Text-types, register and style in writing and reading.

In the WORKING WITH TEXT TYPES series, a programme of work for building up the skills of writing different types of texts at progressive levels of difficulty and in different styles and registers. Suitable for SL and HL students on the IB Diploma Language B programme.

In the WORKING WITH TEXT TYPES series, this book is suitable for use with SL and HL students preparing for the IB Diploma Language B. It is suitable for use with the new syllabus taught from 2011.

This full colour book provides a programme of work for building up the skills of writing different types of texts at progressive levels of difficulty and in different styles and registers. We expose students to different text types, and actively involve them in analysing what characterises each type of text. Once the student becomes sensitised to the structure of different text types (s)he is then much better placed to begin writing in a style which is appropriate to the task set in terms of structure, register, grammar and content.

The units in Bien lire, bien écrire include:

Dépliant touristique
Courrier des lecteurs
Brochure
Revue de film
E-mail
Récit
Souvenirs personnels
Biographie
Faits divers
Lettre de candidature
Lettre commerciale
Lettre de réclamation
Entretien
Argumentation:discussion logique
Discours politique
Argumentation: débat pour et contre
Argumentation: présentation d'un point de vue
Dissertation

Students are guided step by step to develop the linguistic and organisational skills needed to write these different types of texts. Their learning is guided and supported throughout the book, so that their skills acquisition is carefully structured, and practice is built in at each stage.The aim is to produce students who are able to writing clearly and coherently with confidence.

Writing is a process, but not necessarily a linear one. Planning, drafting, re-writing, moving blocks of text, changing words, re-drafting, discussing the text, deleting, adding – all these form part of the process. In Bien lire, bien écrire we encourage students to work together on the writing process. Sometimes students will work alone on an aspect of a text and then come together to compare their findings, or work to produce two sides of an argument. In some sections we invite students to edit the work of others, which is then re-drafted. Re-drafts may form the basis of yet further discussion before a final written outcome is produced.

This collaborative approach not only helps students verbalise and reflect on the processes that they are using in drafting a piece of writing, but also makes the task of writing long pieces of written work in French much less daunting.