Jean-Paul and Rebecca M. Valette are widely respected modern language authors for college and high school programs. A native of France, Jean-Paul Valette is a full-time writer. Rebecca Valette is a professor emeritus of Romance Languages at Boston College and past president of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF). In 2006, the Valettes were honored by the French government and named Officier and Commandeur dans l'ordre des Palmes Academiques for their outstanding contributions in promoting French language and culture in the United States.