LA PAROLE AUX FRANCAIS. By David Padfield. Book and Cassette pound;7.50. Available from David Padfield, 19 Amados Drive, Plympton, Plymouth PLY 1TS. Copying rights for the package pound;29.50.
Here is a resource for A-level students who need to move on from GCSE listening material to French spoken at speed by native speakers.
The tape contains 13 interviews between the author and interviewees of all ages from a variety of backgrounds. Sixth-formers should relate particularly to characters like Stephanie who wants to be a teacher of English or Sandra who goes jogging with her walkman for company. The locations also vary, from a campsite and a village bakery to a cross-channel ferry.
Although authentic, the conversations are free of background noise and sound natural even though they have been edited so that the language remains accessible for teaching. It is envisaged that students will listen several times before they tackle the exercises in the accompanying workbook.
These help students to focus on the particular linguistic feature of each dialogue, for example, information on opening times, prices, and reduced tariffs at tourist attractions. Tasks include filling in charts, completing sentences with details from the conversation and simpler ouinonvraifaux type questions. Transcripts and answers are included.