#OnYGo

Reviewed by Tara Smithson, Assistant Professor, Saint Mary's College on 5/27/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

#OnYGo sets a new standard for introductory French textbooks, offering an astonishingly thoughtful curation of high-interest, engaging materials likely to motivate learners and excite instructors. With its nuanced depiction of transnational Frenches and inclusive portrait of the many people who use the language in a range of contexts, #OnYGo furthers the work of linguistic justice in a space where one rarely encounters it (the first year French textbook).

As an introductory text, #OnYGo is comprehensive in all of the ways that support students’ learning and critical engagement. By that, I mean that #OnYGo provides language learners with meaningful, contextualized content alongside grammatical forms and vocabulary that will facilitate the development of novice high proficiency by the end of the second semester of study. Its consistent inclusion of authentic resources also reiterates the idea that no textbook should actually presume to be “comprehensive”: hyperlinks to ads, TikToks, articles, music videos, and restaurant menus as well as assignments that rely on such resources orient learners outward to a wider world where they will encounter other valuable resources. While appropriately thorough, I appreciated that the textbook does not overwhelm learners with the minutiae of every grammar rule or “gotcha” exception. Rather, it links to resources such as Le Français Interactif, the OG of OERs, for those who wish for more direct explanations of grammar. Then, via “focus on form” style segments, students practice the kinds of reasoning that will help them to spot patterns and hone metalinguistic skills that will serve them in their continued study of languages.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content included in #OnYGo has been appropriately vetted for accuracy in the sense in which it is used as a review criterion. The fact that many segments of the text provide references models citation as an academic practice for students while also inviting the critical examination of sources. As importantly, #OnYGo effectively challenges the idea of accuracy when equated with normativity or hegemonic approaches to ranking language varieties. Indeed, by connecting students to the website Forvo, a crowd-sourced repository for recordings of words voiced by people from different places, the authors emphasize that words may have many acceptable pronunciations across regional and national lines. This descriptive rather than prescriptive approach refreshingly disrupts the underlying purism transmitted in many traditional textbooks. Recognizing this broader scope of what can be considered accurate or appropriate depending on the context is likely to encourage language learners, who may be reassured knowing that there is more than one way to “get it right.”

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

One important dimension of this textbook’s relevance is the care it takes to consistently represent a diverse spectrum of French speakers in and beyond France. When addressing social issues (national policies concerning paid leave or access to legally-recognized marriage, for example) information is presented about a range of countries so that comparisons are contextualized within larger global trends. Therefore, a student who reads a cultural segment on vacation time in France may come away with the impression that France is anomalous in its generous allocation of paid time off, whereas a student using #OnYGo will most likely come away from the lesson with the United States is actually the outlier due to its absence of a national policy on paid leave.
The OER’s inclusive approach equally extends to the student reader. For example, students are proactively taught a common nonbinary pronoun (iel), which is used consistently in exercises thereafter. And, in a much appreciated affirmation of multilingualism, the vocabulary lists, which students can hear pronounced via GoogleTranslate, include options to see equivalents of French words in languages other than English, with Spanish and Arabic as the default settings.

Clarity rating: 5

The material and the exercises within the chapters were clear. One slight sticking point for me as an instructor was the lengthy checklist of objectives, which are a mix of “can do” style ACTFL performance descriptors (“discuss which season you prefer and why”) and straight grammar/vocabulary (“learn and use prepositions with places”). While the list provides a helpful overview of topics and tasks, the sheer length might provoke a sense of overwhelm at the outset for some students, given that it is the first thing they encounter in the chapter. It also felt like these two kinds of objectives were in tension, therefore some instructors might wish to customize them to reflect their own pedagogical approaches. Since many of the front-of-chapter objectives rely on the phrasing “learn about,” there could be value in clarifying what students would be expected to do with the information once learned. (Are they identifying? Describing? comparing? analyzing? summarizing?) Fortunately, the nature of OERs makes this kind of personalization fairly easy.

Consistency rating: 5

#OnYGo consistently validates the presence of multiple Frenches, which is one of its most distinguishing features and greatest advantages. For example, introductory French students are likely to rejoice when encountering the more intuitive Belgian/Swiss “nonante,” which is taught alongside the brain-breaker of a number “quatre-vingt-dix.” Attention to questions of register and the code-switching that characterize the abbreviated exchanges of text messages or the slangy language play of verlan help students to reflect on their own linguistic identities as well as to adapt their communication styles for more casual interactions with French-speaking peers.

That said, this comfortable cohabitation of norms in one textbook may be a paradigm shift for some instructors and students. Introducing multiple Frenches implies proactive pedagogical choices on the part of any instructor who adopts the text: Would instructors make it a point to use more than one acceptable form even if they had a linguistic preference or comfort zone? Would they ask students to use and recognize more than one form? Would it matter to them if individual students were internally consistent? These are questions worth considering in advance of adoption.

Modularity rating: 5

Individual chapters provide a wealth of materials and exercises that instructors can draw from as they develop their courses. As indicated in the User's Guide, the authors chose not to number the sections for ease of adaptation. The fact that the chapters are presented as individual Google docs rather than one massive document also facilitates modularity. The chapters are segmented into smaller chunks which could be expanded, abridged, or eliminated depending on the focus of the course and needs of the students.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Despite its philosophical differences from many traditional commercial textbooks, #OnYGo is nonetheless organized in a way that will look similar to past manuals, with a comparable number of chapters and a familiar array of themes such as family, food, university life, festivities, home, and travel. Anyone experiencing resistance to the idea of transitioning to a new textbook may find this structural similarity reassuring.

Chapters are formatted the same throughout, giving students a sense of what to expect. Each chapter begins with a list of vocabulary and proceeds with related grammar and cultural topics. The exercises in the book provide students with a solid foundation in relevant lexical and grammatical skills while also embedding culture in natural ways. One listening comprehension exercise focused on numbers, for example, has students complete a chart with the populations of various francophone countries. Teachers can supplement as needed with the instructor resources (available to those who request access) or with their own assignments. Authentic resources (songs, articles, social media posts, YouTube videos, advertisements, graphs) related to chapter themes offer other sources of high-interest comprehensible input.

Over the course of the chapters, the instructions subtly transition from English to French and the exercises increase in complexity. The multi-paragraph reflections on language diversity (variations sociales) and social issues (on s’ouvre au monde) remain in English throughout the text.

Interface rating: 5

As previously mentioned, the division of individual chapters into Google docs allows for a more navigable experience especially given that the table of contents function allows readers to jump to the desired section within the document. The formatting and links work on a smartphone as well as a laptop or tablet, which many students will appreciate.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not come across any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

It’s hard to overstate the cultural relevance of this text with regards to both approach and content. #OnYGo broaches meaningful topics in accessible ways without diminishing their complexity, allowing students to develop critical thinking skills alongside communicative proficiency. I also appreciated that the diversity of the francophone world is naturalized, normalized and fully integrated into every aspect of the text. Non-binary students and their classmates are supplied with the language they need to talk about themselves and others as well as an appropriate briefing on the difference between grammatical gender and gender as an identity marker. When students are asked to complete a task (e.g. booking a plane ticket or checking a train schedule) they’re directed to the actual technological tools they would use to do so in real life. Also of crucial importance, #OnYGo’s guided assignments allow students to use and critically reflect on the technological tools such as online translators and AI-driven text generators. These exercises, when framed with in-class discussions, should help students use these tools in an ethical, responsible manner. Some of the activities, such as dictating a text to Google via voice typing struck me as easy ways for students to receive feedback of the “recognizability” of their pronunciation. Using voice-to-text typing might also help students to draft other assignments if they struggle with writing. Finally, assignments such as poetry writing, invite students to play with language, inhabit it as creators, and cultivate identities as French speakers.

Comments

“Mind-blowing” and “moving” are not words often applied to textbooks. Here, they’re merited.

Reviewed by Steven Daniell, Professor of French, Associate Provost, Texas Wesleyan University on 3/26/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The scope of the text is appropriate for the intended duration (i.e., 2 semesters / 3 quarters). It also includes information related to groups who are somewhat marginalized (non-binary, non-European ancestry, etc.).

Content Accuracy rating: 5

This particular aspect looks solid. I especially like introducing the levels of vocabulary (familiar, standard, formal) from the very beginning. American speakers don't always grasp the difference intuitively beyond adjusting usage for friends/siblings vs. grandparents/teachers.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The inclusion of vocabulary related to non-binary students is especially welcome. In the past, I have reached out to high school teachers, in particular, to find out what they might know in this area.

Clarity rating: 4

While I find the text to be perfectly clear, I can't really see it through the eyes of a first-gen college student who may have never studied languages before. I don't think I'll have any problems presenting the material in class and helping the students work through it, in any case.

Consistency rating: 5

The text does a good job of organizing the material thematically, and presenting different topics in a thorough way that addresses the grammatical and cultural aspects of the target language.

Modularity rating: 4

The text is organized similarly to other French language texts in that the material builds on itself. While the order of presentation may vary slightly from text to text (e.g., does it introduce être before or after avoir; definite articles before or after indefinite ones), the foundational material must be presented for anything afterwards to make any sense.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

#OnYGo follows a logical order of developing, reinforcing, and building upon the material. Since I teach at a university on the semester system, nine chapters may be a little awkward for finding a natural dividing point. I'm sure there was some reasoning behind it--I imagine having to do with the selected chapter themes--so I'll probably split the text 5/4, and see how the students perform.

Interface rating: 5

I have seen no issues with the interface, at least on a laptop. It is in pdf format, and the links to ancillary materials in a Google drive seem to work well. The one thing I've noticed is that the font doesn't distinguish between upper-case I and lower-case L. This actually creates a little confusion in the introduction of iel / Iel.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No issues here.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

As I mentioned before, I like that marginalized groups of all sorts are visible in this text. The text also addresses from the beginning ways to avoid cultural faux pas that Americans can blunder into, especially Americans who haven't traveled abroad.

Comments

I find that the text addresses the five skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing, culture) thoroughly from the very beginning. The # chapter titles (as well as the overall text title) are kind of cute, but not in a negative way. Links within the pdf to the Google documents, including audio and video documents, should make it much easier to integrate the lessons: such an improvement over the dreaded language lab work that I had to suffer through as a student, and try to enforce as a younger instructor.