1st Edition

Developing Writing Skills in French

By Graham Bishop, Bernard Haezewindt Copyright 2005
208 Pages
by Routledge

208 Pages
by Routledge

208 Pages
by Routledge

Designed for intermediate to advanced students, this text equips readers with the necessary skills to write confidently in French in a range of situations. Suitable for use as a classroom text or as a self-study course, it is carefully structured to ensure a better understanding of the effect of choice of words, register and style. Each chapter contains a selection of model texts, activities and... Read more

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1 Le bonheur

understanding the terms ‘noun’, ‘adjective’ and ‘pronoun’ and using each one in a sentence

understanding sentence cohesion and the function of relative pronouns

using synonyms, antonyms and homonyms

Chapter 2 L’habitat

understanding the present, past and future tenses and their function in writing texts

altering the perspective of texts by changing verb tenses

understanding the function of adverbs and complements in a written passage

improving written passages by using appropriate adverbs

completing a story line by adding detail

manipulating the active and passive voices

improving a written text by adding adverbs and changing tenses

 

Chapter 3 L’expression artistique

 

producing sentences starting from their basic elements (noun + verb +…)

improving a written passage by using connectors (link words)

simplifing a written text

writing a text using elements gathered in note form

structuring a well-planned essay

 

Chapter 4 L’environnement en danger

manipulating register to adapt to different target audiences

using appropriate register for official correspondence

producing pastiches to explore different styles

 

Chapter 5 Quelques personnages historiques

 

writing a description of the career and ideology of a political figure

describing a day in the life of a political figure

analysing texts to distinguish between objective and subjective descriptive content

describing a political figure in both a positive and a negative manner

improving your style by redrafting your work

Chapter 6 Quelques édifices publics

identifying the nature and main themes of a text

finding shorter alternatives to expressions used in a text

summarizing texts and interviews

giving objective and subjective reactions to texts

changing register

arguing for and against a theme

 

Chapter 7 Nouveau départ

 

writing a short story on a contemporary theme by following specific steps

summarizing a short story in three sentences

checking your written work

redrafting and improving your work

 

Chapter 8 Science et technologie

analysing the features of a scientific biography

writing a fictional or factual text relating to the theme of science and technology

identifying the stylistic features of a text

correcting and improve a text

commenting on a passage

summarizing the factual content of a passage

Answer key

Biography

Graham Bishop is Lecturer in French and German, and Bernard Haezewindt is Lecturer in French, both at the Open University, UK.

'Perhaps the greatest strength of this book lies in its attention to the development of transferable skills ... Given the importance attached in higher education to the development of transferable skills, this is a vital selling point.' – The Times Higher Educational Supplement