About French

A world language

More than 200 million people speak French on the five continents. The Francophonie, the international organisation of French-speaking countries, comprises 68 states and governments. French is the second most widely learned foreign language after English, and the ninth most widely spoken language in the world. French is also the only language, alongside English, that is taught in every country in the world. France operates the biggest international network of cultural institutes, which run French-language courses for more than 750,000 learners.

A language for the job market

An ability to speak French and English is an advantage on the international job market. A knowledge of French opens the doors of French companies in France and other French-speaking parts of the world (Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, and North and sub-Saharan Africa). As the world's fifth biggest economy and number-three destination for foreign investment, France is a key economic partner.

The language of culture

French is the international language of cooking, fashion, theatre, the visual arts, dance and architecture. A knowledge of French offers access to great works of literature, as well as films and songs, in the original French. French is the language of Victor Hugo, Molière, Léopold Sendar Senghor, Edith Piaf, Jean-Paul Sartre, Alain Delon and Zinedine Zidane.

A language for travel

France is the world's number-one tourist destination and attracts more than 70 million visitors a year. A little French makes it so much more enjoyable to visit Paris and all the regions of France (from the mild climes of the Cote d'Azur to the snow-capped peaks of the Alps via the rugged coastline of Brittany) and offers insights into French culture, mentality and way of life. French also comes in handy when travelling to Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Monaco, the Seychelles and other places.

A language for higher education

Speaking French opens up study opportunities at renowned French universities and business schools, ranked among the top higher education institutions in Europe and the world. Students with a good level of French are eligible for French government scholarships to enrol in postgraduate courses in France in any discipline and qualify for internationally recognised French degrees.

The other language of international relations

French is both a working language and an official language of the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross and international courts. French is the language of the three cities where the EU institutions are headquartered: Strasbourg, Brussels and Luxembourg.

A language that opens up the world

After English and German, French is the third most used language on the Internet, ahead of Spanish. An ability to understand French offers an alternative view of the world through communication with French speakers from all the continents and news from the leading French-language international media (TV5, France 24 and Radio France Internationale).

A language that is fun to learn

French is an easy language to learn. There are many methods on the market that make learning French enjoyable for children and adults alike. It does not take long to reach a level where you can communicate in French.

A language for learning other languages

French is a good base for learning other languages, especially Romance languages (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian) as well as English, since fifty per cent of current English vocabulary is derived from French.

The language of love and reason

First and foremost, learning French is the pleasure of learning a beautiful, rich, melodious language, often called the language of love. French is also an analytical language that structures thought and develops critical thinking, which is a valuable skill for discussions and negotiations.

DELF and DALF

What are they ?

DELF ((Diplôme d'études de Langue Française - Certificate of French Studies) and DALF ((Diplôme d'approfondissement de Langue Française - Advanced Certificate of French Studies) are state certificates of French as a Foreign Language awarded since 1985 by the French Ministry of Education. The National Commission of DELF and DALF, which is situated at the International Centre of Pedagogical Studies (CIEP) in Sèvres (France), is responsible for conducting these examinations. DELF and DALF are internationally recognised and can be taken in over 900 examination centres in 154 countries.

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

Experts of the Division of Linguistic Politics of the Council of Europe decided in 1991 to create a practical tool allowing the establishment of common elements to be achieved during the learning process of a foreign language and to harmonize the evaluation system from one language to another. From this was born the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This framework defines six levels of competency in a language, whatever the language, whatever the country. It is used more and more for the reform of national programmes of living languages and for the comparison of language certificates. Today, the impact of this Common European Framework, used with reference to 18 languages, has gone far beyond European borders.

Who can take the Diploma?

Anyone who is not a native French-speaker and who would like his/her French skills to be recognized for personal or professional purposes can take the exams. These diplomas are also recognized by some French universities and Grandes Écoles as meeting French language requirements for entry.

Advantages and Beniofits of the Diplomas

The Diplomas are totally independent, thus, to register for each one of them it is not necessary to have passed the previous one.It is possible to register simultaneously for the Diploma's or for only one To register in a French University, the candidate does not need to sit for any other test once they pass C1 or C2 Exam dates and timings will be announced on month before the DELF / DALF exams.

The Diplomas are totally independent, thus, to register for each one of them it is not necessary to have passed the previous one. It is possible to register simultaneously for the Diploma's or for only one To register in a French University, the candidate does not need to sit for any other test once they pass C1 or C2 Exam dates and timings will be announced on month before the DELF / DALF exams.