Aimed at the upper end of secondary school French, Finale has been designed as a complement to the Spirale series (see left). However, it is structured in such a way that it might also be used as a stand-alone course for Years 9 and l0, or as a short course textbook.

It does this by dividing each of its nine units into five distinct sections. Mise en route and Tronc commun introduce and reinforce new language, while Approfondissement and Defi-extension cater for personalisation and autonomy. The Infomerciale applies the language to vocational contexts.

The strength of Finale is its flexibility. Each unit can be used on its own and in any order. The differentiation built into its structure also means that pupils of varying abilities can work comfortably with it. Listening material is authentic and well presented. The Teacher’s Book provides lots of help with the possibilities of the course.

All these features and its compactness make Finale an attractive choice for key stage 4.

Michael Grenfell is a lecturer in modern languages at the Centre for Language Education, Southampton University