France File 2 (an updated, enlarged version of France File 1) covers a neglected area of the French national curriculum, namely, facts about France in French.

The material here is presented in the form of graphs, tables and charts, with questions and activities at different levels to ensure that it is accessible to a wide range of students.

The topics are current (l’environnement, les femmes, le tiers monde, l’Europe, la sante, la politique, la famille, les loisirs, etc) but most have a lasting shelf-life. The activities encourage students to gather, read and interpret information and eventually talk about a particular topic.

The book is also an invaluable source of the contemporary vocabulary that most students lack if they have followed a traditional French examination course.

Easier sections are indicated on the contents page, but France File 2 will probably be most useful as a transition book for those embarking on an A-level course or core material for a non-examination sixth-form group in French or European studies.

Print statistics in a book and it soon dates. The authors have taken this into account and offer a discount to anyone purchasing the next new edition in two years’ time. There is also a substantial discount for orders of 15 copies or more (at Pounds 4.99 each).