Both students and instructors find this popular introductory text easy to use. The grammar lessons are presented in a logical sequence with constant vocabulary reinforcement and practice of the four skills&#151;listening, reading, writing, and speaking. In addition, Contacts meets the five "Cs" of the national standards for foreign languages&#151;culture, connections, comparison, communities, and communication&#151;which are denoted by icons when they appear in the text.</p>

Grammar is presented in 33 manageable lessons, combined with Aperçus culturels (cultural readings) in English for the first 6 Leçons and in French after Units 5, 7, and 9. Communication sections at the end of each lesson give students instructions in English for task-oriented, paired activities.</p>

Web icons next to the Notes culturelles features direct students to related sites. A new activity then asks them to compare some aspect of the culture to their own experiences.

Web icons with the Vivre en France feature direct students to the text-specific web site for a research activity related to the unit. This section has also been added to the Workbook.