on UT's study-abroad program in Lyon or being encouraged to do so in using the textbook in the U.S. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Perhaps consider renaming the cat \"Bette,\" which is a homophone for 'stupid' in French.\n\nAlso, the term \"chatte\" (15) tends to be avoided, as it's rather common slang for female genitalia. ","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1007,"first_name":"Joseph","last_name":"Price","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Arizona","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Le Français Interactif is typical of first-year French textbooks, covering all of the grammatical and lexical material typically found in such texts. The presentation and structure is logical and well-considered, and the 13 chapters of the book (which includes one short preliminary chapter), focusing on themes of high student interest and relevance, allow the book to be covered comfortably in two semesters. The focus of the text is on communication through activities, and there is a particularly strong focus on listening and speaking. Similarly, the program is rich in audio and video content, and provides a systematic (optional) focus on phonetics through the FI Website. Less prominent in the program, however, is a focus on extended reading and writing. Indeed, aside from the reading provided in the textbook (largely restricted to short cultural units and the communicative activities), there are no extended reading activities, and no reading sections provided on the sample tests. Similarly, the cultural content of the program, as described below, is generally good, but limited to France.\n\nThe entire program, including a downloadable student text and an online version with embedded links to activities, videos, audio segments, and other materials, is accessible from the Français Interactif website. The FI website also includes a comprehensive student grammar portal that allows students to practice and prepare grammatical content outside of class, and to download pdf, mp3 and podcast versions of material. In addition, instructors may request access to the instructor’s website which includes access to all material needed for adopters: activities, lesson plans, sample tests, demonstration videos and extensive useful information for instruction, testing and adopting the program, among other things.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"In general, the content appears accurate, and free of grammatical errors. However, I did have some minor concerns regarding usage. First, the use of tu and vous alternates quite a bit in student activities (sometimes within the same activity). Similarly, the use of Inversion (even with tu) occurs in non-formulaic questions more frequently than occurs in typical native-speaker usage, and in some activities, inversion alternates with questions formed with 'est-ce que'. Otherwise, the text appears highly accurate in terms of grammatical structures.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"There are a few issues that may compromise the relevance and longevity of the text. Produced by COERLL at the University of Texas, with a target audience of UT students, the text is full of references to UT and to Austin. This does not necessarily pose a problem, but it may not possess the same interest for outside students or potential to engage them the way that a text addressing a wider target audience might. Similarly, there are a number of cultural references that may become dated, particular those referring to American popular culture (Jay Leno, Oprah, the Simpsons...). However, adopters should be able to modify these references without too much difficulty.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The grammatical explanations on the FI Website and well as the activities of the student textbook are very clear, and frequently supplemented with models. The text also includes frequent concise summaries of grammatical structures and cultural information in the margins to help students understand and complete the activities in the student textbook. The focus seems to be on short, concise explanations and clear models. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is highly consistent. Chapters begin with stated content and goals, vocabulary, and then follow a consistent, predictable structure, starting with receptive skills and listening practice, and progressing toward to spoken and written production. It should be noted, however, that the chapters are of varying lengths; aside from the four-page chapitre preliminaire, the average length seems to be about 24-26 pages, with one chapter at 16 pages another around 30 pages. This may pose some minor issues for syllabus planning.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"In the student textbook, the chapters are organized around a series of interactive activities focusing on the goals and content of each chapter. As such, chapters can be moved around (within limits) as desired by the instructor. Within the chapters themselves, reorganization may be more difficult. Aside from the fact that the student textbook is only available in pdf format, the structure of the chapters may also complicate things. The numerous activities are presented in a steady stream with no clear section divisions or headings, and although the \"rappel\" section presented in the margins and the instructions for the activities may give a good indication of these section divisions, an instructor will need to take care to identify where one set of exercises focusing on a given structure ends and where another begins before restructuring sections of a chapter.\n\nSimilarly, because the activities in the chapters of the student textbook follow a well-planned sequence (input --\u0026gt; output, receptive --\u0026gt; productive) and increase in terms of the demands placed on learners, it would be advised to not reorder the activities within sections, although instructors could easily skip any of the activities as desired. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the textbook is very good. The topics and themes are presented in a way that may reflect the importance of particular contexts and communicative needs to students, starting with greetings and descriptions of one's self and activities, to more abstract contexts - media, work, relationships, money - toward the end. Noticeably absent, however, is a chapter on the environment and environmental issues, something almost always found in current first-year textbooks.  \n\nThe bulk of the student textbook is focused on interactive class activities, which follow a logical order clearly informed by second language acquisition research on processing instruction, proceeding from structured comprehensible input in both listening and reading, to increasing levels of student output, in both speaking and writing. One thing that would be recommended would be an easier-to-use, more detailed table of contents in the beginning of the student textbook, with a clear scope and sequence.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is excellent, largely due to its uncluttered student textbook, organized, visually appealing and rich in visual organizers, although section headings and clear reference to grammatical sections would be helpful. The FI main website is easy to navigate. Simplicity and clarity seem to be the focus in the presentation of the materials. Navigation between activities, videos and audio is easy when using the online, electronic version of the student textbook, where direct links are provided; however, students and instructors using the pdf version or a printed copy will need to access audio, visual and pdf materials directly from the FI website. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The materials do not appear to contain any grammatical errors. The explanations on the student website are very clear, short and concise, and consistently supplemented with copious models. There is, however, a stronger emphasis on translation than would be expected - not just in the explanations, but also in the grammar website and in student textbook activities. The grammar is sequenced in a logical sequence, and in a way typically found in first-year textbooks, except that the subjunctive (which is typically the last major grammar unit presented in textbooks) is presented before the simple future and the conditional. Similarly, direct and indirect object pronouns are presented back-to-back, which may be confusing for some students. Finally, some things appear to be presented rather late in the textbook: passé composé of reflexive verbs (chapter 8), imperatives (chapter 8), and adverbs (chapter 12). \n\nIf used for two semesters, a logical use would be to end the first semester with Chapter 6, which focusses on the passé composé with être and avoir, and to start the second semester with Chapter 7, which introduces the imparfait, and allows a little time (a full chapter) before passé composé and imparfait are used together, something which may be helpful for instructors and students. However, it should be noted that in a two-semester use of this textbook, the second semester will be a grammar-heavy course (covering imparfait, subjunctive, simple future and conditional), although this is typical for first-year textbooks used over two semesters.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The cultural relevance of the book is generally good. However, cultural information is mostly presented in the form of short \"Note Culturelles\" in the margins, and while these offer practical cultural information with high student interest and with strong relevance to daily life, the information presented is often brief and largely restricted to France. Some additional cultural content is found in some of the student activities and through the extensive videos provided in the program. Overall, however, instructors may be dismayed by the absence of references to francophone culture outside of France, and by the lack of cultural information derived through literary sources. In this regard, instructors may want to supplement the book with additional cultural materials focusing on Francophonie and literature. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Le Francais Interactif is a very usable, appealing program, and is an excellent choice for anyone considering an open source French textbook. Clearly, a lot of work and careful planning have gone into the program, and it has great potential to engage and interest students, while helping them develop communicative competence in French. While the program has a few potential drawbacks - the absence of francophone culture and the lack of literary and extended reading content, instructors can readily adapt and supplement the materials to increase the opportunities for student contact with other francophone cultures, to provide more literary content, and to offer students more opportunities for extensive reading and writing in French. ","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1049,"first_name":"Julie","last_name":"Nelson","position":"Adjunct Instructor ","institution_name":"Portland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Français Interactif combines a PDF textbook with a complementary online platform to introduce vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and culture to students of elementary French. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The PDF textbook is error free.  Some external links on the textbook website are broken.  In terms of bias, Français Interactif focuses mainly on French spoken in France and French culture with hardly any mention of the larger Francophone world.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Because the textbook was developed for students at the University of Texas-Austin, it has a lot of cultural references to places and people around Austin and Texas that might be lost on students at other schools.  For example, one of the characters in the grammar activities is a dim-witted squirrel named Joe-Bob from College Station.  Apparently there is a rivalry between UT-Austin and Texas A\u0026amp;M, which is in College Station.  This detail had been lost on me until a student from Texas explained it to me.  There are also references to Stubb's Bar in Austin, typical weather in Dallas, making travel plans to Louisiana, Lance Armstrong, and Tony Parker.  When using this textbook to teach, I've simply replace their Texas references with people and places that are more relevant to students in Oregon. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and accessible.  Instructions in chapters 0 and 1 are in English, but in French in all subsequent chapters.  The consistency and continuity within the chapters, however, allows for a smooth, hardly noticeable transition for students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Every chapter is built using the same framework.  They each have their own website with a link to the chapter PDF, a brief introduction to the chapter and introductory video, a list of vocabulary with an auditory function so students can listen and repeat vocab words on their own time, a pronunciation lesson, links to TEX's grammar activities that are relevant to each chapter, and a series of videos which use the chapter's content in authentic contexts. \n\nWithin each actual textbook chapter are a variety of reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities.  The activities build on each other and are well scaffolded, which contributes to a strong sense of continuity between chapter and activities.   ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Due to how both the chapters build on one another in terms of grammar and vocabulary presentation, I think it would be difficult to divise the chapters or to change their order without significant adjustments.  However, the activities in each chapter are divisible and easy to rearrange.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Français Interactif is well organized and consistent from chapter to chapter.  Each chapter begins with some activities which incorporate thematic vocabulary and introduces the theme of the chapter.  These activities are then followed by some interactive grammar activities which use examples from the preceding exercises to contextualize the grammar.  Interactive grammar activities are normally followed by speaking and writing exercises which focus on interaction through group or pair work.  \n\nThe only chapter I have found to have organization/flow issues is chapter 6 because it presents the passé composé through an interactive grammar activity at the beginning of the chapter but doesn't follow up with any practice until the much later, toward the end.  Instead, the passé composé interactive grammar activity is immediately followed by an activity with regular -re verbs in the present tense.   ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is pretty clear cut but the chapter homepages can be overwhelming for students at first as they are learning a new language and how to navigate the online platform at the same time.  I take time in class to walk my students through the Français Interactif textbook website and where to find different activities.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not detected any grammatical errors.  In the textbook, grammar is presented inductively through interactive activities which allow students to infer rules through use.  TEX's grammar provides a more deductive grammar presentation that students can consult outside of class and is an excellent resource for new students who are learning a certain grammar point for the first time. It's also a good resource for more advanced students who are looking to brush up.  ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The textbook focuses mainly on France and French culture and would benefit from incorporating a more Francophone perspective through readings, photos, and cultural comparisons between different French speaking countries.  ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Français Interactif is a solid, high quality textbook.  The textbook activities are conducive to communicative in-class activities and promote grammar and vocab acquisition.  In my experience, students have found the cultural notes interesting and the activities engaging.  ","created_at":"2017-02-15T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-15T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1103,"first_name":"Alicia","last_name":"Soueid","position":"Senior Lecturer of French","institution_name":"University of Texas at Arlington","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is very comprehensive, covering all the primary vocabulary topics (classroom, calendar, countries, weather, seasons, transportation, parts of body, food, locations, holidays, housing, entertainment, clothing, etc...) and grammatical points (major verb tenses, articles, object pronouns, demonstrative pronouns relative pronouns, interrogative pronouns, comparative and superlative, reflexive verbs, negation, etc...). The only shortcoming is that, in the printed copy, the glossary/index at the end of the book does not include an index allowing users to pinpoint which chapters various grammatical points are introduced in. To locate a specific topic--the passé composé, for example--one would either have to look at the introductory page of each chapter or go to the website, which has a list of topics introduced in each chapter on its map (carte du site) webpage.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book appears to be very accurate. I did not detect any typos or grammatical errors. It might take a semester or two of use in the classroom to verify this, however.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content covered is fairly universal and is unlikely to become obsolete in the foreseeable future. There is a bit of technological vocabulary in Chapters 8 and 9, including a few slightly outdated terms (lecteur DVD, répondeur, boîte vocale, forum), but otherwise, vocabulary seems current.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Instructions and explanations are concise and clear. In some cases, the student is directed to go to the website for a longer explanation of grammatical points, so that might be considered a limitation on its clarity in some cases.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book is divided into 13 chapters, but chapters are not divided into topics or sections. Exercises proceed directly from vocabulary activities to grammatical activities with no change of subheading, topic, or section. Grammatical notes are listed in the margins. Although it is fairly easy to assign readings based on page numbers, it would be helpful to have chapter content broken down into smaller units.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Chapters are presented in a logical, clear fashion, with more complex verb tenses and grammatical points being introduced after simpler or more basic ones.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"In the printed copy, images are sometimes unclear because of the paper type and because the printed copy is in black and white. Photos are in color on the website and downloadable pdf versions. In both the printed copy and the downloadable chapter pdf files, grammatical information in the margins or in gray text on a lighter gray background. This might be somewhat harder to read due to the low contrast between font and background color, but is not terribly problematic on the whole. The printed copy might pose a problem for students with certain reading or vision disabilities. The pdf files should be less of a problem, as students can zoom in for a closer look at hard-to-read print. Having to go back and forth between the printed copy and/or pdf chapter files and the website might be taxing for some.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text appears to be grammatically correct.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. The book does attempt to include some cultural diversity, by including Jewish and Muslim holidays as well as Christian ones, in the chapter on holidays, and by including a few recipes from non-Western cultures in the food chapter, for example. However, diversity is somewhat limited in the photos, as the majority of them appear to have been taken during a study abroad trip featuring young, mostly Caucasian students, most of whom are probably American. Likewise, the book mascot is a cartoon armadillo named Tex who wears a beret. The occasional references to Tex and Texas, along with the limited diversity, might make it a difficult choice for universities outside of Texas.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"In addition to the textbook, which can be downloaded  in pdf format by chapter , each of which can be assembled and printed as a hard copy, the website offers numerous supplementary resources online. For example, there are verb practice activities which enable students to practice conjugating various verbs in all the basic verb tenses. There are also exercises associated with each lesson on the website. And there are short videos corresponding to each chapter. The sound is fairly clear in these, but images are sometimes blurred, and there are fewer authentic francophone accents and dialects represented than one might prefer. Given that this is all free, it is quite the resource. Assigning the online readings and short exercises associated with them, plus a few exercises from the textbook itself, might be sufficient for homework, but it is less interactive than what the major publishers are providing these days, and additional supplementary content may have to be created by the instructor.\n\nAs more and more publishers move to offering free digital textbooks with the purchase of access to online homework and other supplementary materials, and with many language programs using textbooks like this one for all four lower-level courses, the question of textbook costs are less of a concern than that of the quality (and cost) of supplementary materials. But for instructors and departments who decide to forego the bells and whistles and who are looking for a good, solid lower-level French textbook with some basic supplementary materials available online, this textbook is an excellent choice.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1234,"first_name":"Fatima","last_name":"Chajia","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Southern University and A \u0026 M College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook with its companion website are a complete package that can be used for a variety of levels of French. \n\nThe companion website presents a wealth of highly modular multimedia content (videos, audio, activities in PDF format etc.). I have used the website for intermediate and advanced French courses.\n\nWith its high level of modularity, Français Intéractif can be reconfigured for specific needs or curricular requirements.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Grammatical, lexical and cultural content fall within \"standard French\"","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content is up-to-date, except for a map of the regions of France (page 62 in the PDF file of the textbook). The map needs to be updated with the new map of the regions of France following the recent \"territorial reform\"","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very clear, well-organized. Same high level of clarity in the companion website","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Great consistency in terminology. Instructions in English for beginning chapters, then later in French. Instructions are clear and concise. Framework is consistent throughout the textbook and the companion website","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Both the textbook and the companion website offer great modularity.\nIn addition to its wealth of supplemental materials (videos, activities in PDF format, grammar explanation and exercises, etc.) the companion website provides the possibility to download individual textbook chapters; this feature will allow instructors to customize the sequencing of \"their\" textbook.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"As is, the textbook is well-organized. Instructors who would rather see a different flow in the textbook can do so by downloading individual chapters and reconfigure them to fit their curricular needs and/or taste (can be done from the companion website)","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No interface issues: judicious use of grids and graphic organizers.\nWould love to see in the textbook embedded links for the companion website.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Didn't notice grammar errors","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The textbook could present a more inclusive view of the culturally, ethnically and religiously diverse French society.\nIt could also integrate more the Francophone world.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"\"Français Intéractif\" and its companion website rank top among French textbooks I came across. They provide a plethora of multimedia resources and activities that would meet the needs of the most demanding instructor (the companion website gives the possibility to reconfigure the flow of the textbook by downloading individual chapters).\n\n\nSOME RECOMMENDATIONS:\n\n1) in the PDF textbook, embed links to the companion website\n2) In the companion website, make the PDF files for exercises fillable PDF files.\n Fillable PDF files for exercises would provide great convenience for online courses.\n\nGreat textbook and even \"greater\" companion website","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1327,"first_name":"SAIMA","last_name":"ASHRAF-HASSAN","position":"Term Professor of French","institution_name":"George Mason University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all major topics studied in French 110-115 (beginner and beginner advanced level) and 210 (intermediate) Class at GMU. Topics are appropriate and cover all areas and ideas.\nThey allow student to talk about their everyday life.\nAt the beginning of the book there is a glossary of symbols (how to use the book) and at the end of the book there is another glossary (French – English and English-French).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, error free and unbiased.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content will need updates and are easy to do. \nFor example: p. 25 ; p. 38 ; p.90 or p. 91: famous singers, characters or actors names (Armstrong, Celine Dion, Homer, Lisa etc.) must change to adjust to student population age or preferences in the future. The book referred also to the University of origin of the Authors (Utexas). It is possible to change or to adapt.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Texts are clear and simple. Authors use cognates and examples so students can easily understand sentences, concepts or ideas. Drawings and pictures are also used to make the text more attractive and accessible. The vocabulary includes a comprehensive list of the chapter’s key vocabulary items arranged according to semantic fields, e.g., salutations, colors, days of the week, etc. Grammar exercises are simple.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent and authors use the same structure, terminology and framework for all chapters.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course. The only problem I see is the absence of separate text to introduce or to cover the entire chapter as we used to have in other book. The texts in this book include very short dialog, text with exercises but not a complete text in French or if I see such texts, they are on the left side or right side corner of the book (example p. 132, text entitled “ Les repas français” or p. 197 “La maison française et la vie privée »). Texts should have been displayed differently.\n At the intermediate level students  must be able to read a longer text, analyze them or discuss the text or give their opinions.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Topics in the text are presented in a logical and clear fashion. The book is well organized. A picture gives a clear idea of the theme students will study. Each chapter is organized the same way with the same sub-categories (Vocabulary, Phonetics, grammar Videos with cultural aspects). There are three different kinds of videos: • Introductory video, a short video of a student on the study abroad program who presents the chapter’s thematic and grammatical material. The introductions also include a preview of the communicative tasks that form the basis of the lesson. • Vocabulary presentation videos (vocabulaire en contexte) which present vocabulary items in an authentic cultural context. The vocabulary video captures native speakers who use the new vocabulary in a context that provides important visual support. • Interviews of four native French speakers. In the spontaneous interviews, speakers respond to questions that require them to employ the grammar and vocabulary featured in the chapter.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not notice and interface issues or navigation problems.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see grammatical errors","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text introduces a variety of aspects of the French culture. The text does not show the diverse population living in France. The only diversity I see is the use of names example Maghrebi names (ex. P 23 Leila Kiblawi). Authors should add more pictures representing the diversity of French population. For example a picture of a classroom shows only white students p.29 or p. 57 or p. 186 or187 only white family members or children are shown. On p.135 a picture of students with their professor is shown and I don’t see any diversity (The students are from Texas I think). P. 188 also shows white female students etc. The videos present interviews of four native French speakers (Franck, Virginie, Jean-Charles, and Stéphanie) and three American students learning French (Laila, Blake, and Karen). Native French speakers don’t include any African or Maghrebi name. Most French people are originally from Africa or Maghreb.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This book is great but should show a France that is more diverse by using pictures of different population living in France or francophone countries. Texts in French summarizing a chapter or cultural aspects should not appear in the left or right corner.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1596,"first_name":"Deborah","last_name":"Schocket","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Bowling Green State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all of the French grammatical structures and vocabulary themes that one would expect from a beginning textbook. It is designed with in-class components plus preparation, video clips, and online grammar intended for students to complete outside of class as homework. \n\nIn addition, it contains vocabulary and phonetics sections. The vocabulary is presented not only with lists and English translations, but also short videos filmed in France that show people speaking the words in context, which gives students an opportunity to hear the pronunciation and visually associate the word and its meaning.\n\nIn short, the book is similarly comprehensive to commercial textbooks. Although it does not contain the course management platform that textbook publishers offer, it does have a self-checking grammar exercise to accompany each structure, as well as many online listening and video activities.\n\nThe website includes a chapter by chapter “competencies checklist” of “can-do” statements and a useful index.\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"All of the information presented in the book appears accurate. The website and pdf downloads have been updated for the 2017 edition.\n","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The current (third) edition was updated in 2017.\nThe book is based on “the lives of real students from the University of Texas who have participated in the UT Summer Program in Lyon, France,\" as well interviews with native speakers. It is written with a sense of humor that many will find appealing even if they do not relate to the UT-Austin focus of the text’s examples.\n","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Instructions in Français Interactif are clearly presented, as are the explanations on Tex’s French Grammar pages. The sample lesson plans and syllabi that are available through the website also make it easy even for novice instructors to figure out how to implement the materials.\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Everything is internally coherent throughout, including helpful icons to identify each type of activity.\n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The site map for the textbook as well as the accompanying grammar website make it very adaptable for use in different contexts. With each chapter available as a pdf, it would be easy for instructors to pick and choose the elements they want to use.\n","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Français Interactif is organized similarly to a commercial textbook in terms of the order in which grammatical structures are presented. In fact, it is rather dense in terms of the number of chapters and amount of grammar presented in each chapter, making it an appropriate choice not only for classic two-semester programs but also for those preferring to stretch their beginning sequence over three semesters. Thanks to the modularity (see above), it would also be easy for instructors to pick and choose the elements to include in a particular class.\n","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Once teachers and students get the hang of it, the website is very easy to navigate. Everything needed is accessible through multiple locations or points of entry, making it easier for all to land on the correct portion of the website.\n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The textbook (which can be printed out as a pdf on a chapter by chapter basis) does not contain detailed grammar explanations (but does include helpful, brief recalls in the margins). Instead, it refers students to the appropriate online grammar explanations.  \n\nAll of the grammar activities are found on the accompanying website, “Tex’s French Grammar.”  Each item is presented with an easy to understand description in English and includes short dialogues that show the structures in context, including a sound icon one can click to hear them read out loud. Finally, each item contains a self-checking fill-in-the-blank exercise for students to practice the structure. I have been referring my students to Tex’s grammar to review for years, even before I learned that it was part of a comprehensive textbook.\n","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Because all of the authentic materials in the book come from videos and topics related to UT-Austin’s study abroad program in Lyon, those looking for a broad francophone perspective will be disappointed. However, the book does a good job of presenting French culture, and the “note culturelle” sections in the book’s margins provide short reading comprehension opportunities throughout each chapter. \n","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The textbook promotes a lexical approach, with an emphasis on vocabulary. Its use of processing instruction is grounded in Second Language Acquisition research: students get exposed to extensive input of grammatical forms before being asked to produce language themselves. \nI have corresponded with faculty at a number of institutions around the U.S. using Français Interactif for their primary instructional materials and all reported being quite pleased with it.\n\n","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1843,"first_name":"Habiba","last_name":"Boumlik","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"LaGuardia Community College (CUNY)","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Français Interactif  explores French language and culture and includes real students from the University of Texas who studied abroad in Lyon, France.\n\nThe textbook is well structured. For each chapter, there are 12 sections that reinforce the language learning. Students are introduced to the topic through a set of vocabulary words that they need to prepare before attending the course. There are also preparatory exercises that students are expected to do prior to studying a chapter with the instructor.  The new vocabulary is introduced through a short video  in an authentic cultural context. In addition, students get to listen to interviews with native speakers where the vocabulary and the grammar of the chapter are used.\n\nThe textbook offers various activities so that students can employ different learning strategies. It  emphasizes good pronunciation  through the Phonetics section. \n\nAs for the homework, the textbook has a dedicated section where materials can be printed. This allows the instructor to check responses.\n\nFrançais Interactif  has an online grammar on the companion website where grammar is explained in English, exemplified in a dialogue and tested in self-correcting exercises.\n\n \nThe textbook provides a useful table of contents, a 26 page glossary, and an index. The layout is consistent and visually appealing. Contents are arranged logically in each lesson and across lessons. Sample quizzes and exams in the teacher’s edition are useful.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and expected in an introductory French course.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is relevant and updates will be easy to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in accessible prose.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is very consistent in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is easily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a logical and clear fashion.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text is easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"NA","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally offensive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Another strength of this textbook is the possibility to print pages or chapters for those who prefer to work on a paper support. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1927,"first_name":"Lucille","last_name":"Toth","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Ohio State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Francais Interactif covers all grammar points, vocabulary and conjugaison of French - levels 1 and 2, and provides an effective index and glossary. It also offers the right amount of translations and excellent exercises. ","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The book is accurate on grammar, vocabulary and conjugaison. However, I find it too France-oriented and not inclusive enough. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Grammar and vocabulary are up-to-date. The textbook offers great activities that will not make it obsolete. But on a cultural level, it is already obsolete as it is not inclusive enough. The photographs should also be updated. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text offers extremely clear activities and the organization of the lessons is very accessible. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in the organization of the chapters, which makes the content easier to approach. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easily divisible into smaller sections. It offers a variety of different types of activity that the teacher can use according to the students' needs.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters are presented in a clear fashion.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is free of significant interface issues. Very easy to use. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I haven't noticed any grammatical errors in this textbook. ","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"Culturally, this book shows a lot of problems. For example, there is no mention of any French speaking country but France. There is an obvious lack of diversity both in the text and the pictures. If the book is supposed to represent France nowadays, I think it is not an accurate representation, as it seems very bias.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2209,"first_name":"Maria","last_name":"Jerskey","position":"Professor","institution_name":"City University of New York: LaGuardia Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"As a foreign language textbook, it covers the traditional content (e.g., greetings; days/months, family (kinship) terms, telling time; pastimes; weather, seasons; physical descriptions; meals/food; describing physical appearance; describing places; holidays; media; health; clothing, professions; relationships (love). All with an emphasis on France.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"It has a few errors (in the videos as well).","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"In terms of relevance, our students at CUNY are multilingual (so have considerable linguistic resources). I find the implicit audience of the book to be monolingual students who will be learning French to function in France and sound as much like monolingual speakers of French as they can. This of course is typical of foreign language teaching and learning. I am interested in finding textbooks that are task-based in endeavors to prepare students to use French across a range of communicative situations.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"It is written clearly.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I find it consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I would say that the text is easily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course. The text is not overly self-referential, and I can imagine being able to reorganize and realign it with various subunits without presenting much disruption to my students.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I see its logic.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"It seems fine, but I have yet to \"test-run\" it with a section of French.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I have not found grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"As I wrote above, our students at CUNY are multilingual (so have considerable linguistic resources). I find the implicit audience of the book to be monolingual students who will be learning French to function in France and sound as much like monolingual speakers of French as they can. This of course is typical of foreign language teaching and learning. I am interested in finding textbooks that are task-based in endeavors to prepare students to use French across a range of communicative situations.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Again:  I find the implicit audience of the book to be monolingual students who will be learning French to function in France and ultimately sound as much like monolingual speakers of French as they can. This of course is typical of foreign language teaching and learning. I am interested in finding textbooks that are task-based in endeavors to prepare students to use French across a range of communicative situations.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2638,"first_name":"Heather","last_name":"Edwards","position":"Senior Lecturer in French","institution_name":"Longwood University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Français interactif, used in tandem with the companion website, offers a solid foundation of French language for students at the introductory level. An ordinary assortment of themes includes introductions, descriptions, vacation, weather, food, destinations in town, the home, media, fashion and health, professional life, love, and money. The program offers plenty of scaffolded activities for the student, who begins each chapter with an introductory video featuring an American student studying abroad, continues with individual, pair, and group exercises, and ends with a writing activity which incorporates new structures and ideas. The companion website offers ample support for vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and the culture of France. The index and glossary are excellent, both searchable and thorough.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The program's content is relatively error-free. However, the following do need attention: 1) p. 62, an update to the regions of France; 2) p. 68, an error in word order \"Changez de pour camarade chaque question;\" and 3) p. 168, a typo: \"Watch the video to chapter 2\" (should be 7). While the content is not biased, it was clearly written for a fairly homogeneous audience. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content in the textbook .pdf is updated frequently, with a 2019 revision currently available. Obsolete cultural references could be easily  replaced. For example, p. 174: surely there's a more up-to-date use of the verb \"couvrir\" than a reference to Hillary Clinton's role in the president's 1998 impeachment -- current college freshmen had not yet been born.  What makes this program so appealing to UT students -- including destinations around Austin and the use of Tatou the armadillo as a main character -- also makes it less relevant to students who cannot connect to such geographically specific references.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very accessible; even linguistically timid students should have no problem working with this program. Many students are learning the target language while working at a deficit of understanding of basic grammatical structures. Français interactif provides clear instruction on how to build accurate sentences.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The consistent, predictable structure of the text helps both the instructor and the student. Each chapter offers a variety of activities to practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking within a predictable framework. One small inconsistency is the occasional use of \"tu\" instead of \"vous\" when the book addresses the student -- p. 79, for example. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Because each textbook chapter can be downloaded individually as a .pdf, this program is perfectly suited to supplement beginning, intermediate, or advanced courses. While it is not overly self-referential, as with any language acquisition program, it is inherently cumulative. In other words, students cannot learn the passé composé in chapter 6 without first understanding the verbs être and avoir in chapters 1 and 2.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text and website are organized beautifully, with a logical structure that students can anticipate from one chapter to the next. Chapters include a video introduction to the theme, a list of vocabulary with online auditory support and comprehension exercises, a pronunciation lesson, an explanation of grammar topics and accompanying activities ranging from rote repetition to creation of unique paragraphs. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"It would be wonderful to have hyperlinks between the text and the online activities, though the connections are well-labeled and consistent. A fair number of the web addresses in the \"Culture\" and \"Activités internet\" sections are dead but do function when copied into a new tab (Ch 6, maps.google.fr; Ch 8, seloger.com). Others end with a page which reads \"Site introuvable\" (Ch 7, www.cartes-alibaba.com) or \"X a fermé ses portes\" (Ch 8, www.lamaisondevalerie.fr).  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammatical errors are very rare.  One conjugation error on p. 73 reads, \"Qu'est-ce que vous et vos camarades de chambre font;\" another, p. 168, says \"On ne travaillent jamais.\"","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"While not offensive in any way, the program does not illustrate the rich diversity of France in the 21st century, nor does it offer information about other francophone countries or regions. I fear that it might be difficult for my non-white, non-traditional students to connect to the material in a personal way.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Français interactif offers many attractive attributes, including an excellent scope of vocabulary, solid grammar instruction, and authentic videos created by UT faculty and students. Precisely because the quality of most of the videos (and the language ability of students featured therein) is imperfect, they are totally accessible to the typical American student, who often has unrealistic expectations about gaining fluency in the target language over a short period of time. Were I to adopt this program (a tempting thought, considering the financial implications for students), I would need to supplement with more opportunities for students to read authentic materials and write complex assignments; these are skills transferrable to other disciplines which colleagues outside of modern languages recognize and value.  ","created_at":"2019-03-07T16:54:16.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-03-07T16:54:16.000-06:00"},{"id":2853,"first_name":"Deborah","last_name":"Ferrand","position":"Visiting Instructor","institution_name":"College of William \u0026 Mary","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"A thorough method to learn French that is very much comparable to commercial methods. It focuses on the key vocabulary, grammar, cultural concepts introduced in first year French, and it’s use could potentially be extended to the first semester of intermediate French.  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"A few errors here and there, but overall, they are rare.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content is updated regularly, which makes the text still relevant. Students from the UT-Austin will find this textbook more appealing as it talks directly to their experiences living in studying in Texas. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very accessible and easy to understand. A great resource for students of every level and proficiency.  Instructions are giving in the first chapters in English, and later on in French, thus building on the progress of students. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Good consistency in the organization and terminology. Each chapter introduces a variety of reading, listening, writing and speaking activities. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Easy for instructors to select through the chapters what grammar they want to cover or not, and in what order thanks to the pdf format. However, since chapters build on one another when it comes to grammar and vocabulary, skipping parts of this textbooks could be problematic. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The content is delivered in very logically manner. It is easy for the students to follow and know what to expect in each chapter. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textbook is easy to navigate. I would however say that it would have been neat to have the hyperlinks to the companion website for “Français Interactif” directly embedded in the online textbook. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Minor typos, nothing substantial.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Could have been further developed. The textbook is quite metropolitan centric and tends to relegate francophone countries and cultures to the background. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-04-26T21:50:43.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-26T21:50:43.000-05:00"},{"id":4463,"first_name":"Julia","last_name":"Huzieff","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook (345 pages) is divided into 13 chapters. It has a variety of diverse exercises (listening comprehension, written exercises, cultural activities, group or individual projects...). The web-platform is an essential part of the textbook as a lot of grammatical explanations as well as videos and exercises are included. Each chapter has vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and cultural concepts. The book ends with a \"glossaire\". \r\nThis textbook could be used over two beginner semesters.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"There are a few errors, but the content is relatively error-free.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"It was developed in 2004, but has been periodically updated. The last update is from 2019.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"For most exercises, the instructions start in English in the first chapter and switch to French in the second one, which is great. The content is organized in a similar way from one chapter to the next so it is easy to navigate.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook is organized in the same way from one chapter to the next for easy navigation.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Like most textbooks, the next concepts are built on previous knowledge so skipping chapters could be a problem for beginners.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"There is a natural and easy flow to the content. The little pictograms are very helpful to recognize the different type of activities.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The content is easy to navigate and it's very consistent from one chapter to the next. A little suggestion would to have hyperlinks to be able to access the web platform more easily.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There are a few grammatical/structures errors, but overall, there are rare.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"A lot of the cultural examples take place in France, it would be great to see more examples from other francophone countries.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-12-15T10:42:16.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-15T10:42:16.000-06:00"},{"id":33998,"first_name":"Betsy","last_name":"Starnes","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Virginia Commonwealth University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This a complete textbook in terms of covering all the necessary grammar the students should know in the first two years of French. The website also has videos and phonetics practice and some culture that can be used in the first two year levels.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"There are very few errors.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The characters are no longer really relevant and they need to be updated. The sketches in the online book can be hilarously outdated and very male mindset-centered with a sort of old soap opera scenario, so this part could be updated. The videos have good content for the most part and there are some very good examples of students and French people, and French culture.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very straightforward and well organized and also matches the webstite very well.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The organization of the text is very consistent and it's easy for students and instructors to follow.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modulurity is well done and is easily reorganized and realigned with the subunits, it is not difficult or confusing to follow. It has an intuitive feel.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are easy to follow.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have not seen any interface issues or navigation problems, nor any confusing display features.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not seen any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"It is inclusive overall but the little soap opera like characters could use some updating to keep humor but also things like the \"Adult Book Store\" sketch might need to be removed. Also in an video there is a reference to one French person saying that the maid does the housework which might be a little off-putting for some students.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall it is an excellent resource and we are lucky to have it as an OER!","created_at":"2022-08-30T07:38:15.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-08-30T07:38:15.000-05:00"},{"id":35660,"first_name":"Rishani","last_name":"De Costa","position":"Assistant Professor of French","institution_name":"Marian University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I have been using Français Interactif, a free online textbook, for over five years with introductory-level students. The grammar explanations are clear and supported by examples, making them accessible to learners at any level.\r\nWhat I find especially helpful is that grammar structures are explained in English, with examples provided in French and their English translations. This bilingual approach helps students understand the material more easily.\r\nEach grammar section also includes practice activities at the end, which allow students to check their understanding on their own. The textbook is well-structured, with content organized in an easy-to-navigate way.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"There are a few minor errors. Overall, the content is error-free.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The book began development in 2004, and its last update was in 2019. Although the textbook contains valuable content, the cultural sections could benefit from an update. There is a noticeable lack of current cultural references, particularly in the vocabulary sections. As mentioned above, adding more everyday words and expressions would help learners develop stronger practical communication and language skills. Each chapter includes a list of activities for students to complete and sound practice exercises. However, I would prefer to see some of these activities updated. When using the chapters, I adapt them by refreshing and creating cultural content and incorporating more real-life vocabulary to support learners in their conversations better.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is well-organized and clear. It is beneficial for novice learners, as it facilitates listening to correct pronunciation thanks to the accompanying audio. It has greatly helped my students improve their listening and pronunciation skills. Moreover, the explanation of grammar structures, along with examples and audio, provides adequate understanding. However, the examples would be even more effective if they were placed in a Francophone context or culture. But overall, the text is straightforward and well-organized.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Français Interactif demonstrates internal consistency in both its terminology and instructional framework. This consistency makes it easier for students to follow the progression of concepts across chapters without confusion. Key terms are introduced clearly and reused appropriately, reinforcing comprehension. The structure of each unit, from vocabulary and grammar to listening and cultural sections, remains uniform, which supports learner confidence and familiarity. Overall, the consistent layout and language contribute to a well-organized, pedagogically sound learning experience.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The texts in the book are adequate for learners to understand the context. There is not an overwhelming amount of reading, as the grammar structures are clearly explained in English, with examples provided in French. On average, learners spend about five minutes reading each section, which I find very convenient, especially for students who are less inclined to read extensively. The blue highlights of the grammar structures covered in each chapter help students focus on the most critical points. Moreover, Francais Interactif provides lesson plans and example samples for teachers. I have not used the exams because I have created my own. However, it might be some time savings in some cases.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics in this book are well-presented logically and practically. Each chapter provides a list of different activities for students to complete. An adequate text and activities are provided in an organized way. When using a school platform, educators can refer students to the appropriate grammar structure link to read before the class lesson. That is very helpful.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text and images inside the books do not confuse the learner. It makes learners easy to comprend the content. However, it would have been better to incorporate more cultural elements from the francophone countries. Furthermore, it would have also been better if charts were included.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"This online textbook is designed with well structured grammatical explanations. I haven't seen any grammatical errors. It provies practice activties at the end of each grammartical structure explanations. Although, the activties that provides each chapter are aligning with the grammar structures, it would have better to see more interpersonal activties.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"There are cultural elements from France; however, it would be better for students to explore other Francophone regions and their cultures as well.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this book is excellent, well-structured, easy to navigate, and consistent. The area I would update is the cultural component.","created_at":"2025-10-27T10:11:20.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-10-27T10:11:20.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/francais-interactif","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:39:52.000-06:00"},{"id":249,"title":"Deutsch im Blick","edition_statement":"2nd Edition","volume":null,"copyright_year":2017,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"This textbook includes all 10 chapters of Deutsch im Blick. It accompanies http://coerll.utexas.edu/dib/, the web-based first-year German program developed and in use at the University of Texas since 2008, and its companion site, Grimm Grammar. Deutsch im Blick is an open access site with free and open multimedia resources, which requires neither password nor fees. Deutsch im Blick has been funded and created by Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services at the University of Texas, and is currently supported by COERLL, the Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning UT-Austin, and the U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE Grant P116B070251 \u0026 P116Y090057) as an example of the open access initiative.","contributors":[{"id":4148,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Zsuzsanna","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Abrams","location":"University of Texas, Austin","background_text":"Zsuzsanna Abrams, Associate Professor, Department of Languages and Applied Linguistics, with an affiliation in German Studies, at UC Santa Cruz. Her teaching interests include applied linguistics, language pedagogy, second language acquisition, intercultural communication, discourse analysis, and computer-mediated communication."}],"subjects":[{"id":31,"name":"Languages","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"P51","visible_textbooks_count":123,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/languages"},{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities"}],"publishers":[{"id":139,"url":"http://coerll.utexas.edu/dib/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","name":"COERLL"}],"formats":[{"id":444,"type":"PDF","url":"https://bit.ly/2zNMZoX","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":445,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://bit.ly/2WfQX11","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":27,"reviews":[{"id":492,"first_name":"John","last_name":"Jeep","position":"Professor of German Studies","institution_name":"Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers most areas of the subject, an introduction to German, appropriately. There is no comprehensive index or glossary in the text itself, but there is a link to an index of topics.\nWhile Germans, Swiss, and Americans are interviewed, an Austrian or two would have been welcome. Exposure to various accents (including non-native speakers) is a welcome component.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"In general there content is accurate, error-free, up to date, and unbiased. A few misprints and lack of coverage of gender neutral options are reported at the end of this review.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The topics and the presentation of grammar are, on the whole, up-to-date, such that the text will serve its purpose for some time to come.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Aside from occasional asides on linguistic points in articulation, the text is clear, lucid, and easily accessible. Jargon, if used, is glossed and explained satisfactorily. One might squabble on an occasional point, but this does not impact the overall impression of clarity.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book has been carefully edited, so that inconsistencies are not noticeable.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Indeed the text can be used in any variety of sequencing, although there appears to be no compelling reason to alter the proposed order of presentation.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"There are no points when the sequence of presentation seem out of place. Some might start, for example, with present perfect before simple past, but that remains an option (see modularity) and not a major hurdle.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"My interactive navigation was successful. Even a rare misconnection was easily and quickly resolved, sometimes just by clicking anew. Handy headers allow for negotiating the various categories of any given page.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"While I would teach word-order differently and more comprehensively, the book's grammar presentation serves its purpose, and allows students to find out more if they so desire.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book embraces tradition and change, presenting others engaging with the culture of the German-speaking world.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The book could be used oner two semesters, or three.\n\nEditorial suggestions that should be easily implemented follow; I make no claim to comprehensive coverage.\n\nNo pronunciation of \u0026lt;ä\u0026gt;,\u0026lt;ö\u0026gt;, \u0026lt;ü\u0026gt; does not occur when the alphabet is read.\n34 Chemie - pronunciation?; passim Familie\n36 Reportage\n48 Beige\n\n58 Mädhcen  \u0026gt; Mädchen\n61 Studenten \u0026gt; Studierende oder Studentinnen und Studenten, auch 71\n72 Vorlesungverzeichnis [sic] used along side of Vorlesungsverzeichnis\n\n99 Vocabulary (Kap. 2): Should include all plurals (Unibibliothek; das Schwarze [sic] Brett)\nKlasse(nzimmer) is not used at universities\n\n107 right margin: Sequencing unfortunate: \"Always learn the nouns with the article\" followed by \"These ideas are suggestions only...\"\n\n129 Danke schoen. \u0026gt; schön\n\n221 This link is incorrect (11.V.2016) http://www.steuer-forum-kirche.de/church-tax.pdf \n\n263 The use of 'n' with articles are not exceptions; instead, place names with articles follow different rules\n\n265, 269, 288, 376 ihrer \u0026gt; Ihrer\n\n268, 282, 283, 288, 357, 465 ihre \u0026gt; Ihre\n\n274, 359, 418 ihren \u0026gt; Ihren\n\n281 ihr \u0026gt; Ihr (zweimal) + 359 + 376\n\n281 ihnen \u0026gt; Ihnen\n\n282 nach Ihre speziellen Wünsche \u0026gt; nach Ihren speziellen Wünschen\n\n319 VErletzung \u0026gt; Verletzung\n\n376 ihres \u0026gt; Ihres \n\n394 Meinun \u0026gt; Meinung","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":512,"first_name":"Andrea","last_name":"Meyertholen","position":"Ph.D., Language Coordinator","institution_name":"University of Kansas","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook describes itself as a “language program for beginning and early intermediate students of German.” With the wealth of materials contained within its 10 chapters, the curriculum could certainly be used over the course of 2 or 3 semesters, depending on how the instructor selects and tailors it to suit a given program’s needs. Its content is mostly expected for such courses, covering the typical cultural topics for first-year German programs. There is almost TOO much to choose from: video interviews with Americans in Germany and Germans, video segments filmed on site in Germany, webquests, vocabulary, audio files for pronunciation, and in-class activities targeting all four competencies. The chapters are online in pdf format and can be easily printed out for a hard copy.\n\nIn terms of grammar, the curriculum's sequencing does containing some eye-brow-raising choices not normally encountered in German textbooks. Some of the more advanced structures are Konjunktiv II im Pr?sens, Infinitivs?tze, Subordinierende Konjunktionen, das Imperfekt, and das Perfekt. Notable absences include:  der Genitiv, das Passiv (understandable for the level), a more targeted handling of dative and accusative prepositions (appear as side notes), and adjective endings. Should an instructor wish to include a structure not covered in the lesson material, the text provides links to its accompanying grammar website, “Grimm Grammar,” a separate platform quite comprehensive in scope. It provides explanations and examples in English, as well as online exercises for students. Not all grammar topics presented on the site appear on “Deutsch im Blick.” As a result, the grammar is not as integrated into the lessons and cultural topics as the vocabulary is, despite the self-described focus on communication and learning language in and through use. While certain grammatical structures are targeted through writing and speaking opportunities relevant to each chapter’s specific cultural content, the grammar (explanations and online exercises) is largely imparted to students through a fairy-tale framework. This is certainly creative and humorous, but presents practical obstacles due to a completely separate vocabulary. \n \nReturning to \"Deutsch im Blick,\" the TOC for each chapter is clear and fairly detailed, although no clear visual overview of all chapters and their content on one page is to be found. The site index comes the closest, yet does not provide a single-page overview of what grammar is covered in each chapter. If there is a glossary or verb charts such as one often finds at the end of basic language texts, I have yet to find it. \n\nSorely missing is an online “lab manual,” i.e. a workbook or manual of activities expected with language textbooks that are integrated into the textbook and are easily gradable as homework. A model for such a lab manual would be something like MyGermanLab, which can be easily linked up to an instructor’s gradebook while also providing students a multitude of language-learning resources and practice.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Overall, I did not notice any inaccuracy. I noticed a few small typos / formatting oddities, but these were very few and far between. In terms of bias, the text as it stands is very much tailored to UT Austin and its specific program in Würzburg. Most of its videos are shot in Würzburg, although the last chapter deals with Berlin. The text does address Austria and Switzerland, but they are short detours, as Germany is the real focus. An audience of American university students is assumed.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text is several years old and many links are out-of-date (not functioning). As a result, current issues/debates in German-speaking Europe (refugee crisis, the problems facing the EU, latest World Cup, immigration/migration, etc) are not included. Instructors should be sure to test all links before implementation in the classroom. Generally speaking, though, the broadness of the cultural topics as well as their fundamental relevance to learning the language allow the text to be practical for instructors and stand the test of time, at least for a few more years.  That being said, a clear effort is made to formulate writing and discussion prompts dealing with topics of interest and relevance to contemporary college students (music, sports, movies).","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"“Deutsch im Blick” instructs and explains in English in the first few chapters before segueing to German in the last half. More complicated tasks or complex topics (dialects, historical development of the language) remain in English even in later chapters and/or are nicely scaffolded to walk students through their completion. The margins are full with extra information over culture and grammar, which can lead the text to appear visually crowded and overwhelming.\n\n“Grimm Grammar” describes grammatical concepts and structures in English, and keeps most explanations brief. My concern is the specificity of the vocabulary in its examples and online activities; the fairy-tale framework is certainly cute, but it impedes easy implementation, as students must first familiarize themselves with vocabulary specific to this topic. Moreover, the activities and examples themselves are at a language level a bit too high for beginning students. Students would be more likely to devote more time to deciphering the meaning of unfamiliar German words, rather than concentrating on the grammatical structure itself.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent and consistently organized. Each chapter contains the same sections, which helps instructors organize lessons. It does a good job at recycling material from previous chapters as well.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The site index for each specific chapter allows for easy use of the different components of “Deutsch im Blick.” The pdf-chapters would seem to make more sense as a hard-copy course packet, as they become cumbersome in electronic format when one must continually scroll through the abundance of activities filling each chapter. There are many sections in each chapter of the book, which allows for easy use of it once instructors are used to the basic template. Links are embedded in the pdfs to refer students to pertinent grammar reviews and explanations (from “Grimm Grammar”). The amount of material in “Deutsch im Blick” does require instructors to pick and choose what can feasibly be covered and thus put extra effort into (re-)organizing chapter content for their classes. At the same time, it is preferable to have too much material from which to draw rather than too little.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"“Deutsch im Blick” presents a clear organizational structure, and flows from one chapter to the next by building upon the earlier chapters. Later chapters point students to reviews from previous chapters and do make an effort to recycle grammar. Students and instructors should have no difficulties accustoming themselves to the layout and will be able to predict the organization of each chapter – both in online navigation and in the pdfs. I do find some of the grammar sequencing and omissions surprising, but I also do not know how UT's German Department structures their course designed to follow \"Deutsch im Blick,\" so perhaps it makes more sense in the organization of their overall program.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The links embedded within the PDF versions of the text make it easy to move throughout the book, and also outside of the book to supplementary materials online. As noted above, a visual overview of the chapters and their content on one page would be beneficial. For instance, it is not so simple to pick a specific grammatical concept and then backtrack its introduction to a specific chapter in the curriculum.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not encounter any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text is not very inclusive of various races and ethnic/cultural backgrounds. Since the videos were recorded using then-real UT students, the authors were subject to understandable limitations. However, topic areas dealing with current issues with migration, citizenship, and immigration are not thematized.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"As an instructor, I very much appreciate the sheer amount of material provided by “Deutsch im Blick.” With activities and exercises designed to target all four competencies, short oral presentations, webquests, scaffolded writing assignments, peer-review activities, and countless videos encourage students to focus on communicative interaction and pursue their interests in German culture through multimedia. Effort is made to encourage students to focus on their pronunciation, explore German websites, and learn how to talk in German about topics of interest to university students. Pronunciation is both described in the pdf-chapters and modelled through audio and video recordings. Vocabulary help is offered through already-made Quizlet flashcards and study tools (linked to the website).\n\nDrawbacks to adopting “Deutsch im Blick” include the lack of a “lab manual” or gradable / self-correcting “online workbook,” the lack of a test bank, and its specificity to UT’s German program. While “Grimm Grammar” is certainly a good resource, it would seem more trouble than it is worth to try to use it as an educative tool in class, given its higher-level examples, genre-specific vocabulary, and lack of integration with the topics presented in “Deutsch im Blick.” Overall, I have a favorable impression of this text and could imagine myself adopting and adapting it under the right circumstances. Kudos to UT-Austin!","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":526,"first_name":"Mila","last_name":"Ganeva","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Miami University, Ohio","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook covers all basic concepts of grammar appropriate for the first year. It emphasizes the practice of all four skills: reading, listening, writing, and speaking. The reading passages are almost exclusively short non-fiction texts. With the exception of a few songs, there are no literary texts that students are introduced to.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The textbook is for the most part accurate. I came across some striking translations of German terms. One example: “Wohngemeinschaft” is translated as “Mansard apartment,” which is obviously incorrect. The opening/introductory videos are cute: they feature an American student visiting Würzburg. In some instances, these students mispronounce words. I wonder how effective is for learners to hear (in a textbook) the incorrect and heavily accented pronunciations of German words.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The topics discussed in the book are relevant for students enrolled in US institutions of higher educations. After completing the course, students will be well prepared for a semester-long or year-long  study abroad in Germany. They are given appropriate amount of historical and cultural background information. The book avoids discussing current politics, which diminishes the risk that the material will be outdated soon.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The grammar presentation is contextualized in an unnecessarily complicated way. The grammar drills use fairy tale characters and mix up details from individual fairy tales, which adds another level of complication. Students need to review all of these fairy tales in order to follow to complete the grammar drills correctly. I found those exercises confusing. It seems that students need to review all the German names of fairy tale characters before completing even the most basic assignments.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The textbook uses both German and English terminology to explain grammar, but not in the most consistent way. Some times both terms are used, sometimes – just the German ones. This is particularly evident in the Table of contents of each chapter. Some chapters feature the category “Recommended” (under Grammar), some chapters – don’t.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Overall, the textbook is well balanced. All the material is divided in sections of roughly equal length. The chapters are similar in length and structure as well.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters share the same basic organization. They flow well, while at the same time they allow the instructor to be flexible in the selection of assignments and exercises. My preference would be that the grammar is introduced somewhat earlier in the chapters and is practiced in more basic drills.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The website is easy to navigate. All activities open quickly and play well.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The grammar concepts are presented clearly and accurately. My main criticism applies to the following issues: 1) Terminology. The textbook uses the term “conversational past” instead of “Present Perfect” (for Perfekt). This leads to confusions and inconsistencies (see, for example, how passive voice past tense is explained). 2) Sequence and order. This textbook chooses to introduce simple past tense (Impefekt) quite late in the book (Chapter 10), even after subjunctive (Konjunktiv II). This is quite unusual. Students need to be using these forms much earlier. 3) Some chapters are very heavy on grammar (for example Chapter 5), some have a minimal amount of grammar exercises (Chapter 3). 4) It would be helpful if the “Site Index” indicates which grammar topics are covered in which chapters.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This textbook is focusing on topics and themes that are key to understanding German culture.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":838,"first_name":"Robert","last_name":"Godwin-Jones","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Virginia Commonwealth University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is comprehensive in terms of basic vocabulary and grammar. That is less the case in terms of culture. There is considerable information about Germany and Switzerland, less on Austria. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not spot any inaccuracies.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text does not contain material that would be outdated in the foreseeable future. The user interface, however, is somewhat dated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The explanations are clear and appropriately geared to language beginners.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each unit is presented in the same format and order, making it easy for students to orient themselves.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The units can stand for themselves, although since language learning is built up sequentially, learners are likely to use the units in the order presented. The modularity presents the opportunity for the content to be used in other contexts. I have used units from the Grimm Grammar, which are easily used in different contexts.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The overall structure of the text is logical and consistent. The order of the material presented is consistent with that traditionally followed in elementary language textbooks. As such, this text can be used effectively as the basis for a elementary level German class for 2 semesters, or as refresher for intermediate level students.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The interface, as laid out in the textbook is clear. However, the connection between the textbook and the online resources on the web site is confusing. The links to online resources from the textbook are not consistent, nor clearly indicated what are linked resources and which are not. Also, some links open in new tabs/windows; others do not. Using QR codes to find resources I find quite awkward. I had trouble finding the videos from the textbook and ended up having to use the site index page. Some of the issues (such as QR codes) may be related to the fact that the interface is not consistent with current web page design (for example, effective adaptive design).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No problems","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No problems","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I found the use of videos by both native speakers and language learners to be effective, presenting both models close to learner’s interlanguage and the language models they aspire to. However, for some of the videos in the early units the sound quality was poor, while others not only had poor audio, but also used a level of language far beyond level of beginners (vocabulary, speed, enunciation). It’s great to have unfiltered authentic language, but for students to want to interact with the videos, the topics should be more likely to be of interest (not organization of a university). ","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":899,"first_name":"Pia","last_name":"Kostner","position":"Instructor of German","institution_name":"University of New Orleans","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text includes a wealth of vocabulary, so much so that students might feel overwhelmed by it, especially since there are two vocabulary sections per chapter. I’m not sure how useful the vocabulary at the beginning of each chapter is to understanding the content of the videos or written excerpts that follow. All grammatical structures that are normally included in a first-year German textbook are covered in “Deutsch im Blick,” although some areas ought to be covered more thoroughly and perhaps with more examples.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Set mostly in Würzburg, the text is clearly focused on Germany. Switzerland and Austria are mentioned but not discussed in much detail. \nI found the discussion on the various German dialects refreshing since dialects are still an integral aspect of German culture but are usually only mentioned in passing in other textbooks. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The publication is several years old and thus does not include references to the latest political/cultural developments in Germany, notably the refugee crises and the rise of right-wing populism in Germany and Europe. However, since it is web-based, it would be fairly easy to update the book’s content and incorporate recent events/developments.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"In general, the grammar explanations on the Grimm companion website are clear and concise and are followed by relevant examples, although I find the examples too complicated at times for a beginning-level German student. And while the use of fairy tales and fairy tale characters is innovative and amusing, it adds yet more new vocabulary. \nAlso, some grammatical structures should be explained in more detail. For instance, I found the explanation on word order in declarative sentences especially superficial. It’s not enough to say that basic declarative sentences in German follow subject-verb-direct object word order. There is a section on adverb placement later on the Grimm Grammar companion site but I think it would be beneficial to link that to the word order section for a more comprehensive explanation.\nI also found many of the early activities in the textbook and on the Grimm companion website too difficult. The authors often use structures not yet discussed and, more importantly, use unfamiliar vocabulary. \nFor example, in chapter 3 of the Grimm companion site, students are asked to negate nouns with a form of “kein” but the translations/genders of the nouns they are supposed to negate are left out. The same is true in chapter 5, where students are supposed to fill in the blanks with an appropriate possessive determiner but have no way of knowing the gender of the noun it modifies.\nIn the textbook, students are asked to incorporate modal verbs in personal questions/answers in chapter 3 but modal verbs are not formally explained until chapter 4.\nAnd while authenticity is great, some of the texts in the early chapters, are way too advanced for students to understand. An example would be the article about the “Eiscafé” in chapter 3.\n","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"For the most part, the book is consistent in its use of terminology. A minor point: There are variations on spelling of “essen.” Sometimes it spelled as “ißt,” in the book but this variation is not mentioned on the Grimm Grammar companion website in the section that explains the conjugation pattern for the verb “essen.” The variation in spelling is explained in chapter 3 but only after students are asked to use it in an activity. This could be confusing to a beginning learner. It would be helpful if the authors included a note to explain this variation early on and also mentioned that with the spelling reform of 1996, many words that were formally spelled with an Eszett are now spelled with double “s.” This obviously does not pose a problem as long as there is an instructor to explain this but as more and more colleges and universities move to online language instructions, clarity is essential.\n\nAlso, the authors use the terms conversational past and present perfect interchangeably. In the section “Verbs,” on the Grimm Grammar site, it would be helpful if it were made clear that both terms are used to refer to the same tense.\n","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Instructors should have no problem assigning different units within a given chapter as they are clearly outlined on the chapter index page. Though, as pointed out elsewhere, it might be preferable to print out the chapters in order to avoid having to scroll up and down the pages to complete a given activity.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book is well organized and clearly structured. The chapter topics build on one another and grammatical structures from earlier chapters are reviewed and practiced in later ones. The layout is pretty clear and consisted and should pose no problems for students and instructors. I was a little surprised by the sequencing of the grammatical structures. Two-way prepositions do not appear until very late and neither the genitive case nor adjective endings get much attention. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The quality of videos was generally pretty good, though I had issues with the sound at times. Especially those recorded in public spaces can be hard to understand. \nI found it a little cumbersome to have to go to the end of a chapter to access the videos and scroll back up to complete the activities. Also, perhaps my barcode reader is too sensitive but it often read the wrong video and it took several tries to get the correct one. I realize that the video clips are accessible from the chapter index site but it would be great if the links were embedded within the chapters, next to the activities that require them.\nThe book would furthermore be more user-friendly if it incorporated an interactive platform rather than pdf format. To complete the activities within “Deutsch im Blick,” students need to print out the chapters.\nI also found that the interactive exercises on the Grimm Companion website have too little variation. It would be a good idea to include more than just “true/false” and “fill in the blank activities.” The authors mention technological limitations but I’ve been using interactive platforms that allow for a more varied exercise format for many years now. \n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Except for a few typos I found no major errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Apart from the interview with a Döner-Imbiss owner and the chart documenting immigration patterns to Germany, the text does not include much information on residents with other racial or ethnic backgrounds. But since the text mostly focuses on the experiences of American exchange students in Würzburg, this omission is understandable. The book provides a wide spectrum cultural experiences that would be of interest to any student interested in studying in Germany.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Clearly, a lot of thought and work went into developing this book. I think the authentic material is great, even if it's difficult at times. I could see myself using this book in my on-campus classes but not for my online courses.\nAn online homework component that is easy to grade would be very much appreciated.\nFinally, I think the short video segments of UT-Austin students are great and will hopefully encourage other American students to study in Germany for a semester or year.","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1157,"first_name":"Jeannine","last_name":"Olson","position":"Professor of History, tenured","institution_name":"Rhode Island College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers the areas needed in an introduction to the German language.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is free of errors.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book is up-to-date and should endure.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is clear, so important in a language book.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This well-edited book avoids inonsistancies.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text can be divided into sections and taught at any pace.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The sequence of grammar and organization of the text is clear and logical.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The book is free of interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar is correct, so important in a language book.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is inclusive.  However, I am of Austrian descent and would appreciate a larger place for \n\nGerman-speaking Austrians. There are subtle differences with Germany.,","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I think this German text book will be a welcome addition to the open textbook selection.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1236,"first_name":"Michael","last_name":"Dettinger","position":"Director, Foreign Language Lab and German Instructor","institution_name":"Louisiana State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text provides a thorough and appropriate overview of German for the beginning learner.  It is well-balanced in the amount of content dedicated to grammar, culture, and authentic practice with the language.  The text also provides a variety of activities for instructors and students to work with, including individual, partner, and group interaction, which are ideal for communicative and collaborative work or “solo” work.  The text also offers multiple means of activities that reach and accommodate multiple learning styles: visual, aural, and “hands on”, and balances reading, writing, listening and speaking practice.\nAdditionally the text provides the teacher and student with a thorough overview and description of the book’s layout, describing and guiding the reader through the various facets the text offers, whether the Grimm’s Grammar, reading exercises, or online tasks and the like.  In doing so, the instructor and student have the opportunity to work with multiple types of activities that are intertwined with authentic content, for example, the use of the map of Würzburg and also the multiple audio/video samples of interviews. \nI also enjoy the fact that one can utilize the text and access multimedia content from a Smart Phone, giving the text a “mobile” feature where learners can utilize content on the go.  \nIf I were to provide any criticism it would be the length of each chapter.  It is always tricky to balance the appropriate amount of material and content within a text.  Of course there are approaches where instructors can pick and choose specific pages/activities/content from a particular unit to cover in class, but, a chapter of close to 40 pages, in my opinion, is a bit long.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Yes, after looking through each of the chapters, their individual activities, explanations, grammar explanations and vocabulary lists, this text’s content is very accurate.  The language used is comprehensible, yet challenging; without being too overbearing.  The level of difficulty increases chapter by chapter, and the exercises include very precise and concise examples of authentic German.  The content is objective and unbiased, a very nice aspect to the text.  It provides a very straightforward overview of German and is very inviting to the new learner.  This is particularly apparent to me in the sections about university life, food, family and travel, and politics.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text does a nice job of balancing the “classics” of German, for example, bringing in aspects of Goethe, yet introducing contemporary artists such as Annett Louisian.  At the same time, it provides accurate portrayals of university life, day-to-day life with food examples and, as a nice added portion, perspectives from American students and their experiences in German-speaking areas.  I think this is a great way to attract the beginning learner of German because it provides familiarity that students can relate to.  I enjoyed how the text balanced the portrayal of a smaller city such as Würzburg along with Germany’s capital of Berlin, which demonstrates the variety of urban life in Germany.  I also enjoyed the introduction of dialects and difference between these in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.  Moreover, I believe the overview of politics and the German political parties is essential and appropriate in staying relevant.  All of these aspects will carry on without becoming obsolete.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very clear and consistent.  This is evident from the very beginning which includes easy-to-read explanations of the multiple aspects of the text.  One doesn’t need to jump back and forth between pages to try and figure out the layout.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is designed very consistently.  Each chapter is designed so the user is not surprised in how to navigate, which allows for easy adjustment and for the focus to simply be on the.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I believe the text’s modularity is very good.  As I mentioned in #5, I really enjoyed the book’s consistency, which allows the learner to really focus more on the content, versus first needing to get a lay of the land of how the chapter is designed, then adapt to the content.  This, I think is a very positive aspect.  At the same time, I think the length of the chapters is a bit cumbersome, though, perhaps the authors did this intentionally to allow users to pick and choose from the variety of content available within each unit.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics progress in a nature I would want the beginning learner to be exposed to.  The content is structured as to give a complete overview without being overwhelming, yet does so as to challenge the learner each step of the way.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I really enjoyed the interface.  I appreciate the mix of authentic characters (native speakers and American students), the Grimm’s characters, and use of authentic images, tables, charts, and a plethora of web content to provide for further research for the learner.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar was very appropriate and accurate.  Each chapter provides an ample amount of review and practice, which is all well-balanced with the interactive content.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text’s cultural components are very well-integrated and appropriate.  Students are introduced to a variety of cultural nuances that are common to the German-speaking countries, and this is done tastefully.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I enjoyed reading through this text and getting a glimpse at the variety of authentic practice and aspects of the German language and culture.  It is clear that a tremendous amount of work went into its design, which was very carefully thought out.  Some texts I’ve utilized in the past can focus too much on certain aspects.  I got the impression that Deutsch im Blick hits multiple areas a beginning learner should be exposed to.  Although the units may be heavy on length, the content and practice are very practical and seem that they would make for effective learning environments.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1307,"first_name":"Mariana","last_name":"Ivanova","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Miami University, Oxford, OH","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook offers 10 thematically organized chapters that are well structured to incorporate grammar instruction into  teaching of culture, language and everyday life in German-speaking societies. It does not provide an index or appendix other than extensive vocabulary lists at the end of each chapter. The book would definitely benefit from an appendix that summarizes all grammar structures taught. The only glossary provided is of symbols used on the book. The textbook might also benefit from a glossary of grammar or cultural terms. \n\nThe language of instruction and of all exercises is comprehensive. However, there is a category \"Authentic\" that is used for both texts originating in German-speaking media and cultures and written by US students of German as a second language-- this was a bit confusing.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book's accuracy is definitely up-to-date. Many of the included texts and interviews have been written by or delivered by native speakers of German as well as by professionals trained in German instruction. Because of the involvement of US students of German as a second language, there are some errors in their interviews, but they are always accounted for as mentioned in the introduction. Overall, the book is accurate, though not entirely coherent and consistent in terms of format -- due to the involvement of more than 25 authors of various texts.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The book's content is up-to-date with a few exceptions of political and social phenomena that have changed in the last 4 years. The content will definitely have to be kept up-to-date since many of the texts refer to contemporary culture, politics, and everyday life in German-speaking countries. \nThe chapters are rather long. This is due to the attempt to incorporate grammar instruction within each chapter as inseparable part of teaching culture. While this has the advantage of having only one tool of instruction and learning, including some of the exercises in a separate (online) workbook might benefit students who are used to completing assigned homework outside of the textbook.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"For the most part, the prose of the textbook seems accessible. The attempt to include texts from all German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg) and interviews with speakers of Swiss German sometimes make certain parts inaccessible for speakers of standard German. At the same time, compared to other textbooks on the US market, \"Deutsch im Blick\" is unique in beeing inclusive of these variations of the German language. \n\nThe book avoids too much jargon and technical terminology, which definitely is an asset.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"For the most part, the texts are consistent in terms of terminology and framework. \"Deutsch im Blick\" offers a rich variety of exercises for developing the students' reading, writing, cognitive, and listening skills. Sometimes, one notices slight inconsistency in the length and difficulty or the format of exercises, but that is perhaps best explained by the large number of authors involved in the project.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Each chapter encompasses roughly 40-50 pages of material, which makes this book easy to use in a classroom. The chapters are 10 plus an introductory chapter, so the book can be adapted to a 13-week or 14-week semester. The exercises offered in each chapter progress from easier to harder in terms of level of difficulty and though often too many, the instructor can select the appropriate amount for their program, depending on the pace of teaching. The format of the chapters is consistent: each chapter starts with an overview of the vocabulary and grammar structures that will be addressed, as well as of the pronunciation guide and the video content provided. This content is well-balanced throughout the chapter and each ends with a relevant vocabulary list. What remains unexplained is the addition of \"Grimm Grammar,\" i.e. why this name? Other parts, i.e. Vocabulary sections, Writing activities etc. do not have specific names.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book is well organized thematically and the content flows logically from topics such as \"Life at the university\" to \"past time activities\" to \"career and life in Germany.\" The content is also logically organized, from introductory units to exercises for application of the vocabulary, pronunciation, or grammar structures. One wonders why the book opens with an arrival in Wuerzburg (South Germany) and concludes with a journey to Berlin (the capital)? This remains puzzling, when one realizes that from the first chapter (on Wuerzburg), we are presented with various speakers of German, e.g. from Kiel (North Germany) and Switzerland.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textbook's interface is well-designed, easy to navigate and similar to other German language textbooks on the US market. This makes it easily accessible to students of German as a second language. Perhaps, the number of symbols used in the textbook (currently 16) can be reduced to max. 10 and the icons used for the symbols themselves need to be simplified and reworked. An icon referring to one of the brothers Grimm's fairytales sometimes appears confusing to beginners in German who might not be familiar with that cultural text. for instance, the symbol for \"group activity\" are several animals on top of each other, i.e. the Bremer Musicians, but this arrangement of animal figures might appear awkward to an Us student.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text does not contain grammatical errors in my opinion. It is carefully proof-read and edited. As already mentioned, the only errors appearing are in written texts or interviews by Us students of German as a second language, which has been already mentioned by the authors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book contains a variety of contemporary and up-to-date references to German-speaking cultures and societies. One asset of the book is that it not only is inclusive of most variations and several dialects of German, but also of the language and prose of learners of German.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"\"Deutsch im Blick\" offers the value of inclusive and up-to-date textbook that focuses on culture and language alike. The main assets of the book are that it incorporates grammar into teaching everyday life, provides multiple perspectives by both native speakers of German and of students of German as a second language, and offers a variety of original texts, videos, and audio files that help learners encounter and analyze contemporary culture in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Luxembourg.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1374,"first_name":"Andrea","last_name":"Schmidt","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, I thought the book was fairly comprehensive in terms of subject matter and content. I thought the table of contents was well laid out. I would have liked an index in back with, perhaps, vocabulary terms and/or verb conjugation.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the book very accurate. I did not see any errors.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I thought the content of the book was very relevant and up to date. I, particularly, liked how authentic documents were used. I remember this was a huge shock for me in Germany as an exchange student, and I also use these documents as supplements to my current book. My one concern is that certain demographical charts might not be relevant for long.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"I thought that the book had great clarity. It relies a little bit too much on English-German translation for my preferred teaching method, but overall, it was easy to follow.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I thought the book was very consistent on terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Once I broke it down, I thought the text worked well, but I think I would find it a bit overwhelming as a first year language learner. I also teach with the communicative practice, which emphasizes visual/verbal, so I was a bit thrown off that there weren't pictures with labels within the text.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I was able to follow the text for the most part, and I understood the logical flow. In reference to the previous question, as well, I do prefer when the emphasize tends to be on vocabulary through integration, rather than memorizing vocab.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I thought the interface was adequate. Sometimes, it felt a bit overwhelming in terms of business on the page.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammar errors in English or German.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I thought the book did a really great job of showing cultural relevance. For example, I find that most German textbooks have a very outdated vision of what life is really like in Germany today. I liked how it made reference to the diverse origins of people in Germany today.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I really think the authentic documents are an awesome idea. I do not know if this would be possible, but it might be nice to have a few labelled pictures to break up the grammar exercises, as well.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1514,"first_name":"Janet","last_name":"Gesme","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Central Oregon Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Considering that it is designed for the first year of study, this book is more than comprehensive. If students were to take advantage of everything Deutsch im Blick has to offer, they would be fluent within the year.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This textbook is very accurate (I have yet to find any errors). It presents different people with various lifestyles, and I do not feel that there is a certain agenda being forced on the learner.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Deutsch im Blick is already dated by the technology that is referred to in interviews. However, by not trying to be \"hip\", the textbook will be relevant for a long time. Updates are necessary, but it will be useful for quite some time.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very easy to understand. New concepts and vocabulary are explained thoroughly.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The format is easy to navigate and students can use it in a variety of ways to fit their learning styles.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The sections are clearly marked and the amount of information presented in each section is conducive to learning.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Although the organization and flow of Deutsch im Blick is excellent, I still choose to organize my course using additional resources and a slightly different order.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There are some links presented that do not work outside of the \"region\". For example, Drück die 1: https://www.annettlouisan.de/fotos-videos","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Excellent grammar and grammar education.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This book presents a variety points of view and is culturally relevant in a manner that fits with what is being taught.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I am very grateful for this resource and plan to use it along with other resources for my courses.","created_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1625,"first_name":"Anke","last_name":"Kenney","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Rhode Island College, Providence College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is very comprehensive. Once the learner (or instructor) gets used to the layout and interconnectivity of the book and its various links, it becomes easy to follow. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is, for the most part, very accurate. I spotted a small inaccuracy in chapter 5 E. (postcard). \"Dich\" is both capitalized and lower case in the same text. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"For the most part, the content of this book is timeless in its relevance. I would suggest changing some of the photos depicting technology to include more modern devices such as smartphones or tablets. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"For an introductory course and a beginning student, I found the examples in the grammar sections of Grimm too complicated. American students are not very familiar with German fairy tales. In addition, fairy tale language is more difficult to understand than the German spoken in daily life. The explanation of the grammar points itself is clear but I would simplify the language of the examples, especially in the early chapters where students' vocabulary is extremely limited. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in both terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The format of each chapter is consistent in structure and layout. The grammar section in particular can be easily assigned and reviewed or used as a reference at different points during the course. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a logical and consistent fashion. It might be helpful to place a little more emphasis on some of the grammatical structures early on in a chapter to facilitate general comprehension. I appreciate how the book immediately personalizes each activity after it has been introduced in order to make the learning process more relevant to the student. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"It would be convenient to have the links to the video clips embedded in the text. Otherwise I did not find the interface confusing. I did not try the scanner, however. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not come across any grammatical errors in the book.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The cultural relevance pertaining to German culture is excellent. In light of the rapid changing of the German demographic due to the recent influx of new immigrants, students might enjoy learning about the growing multiculturalism of German society. Many students still believe Germany to be the land of the stereotypical tall, blond German. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1686,"first_name":"William","last_name":"Quirk","position":"Professorial lecturer","institution_name":"American University (D.C.)","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"\"Deutsch im Blick\" is rich in useful, relevant content and covers an appropriate amount of material for a first-year German textbook. The authors have included all of the essentials for language-learners at the elementary level--vocabulary, grammar, culture, language-context videos, and much more. At no point does the textbook seem to be cutting corners. It is fairly easy for the teacher/student to move between the different chapters and the various links, content headings, and index are helpful in navigating the overall content, which goes to almost 500 pages.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book's explanations seem to be accurate and error-free. Sometimes the speakers in the videos make small grammar mistakes, e.g. when they are international students not yet fluent in German, but in general I do not consider that a big problem.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Overall, the relevance and longevity are good. At this point, however, some of the content is almost ten years old and eventually the writers/editors will have to update it, especially where the various video clips are concerned. (Those clips are part of what makes \"Deutsch im Blick\" so wonderful.)","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The style of the textbook was quite clear. Grammar was explained concisely and was illustrated with relevant examples.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"With its clear structure the textbook is very consistent. It takes some time to get used to the format of the book, because you're moving back and forth between the text and the website, but once you're familiar with the guiding elements/structures you'll find them repeated throughout in each of the chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Overall, the modularity is excellent. The instructor will be able to divide up the sections of \"Deutsch im Blick\" for different assignments quite easily.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"As remarked above, I did at times have difficulty moving from one part to another, or finding the right recording/video clip for an exercise. The flow between different elements is a question of design thinking and I think \"Deutsch im Blick\" would need some work here. I sometimes used the PDF of the textbook on the computer screen and in general that is not a pleasurable experience, especially if I'm trying to move from on part of the text to another. The hard copy of the text was very helpful here, though at times I was dissatisfied with that too. Sometime the size of the print really struck me as too small. That's not good for learners of a new language. If you have them squinting too much they'll be missing all sorts of letters, umlauts, commas, etc., and that matters.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I had some serious navigation problems. Most importantly, links for the interviews would not open up when I clicked on them. Other links opened as they were supposed to, but not these. Why was this? What was the problem? It's a major flaw and needs to be fixed as soon as possible. The QR codes at the end of each chapter allowed me to get what I needed--it's good to build in redundancy like that, and even more redundancy would be useful--but I needed the interface to be better than that. \n\nI want to use a free textbook like this, but some of the interface/navigation problems give me pause.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar was solid. I discovered no mistakes outside of the stray stray typo or oversight.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Culturally the textbook was very relevant. Both Switzerland and Austria are included in important ways in the text--so that students as learners of German don't become overly oriented towards Germany. The inclusion of international students was helpful as well. Overall, there is lots of very useful cultural information for everyday life in a German-speaking country. I would have liked to see a little more about the German-Turkish experience in Germany--and for that matter about the experience of non-White/non-Western immigrant communities in the German-speaking world. \"Deutsch im Blick\" was made before the immigration crisis in Europe and before Merkel allowed a million refugees into Germany, and if the authors/editors update the book I hope they'll integrate the immigrant experience a little more into the new edition.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I liked \"Deutsch im Blick\" a lot. For a free textbook it does a wonderful job. The videos, the Grimm grammar, the website, relevant readings, the integration of Quizlet--the textbook package here has so much to offer and easily holds its own against textbooks that cost students $250 or more. We have not yet adopted \"Deutsch im Blick\"  at my university, but are seriously considering doing so. Our reservations have primarily to do with some interface and structure issues, which I noted above. I think that a few design tweaks could help a lot.  And also: Would it be possible to create an entirely online/html version of the textbook, i.e. without the PDF? Or perhaps eventually an iPad format? Perhaps that's a tall order, but I hope the UT Austin team is able to continue building and enhancing what they have here. \n\nAnd finally, there's also this: I think that overall the videos are great--but I really would have  like to be able to click on a button and get the text, both in German and in English. The fact that that is not there is a real flaw in my opinion. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1697,"first_name":"Rita","last_name":"Morandi","position":"Professorial Lecturer","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is meant to be used in combination with the accompanying website. The program covers the essential grammar and vocabulary for elementary and early intermediate students of German with a very large variety of activities to practice listening, reading and writing that are meant to be used with a partner and for individual work. While the textbook contains more practical and interactive tasks for the students, the accompanying website covers the more theoretical part of the language learning experience, with numerous resources (videos, vocabulary lists, grammar, internet search activities), among which also videos for every chapter with interviews to several characters. Some characters are native speakers of German and some are learners of German. The videos open in a new window that also displays the video script or the English translation, if desired. The chapter videos focus on the chapter vocabulary. One thing that I really liked in the textbook is the introduction to vocabulary lists that appears at the beginning of each chapter. In this introduction, students are guided in the memorization process of vocabulary through eight steps, that teach them a methodology to learn new words. I have not see something similar or detailed strategies to learn vocabulary in the textbooks I have previously used and I think it can make a big difference for students.   \nThe website also contains audio files to practice vocabulary and pronunciation, as well as interactive grammar sections that allow students to study, practice grammar and receive immediate feedback on their work. A great feature of this textbook is the QR codes section at the end of each chapter that allows for easy access to the entire textbook content from any portable device (with an internet connection).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date. Everything except for, possibly the videos, will have longevity. Having a large portion of the material online would make updates easy to implement. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very accessible and easy to understand for elementary students. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in the terminology used.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The division in chapters is very clear and similar to other textbooks that are on the market. The first page of every chapter of the textbook introduces the sections of the chapter and what will be covered in each section (vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and videos). This division is consistent throughout the book. The accompanying website is also divided in chapters and the main page of each chapter displays the different sections consistently and clearly. The navigation is easy and straightforward because each section is clearly identified by a self-explanatory symbol indicating what the section is about (for example, videocamera icons for videos, loudspeaker for audio files, @ symbol for internet search activities, etc.)","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook and the accompanying website are well organized and presented in a logical and clear fashion.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There is no interface issue and navigation is easy. Images and videos are well displayed. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book's grammar appears to be correct and free of grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The books presents several cultural aspects of the German-speaking world, which may be different than similar aspect in America. This is obvious in a foreign language setting and students are open to see cultural differences as part of the learning experience. The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The text is comprehensive and very interesting. I will consider using it for elementary courses. One suggestion that I have, for future updates or revisions, would be to include more written texts for work on reading comprehension and also written texts about cultural aspects of German speaking countries (like for example, holidays, geography, traditions etc...), as well as some resources for instructors (testing program for example). ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1856,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Gully","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"College of William \u0026 Mary","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The chapters cover the typical topics of first-year language textbooks. The grammar and vocabulary introduced are typical, and enable students to achieve the communicative requirements for this level. A comprehensive index for the grammar units is provided in the online companion site; I have, however, not found a glossary of all the vocabulary introduced (something that most print textbooks include in an appendix).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"While there are minor typos in the PDF version, the book seems error-free. The chapters encourage students to do their own internet research on the topics covered; any changes in informational content can thus become part of the class discussion. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Since the grammar component is based on fairy tale figures and narratives, the content can never go out of style or become irrelevant. Some of the items in the textbook/workbook section might have to be updated soon; exercises based on pop songs can be difficult to make relevant after the songs or groups are no longer in the charts. At some point the videos will have to be updated. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Explanations are kept short and concise. The information on pronunciation is more complex than usual and might contain more than students need. The grammar companion is equally clear and kept simple.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The chapters all follow the same flow and orientation is quick and easy. Due to the stand-alone nature of the grammar companion, the examples provided there are not integrated (in terms of topic, characters etc.) with the chapter topics in the textbook/workbook, and this does minimize consistency. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text exhibits a high level of modularity; the sections are short and easily assigned individually or combined with others. The book lends itself to various different schedules (5  50-minutes session/week or 3 90-minute sessions etc.). ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters follow the same flow and finding specific sections is easy. While the video and grammar companions are also well-organized, the links in my PDF of the book to the grammar site didn't seem active. Being able to click directly from the PDF to the relevant grammar companion would improve the flow. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The visual appeal of the text cannot compete with other, traditional print textbooks on the market. While this might seem a trivial matter, color-coding etc. also helps navigate information and students today are used to effective graphics and design. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Apart from some typos, the grammar is clear and does not draw attention to itself. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"There is some diversity in the interviewees that make up the bulk of the video exercises; in the future, more diversity could easily be added. German culture and society are rapidly diversifying; new topics reflecting this shift should be added.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Given that there is no additional workbook, I would like to see more (grammar) exercises included in the text. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":2241,"first_name":"Lisa","last_name":"Seidlitz","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Augustana College, Rock Island","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook covers all major topics that are typically taught in beginning German and includes activities that address all modes of communication as well as significant cultural content. It is very practically oriented toward helping students prepare for and adjust to studying and living in Germany, which helps to support and motivate students considering studying abroad. The website and first page of each chapter provide an overview of topics covered in that chapter; a more detailed table of contents of the entire book would be helpful, as would a glossary for the entire book. I also wish there were more writing tasks that could be used as written homework; some speaking assignments can be adapted for this purpose, however.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no significant errors. Cultural topics are presented in an unbiased way and invite cross-cultural comparisons. Grammatical presentations are accurate and easy to understand. Vocabulary lists are accurate and appropriate for the topic and level.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book thoughtfully includes authentic texts from the very beginning, including written and spoken texts by both native German speakers and by German learners. Some of these, such as restaurant menus, are unlikely to become obsolete, while others, such as graphics describing demographic trends, will necessarily become dated. However, the author helpfully includes internet links to current sources and web quests that encourage students to research current information. It would be easy to substitute more current texts where needed, but the majority of texts have staying power. The text includes material not only from Germany but also includes Austria and Switzerland, to a lesser degree.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is well written and includes clear and helpful study suggestions to the student as well as clear instructions for activities and exercises. Grammar explanations are clear and do not assume prior grammatical knowledge. Some grammar exercises, however, are quite challenging, since they sometimes use unfamiliar and unusual vocabulary that is not clearly linked to the chapter topics. This is understandable, since the grammar website is designed to be a stand-alone resource rather than an integral part of this text. I understand and appreciate that grammar is not central to this program; however, a bit more formal practice would nicely complement the strong communicative activities. A suggestion for future revision would be to include thematically linked and level-appropriate grammatical exercises in the body of the text rather than on a separate website.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Chapters in both the book and the website all have the same format and include vocabulary lists and activities, videos, unscripted interviews, images, small group work, written texts, writing prompts, popular songs, grammatical topics, pronunciation tips, surveys, and web quests.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is well formatted, with clear headings and other signposts to guide learners and instructors. I think it would be difficult to re-arrange the order of chapters in any well-designed first-year language textbook, as the topics are presented and recycled in a principled way to help develop students’ competence. However, it would be easy to skip certain exercises or topics within any chapter, depending on program needs and available time.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Material is presented in a logical fashion. Some thematic and grammatical topics appear in this book in a different order than in some first-year books, but all topics are appropriate for this level and are presented in a level-appropriate way. Topics are introduced first and recycled later for additional practice and deepening understanding. I wish that grammatical explanations and exercises were integrated into the main text rather than kept on, a separate web site. The brief grammar notes in the margin are helpful and do refer to the additional resource of Grimm Grammar, but grammar exercises that are thematically linked to and located in the current chapter would be helpful.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Both book and website are well designed and easy to read, though some exercises are no doubt easy to complete in print rather than on screen; I would recommend having students use a print copy in class and for some homework since it is easier to flip pages than to scroll back and forth to find vocabulary lists, for example. I wish that the book included QR codes as well as URLs to audio files next to the exercises that accompany them, rather than including QR codes on a separate page later in the chapter. Having multiple link sources would make it easier for learners to locate the appropriate files and to use the PDF on screen as well as in print.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no significant errors or typos in either English or German.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This book includes significant cultural content from the very beginning, including some linguistic material from Austria and Switzerland. The book invites students to make comparisons to their own cultures and to speculate about the significance of certain cultural practices. More emphasis on non-majority cultures within German-speaking Europe would be beneficial.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2485,"first_name":"Veronika","last_name":"Burney","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"College of William \u0026 Mary","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"DiB covers all important first-year topics typically found in a traditional textbook, with a special focus on preparing students for studying abroad. New structures are explained in a detailed and engaging manner.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Aside from some minor errors, the book is accurate. The video sequences sometimes include grammatical variations typical for spoken German (i.e. deviations from TMP, for example), which might be confusing for students but can be explained in class. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book and website appear to be up-to-date, anything that might be slightly outdated should be easy to replace. The use of authentic materials enriches this textbook. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Topics are presented in a clear and concise manner. Explanations on Grimm Grammar are fun to read and a nice change of pace compared to traditional textbook explanations","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found the textbook and website to be very consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The division of chapters is very clear, with an introduction to the main topics at the beginning of each chapter. Individual segments can be assigned in various ways. Vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation etc sections are clearly distinguished and highlighted, which makes navigating the book fairly straightforward.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Topics , chapters and individual segments are clearly organized.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"There are no issues with the interface, however, the book (PDf and website) is lacking somewhat in terms of visual appeal. Traditional textbooks often employ color-coding of certain segments which aids navigation - something which could be easily incorporated in the interface.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I've only noticed some minor errors. They are few and far in-between.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book does a great job of showing cultural diversity and giving an authentic representation of life in Germany. My only suggestion for improvement would be showing more diversity in the selection of interviewees.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I can see this book becoming a viable alternative to traditional textbooks, especially with some minor improvements to the visual presentation.","created_at":"2018-12-29T11:56:57.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-12-29T11:56:57.000-06:00"},{"id":2572,"first_name":"Henning","last_name":"Wrage","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Gettysburg College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"As often mentioned in the reviews, there is abundant material for a course on the elementary level, both with regards to vocabulary and to the number of exercises offered in the up to 50 pages of each chapter. This makes \"Deutsch im Blick\" a comprehensive toolbox; on the other hand, the book does not provide a guided teaching sequence (which is not necessarily a disadvantage but might favor instructors that have taught on this level for a while). The outsourcing of grammar to the Grimm website makes sense; the pdf copy of the book often didn't link to the site correctly, though. All parts of language acquisition are covered (reading, listening, writing, speaking).  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Typos are very rare, sometimes a graphic is (e.g. on p. 26) slightly warped, otherwise, this book is as accurate as its commercial competitors.  The speakers (particularly the American native speakers) sometimes make smaller mistakes in word order, in the sequencing of adverbs, etc., but these certainly fall in the category of \"authentic use of language\".","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"All language components, as well as the pedagogical approach,  are relevant and will be for the foreseeable future. Given that it is six years old, the cultural aspects feel, while relevant, dated, and an update with the latest political and cultural developments (think of the refugee crisis, AfD and right-wing movements in general) would be worth considering (see below). As an open source project, the resources for refreshing this might simply not exist, and the book as it is now is still an excellent tool.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"As other textbooks (e.g.: Vorsprung), \"Deutsch im Blick\" provides instructions and explanations in English first and then moves to German in later chapters. Many links do not work - which is a major issue, actually. The page design is sometimes crowded. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Structure and consistency are fine: all chapters follow the same setup. The terminology is consistent, so are the symbols used to orient the user about the category of an exercise. As mentioned before, the fact that most links to the grammar website are broken proves to be a disadvantage.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is clearly divided into an introduction and 10 chapters, each of them more than sufficiently long (around 40-50 pages) the organization is fine and consistent; different types of exercises are easily identifiable. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"With regards to the organization and flow of content, this book is doing a fine job moving from simple to complex in a \"Stationen\"-style structure typical for many introductory and intermediate textbooks. As mentioned above, \"Deutsch im Blick\" does not provide an embedded teaching sequence; instead, it offers an abundance of materials to pick and choose from. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Overall, fine. The design is not exceptionally pretty, some of the symbols are not very intuitive and their number could be reduced – which I am certain most students will be content with, given that they save considerable money.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"\"Deutsch im Blick\" is very well proof-read. You have to look hard to find a missing \"Fugen-S\" or umlaut.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"As mentioned, the book would greatly profit from an update, especially in chapter 9 (\"Was ist deutsch\"). Some of the statistics there date back to 2008; one of the videos (Florian) introduces Wehrdienst and Zivildienst as currently in place, while both have been suspended since 2011; the overview of political parties needs an update as well.     ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This book truly is a truly capable resource for teaching introductory German. The amount of work that must have gone into this project is impressive. I could very well imagine using this in the classroom, where I would consider exchanging the dated cultural passages. What remains a problem for me is the lack of an online workbook component such as MindTap or Quia, a resource for additional exercise and review that is of higher quality than traditional workbooks. ","created_at":"2019-02-19T12:57:26.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-02-19T12:57:26.000-06:00"},{"id":2679,"first_name":"Richard","last_name":"Lambert","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Gettysburg College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"For a first-year textbook, Deutsch im Blick addresses all major cultural, situational, and grammatical themes that an instructor would expect. Primary areas of focus include daily life in Germany, life at a German university, transportation and travel, family, etc. Grammar topics range from greetings to simple past and subjunctive constructions. All of this is par for the course. The text also strives to reach students of diverse learning styles by incorporating a wide array of multimedia materials, including proprietary video recordings, internet and other cultural resources. ","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The content of the textbook itself is accurate and free of major contextual or typographical errors. Descriptions and grammar explanations, which link out to the \"Grimm Grammar\" website, are clear. Less convincing are the text's attempts to present information embedded within authentic cultural context. While this is unquestionably a major aim, the book and related materials rely on interviews with students and other program affiliates as characters, with generally low production values. The result occasionally seems anecdotal, somewhat esoteric, and raises questions about the accuracy and current relevance of cultural information. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Deutsch im Blick possesses a number of highly relevant aspects, paired with additional elements which no longer truly feel up-to-date. Efforts have clearly been made to harness the capacities of the internet as a resource via outlinks to current websites, including the German Tourism Board and the German Bundesliga. Meanwhile, the integration of Quizlet as a platform and the use of QR codes as an indexing system reflect on-going development within the platform and the materials. As stated in the previous response, however, the primary textbook materials themselves can occasionally feel less than authentic. The interviews can often feel flat and explicitly didactic, and given the capabilities of the online medium, the use of realia and in particular authentic images in the early chapters of the text is disappointing. The use of more up-to-date and culturally-relevant images increases significantly in the second half of the book, with well-done segments covering German history, the culture of Berlin, the German political scene, etc. Last, a number of cultural references, including songs and tables with demographic information are no longer reflective of contemporary German society or popular culture.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"There is a significant difference between the book and the website in terms of clarity and ease of use. While the textbook itself could be enhanced visually, the structure and flow of the exercises and activities within the chapter is clear and easy to follow. The online resources as presented on the web interface are reasonably easy to navigate, though the ease of use and overall functionality of the website could stand to be enhanced considerably. At the moment, each chapter effectively consists of a single webpage with a series of links under various headings. While it is not difficult to navigate, it will likely fall short of student expectations for online learning. Within the Grimm Grammar sequences, exercises could additionally be positioned more closely to the discussions of the grammar points rather than divided into explanation and exercise subsections.  ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Each chapter follows a similar structure, and the layout of each chapter's website likewise follows the same format. Once students familiarize themselves with the use of the course materials, it is a simple task to progress to subsequent chapters. The design of activities and the progression of the grammar sequence are also both, for the most part, consistent. There is also salient and evident commitment to communicative language learning which almost entirely brackets grammar exercises within the textbook itself. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The separation of grammar and content mean that generally, the text can be excerpted or adapted to suit individual instructor/classroom needs. In fact, modularity might be the primary strength of the textbook, as activities are often designed as accompaniments to texts, songs, or video clips. While this means that the text has a great deal to offer, it is perhaps best suited for use as an occasional tool for augmenting instruction rather than as a template for it. The separation of the grammar sequence will enable instructors to incorporate their own/alternative grammar resources without having to significantly modify course materials. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"In general, the text and grammar sequence follow logical progressions that seek to build skills and competencies, while also logically expanding cultural frames of reference. The textbook unfolds concentrically, from the \"microscopic\" level of student life in Germany to broader questions of German culture and demography. The grammar sequence also develops progressively. Here, some instructors might be surprised to see how early \"weil-clauses\" are introduced, while subordinate word order per se seems to be absent from later grammar points. The inclusion of wissen/kennen in the final chapter could also have come earlier, but the positioning of these topics within the overall structure of the course are minor critiques, and the ready adaptability of the materials could easily render this point moot. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Clear steps have been taken to update the interface in light of new technological developments. The internet, broadly defined, is utilized as a constant resource, and at the time of this review, links appeared to be in good working order and up-to-date. The integration of QR codes within the textbook for easy reference and the use of the Quizlet platform show serious attention to student expectations. At the same time, students will likely expect significantly more utility from the web-based interfaces for both the grammar sequence and the textbook itself. While the external links are relevant, functional, and interesting, students likely expect a more holistic, better integrated platform. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The texts, videos, and grammatical resources are constructed professionally and without obvious errors or major deficiencies in content or accuracy. As previously stated, the visual appeal of many resources, including the interfaces themselves, could be improved significantly. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The book includes discussions of a variety of topics, including the racial and ethnic diversity of Germany. Various political viewpoints within German-speaking lands are addressed, as well as regional diversity within Germany. That said, greater care could have been taken to create points access points for a wider variety of audiences. There is little treatment of people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, or authentic perspectives from minority populations in German-speaking lands. It seems that care was taken to preserve a consistent cast of characters/interviewees, but this limited pool of potential collaborators may have restricted the ability to include these voices. ","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"This is a promising textbook which presents an impressive array of carefully didacticized cultural material. While some of the key texts and cultural documents may no longer seem to be as relevant as they once were, efforts are also clearly underway to update the text's cultural content. Generally, the grammar sequence is not well integrated, however the Grimm's Grammar is the weakest component within the materials, and can easily be replaced with another set of grammar materials. While I am not sure that I would adopt this textbook outright, there is no question that the materials can enhance and augment classroom activities. ","created_at":"2019-03-18T22:59:09.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-03-18T22:59:09.000-05:00"},{"id":2680,"first_name":"Christiane","last_name":"Breithaupt","position":"Language Instructor","institution_name":"Gettysburg College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The format of \"Deutsch im Blick\" and its segmentation follow a design common for many elementary-German textbooks. Topics fall into a sequence from personal \"survival skills\" to an exploration of German culture. Austria and Switzerland appear to be a bit underrepresented in the book. Sometimes the book offers almost too much with its abundance of exercises and fairly elaborate vocabulary (do I really need to know \"Urgroßvater\" and \"Zwillingsschwester\" as a first-year learner?). The book features many good and diverse activities; also the selection of materials (cultural sources, video recordings, etc.) is more than adequate. ","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"While there are very few mistakes with regards to content, the broken links between the book and the \"Grimm grammar\" website are a major issue.  The fact that the interconnection between the two areas of student work is not guaranteed, renders the book almost unusable. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"In principle, the book collects a great number of relevant materials and activities. A refresher of the cultural parts should be considered; maybe also consider structuring them to thematic clusters and ideally integrate a sequence of: opener - presentation - semanticization - exercise.  ","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The structure is of the book is fine, orientation generally easy. I would suggest reworking the long-ish vocabulary lists at the beginning of the chapter, maybe differentiate them into a \"Grundwortschatz\" and \"Aufbauvokabeln\" and introduce them in context. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"No issues here; all chapters follow the same structure. Students might need a little time to get used to it, but this does not pose a problem whatsoever. ","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The strongest form of modularization in the book is the dis-integration of the grammar sections. While this follows the standard approach of CLT, it appears often to be impractical for teaching; especially given that our students often demand a more intense practice of language structure. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I would sequence the introduction of grammar aspects differently at times (the previous reviewer is discussing this in detail), overall the book appears to be well-organized, though. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The interface of the book is fine; as mentioned the broken links to the Grimm grammar are a major issue; I am also not sure if QR codes are actually pragmatically useful here (why not simply use abbreviated links?). ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Perfectly fine!","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"As mentioned, the book could improve in expanding the perspective further and include other German-speaking countries in more detail. Otherwise, most cultural topics are absolutely relevant. The cultural and political parts of textbooks tend to be out-dated quickly, but provided existing resources, revising some of the more antiquated aspects could considerably improve the usability. ","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-03-19T14:18:16.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-03-19T14:18:16.000-05:00"},{"id":2781,"first_name":"Sarah","last_name":"Varela","position":"Assistant Professor of German","institution_name":"Longwood University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"DiB covers the usual topics found in first-year textbooks aiming to provide students with vocabulary and structures necessary for communication in a variety of everyday, relevant situations. In centering content around the goal of studying abroad, the book demonstrates for students in what concrete ways their German classwork will benefit their communicative aims. The cultural content and vocabulary selection is broad and varied (almost overwhelming, I would imagine, from the viewpoint of a first-semester student, a challenge presented by many books), as are the amount of practice exercises. Indeed, the amount of material presented is more than enough for a first-year, two-semester sequence that meets 3x a week and in fact would suit many programs with this number of contact hours better when used over three semesters. I was particularly glad to see the inclusion of politics and environment, as both of these topics are important in German-speaking countries and are likely to be points of earnest discussion, if not tension, for many English-speaking students (particularly in the US) when studying abroad in Germany. I will be looking forward to updates in these areas. The lack of glossary or appendices was disappointing, however, given that these resources are great for quick reference when students are working in topics other than those covered in the chapters where such material is initially presented.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I did not notice major inaccuracies in the book's content or presentation and find it overall to be a functional tool for language learning and instruction. There are some issues with capitalization of pronouns in practice exercises (specifically the formal). The Grimm Grammar exercises also do not accept correct answers in what are very open-ended exercises (word order in particular; a variety of correct answers was possible for a sentence-composition exercise but were not accepted, and with no clarification of what the error was.) The book seems relatively current in its presentation of images and media (at least in relation to other textbooks in print format). In addition, the inclusion of less-commonly presented German-speaking countries (including Luxembourg!) is admirable and unique.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The material seems fairly current in relation to other books, but could absolutely take advantage of the online format to make major updates that reflect current social and political realities. It seems it should be relatively easy to keep images and cultural material current as a result of the online format. I imagine there could be difficulty should an instructor require students to have a printed version of the text, depending on when and how often updates are implemented.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is fairly clear and easy to understand. I appreciate the presentation of grammar in common terminology followed by equivalent technical terms, such as when \"word order\" is followed by \"syntax\" in parentheses. It serves the variety of student experience with this vocabulary without assuming knowledge. Some of the grammar explanations seem overly wordy","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The text seems mostly consistent, though I did notice inconsistencies in exercises (for example, word-order exercises in Grimm Grammar variously included infinitive verbs meant to be conjugated by the student and those already conjugated, with no clear indication of why this was the case, or would ask specifically for a tense in one exercise while leaving it open in the very next). The \"voice\", for lack of a better term, was fairly consistent, given the number of primary authors.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"It seems that with some careful planning and forethought, an instructor can make good use of the material as needed, which makes the free nature of the book an even greater asset. I can see adopting portions of this textbook for various courses in my program's language sequence and find the potential for \"jumping around\" flexible and well-supported.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The thread of study abroad running through the text is easy to follow and relevant to learners. I found myself surprised at the grouping of some grammatical structures but the ability to use the book in a modular fashion offsets these less-common constellations somewhat.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I particularly like the recordings of sample sentences in the grammatical explanations and the color-coding of parts of speech. It was somewhat disorienting to click on Grimm Grammar links, only to lose my place in the PDF when trying to return to the page I had been on in the text. I also find the initial font to be too small, though that is an easily fixed issue. Overall, however, I was able to navigate fairly easily and the ability to view videos and hear audio without special programs is a plus. The book itself is not as visually appealing as I think many students (and instructors including myself) would like. It does not use colors or image-based signposting to help visual learners (though I imagine all learners could benefit from such design elements) navigate and organize material, which would be a nice addition to a new edition.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The book seems relatively free from errors. Occasionally errors in areas of explanation (such as \"There are some instances in which an original finite verb from a simple statement is ousted by a newcomper\" in the explanation of verb position with modal auxiliaries) may stump students thinking that the mistake is terminology, though I am hopeful that an instructor could rectify such issues. Overall, however, the text is solid.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book seems to be aware of its obligation to represent German speakers are diverse and to recognize the diversity of German learners. The interviewees presented in the book could certainly be more diverse.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"DiB should provide an excellent option for programs seeking to shift from traditional textbooks to flexible curricula with project-based learning. I look forward to opportunities for trying it out as I revise my program.","created_at":"2019-04-12T16:34:52.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-12T16:34:52.000-05:00"},{"id":3279,"first_name":"Felix","last_name":"Kronenberg","position":"Associate Prof. of German; Director, Center for Language Teaching Advancement","institution_name":"Michigan State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is quite comprehensive and covers many topics that other German textbooks would cover as well (e.g. Uni; Freizeit; Gesundheit; was ist deutsch...). There is clearly a focus on higher ed in the topics, which should appeal to college students. I like the focus on various cultural aspects, including a nudge towards study abroad.\r\nEach chapter has an \"Überblick,\" which is helpful for learners and instructors.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Accuracy is high. I could not find any errors. No issues with grammar, spelling, or cultural topics (except in \"telefonieren\"). \r\nThe links need to be checked: At least three of the links are no longer working (Webquest 6.4: D: link to the \"Deutschland-Portal) and (8.1: A: Links to Arcor and o2). I would recommend updating those. The  \"telefonieren\" section needs some updating.\r\nI do not find these major issues. It is expected and also true for traditionally published textbooks. Perhaps one way to keep the webquests fresh is to offer them more as suggestions.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book's contents are mostly relevant. The videos are getting a bit old, but they are still okay. As with most OER, I think that this is completely acceptable. I would suggest that instructors use these in a modular fashion and supplement materials and media. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"I find everything very clear and accessible. I couldn't find much use of jargon or inaccessible language. I do not find the grammar portion very well done. It is confusing for students to find what is relevant to the current unit. The content is not linked to the content in DiB - it's about fairy tales and not the unit's topics. I realize that this would be a lot of work, but it would add tremendous value to the book if the grammar part would be more relevant to DiB.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Everything is in the same format and it all appears to be a comprehensive book. Most parts are well integrated, incl. the videos, webquests, and other modules. Once again, it would be nice if the grammar were more integrated and not a separate stand-alone.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"It would be very beneficial for instructors to have the ability to make more individual changes and mix and match content more easily. This could be as simple as providing editable .doc files in addition to the PDFs. That way instructors could integrate the book in a more nuanced fashion with their curricula and their particular technologies and tools.\r\nKudos for the Quizlet integration and link!","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Very good organization (except for the grammar part - see above). Easy to find everything. I like the site index and the teacher section, which could be expanded to be even more useful.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The site does not have a responsive design, making it difficult to view on mobile. The videos do work, but they open in new browser windows. These are not major deterrents, but the interface is showing its age. I realize how hard it is to keep up with technological developments. If there is a new version, hopefully more current web design conventions could be included.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I could not find any grammatical errors or inconsistencies.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Overall very good. Some more current topics, such as minority cultures or technology, could be included to give a more updated picture of the German-speaking world.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall a great resource! I hope that the developers/authors could update some of the material and implement a way of creating sustainable updates. An integrated grammar and more editable content would make this book even better. I realize how difficult this is, and this review is not meant as criticism but rather as (hopefully useful) suggestions. I want to thank the creators for their innovative and transformative work and vision!","created_at":"2019-11-12T10:48:13.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-11-12T10:48:13.000-06:00"},{"id":3593,"first_name":"Anke","last_name":"Duerr McCown","position":"Instructor of German","institution_name":"Marshall University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Deutsch im Blick covers the main points of German language, grammar and culture comprehensively. It does however feel more like a very comprehensive workbook than a textbook to me. The book does provide a wealth of activities that include both partner, group and individual exercises. It does a fine job of bringing the German language and the German speaking countries closer to the students, making them real and realistic with relevant topics that are interesting to this age group. There is a good balance of visual, aural, and “hands on” activities that balance reading, writing, listening and speaking German.\r\n\r\nOne negative point is that I feel that the site index is not very user friendly. It gives an overview in the form of many lists each listing content by chapter resulting in very long lists. They are all interlinked and will take you directly to the desired destination, but it is not easy to find anything as you must leave through pages of lists to begin with. For example: First there is a list of all \"Einführung ins Kapitel\" videos per chapter. Then another list of \"Sprache im Kontext videos\", then all the video interviews, sorted into German speakers and then American speakers and it goes on. The list of Grammatik consists of long lists subdivided into anything concerning nouns, cases, conjunctions, determiners, verbs etc.  I feel that the adding of chapter numbers there would be helpful. A comprehensive summary page that lists the thematic and grammar topics of each chapter on one to two pages as an overview would be very welcome as well.\r\n","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I could not find any mistakes concerning German language or grammar. Unfortunately, the links to the Grimm grammar in the pdf document only seem to work in Kapitel 1. Any other links I tried in later chapters didn't work for me. This is a major drawback. I realize it wouldn't matter if students primarily use a print edition of the book but it is still very inconvenient.  ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book has been updated in 2017 and its content is mostly relevant and current with only a few things missing like the mentioning of the AfD in Kapitel 9 that deals with the political system in Germany. This could easily be updated in the next edition and for now supplemented by instructors.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"It's a neat idea to pack the grammar into a fairy tale castle and its characters. German grammar is probably grim(m) for many if not most American students. ;-) I only found it a little confusing where to find things on the intro page. When you first get to the Grimm Grammar website there's only a picture of a castle on the page. It takes a little bit of searching/ clicking around until one finds the grammatical content area. Once on that page it's very comprehensive and a great collection of grammatical explanations with examples, sound files for the proper pronunciation and a few self-grading exercises. The grammatical explanations are rather wordy which makes it harder to get a quick overview or review but ideal for students who are self-studying. \r\nThe QR codes are great, but I wish they were not at the end of the chapter but included whenever a link is mentioned or a video being referred to. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Structure and consistency are fine: all chapters are set up in the same way. Once students and instructors get used to the structure, they will be fine.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"It will require a good plan, but the book is dividable into smaller sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book's organization seems to flow naturally, similar in progression of topics to other introductory textbooks. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The only problems I see are those mentioned at the top: the site index and the cover page of the Grimm grammar.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I didn't see any grammatical errors in the text. The book itself only contains very rudimentary grammatical explanations and refers to the Grimm Grammar for that. I would prefer for the grammar to be more integrated. More grammar exercises would be helpful for instructors to pick and choose from. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Generally, well done, the book is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way but does a great job of introducing the culture of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It would be great if German immigrants and refugees were also included though. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a good book for introductory German classes, especially considering it is FREE. I love that the book provides Quizlet sets for the vocabulary.\r\nThe creation of a test databank with testing modules/ exercises or project ideas for each chapter would be very helpful for instructors.  ","created_at":"2020-02-21T20:03:36.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-02-21T20:03:36.000-06:00"},{"id":4347,"first_name":"Ariana","last_name":"Bancu","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Northeastern Illinois University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Every chapter covers new vocabulary and grammar in a comprehensive way and the sequence of vocabulary and grammar topics is logical. Every chapter has a comprehensive intro where all vocab and grammar topics are introduced and the electronic version of the book offers vocab and pronunciation practice, as well as links to a companion book called 'Grimm Grammar' for grammar exercises. The instructor can decide how much time to spend on each chapter/ topic, but moving through chapters too fast will mean that some grammar won't be covered in detail. While students will be able to keep up with the vocabulary, the text will become too complex from a grammatical point of view. The vocabulary and grammar are appropriate for a beginner to an intermediate level of German.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall the content is accurate. There are at times videos of American students speaking German and there are some grammatical errors in those videos. Perhaps a footnote would be in order so that instructors can point out such errors to their students.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up to date and should be relevant for a few more years.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and new concepts are adequately introduced and covered.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent and one chapter builds on another.  However, the companion book 'Grimm Grammar' does not build on the text, it builds on German fairytales, and this is one of the shortfalls of this book if you rely on Grimm Grammar. Students have to learn a whole new set of vocab when working with Grimm Grammar.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easy to go through, it is well divided in sections,. In the electronic version of the book, each chapter provides vocabulary and pronounciation practice, grammar practice, videos that show language in context, and links and exercises for more language in context.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Overall, I believe that the flow is good,  but there are some topics that I would rearrange. For example, describing a person is not introduced until chapter 5, but in chapter 1 students learn how to introduce themselves and say a few things about themselves. I would find it more appropriate for them to learn how to describe themselves earlier on.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to navigate and free of interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is well written, edited, and it is free of grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text is built mainly around students and people who live in the US. Some are from the US, some are German exchange students in the US. Overall, I didn't find the text culturally insensitive or offensive in any way, but it could have been more inclusive. Additionally, because Grimm Grammar relies on German fairytales I find that this can lead to gender roles being presented in a problematic way, thus taking away from inclusiveness and fairness. The nature of the fairytales may make it hard to include characters from a variety of races, identities, and backgrounds, but I didn't go through all the modules to be able to tell if that is the case.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-08-29T10:28:01.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-08-29T10:28:01.000-05:00"},{"id":4545,"first_name":"Wendy","last_name":"Westphal","position":"Associate Professor of German","institution_name":"Marian University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a book for 1st year German.  Its grammar coverage is extremely comprehensive and could also be used with intermediate students.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Excellent!  I found no errors.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book/website has been active since 2010 but it is designed to be timeless.  The \"Grimms Grammar\" website cleverly uses German fairy tales to contextualize the grammar.  Since the materials are from 2010, coverage of contemporary topics would be the responsibility of the teacher.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I like the fact that the overview of each chapter can be seen as one page with links.  The structure for each chapter is the same, so it is easy to find the section one is looking for.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text and website were created as one.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The \"Grimms Grammar\" explanations tend to be very thorough and detailed.  They could easily be used for an intermediate level course.  For a first-year class, less information could be provided.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are organized in a logical manner.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is clean and clear.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I appreciate how students from a variety of cultural and racial backgrounds are used in the videos.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is an exceptionally high-quality text and learning platform for introductory German.  The only aspect I do not see that a for-profit textbooks/online platform would offer is the ability for students to record themselves.  If instructors are using a LMS like Canvas, however, student recordings could be made directly through Canvas.","created_at":"2021-01-08T15:47:50.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-08T15:47:50.000-06:00"},{"id":33342,"first_name":"Marcel","last_name":"Rotter","position":"Associate Professor of German","institution_name":"University of Mary Washington","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook compares very well to any for-profit publishing house textbook (pictures, videos, graphics). The usual linguistic and cultural topics are present and progression is logical. However, the book seems a bit stuck in old established ways and would benefit from some new ways as encouraged by ACTF, especially comprehensive input.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Everything is perfectly fine.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"It is difficult for a first-year textbook to use ALL authentic resources and work with those alone. However, I wish there were more so that the label \"authentic\" was superfluous. Also, the work with vocabulary lists and the authors' suggested approach of \"Listen-Repeat-Write-Translate\" seems outdated. I am sure plenty of instructors still teach like this and will be happy with the book, but this approach is on its way out. Some graphics lack dates.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The explanations are clear for the students and use early on to the target language.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Everything is very consistent across the book.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Well for a first-year language textbook, that's not really an option as one chapter is based on the previous one. One can, of course jump around but it would require additional resources beyond the textbook.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"THe book follows the classical way of organizing the different topics and linguistic features.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Everything looks quite professional. To produce the videos requires a huge amount of work. Then again, if one would use authentic resources, the production of such videos would be unnecessary.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"For a language textbook, the grammar is, as expected, flawless.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"It is established practice to to include the cultures of Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein (D-A-Ch-L)equally and interwoven into the curriculum. Unfortunately, this book follows the old way of including an extra chapter on discussing the two non-German countries (although in an interesting way). Just to include Austria and Switerland in the questions (\"If you could travel to a city/region in Germany/Switzerland/Austria, ...) does not really cut it.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"It's overall a  nice book. I was hoping that the second edition would bring more innovation and not just updates.","created_at":"2021-07-11T15:49:14.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-07-11T15:49:14.000-05:00"},{"id":35430,"first_name":"Jessamine","last_name":"Cooke-Plagwitz","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Northern Illinois University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text does not include an index per se; however, it is very well constructed and topics, structures, audio/video, etc., are all linked and easy to locate within the individual chapters. The text would be improved, however, but linking the chapters in the table of contents so that one could go directly to the desired content from there.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"No issues with accuracy.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The danger always exists in a text that shows \"contemporary\" life in Germany that things can become outdated quite quickly. This volume, however, does a good job of keeping topics \"general\" so that daily life elements shown in the text and in videos remain relevant.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"I rather like the text's design and focus on themes relevant to North American students traveling to Germany. The focus on DACH culture, student life, and topics relevant to those visiting/studying in Germany for the first time is definitely one that will be of interest to students and hopefully maintain help to maintain their interest in the langauge.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Chapter structure is consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is very well laid out with each chapter's contents clearly identified and all relevant information is linked and easy to find.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"See above -","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Not an issue, but potentially a matter of convenience: as noted above, it might be nice to have the text's table of contents and the individual chapters' tables. This is not a major problem at all; one can easily scroll to the desired information, but it would increase the text's convenience factor/accessibility.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I appreciate the text's focus on integrating grammar directly into the cultural themes. The links to Grimm Grammar provide clear grammatical explanations and practice exercises.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I think the real strength of this text is its focus on German (and DACH) student culture. I did not find anything that could be read as problematic or offensive and appreciate the inclusion of a variety of races and ethnicities (and ages), though I do notice the absence of black people among the interviewees.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I think that Deutsch im Blick is a wonderful resource for German teaching/learning. It is, in fact, one of the candidates for our next beginning German language textbook. The zero-cost option is extremely attractive to our students as the cost of most language textbooks continues to rise. Deutsch im Blick is definitely a very solid textbook.","created_at":"2025-04-03T11:02:07.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-04-03T11:02:07.000-05:00"},{"id":35457,"first_name":"Laura","last_name":"Bohn Case","position":"Senior Professor of Practice","institution_name":"Wheaton College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a big, comprehensive book, and could cover at least two semesters. Using this book would create a rich, immersive experience for the student, with plenty of types of exercises to keep them engaged and learning copious amounts of German!","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not notice any obvious or repeated mistakes.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"While many of the topics remain relevant, some seem dated (and no longer representing an accurate German). The book could be updated in terms of student life, the demographics of Germany, and the cultural topics of today.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This is the best OER book I have seen, in terms of clarity of presentation and content.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book uses consistent vocabulary and structures to allow student growth as they work through the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book is easy to experience in small and clear sections, with clear navigation throughout.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is organized by topic, which creates a more wholistic and engaging path through the material. Using this book, in combination with the online Grimm Grammar program allows students to develop communicatively, while using the grammar as a back-up structure. This strategy to separate the two is interesting and probably leads to a more engaging and immersive classroom experience than a textbook structured around grammar topics.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This is the best, most navigatible OER German book here available. The text is well structured and clear, with lots of helpful supporting images and graphics.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The grammar is linked in Grimm Grammar, but is reinforced throughout the many exercises in the book.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The book could use an update to reflect a more accurate contemporary Germany - in terms of population diversity, as well as political parties etc.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is truly a wonderful resource for students!","created_at":"2025-04-30T13:54:25.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-04-30T13:54:25.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/deutsch-im-blick","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:02:32.000-06:00"},{"id":250,"title":"Yorùbá Yé Mi","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2014,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"The Yorùbá Yé Mi textbook, combined with an open access, multi-media website at http://www.coerll.utexas.edu/yemi, is an interactive, communicative, introductory Yorùbá program. It provides college/university students with basic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills of language learning in Yorùbá. It exposes the learner not only to Yorùbá language in meaningful situations but also to the culture of the Yorùbá-speaking people of South-western Nigeria. It contains effective techniques for teaching and learning Yorùbá including tones, and is user friendly in its approach.","contributors":[{"id":2999,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Fehintola","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Mosadomi","location":"University of Texas, Austin","background_text":"Fehintola Mosadomi is assistant professor in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies. She holds a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary linguistics with a minor in Francophone studies from Tulane University, with two master’s degrees from the University of Delaware. Her research interests include Yoruba language, culture and history, Yoruba women and Creole studies. Dr. Mosadomi is a poet, who has authored several articles in books and journals on Creole studies, African language and gender, African linguistics and pedagogy. She is completing her manuscript on Yoruba grammar. Dr. Mosadomi was awarded the Dana-Dartmouth Fellowship, was a Fellow at the Center for Research on Women at Tulane University, and is a Faculty Fellow at the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies at The University of Texas at Austin. She received a grant from Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services for Yoruba technology."}],"subjects":[{"id":31,"name":"Languages","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"P51","visible_textbooks_count":123,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/languages"},{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities"}],"publishers":[{"id":140,"url":"http://www.coerll.utexas.edu/yemi/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-12-22T13:24:55.000-06:00","name":"COERLL"}],"formats":[{"id":201,"type":"PDF","url":"https://bit.ly/3bWkCTu","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":202,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://bit.ly/2yWPogv","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":1,"reviews":[{"id":968,"first_name":"Robert","last_name":"Sanders","position":"Assoc. Prof. of Spanish (BA French, PhD Spanish, 10 years experience directing a large first year Spanish program)","institution_name":"Portland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This beginning Yoruba textbook has all of the basic components I would expect: a focus on four skills and functions ranging from greetings and descriptions to planning, shopping, food, clothing, housing, and medical attention, starting with the student in the classroom and extending out to family, friends, celebrities and, in the final chapter, back to university studies.\n\nThe text contains ample exercises that can be performed in class or prepared at home, and has a solid introduction to Yoruba phonetics and grammatical structures, as well as an extensive appendix of phonetics exercises focusing on tonality (a particular difficulty for North American students of Yoruba) with audio recordings.\n\nThe text is well supported by a companion website, hosted by the Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning (a National Language Resource Center). The audio files are easily accessed at this site using a mobile device and the QR codes in the text.\n\nThe approach of the textbook is highly immersive, which in early chapters precludes extensive discussion of culture. Later chapters have longer readings and dialogues (as well as monologues) revealing cultural concepts. The text does introduce and practice well cultural behavior norms. I would have liked to have more treatment, early on, of the influence of Yoruba in the world and particularly in the Americas, perhaps accompanying the introductory maps of Yoruba’s geographic heritage and influence, albeit this might conflict with the text’s focus on L2. I was also surprised to see no mention of Wole Soyinka, the 1986 Nobel Laureate for Literature.\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have a B.A. in French and a Ph.D. in Spanish, and have studied a few other languages along the way, but am not familiar with Yoruba (I am reviewing other aspects of the text). Nonetheless, the number of professional, academic and native collaborators and consultants, within and without the University of Texas at Austin, suggests that the content of the text is very reliable.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Generally speaking, curricula at this level of language study tend to be universal, and are not highly exposed to shifting cultural or political contexts. The text does include some references to celebrities which would necessarily date any textbook, but such references are generally necessary for students beginning to describe people in a new language. These activities are quickly identifiable and can easily be updated in time.\n\nThere are a couple of references to and a photo of the author’s school, the University of Texas at Austin, in the final chapter. From a traditional textbook perspective I would say this should be avoided, as it gives the book a sense of being homespun. However, it may be that in the new information sharing communities of Open Educational Resources, textbooks need not be as generic or anonymous as in traditional publishing and perhaps the references to UT give the text authenticity.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The organization is very clear and, as a beginning text, the language is necessarily simple. The grammar explanations (chapters 1-11 of 12) are given in simple English. The exercise instructions are in Yoruba and very clear English.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The chapters follow a clear framework, so after a couple of chapters the students (and instructors) will have clear expectations for the material and will be able to find a rhythm. Each chapter begins with a statement of objectives, then vocabulary taken from the chapter’s cultural readings and mono/dialogues, followed by grammar explanations and practice exercises, many of them incorporating the readings and/or monologues or dialogues.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Some of the chapters of this text would work very well for review or to bolster a non-traditional language program for which one did not want to adopt a complete text, such as a short term study abroad program or in Community Based Learning. Some chapters don’t have sufficient audio files to stand alone very well, but those that do would be easy to use because the book chapters contain all of the exercises and the audio files are free and are inked via QR codes—I found them very easy to use and generally of very good quality. \n\nIt is disappointing to see the textbook published with the Creative Commons NoDeriviativeWorks license, preventing others from remixing the text and its resources.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters build up in complexity pretty consistently as learners increase their abilities; the cultural readings, monologues and dialogues particularly become more extensive and, as far as I can tell, more revealing of culture. The introduction is excellent, and the final chapter brings students back to the topic of the first chapter (studying), but without presenting any new grammar, therefor it makes and excellent conclusion to the book and I believe gives students a sense of accomplishment as well as an opening to reflect on future academic plans in relation to their language and cultural studies.\n\nThe chapters are generally of about 24 pages each, sometimes as short as 16 and sometimes as long as 28, with length corresponding naturally to the type of content presented. I was somewhat disappointed with the irregular distribution of audio files. The introduction and the appendix have many, and the early chapters tend to have a few, but while some of the later chapters had six audio files, others had only one or none. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The number of professional, academic and native collaborators and consultants suggests that the content of the text is very reliable. But there are some issues with the layout that detract from the user experience and lower the perceived value of the text. While these don’t make the text less usable, hopefully they will be addressed in time. Perhaps most notable is the footer identifying the Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning and the University of Texas. This seems heavy-handed and gives the book the feel of a user manual. At the moment there isn’t really good control of the white space in the text, with many pages half empty and some totally blank. These are the spaces that a traditional development editor would fill with images and additional cultural notes. Currently the images feel like an odd mix of texture photos, photos, line art and clip art, there are no design elements to tie the visuals together. The photos would also benefit greatly from captions and credits. The text is laid out on 8.5x11” paper, an excellent choice for open resources, but they pages are not well laid out to allow for binding, either three-hole, spiral, or tape.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any grammar errors or errata in the English portions of the book.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Yorùbá Yé Mi appears to me to be a respectful and inclusive text, although I would have preferred to see more images of men in the chapter on fashion, and more images of women in the chapter on work. It might also have been nice to see an image of urban housing in the chapter on home.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"One of the strengths of Yorùbá Yé Mi is that it is a product of a collaborative effort, under the direction of Dr. Mosadomi, of about twenty academic, student and professional participants, contributors, consultants, and assistants, with the support of the Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning. Including the work of students and Fulbright FL Teaching Assistants embodies and important dimension of the Open Ed Resource movement. The accompanying website also curates some student videos that add to the textbook resources.\n\nI believe this is an important addition to the resources available, free or otherwise, for the teaching of Yoruba. The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition at the University of Minnesota indicates there are 31 college and universities in the U.S. that offer Yoruba courses, yet in  search through Faculty Center (facultycenter.net) I was only able to find seven Yoruba textbooks, three of them being out of print and a couple of the remainder being difficult to acquire.","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/yorubaye-mi","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:01:44.000-06:00"},{"id":251,"title":"Conversa Brasileira","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2013,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"Conversa Brasileira is an online open access site that contains a series of 35 video scenarios in which Brazilians talk about their daily activities, everything from hobbies to shopping, and from traffic jams to soccer games. These materials are designed to help intermediate- and advanced-level learners of Portuguese to analyze the way that Brazilians really talk and improve in their own proficiency and fluency. This textbook provides a hardcopy of all of the online materials, including the dialog transcriptions, English translations, and lesson notes that link to the original website.","contributors":[{"id":3010,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Orlando","middle_name":"R.","last_name":"Kelm","location":"University of Texas, Austin","background_text":"Orlando R. Kelm (PhD, University of California, Berkeley) is an Associate Professor of Hispanic Linguistics at the University of Texas at Austin where he teaches courses in Portuguese and Spanish, focusing mainly on business language and the cultural aspects of international business communication. He also serves as the Associate Director of Business Language Education at the UT CIBER (Center for International Business Education and Research). Prof. Kelm's research and publications center on the cultural aspects of international business and the pedagogical applications of innovative technologies in language learning. His most recent online materials development project is entitled Conversa Brasileira and his most recent book (coauthors: John N. Doggett and Haiping Tang) is entitled When We Are the Foreigners: What Chinese Think About Working With Americans."}],"subjects":[{"id":31,"name":"Languages","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"P51","visible_textbooks_count":123,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/languages"},{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities"}],"publishers":[{"id":141,"url":"http://coerll.utexas.edu/brazilpod/cob/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","name":"COERLL"}],"formats":[{"id":216,"type":"PDF","url":"https://cob.coerll.utexas.edu/brazilpod/cob/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":217,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://cob.coerll.utexas.edu/brazilpod/cob/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":3,"reviews":[{"id":506,"first_name":"Emilia","last_name":"Barbosa","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Kansas","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is thematically organized and provides detailed model conversation on different daily subjects. Each section or conversation starts with a brief explanation of the context or situation, a dialogue translated into English line-by-line and a glossary of explanations of idiomatic expressions and common sayings, which sometimes also includes cultural notes and very brief grammatical explanations. Under each section's Usage notes there are also several great comments and suggestions for interacting with the material.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I believe the content on this book is fully accurate and culturally sensitive.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book focus on daily life, common subjects and topics, as well as colloquial familiar language will probably make it  relevant for a while. It is particularly targeted at conversation classes and self-learners, so it easily can be customized and updated too.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This book is very clear and user friendly making it a very accessible learning tool. The brief, but complex explanations in English allow access to the complicate nuances of the Brazilian spoken language.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Overall, this book is very consistent and uses the same approach coherently from the beginning to the end.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This textbook is readily divided into distinct sections that allow for good reading and assignment management, including easy matching with different times of the school year or daily activities.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Even though apparently the list of possible conversations and dialogues seems to follow a random thematic organization, there is an intent at progressively increasing the level of language and the complexity of the vocabulary and grammar structures involved. Each section, however, comes with its own follow up and is easy to follow and progresses logically.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Since what I have available is the textbook's PDF, I cannot comment on the web-based platform hosted at the University of Texas, Austin. However, their web-link is readily available and it is mentioned prominently at the beginning of the text: http://coerll.utexas.edu/brazilpod/cob/.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Spoken language at the familiar level often diverges from what is considered proper language and grammar, following a more colloquial pattern. This textbook readily identifies the grammar structures that are twisted or modified in order to maintain that truthfulness effect and briefly explains what is means.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This textbook accurately displays the great diversity  and variety of the Brazilian culture, even though it provides a selection of situations and examples that can be considered small in comparison to real life.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This textbook proves to be a good balance between an organization based on pure thematic content and a great flexibility of sections and explanations. These are two necessary must-haves for this type of conversation materials.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":520,"first_name":"Nicholas","last_name":"Tratz","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Umpqua Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers a wide range of topics relevant to Portuguese learners at an intermediate to advanced level. Each topic includes at least two videos with different combinations of speakers in each, depicting a variety of realistic scenarios and perspectives. One suggestion for improvement would be to include videos discussing work or employment situations.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As far as I can tell, the videos and text accurately depict conversational Portuguese and provide acceptable translations to English. That being said, I am a Spanish instructor and a novice Portuguese speaker, so my opinions in this area are not the most qualified. However, I did have a Brazilian student review a few of the videos as well, and she confirmed that the videos are an accurate portrayal of typical conversations and content. For example, one challenging area for language learners is that the actors speak very quickly and often interrupt each other during the course of conversation. My Brazilian student confirmed that the speed and number of interruptions are very typical of Brazilian conversation.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The material is relevant to learners, however, there are numerous pop culture references in the videos, which will eventually become outdated.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is very clear and easy to follow, and the formatting is clean and pleasing to the eye. The in-text footnotes help immensely to elaborate on cultural or linguistic features in the dialogues. For example, I had no idea who Sandy and Junior were until I read the footnote. One area for improvement is the pop-up explanations in the videos. These are done in a Q\u0026amp;A format in English and Portuguese with the Portuguese speaker(s) speaking at native or near-native speed. My recommendation is to move away from this style of explanation to a simple, straightforward English explanation. This would be easier for the learner to follow and enable him/her to return to the video more quickly.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is very consistent with regard to style, formatting, and the language used.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The videos are grouped by topic and readily divisible into sections that could be assigned throughout the course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the book is logical in that topics with the broadest general appeal, such as animals, travel, hobbies, relationships, and food are presented first. The remaining topics are more specific and probably could be presented in any order. The structure and flow are very good.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface of the text is very clear and easy to follow. The images in the text match images from the video and a short summary of the video in English helps to provide some context before reading the transcript and watching the video. The links to the videos all work well. One recommendation for improvement would be to embed audio links in the transcript, enabling the user to listen to individual phrases from the videos.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"This book does an excellent job of depicting Brazilian conversation, which sometimes does not follow the grammar rules of Portuguese. In cases where there is a departure, the book points out the ungrammatical nature of the phrase to the user. The English grammar in the translations is very good.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The videos depict a variety of speakers of different races. However, since the purpose of the videos is to teach Brazilian conversation, the ethnicity of the speakers is necessarily limited. One area for improvement would be to provide background information on the actors in each video. My impression, though I could be mistaken, is that most of the speakers are from middle or upper socio-economic classes, limiting the range of conversations depicted.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is an excellent resource for students of Portuguese, and I highly recommend it.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":572,"first_name":"Aura","last_name":"Thuresson","position":"Foreign Language/Part-Time Faculty","institution_name":"Rogue Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is intended for intermediate and advanced level learners and is an excellent tool for up-to-date exposure to Brazilian Portuguese. It is organized around cultural use of language and communication. Each of its 35 chapters provides the student with a link to a video segment, that portrays a real life interaction. The subjects increase in linguistic and cultural complexity. The video clips can be viewed with subtitles in Brazilian Portuguese, followed by a script of the conversation with a translation to English, and footnotes to clarify idioms, to explain grammatical points or to point out important cultural aspects in the conversation. It offers a broad range of cultural information.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The textbook makes an emphasis on modern day use of Portuguese in Brazil, therefore I found that pointing out the differences of \"proper\" textbook learning and everyday use of language, was very effective in providing the student with the proper and most effective way to communicate in a real life conversation. I did not notice any inaccuracy in the text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date and  presented in a way that makes it relevant for a long period of time. Most of the content depicts everyday situations and interactions.It includes language patterns that are both traditional and modern, in addition to cultural information and aspects of modern-day life portrayed in a wide range of situations.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The grammar explanations are accessible, brief and to the point. The footnotes bring light to items that might be confusing or perceived as grammatically incorrect. I especially appreciated the frequency in which the author pointed out the repetition in the use of certain verbs that vary greatly in meaning depending on context.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The chapters in this textbook are very consistent, presented in identical form throughout its 35 chapters. It is easy to read, It provides a gradual exposure to the language and can be relied upon to satisfy the need for further insight on expressions or idiomatic variations included in the dialogues.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is divided into small units that make it ideal for single lesson assignments or to study in a classroom setting. The video segments can also be assigned as homework and the script of the dialog then can be discussed as a group activity. It can easily be adapted to conform to different teaching styles.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Each chapter is designed in a way that flows and it follows a logical pattern. Each chapter includes a link to a video, that can be followed by the review of the dialogue's script. The footnotes add structure without overpowering the units with unnecessary or repetitive grammar explanations, but emphasizing on important linguistic aspects.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text provides a link to a video in each chapter, that is easily accessible and ready to be viewed. Each video offers the option to view with or without Brazilian Portuguese subtitles, listen to pop-up commentary, or block pop-ups that appear when a new word or phrase is introduced.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not encounter errors in either the explanatory text, footnotes or English translations. The author, however, likes to point out the fact that everyday use of the language does not always conforms with grammatical correctness, and provides very useful and real examples of the modern, spoken version of the Portuguese spoken by Brazilians.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Conversa Brasileira provides examples of modern-day Brazilians in real life scenarios that include diverse ethnic, social, historic, cultural and artistic references, that expand and enable awareness. In general, the presentation of the cultural aspects is carefully inclusive and well developed.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I really enjoyed the real-life feel to the video segments, it is a text that can help intermediate and advanced level students to acquire very creditable proficiency, without overwhelming with grammar content, and is an excellent tool for conversation practice.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/conversa-brasileira","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:01:51.000-06:00"},{"id":254,"title":"Beginning Japanese for Professionals: Book 1","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2015,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"This textbook is designed for beginning learners who want to learn basic Japanese for the purpose of living and working in Japan. Unlike textbooks written primarily for students, whose content largely centers on student life, this book focuses more on social and professional life beyond school. As a beginning level textbook, this book includes many elementary grammar patterns (Japanese Language Proficiency Test Levels 5 and 4), but the vocabulary and situations are selected specifically for working adults. Explanations are kept concise so as to only cover key points. The main focus is on oral communication and the accompanying audio is to be used extensively. This textbook can be used for self-study, as part of an online course, or as a traditional college course.","contributors":[{"id":3694,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":"Dr.","first_name":"Emiko","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Konomi","location":"Portland State University","background_text":"Emiko Konomi received a PhD in Linguistics from Cornell University and has been on the faculty of the School of Business Administration at Portland state University since 2014. Prior to joining SBA, Emiko taught in the Department of World Languages and Literatures at PSU. She also has extensive experience training Japanese language instructors at various teacher-training programs across the country. Currently Emiko teaches all levels of Japanese to students in the Masters of International Management program. Known for her passionate teaching style and dedication to quality teaching, Emiko received the 2011 and 2015 John Eliot Allen Outstanding Teaching Awards from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Her academic research focuses on Japanese linguistics and pedagogy."}],"subjects":[{"id":31,"name":"Languages","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"P51","visible_textbooks_count":123,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/languages"},{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities"}],"publishers":[{"id":144,"url":"http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/pdxopen/6/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","name":"Portland State University Library"}],"formats":[{"id":763,"type":"PDF","url":"https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/pdxopen/6/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":764,"type":"Online","url":"https://pdx.pressbooks.pub/beginningjapanese1/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2758,"type":"MS Word","url":"https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/pdxopen/6/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"5","textbook_reviews_count":4,"reviews":[{"id":2940,"first_name":"Susan","last_name":"Tanabe","position":"Adjunct/Part time Instructor of Japanese","institution_name":"Chemeketa Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Topics (\"Can Do\" points) are part of the introduction. Lessons are arranged by practical theme. Each dialogue, drill, excercise, and vocabulary list aligns cultural linguistics and grammatical points with the theme of the lesson.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Steps are taken to include Mr. and Ms. equally/simultaneously.  There is no mention of stereotypical actions, occupations, or behaviours for gender, national, or other identity.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This text is limited to slightly formal, proper Japanese, appropriate for those visiting Japan for work rather than tourism, and as such does not include slang or teen language. This does ensure it will remain relevant for many years.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Great effort is taken to explain each grammar point, verb conjugation, cultural observation, and vocabulary option. Examples are plentiful and clear. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The Table of Contents is detailed and informative. Each lesson (0-4) is patterned in similar and consistent manner.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"As this is a language text it is sequential, therefore does need to be used in a sequential manner. Still, within each lesson and on each page it is visually clear, divided into sections, and does not use \"enormous blocks of text\". Subheadings are numerous and helpful.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Themes are logical and chronologically reasonable for individuals visiting Japan; Greetings, Introductions, Common Expressions, then events such as meeting new people, becoming familiar with one's work (school), neighborhood, etc., and working in cooperation with others. At each junction cultural notes are given to ensure the learner will communicate in a culturally appropriate and comprehensible manner.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Visual and linguistic clarity is consistent throughout the Introduction and each ensuing Lesson, 0-4. Very few images are included, however those are undistorted and easily understood.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"As a language text, grammar is a major thread through each lesson of language study. All points are carefully stated.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Though this text is in no way offensive, thoughtless, racist, or indicative of stereotyping, it has virtually no non-textual images or pictures, and no photographs of people. There is some effort made to represent gender and age diversity.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"As one with a background in Art and one who tends to be a visual learner,  at first glance I felt the absence of images was a concern. Still, as an educator I have used many texts with dated images, and realize the lack of images here allows the instructor to choose images (and cultural enrichmenta) with which to enrich the text. This is an exciting opportunity and I would look forward to doing so.","created_at":"2019-05-23T01:08:15.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-05-23T01:08:15.000-05:00"},{"id":3612,"first_name":"Carol","last_name":"Esaki Brunson","position":"affiliate","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I thought it covered the necessary topics very well.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"typo\r\nspelling \"stare\"\r\n","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The information is relevant and could be easily updated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very simple and clear explanations.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Good.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Easy to read.  Some better spacing could help in certain areas.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I like the general organization of the chapter presentation.  It was easy to follow.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"In the Cue/Response section, two columns were created for the English and Japanese.  However, the English would run into the Japanese column probably because of the page setup. See page 40.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I found the listing of double adjectives inconsistent with teaching the -te form.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Good.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I think that if this book is retyped for better spacing and with better fonts, it'd be great to use as a textbook or as a supplement to other classes.  I am ambivalent as to introducing the verb forms first or the copula form first.  \r\nAlso, would it be more advantageous to having a glossary?  I would like to create a glossary that separates nouns, adjectives, -na adjectives, adverbs and verbs.  In addition, I'd do a glossary of general expressions and one for etiquette, maybe a separate book for all volumes.\r\nI am looking forward to using the exercises for role playing in class.","created_at":"2020-03-04T16:08:33.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-03-04T16:08:33.000-06:00"},{"id":3825,"first_name":"Ayami","last_name":"Makino","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text can be used for self-study, online or in-class course. The pedagogical focus is on oral communication, and the text provides comprehensive topics to teach students the practical language skills to successfully interact with Japanese speakers in a workplace. \r\nTable of contents is complete and 'Before We Begin' section provides helpful information about the structure of lessons. Although glossary is not included in this edition, instructors can easily adapt this text to create their own. No index.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Culturally important expressions are included and explained, allowing for further lessons and learning on cultural and pragmatic expressions.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Contents are timeless and practical. Learners can continue to advance in levels as the authors provide Book 1, 2 and 3.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is easy to navigate. \r\nIt includes 10 lessons, each lesson consisting;\r\n-Drills and Exercises (mechanical drills, translation activity, role play)\r\n-Dialogue\r\n-Vocabulary\r\n-Grammar Notes\r\n-Grammar Review (self assessment) \r\n\r\nAlthough the textbook does not indicate where and how to access the audio file, it is available through the University's page.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The version include only a few minor errors such as missing letters and furigana.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The lessons are not overwhelming. It does not include much visual aids and can be supported with other sources to create more comprehensive lessons.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Well organized, and the order of the lessons are logical. Each lesson follows the same structure as stated above.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The version has a minor issue of alignment of text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"no grammatical errors","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text includes cultural expressions and phrases that are often seen and heard in real life settings.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The textbook provides enough information and structure to elaborate further. With supplemental sources, this will be a great book to use to teach/learn practical Japanese skills for adult learners seeking to work in Japan.","created_at":"2020-05-24T11:09:06.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-05-24T11:09:06.000-05:00"},{"id":34483,"first_name":"Masako","last_name":"D'Auria","position":"Adjunct faculty","institution_name":"Bunker Hill Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all aspects of language learning.  It comes with audio recording, which is indispensable when learning a new language.  The audio files are easily accessible to us teachers and students alike --- The students will no longer have to say, \"I don't have a CD player.\"  I do not see the alphabetical glossary that's usually at the end of the book (unless I missed it) -- However, each Lesson has a great list of new vocabulary so that the students can build their own sentences upon.  If you need the glossary for your students, though, you can just copy \u0026 paste and rearrange the words in alphabetical order to create one easily.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Very accurate with minimal typos.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I find this to be the newest, most up-to-date OER material for beginner Japanese.  There are no obsolete contents (which unfortunately some expensive textbooks still do), and the lessons were filled with grammar points and vocabulary that go with tech era and Japanese pop-culture.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The grammar explanation is very concise and to the point.  I think it is one of the strongest parts of this book.  Additionally, the author would briefly point out the difference between English and Japanese when necessary.  Often times, this does the trick for students who just can't seem to get a grasp of Japanese word order etc.  It's nice that the romanized characters (roma-ji) is used throughout, which makes it easier for many students to head start.   Having to reading Japanese \"kana\" often slows down and discourage students in the beginning.  Of course, if you choose to use only kana throughout, you could adapt \u0026 adopt easily.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The whole book is so well composed - Lesson 0 starts with the intro to Japanese sound / writing systems, greetings and frequently used phrases.  The rest of the book (Lessons 1-4) follow the same format -- the lesson opens up with a simple dialogue on which base the students can build various conversations upon.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each Lesson is divided into smaller sections, such as drills, individual exercise, and pair-practice exercise.   This allows you to easily plan your lessons if you're a teacher.  Another helpful section, I thought, is the one called \"Practical Applications\" - prompting teachers to conduct group activities.  I also thought that the \"review\" section towards the end of each Lesson was especially clever with insightful questions that they could answer in English.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The smaller sections in each Lesson are numbered well and/or labeled consistently.  This is very helpful for the learners to get into a routine and a habit of practice.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There are great options available for us to choose from: The author has made the materials in PDF, Word, and Webbook.  I think that Word would be a great option if you are thinking of adding some visuals (clip arts for example) or add colors to the tables / charts.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Very fluent and easy-to-understand explanation.   It's also just the right amount of the explanation that the beginner students would need without getting overwhelmed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No contents of culturally offensive.  With this being a world language textbook, the content is, on the contrary, cultural enriching.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I want to thank the author for making this available for educators and students to use for free.  With the great deal of \"push\" to switch to an OER rather than expensive / traditional paper textbooks, I am sure that this will be a life saver for many teachers.  So generous!  Arigatou gozaimasu!","created_at":"2023-03-29T14:47:16.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-03-29T14:47:16.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/beginning-japanese-for-professionals-book-1","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:10:31.000-06:00"},{"id":255,"title":"FROM MSA to CA: A Beginner's Guide to Transitioning to Colloquial Arabic","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2015,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"This book is for students who have studied Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) for one year or more and would like to learn colloquial Arabic basics using their knowledge of MSA. It aims at transitioning learners from Novice Mid level to Intermediate Low through presenting situations useful for living in an Arab country. The book has several features including hyperlinks, practice dialogues with open answers, cultural tips, and more.","contributors":[{"id":2992,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Lina","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Gomaa","location":"Portland State University","background_text":"Lina Gomaa received an MA in Arabic/English Translation and Interpreting from University of Salford, UK. At Beloit College, USA, she obtained her BA in Creative Writing, with a minor in Journalism. Also at Beloit College, she obtained a certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language. In Egypt, Miss Gomaa obtained a BA in Arabic/English Translation and English Literature from the Faculty of Languages, Alsun, Ain Shams University. At the American University in Cairo, she received the Certificate of Teaching Arabic for non-native speakers. Miss Gomaa has taught Arabic and English to non-nativespeakers at several universities in Egypt and the USA. She is a fully certified oral proficiency interviewer by ACTFL. Miss Gomaa’s research interests are second language acquisition and translation including holy texts, focusing on the Holy Quran translations into English."}],"subjects":[{"id":31,"name":"Languages","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"P51","visible_textbooks_count":123,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/languages"},{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities"}],"publishers":[{"id":145,"url":"http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/pdxopen/8/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","name":"Portland State University Library"}],"formats":[{"id":203,"type":"PDF","url":"https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/pdxopen/8/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":204,"type":"Online","url":"http://content.library.pdx.edu/files/PDXScholar/msa-ca/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"3.5","textbook_reviews_count":5,"reviews":[{"id":826,"first_name":"Mohammed","last_name":"HIRCHI","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text reads easily and it is written with a simple, clear and understood language. The book is divided into four major chapters and each chapter deals with one of the aspects of the overall content.  ","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The content is relatively accurate when it comes to talking about the Egyptian Colloquial.  While the author refers to other CA in the region, she failed to mention various other colloquials spoken in North Africa, Yemen, Oman, Sudan, etc...","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The text might be relevant to the Arabic program at Portland State Universty, but not to all Arabic institutions in the nation. It is especially designed to serve the need of a small community of second language learners. The text needs to be integrated within the context of the ongoing debate about the \"Integrated Approcah\" championed by Younes Munther fron the University of Cornell. Lina Gomaa's  theoretical  approach is very limited.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is clear, easy to read and uses a very simple jargon accessible to both students, teachers, etc...The author's use of second language acquisition terminology is limited.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Yes, there is consistency in the organization and in the flow of ideas in the book.  The author structures her narrative around a well defined content organized by chapters.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The division of the book into four chapters helps readers to approach it at ease and to use it when needed and according to the subject matter discussed in class.  Each section of the narrative touches either on language varieties in Arabic or on cultural aspects of the Arab world.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The author organized the book according to subjects related to transitioning second language learners from Mid Novice to Low Intermediate when learning Egyptian Colloquial. each section introduces new vocabulary, dialogues and discussions in both MSA and CA with translations into English. The division of the book into sections helps the learner to navigate through its different parts.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The visual/interface dimension  is clear and does not distract the reader from using the book.  There are charts with columns that are easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The text is written with a simple language accessible to different groups of the readers.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text is devoted to the study of Arabic as a second language, so its cultural component are only related to the Arab world. There is no reference to other nations, ethnicities, races, etc.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"The book can be a useful additional reading for students interested in learning both MSA and CA either in High Schools or Colleges.  It has its own shortcomings, but it could be revised and revamped.","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":929,"first_name":"Ragheda","last_name":"Nassereddine","position":"Instrctor","institution_name":"Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. ","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"For a beginner’s level of Arabic, the book covers some limited issues related to transitioning from Arabic MSA to Egyptian CA. It covers well some basic Vocabulary words and Grammar rules in contextual cultural content. It provides a glossary and introduction clarifying its contents and outcomes.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate. However, as its title indicates, I think the book may benefit more by being more inclusive to other CA Arabic not only the Egyptian CA, otherwise it should have been clarified in the title.\nOn the other hand, I think there might have been more vocalization on some words to help in correct pronouncing. For example, page 61 the word ????  \n","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"I think the book could be more supportive by including more interactive exercises and diverse cultural activities.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is clear, informative and accessible to students of beginner Arabic. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The four chapters of this book are clear and well organized. Each chapter can be downloaded as PDF which I think is helpful to learners. Adding more real life videos and images that can be downloaded would be more beneficial. I think there is a little  educational benefit of most of the images found in the book. ","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The topics are generally presented in a clear and logical manner. It is suitable for the beginner’s transition from MSA to Egyptian CA. However, the presentation lacks coherence and flow between the chapters.\n\n","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"No significant interface issues.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The grammar presented is at the beginner level. No noticeable grammar errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"While the book makes clear in its introduction that it will present cultural insights related to the main topics presented in the chapters which help the students become more familiar with acceptable behaviors in an Arab country, I think the topics of the book offer more cultural insights than the ones presented. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, this book is useful for students learning Arabic. It is needed as a transitioning aid from Arabic MSA to Egyptian CA. Thank you for the effort and time in producing this book. However, given the lack of activities and diversity regarding another Arabic CA, such as Levantine, Gulf etc. I would recommend updating the book and develop material to fill this gap to become relevant to larger number of students learning Arabic. ","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":2492,"first_name":"Lamees","last_name":"Fadl","position":"Lecture","institution_name":"LAGCC","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers provides good strategy to transitioning to Egyptian and Levantine.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is accurate and doesn't have errors in terms of grammar and culture components. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"It's mentioned in the title that the book teaches the transitioning into Colloquial Arabic, with no specification. I was expecting more information about the less commonly taught Arabic slangs and dialects. such as, North African and Arabian Gulf dialects.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is very clear and very well organized. the author uses common and simple words \u0026 phrases which are appropriate to beginners to intermediate learners.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The introduction clarifies the content and the learning outcomes are mentioned clearly and simply to be understood by learners.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Excellent chapterization and the topics of each section are well chosen. However, the columns are not clearly identify whether the word(s) are written in Egyptian or shami. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are very organized.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"the text is absolutely free of interface issues.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"In general, no major grammatical errors, however some minor mistakes are observed, such as the word \" شوبرا\" in page 42 which refers to a very famous neighborhood in Cairo and Egyptian commonly write it and read it شبرا with Damma not the long vowel و Though, the Arabic grammatical signs \" Al Tashkeel\" are used very well.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book aims to to teach the most common spoken Arabic dialects, the Egyptian and shami but lack to introduce the cultural diversity in the other Arabian countries. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall the book is highly recommended if you are aiming to teach Egyptian dialect particularly and if your students completed some course of Standard Arabic. I think adding some audio exercises is a good idea to support the writing component and to enhance the listing skills as well, because the pronunciation of letters and sound in all the Arabic spoken dialects are mostly different from the FUSHA.  ","created_at":"2019-01-05T18:22:51.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-01-05T18:22:51.000-06:00"},{"id":3280,"first_name":"Ayman","last_name":"Mohamed","position":"Assistant professor","institution_name":"Michigan State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is technically a rough guide and cannot be considered a textbook for teaching and learning. It starts where learners are in their main textbook after one year of learning Arabic. ","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"The book lacks the reasonable sequence of theme presentation. The dialogues are improvised (not authentic) and they do follow a particular theme. they also contain linguistic errors.  At some point, it seems overwhelming for the learner to comprehend all these codes in two dialects plus the standard form. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Perhaps limiting this book to one dialect only can be more effective. In its current shape, it can only be a guide and language refresher for learners. ","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Although the table of content and goal of the book is clear, the handling of these topics lacks clarity. In the introduction, the book claims pushing the proficiency level of students, but this is difficult to achieve unless we have a set of language functions. ","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"It was hard to find a consistent framework for the concepts presented through the book.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"It is quite challenging to use the book as in lesson plans because there is nothing much to do as practice. The book relies on presenting variants without actually creating teaching tasks to reinforce them. The best way to teach this would be to assign readings and then the teacher would come to class with his/her worksheets and conversation topics to hit on these varieties of spoken language. ","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The concepts presented in the book do not flow a certain sequence. The language component does not flow from simple to complex but rather fluctuated according to the topic.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The book is composed mainly of charts and tables and does not rely on visuals. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There is no much grammar in the book. It relies mainly on  the assumption that learners are already competent in the standard Arabic grammar. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The cultural component in the book is good and can be useful for people who prepare to study abroad and get in contact with native speakers. ","overall_rating":6,"overall_review":"Generally a good effort that can encourage similar projects with a more focused vision and sequence with a teaching component. ","created_at":"2019-11-12T22:56:47.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-11-12T22:56:47.000-06:00"},{"id":3306,"first_name":"Tariq","last_name":"Farghal","position":"Teacher Assistant ","institution_name":"Michigan State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book review addresses the ‘diglossiac’ situation of teaching Arabic for non-natives whether targeting the richly formal dialect Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) or the spoken dialect that suffers from lack from a genuine grammar description in institutions. The review presents the author’s perspective in establishing a practical culturally-oriented book that aims at upgrading the student’s level from Novice Mid to Low Intermediate (following ACTFL standards). The book's comprehensibility is partially clear as far as the data needs to be more organizable to the reader with more drilling exercises to ensure the comprehensibility of the learner of certain area in  the book before moving to the next area of target.  \r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is unbiased and objective. Language is comprehensible and accurate. However, the mode of language must be level down when explaining complex grammatical properties such as verb inflection and phonotactics. Nevertheless, dialogues are simple and clear and the vocabulary is more or less organized. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The book follows a typical organization of Arabic books aiming at incorporating Arab dialect along the presence of the strong dialect MSA. The lessons start with a table of vocabulary followed by a simple dialogue that is inclusive of the words learned in that table. Some audio tasks and incomplete fillers are adopted as to cover the various skills of learning plus a minor section of a cultural insight of some manner in the Arab world (e.g. ending an Arabic conversation). For instance, the following table has three lists of the dialect, MSA, and the English translation. Therefore, the learner is expected to acquire both and build a line of linguistic similarity between the two variants in each table throughout the book.\r\nBased on of the tables, the learner ends up with three forms for the English meaning ‘how are you’: ازّيك  (Egyptian Arabic; EA), شو أخبارَك  (Jordanian Arabic; JA), and كيفك  (MSA \u0026 dialects, but with different phonologies). As it seems, following the strategy of learning through multiple systems of diglossiac dialects raises multiple lexical items, forms and structures. The learner is not adapting himself/herself to a specific system of language, but rather exposed to different linguistic systems. By way of illustration, the EA expression ازيك   has different derivational consequences from the JA  expression شو أخبارك  or the MSA expression كيفك . The language learner is ought to learn the derivation of a certain system to improve his/her understandability of the exposed vocabulary. For instance, the EA expressions consists of ازايّ + ك meaning how + the addressed pronoun where ازايّ  is a key interrogative (similar to the English how) used elsewhere in the language. The JA expression شو أخبارك  consists of شو + أخبار + ك  meaning what + news + addressed pronoun, so the literal translation is ‘what is your news?’, which stands as the English equivalent ‘How are you?’. However, the same word أخبار  in JA is used as to refer to ordinary meaning of news, newspaper, etc. This homonymy of the meaning of news in JA is absent (or at least less obvious) in EA as well in MSA. Therefore, the lexical derivation of the semantic system of expressions through homonymy, synonymy, metonymy, and others seem to be distinct, though some overlapping might exist across those dialects. ","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The procedure of learning is not controlled and the learner is exposed to multiple forms of surface similarity without deep guidance toward merging within a specified well-oriented system of one dialect. The author seems to try to build a ceiling of Intermediate-Low for Novice-Mid students by providing idiomatic expressions, collocations, and some catchy verbal phrases in order to build an easy-going dialogue for the student. However, Novice-Mid students require language support in terms of sentence building while such process is hardly achieved alone through short dialogues manifested with a list of words \u0026 expressions. Sentence requires continuous drilling exercises of nominal sentences, verb forms (more focus on the present tense), gender forms, noun-adjective pairs, and preliminary paragraphing. Those grammatical properties must be the core target for beginners, so they can be accustomed to the formation of the dialect in general. I agree with the author that dialogues are significant in the learning process, but only in case they are consistent with higher properties as drilling formation, grammaticality, and building phrases. All of those properties must be specific in belonging to certain system. Since idiomaticity of expressions seems to be prevail the theme of the lessons, presenting multiple systems (EA, LA, MSA, etc.) might appear to be justifiable based on the cultural similarity. On the contrary, the student might be able to follow the dialogue and its items through miscellaneous date of different dialects, s/he is still not adhering to a specific drilling of pronunciation and structure","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"During the book, the author aims at the literal translation of expressions like السلام عليكم  , إن شاء الله  , ما فيش تَعَب ولا حاجَة  , ربنا معاك , and many others. For instance, ما فيش تَعَب ولا حاجَة    means literally “there is no tiredness nor need” while the idiomatic translation would be something like ‘there is no trouble at all’. The discrepancy between literal (LM) and the intended (IM) is successfully described throughout the book; nevertheless, the employment of such expressions must be more identified semantically in a sided section. The author sees that it is important to incorporate those expressions throughout the dialogue as long as the student would be able to use them conversationally. The same exact expressions should not be left out to dialogues only. They need more definite categorization for the learners by using the proper terminology such as idioms, collocations, proverbs, metaphors, and expressions. The terminology helps out to systemize the make-up of a certain dialect and formalize its data to the learner. Furthermore, those expressions are highly situational and must be related to a relevant lesson in a consistent way. ","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"At the beginning of the book, the author addresses three methodologies of teaching Arabic that have been debatable in the filed of second language acquisition. The first methodology is teaching the spoken dialect after teaching MSA. I suppose that the idea behind this methodology is that since MSA is the formal language of books and writing, the student is supposed to capture the higher system of language, and then leaning toward the spoken/vernacular dialect. In principle, MSA is assumed to support the learning of the spoken variant. However, it has been shown that learners of Arabic perceive the two varieties differently. As mentioned earlier, the linguistic differences at the level of phonology, syntax, and lexicon render the learning of each variant although all variants stand in similar social setting of history, religion, and origin. However, there still must be a strong establishment of the language skills of the spoken variant with the proper documentation, so the dialect is sufficiently legitimate to be taught at the beginning of the process of learning. Once the ceiling for learning the dialect by explicating the proper material for its language skills, the educator would be able to direct the learning process to the native level of the language and guide the learner to the actual course of communication. At higher levels where writing, media, and newspapers are targeted, MSA is required to be taught since MSA embodies the language of formal education and target language for the learner to be involved to the diglossia of the Arab world. It is reasonable to approach from the communicative level (dialect) to the formal level (MSA). The second methodology is the one adopted in this book where MSA and the dialect ( or a group of dialects) are taught together. As discussed earlier, this type of learning seems quite confusing and hard to grasp among the students as long as they are exposed to different types of systems and they are not guided to a specific system of phonology, syntax, or semantics","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"It is always imperative to be consistent in presenting language material rather than presenting miscellaneous data, though might be related to each other, but renders the language processing less disciplined. The flexible option is where you teach MSA and the dialect separately. It sounds like a good move where the exposed material is specified to a certain linguistic system. Nevertheless, it is important to build up a functional connection between the two variants. Leading the learner into the linguistic system of dialect will guide him/her into social communication, popular culture, and social media settings.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text has no major significant issues with support materials including images or tables. Still, the book should provide more purposeful images that might help the learner to go through the vocabulary of lessons. It is always advantageous to have supplementary images to support the theme of a certain dialogue. Tables have no caused no distortion per say; however, more effort into conducting table in stylistic always motivates the learner to study the material and induces encouragement. Colorful imaging is always is a useful tool in online textbook as well. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The book's grammaticality is good and translation  is successful across idioms, expressions, and words. Explanations  of grammatical properties is partially good as far as it does not turn too specified and too indulged in its terminology, so that the learner can accommodate the book's language to simple notions rather than complex ones. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book handles a variety of Arab cultures objectively. Levantine dialects and Egyptian dialect are compared throughout the book culturally and linguistically. The comparative data implies good cultural awareness of dialectal variety in the Arab world. The author explicates language and culture as unbiased and purposeful. ","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"Leading the learner into the linguistic system of dialect will guide him/her into social communication, popular culture, and social media settings. If the learner goes through the process of dialect learning successfully, the educator should begin upgrading the learning process to the level of Standard Arabic where literature, history, and writing comes into play. Therefore, employing the communicated dialect for lower levels to prepare the student to advanced levels of documentation of MSA. Level development is significant between the dialect and MSA; yet, both systems must be exploited thoroughly and at least separately for less advanced students, so they are linguistically familiarized with the logic of diglossia.\r\nConclusion:\r\n\tArabic diglossia as many diglossiac phenomena across languages raises serious questions regarding the proper learning methodologies and linguistic theory in general. The book reviewed is supposed to address English-speaking students learning Arabic. The methodology adopted emphasize the simultaneous learning of MSA and dialect providing vocabulary and dialogues. However, learning different linguistic systems have shown to be hard to grasp since the learner is not exposed to a specified system with linguistic consistency in respect to lexicon and syntax. The diglossiac gap is suggested to be rendered separately while combining the two system by level-course building and cultural development.\r\n","created_at":"2019-11-21T18:21:31.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-11-21T18:21:31.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/from-msa-to-ca-a-beginner-s-guide-to-transitioning-to-colloquial-arabic","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:01:44.000-06:00"},{"id":262,"title":"Le Littéraire dans le quotidien","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2015,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"Le Littéraire dans le quotidien is an open textbook for use in French courses. The Literary in the Everyday represents a new pedagogical approach to reading and writing at the lower levels and is applicable to all languages. Teachers of foreign languages besides French can read about the approach in the Teacher's Guide. Go to Google Drive for individual chapters. Additionally, the Foreign Languages \u0026 The Literary in the Everyday (FLLITE) Project, a joint initiative of COERLL and CERCLL, two national foreign language resource centers, offers open resources for professional development in the publication of CC licensed FLLITE lessons in any language.","contributors":[{"id":4657,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Joanna","middle_name":"Gay","last_name":"Luks","location":"Cornell University","background_text":"Joanna Luks earned a B.A. in Chinese Studies from Columbia University, a professional certificate in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) from the American University of Paris, and an Ed.M. from Boston University's School of Education in Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). She taught EFL in France and China, and ESL at Boston University and, starting in 1994, at Cornell. She joined the French program at Cornell in Fall 2003. She has been married to a Frenchman since 1984 and lived in Paris for six years. Her areas of interest include TA development for language pedagogy, articulation across language, literary and cultural studies, and materials development for language learning and teaching, including the (re)conceptualization and visualization of grammar drawing from theories in cognitive grammar. In Fall 2004 she was awarded a grant by the Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning and provided support by the Department of Romance Studies for the creation of a course for TA development within the department. The course was offered for the first time in Spring 2005."}],"subjects":[{"id":31,"name":"Languages","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"P51","visible_textbooks_count":123,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/languages"},{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities"}],"publishers":[{"id":152,"url":"https://www.coerll.utexas.edu/coerll/project/le-litt%C3%A9raire-dans-le-quotidien","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-12-22T13:26:35.000-06:00","name":"COERLL"}],"formats":[{"id":224,"type":"PDF","url":"https://bit.ly/2L2O1jn","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":225,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://bit.ly/3d5evN6","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":226,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://bit.ly/2xtG43s","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":227,"type":"Online","url":"https://bit.ly/2WmIsl4","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":6,"reviews":[{"id":1252,"first_name":"Tara","last_name":"Smithson","position":"Instructor of French","institution_name":"Louisiana State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book was designed to complement first and second year language programs with a series of increasingly more challenging reading and writing exercises. While direct instruction of grammar is not the focus, each chapter reinforces different grammatical concepts by asking students to engage with them via the texts presented.  Therefore, Le Littéraire dans le quotidien could serve as a companion book to another OER book, such as Le Français Interactif (which is referenced at several points), that covers language and grammar instruction.  It could also be adapted to accompany other textbooks that introduce French students to basic grammar.  Globally, I was impressed by the textbook's comprehensiveness.  Le Littéraire dans le quotidien provides a thorough introduction to a variety of literary and popular genres such as poetry, instructional texts, travel writing, memoir, blog posts, jokes, letters, and aphorisms.  Each piece of writing is contextualized with information about the author and time period, explanations of genre conventions, and a series of exercises that guide French language students through the reading and writing process.  Thus, students have the opportunity to become more analytical readers as they annotate, discuss, and write responses to the text.  Then they can further hone their writing skills by composing a creative text that responds or builds upon the genre highlighted in each section. LFDLQ could, however, benefit from a reference section with overviews of grammatical points so that it could function as a stand-alone text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not notice any instances of error or inaccuracy.  One of the book's strengths is that it presents a variety of different registers, which I see as contributing to an accurate representation of the French language in its diverse usages.  For example, in Chapter 1, the author presents the use of nouns as adjectives (e.g. Moi, je suis très café, mais lui, il est plutôt thé\").  While this usage fairly common among native speakers, it is unusual to see it included in a textbook.  I also liked that Luks proposes both formal and informal versions of everyday expressions (e.g. Ce n'est pas grave v. Pas de problème or Comment/Pardon v. Hein/Quoi?).  On the other end of the spectrum, Chapter 10 familiarizes students with the passé simple, which is featured in Perrault's version of \"Le Petit Chaperon Rouge.\"  Generally speaking, the range of source material insures variety in register.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I found this book to be extremely culturally relevant and, consequently, high in interest.  Since it was published fairly recently (2013), it does not suffer from the painfully dated references that plague many textbooks. Nor does it rely too heavily on allusions to \"current events\" that will no longer be current within a year's time.   Aside from the pictures of authors, there are a limited number of photographs of people that would tie the book to the era of its creation.  Instead, many of the images selected for the book are abstract and artistic in nature; thus, they lend themselves well to longevity.  When the need arises, the text will be easy to update.  The author also anticipates that certain links included in the texts may eventually cease to function and provides search terms in case this should happen.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Le Littéraire dans le quotidien is written in clear, accessible prose.  Even though the book asks students to do sophisticated work as readers and writers, it does not burden them with excessive jargon in the process.  It provides the appropriate terminology,  furnishes lucid definitions, and helps students to assimilate the information through the use of well-chosen examples and follow-up questions.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book provides a consistent format.  First, students complete reading exercises (both individually and collaboratively) organized around 1-3 short texts.  Then, they do writing exercises inspired by the genre of the the text they have just read. Finally, they fine-tune their work through peer-editing.  As outlined in the table of contents, each chapter targets a form of \"cultural knowledge and mindset\" while also reinforcing \"language use and strategies.\"  The tasks students are asked to do vary in difficulty from chapter to chapter but generally remain level-appropriate.  While the explanatory texts and questions are written in English in the beginning chapters, the textbook transitions towards additional use of French in the latter chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I found this book's layout to be very attractive and user friendly.  Information is presented in small chunks, with effective use of white space to allow the reader to mentally digest the material and annotate texts in the margins.  Colored font sets off titles and key points, and text boxes highlight important pieces of information.  The text is also image rich, with carefully selected artwork that reiterates the chapters' themes and acts as another point of entry for the material.  On a similar note, the cover pages for each chapter were quite striking and would lend themselves to discussion.  I also appreciated that the text includes links to relevant YouTube videos that present modern adaptations of some of the works (Le Hareng saur by Charles Cros, for example) as well as other authentic resources.  While the format for each chapter is the same, each  separate piece stands alone.  It would be very easy to use select portions of LLDLQ in an intermediate language class or even a special topics course, such as \"Business French.\"","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The text is organized logically and designed to align with students' progress through a traditional grammar book.  That said, I did, at times, question the sequencing.  While I found the activities based on Proust's questionnaire and Le portrait chinois to be high in interest and potentially very enjoyable for students, I think they would work better later in the book.  Some of the model responses are somewhat sophisticated and use grammatical structures and vocabulary that would be inaccessible for most true beginners.  If I were to use this textbook, I would probably do the \"autoportrait\" exercise from Chapter 4 before the questionnaire/portrait chinois since it is is not as abstract and could easily be written entirely in the present tense.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not encounter any interface issues.  The user guide that precedes the first chapter offers very clear instructions about how to use Google docs and forewarns of the potential formatting issues that can result when a Google doc is exported or saved as a Word document.","grammatical_rating":2,"grammatical_review":"I did not encounter any grammatical errors, either in English or French.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Luks makes an effort to include a diverse range of texts and authors from different time periods, backgrounds, religions, and political orientations.  In this respect, I especially appreciated Chapter 6 which examined the work of a Franco-Tunisian calligrafitti artist, El Seed, alongside of aphorisms and slogans from Mai '68.  The author's choice to include a short excerpt from Kristin Ross's monograph on the strikes of '68 emphasizes that the political dimensions of the movement and workers' engagement in the strikes have been softened in French public memory, much in the way that Martin Luther King, Jr. has been de-politicized in American public memory.  The excerpts from Chroniques de la dérive douce by Haitian author and Canadian national Dany Laferrière also add a more transnational dimension to the textbook.  Most of the selections, however, are written by canonical French authors.  Additional efforts to include work by Francophone authors could benefit this work.  For example, the section that deals with fairy tales and fables could easily be paired a short \"conte\" by Patrick Chamoiseau or Cajun and Creole folktales from Louisiana collected by Jean Arceneaux.  Engagement with issues of gender, sexuality, and disability could add another layer of cultural relevance to this text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"At first I was skeptical about the book's format because it assumes the regular use of English in class and incorporates translation exercises.  Admittedly, this approach runs somewhat counter to my training and usual methods as a language teacher.  The benefit, however, from diverging from the full immersion model is that it creates space for students to develop another level of critical awareness about the target culture and their own.  On a practical level, I would be interested to know how this text is combined with a more traditional grammar-based class since curricular demands often edge out enrichment activities at the early levels.  A sample syllabus would be a useful resource to link to.  Personally, I can imagine this book working well as a creative writing course for intermediate level students.  Overall, I found that Le Littéraire dans le quotidien offered an inventive approach to the study of literary texts that encourages students to develop a more sophisticated awareness of themselves as language learners.  I also appreciated the wide range of texts included and the attention accorded to how contexts and conventions shape a piece of writing's meaning and reception. The primary documents in the final chapter (journal entries and correspondence from a French prisoner of war during WWII) are particularly worthy of note","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1254,"first_name":"Jerry","last_name":"Parker","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Southeastern Louisiana University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers most topic covered in an beginner and/or iintermediate. A lot of the topics are in a logical order and/or have a communicative connection. However, there are some topics that seem to be awkwardly placed which makes it hard for professors to teach them. For example, chapter 1 and 2 can be used in my French 101 course, but chapter 3 can only be used in my French 102 course. Chapter 1A corresponds to chapter 1 of my course and Chapter 1B corresponds to chapter 2 of my course. However, chapter 3 and 6 both correspond to topics that I cover in French 102, chapter 8.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not see any errors","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I actually did learn a few things from this text. The contents are very excellent and relevant to how students should be using the language.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Great! Language is understandable for beginning students, but challenges students to learn new terms and phrases.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Excellent. However, there is no clear theme of this text. It seems to be a mixture of forms of art, but I am not 100% clear.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"It is very easy to divide and edit  this book to my liking, however, the topic arrangement is very award.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"Topics could be easier to move around. There are certain chapter that can easily move then there are others that cannot. Try doing a content analysis of textbooks to see the order they typically present grammar and restructure this text to match that format.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"creative","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"This book is entirely too eurocentric and this is the main reason that I will not be using it. It also has multiple negative aspect that contribute to students hidden curriculum of cultural knowledge. While the cultural topics are interesting they are hoesntly not relevant to my students. I do not think any of them (except the art majors) care about graffiti. Dually, there is no reason that Martin Luther King Jr and Maya Angelou are mentioned in this text, but not Maryse Condé, Aimé Césaire, Leopald Senghor, Alexandre Dumas, Raphael Confiant, MAriama Ba and others from the Caribbean and Africa-- where they actually speak French!","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Excellent text overall, I think with some editing, and piloting, and curriculum alignment this will be an excellent contribution to teaching material in French! There are not many of these out there, but teaching are constantly looking for a way to have students apply the grammar in a meaningful context.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1333,"first_name":"Raluca","last_name":"Romaniuc","position":"Term Assistant Professor of French","institution_name":"George Mason University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text does what is sets out to do, namely it offers students a new, literary-infused way of developing their reading/writing skills. Although some opportunities exist for incorporating listening and speaking activities, these are not overall the focus of this text. \nThere are numerous resources offered for supplemental texts and/or the study of grammatical points, however the grammar is not explained in the pages of this textbook. The instructor would have to provide extra materials detailing grammatical concepts.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Excellent choice of reading/writing activities. The original pieces of text are in French, while the prompts, indications, explanations, are in English. Clear, easy to follow language throughout.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The textbook proposes a fresh take on the acquisition of reading/writing skills: inductive reasoning, student-led exploration of linguistic resources, authentic texts and tasks, development of interpersonal and intrapersonal writing modes. The chapters are easy to use independently, to be reorganized according to the proposed learning objectives.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The author does a good job of presenting new grammatical terms and of explaining literary forms. New concepts are briefly explained, with examples, and guidance is offered for supplementary reading/resources.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The same pedagogical sequencing is used for reading/writing activities throughout the textbook. These steps take students from making inferences about the author/text to a first reading, followed by a session of social or collaborative reading, to a close reading of the texts' linguistic, stylistic nuances. The last stage of the reading task is designed to offer a more in-depth interpretation of the text, while preparing students for the ensuing writing task.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modular use of the chapters is possible to fit a diverse range of courses and teaching styles.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The sequencing of chapters and topics follows an increasing level of complexity/difficulty. Within the chapters, the reading activity precedes the writing of the first draft, followed in turn by peer editing before a final version is reached.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is free from errors or distortions, easy to read and work with.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text approaches the French and Francophone culture from different angles and guides students in their discovery of new modes of seeing/thinking. From poems to blog posts and from fairy tales to love letters, French culture is explored and explained.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"With its approach of teaching the language/culture through the literary, the textbook could be successfully used in second year French courses. While the reading and writing are beautifully presented, with plenty of in-class and outside-of-class practice ideas, the teacher will need to compensate for the lack of aural/oral practice to ensure all 4 skills are worked on. The language of the textbook and that required in many of the activities is English. It would be difficult to use this textbook in an all-French classroom context, where the target language is used at all times. Certain grammatical concepts are presented briefly, in passing, which means that the instructor would have to provide explanations and examples/exceptions, as needed.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1411,"first_name":"William","last_name":"Holley","position":"Adjunct","institution_name":"Northern Virginia Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Le Littéraire dans le quotudien offers instructors and students a set of tools that will help them to use readings and culture in lower division courses. The textbook does offer a fairly comprehensive approach to the readings, offering  readings for the first year, with each main reading comprising a chapter of the text. These chapters are established in phases, to help orient the reader with the theme of the reading and to push the reader to continue and engage with the language. The stages are as follows; Préparation, Première lecture, Regardez de plus près, and Allons plus loin.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content of the textbook appears to unbiased, the readings draw from a variety of sources (poetry, short story, blog posts, etc.) but they do not seem to convey and particular ideology or bias.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Since the reading passages within Le Littéraire dans le quotidien were chosen for way in which they represent the French language and culture, the information contained within should be fairly pertinent in years (decades) to come.  At particular risk, however, is the chapter on technology. The reading itself is fairly timeless, but some of the ancillary material presents terms that may become outdated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The structure of the chapters in Le Littéraire dans le quotidien is such that each begins with a presentation in English, in an effort to orient the reader with the ideas to follow.  Subsequent sections are fairly easy to understand. As it is noted in the introductory sections, there is no answer key to the readings. One advantage to this is that instructors will need to read the passages as well, forcing them to resolve anything that they may have found unclear during in-class sessions.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This textbook remains consistent (in format and substance) throughout the chapters presented.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter can be used as a stand-alone module for a first or even second-year French course. The text itself would not be a good stand-alone book for a first-year course, but it can serve as a dedicated reading/writing text to compliment speaking and listening.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook is logically organized, though some chapter could be switched around with little to no disturbance to the flow of the material.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Within Le Littéraire dans le quotidien, there are often several hyperlinks per chapter to external sites and sources. A few of these are no longer active or have since been moved. Everything within the textbook .pdf (images, text passages) was clear and  discernible.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any noticeable errors in grammar (French or English).","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The passages in Le Littéraire dans le quotidien are primarily drawn from a French centered framework. By incorporating more francophone individuals, it could enrich the cultural relevance of the text as a whole. However, this was not the aim of this project. Nevertheless, build within the project is the opportunity for others to create additional chapters/modules, making it possible for those who may wish to have another French-speaking culture represented, to do so and to share it with others.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I anticipate that I will be using some of the readings, activities, and discussion from this textbook. While I do not recall it being specified in the preface, I feel this textbook is best suited for a face-to-face course, and it would benefit from some modifications for those who wish to integrate some of the material into an online French course.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1838,"first_name":"Nathan","last_name":"Rabalais","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"College of William and Mary","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is quite comprehensive. At the beginning of the book, the author goes into great detail explaining where to find other resources using Google docs and how instructors might adapt them to their course. The individual chapters are well contained. One suggestion would be to include a glossary for vocabulary at the end of the book. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not see any examples of inaccuracy in the book.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I don't believe that this book is at any particular risk to become \"dated\". I found the examples and cultural objects to be quite timeless. Even the chapter on technology carefully avoids using specific references to application/devices that could date the work. At any rate, this could always be remedied as it is one of the great advantages to OER resources. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is very clear. At times, I think even less direction could be used, particularly in the text directed to the instructor. The instructions for students begin in English and progress to more French later in the book. I think given the level of work asked of students, the instructions could be given in French earlier to get them used to working exclusively in the target language.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is very consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"One of the most attractive aspects of the book is its modularity. I can easily see using sections of chapters, particularly the material on folktales, in classes that I currently teach. Other content, like the section on the \"passé simple\" is very handy and clearly laid out. Since the instruction are integrated into the book (instead of in a separate \"instructor's packet\", etc.), it is easy to select passages for one's individual needs.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I particularly enjoyed the fluid and logical organization of the book. It hits on all of the relevant topics and issues that I look for in a textbook (travel, technology, culture, social issues, etc.) and the content is well paired with the grammatical/technical objectives in each chapter.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I read in other reviews that there were a few broken links, but did not encounter any problems myself and assume that these have been repaired. The use of Google docs is intelligent and allows many institutions (like my own who already uses Google for all institutional e-mail, etc.) to seamlessly integrate the material with students' existing e-mail accounts. It also ensure that the interface will be kept up to date.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors that I could find.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The cultural component of the book is tactfully presented and integrated with the technical objectives of the book. The approach leaves room for the student and instructor to ask questions and think critically without project a bias or particular point of view. It also does a great job of bridging the cultural gap between francophone cultures when teaching U.S. students.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"My main comment is not so much a criticism as a question. I'm still not sure how easy this resource would be to implement in my language curriculum, as it is not meant to replace a traditional language textbook (e.g. for 101, 102, etc.), but it is not well suited for advanced writing courses or 'conversation' classes. At least in my program, I think this book would be most useful as a companion to existing course materials on specific topics or grammatical points. This is not so much a criticism of the book itself, but rather a lack of a clear way to implement the book in a given course. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":3072,"first_name":"Olga","last_name":"Vasile","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"CU Boulder","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"\"Le Littéraire dans le quotidien\" is comprehensive relative to the pedagogical objectives described in its Teacher’s guide. It exemplifies a comprehensive teaching philosophy and methodology, but it is not a comprehensive manual for French language instruction. Modules are designed with a transdisciplinary approach that aims at developing linguistic, cultural and intercultural awareness primarily through reading, writing and peer editing.\nModules can be used to accompany and integrate a language manual (the manual of reference is  \"Français Interactif\",  http://www.laits.utexas.edu/fi/ ) but can also be adapted in other teaching and learning contexts. \nEach module presents thought-provoking content and activities supported by a rigorous theoretical reflection on the objectives of language learning today, as well as on the methods to achieve these objectives. \nLearning material comes from a variety of excellent sources: a variety of literary texts and other authentic written artifacts and audiovisuals. Non-traditional forms of written communication such as blogs are also part of the resources. \nThe author of \"Le Littéraire dans le quotidien\" provides essential and comprehensive contextual information to accompany her selection of texts thus making their reception more approachable. \nActivities are well scaffolded, they support the development of students’ critical reading and writing abilities through independent reflection and collaborative construction of knowledge. A wealth of external written, audio and audiovisual resources that can be used to further elaborate on the topics presented.  \nThe ancillary nature of this textbook might be seen as weakness. There are for instance some progression gaps from one chapter to the other. While the book provides links to explanations in \"Français Interactif\", and other external resources , in my view, it can be used as stand alone textbook only by students who already have a certain linguistic proficiency in French, or who need to consolidate beginners to intermediate linguistic knowledge.\nAnother limitation can be seen in the continuous shifting from one language to the other. This allow students to engage with content that goes beyond their linguistic skills, however I feel that the effectiveness of this strategy needs to be carefully examined. Possibly a less complex presentation could achieve similar results while allowing students to remain in the foreign language. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The quality of this textbook is high: content is accurate, varied and interesting, it is accompanied by a wealth of external written, audio and audiovisual resources that can be used to further elaborate on the topics presented.  Supplementary material is also accurate, error-free and  unbiased.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As far as literary resources are concerned the high quality content is timeless, while when texts are chosen from current and not so current French and American TV programs, or blogs, the risk of resources becoming dated is higher, and most probably will require updating.\nUnfortunately the links to some external resources are not always current, or the links are broken. Just to give an few example:  in  “1b. Comment?!” the specific link to the MIT Cultura project http://cultura.mit.edu/1999-fall-mit-int-21/ leads to a “page not found” requiring the user to take additional steps to find the desired content as \"archived\" material; similarly  the movie “L’école pour tous” (p.8) is not accessible because the video: “[...] contains content from Studiocanal, who has blocked it on copyright grounds.”; in “09 La Technologie-composée-et-imparfaite”  the source of the text “Le Crash” http://www.cettenuitjaireve.com/reves/2010/02/03/le-crash/ is not found.\nI feel updates could be easily implemented when necessary.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and accessible, however sometimes there is an overload of “directions” and “explanations”.  This may be a burden on the teaching and learning process. Long explanation written in English, no matter how interesting, may have adverse effects on students cognitive load especially when considering their often limited attention span and class time constraints. In addition some student may find some explanation difficult to understand due to  metalinguistic jargon.\nWith regard to texts and videos in the original language, some of them are linguistically beyond the level of the intended audience (beginners to intermediate students). The challenge therefore remains to establish how to use particular resources without relying on translation.  \n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in providing high quality and varied literary and cultural stimuli, as well as well structured and guided learning opportunities. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"While the text is designed with a progression in mind, each module can be considered  self-contained and complete. It is also possible to use sub-sections of each module,  however texts are organized around a well sequenced set of activities and partial use of these would prevent full mastery and exploration of a particular learning objective.\nIt would be necessary to plan the use of a module,  or part of it, within a coherent program that reflects similar strategies of teaching and learning, as well as the linguistic level of the students. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization of each module is systematic and consistent,  with an emphasis in the first chapters on methodological procedural instructions that is less prominent in later chapters.\nCulturally relevant advanced organizers prepare the students for the reading, this is done in English in the first chapters and later on with a mix of explanations in English and French; in \"Texts\" a number of activities raise student awareness on formal aspects of the texts presented; the \"Regardez de plus près\" section is dedicated to close reading ; another section \"Allons plus loin\" provides opportunity for expansion. The writing section of each module includes a number of independent writing and peer editing activities that follow a well designed progression.\n","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I did not see any particular interface issue. I just feel however that the author of the text tries to accomplish too many goals in a single textbook, hence many potential deviations. This richness might feel overwhelming for some of today’s students.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors observed\n","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"\"Le Littéraire dans le quotidien\" presents predominantly, but not exclusively, Francophone texts from mainland France literature and culture. It presents a variety of social, historical, literary and overall multicultural realities. In line with its transdisciplinary approach, it juxtaposes Francophone and Anglophone texts to generate opportunities for intercultural understanding.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-07-01T12:58:58.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-01T12:58:58.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/le-litteraire-dans-le-quotidien","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:01:47.000-06:00"}],"links":{"self":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/languages.json?page=1","total_pages":14,"total_count":135,"next":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/languages.json?page=2"}}