Félicitations!
A group of local French immersion students have earned recognition for their proficiency en français.
A total of 21 Collège Stonewall Collegiate students earned a Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française (DELF) certificate, which is a lifelong credential from France’s Ministry of Education that certifies a student’s French language skills.
Through DELF, there are four individual certificates that correspond with the four levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Students have the chance to choose which level they’d like to challenge, and the local students received B1 and B2 certificates.
“Students who receive the B1 certification are considered to be independent language users who can contribute to any French-speaking community worldwide. Students who receive the B2 certification are considered advanced language users. If you have the B2 certificate, you can be accepted to any French university across the world. It even fulfils the language requirement for admission to bachelor’s and master’s programs in France,” explained teacher Marcus Bellec.
“Students who completed the B1 are primed to attempt the B2 in the future. Those who completed the B2 are challenged to seek out French opportunities as they soon enter the adult world.”
To achieve certification, students are tested on their written comprehension, written production, oral comprehension and oral production by members of the Centre DELF des divisions scolaires du Manitoba. Part of the evaluation includes writing a fictional formal letter to a mayor in France. They also answer questions related to listening to authentic conversations and reading various texts.
They must present to a panel of evaluators and defend their positions on a subject. In addition, they role-play scenarios, such as trying to return a piece of clothing to a store with a crabby manager.
“All of this is entirely in French,” Bellec said. “If any English is used, even a filler word, the student is harshly penalized.”
Fourteen CSC students earned the B1 certification. In Grade 11, the B1 certificate recipients are Sylver Ciupak, Ava Favreau, Judah Hidlebaugh, Reese James, Josh Learmond, Abigail Minnie, Sophia Potter, Willow Repko, Eleanor Sugimoto, Nicholas Turner, Niam Wedel and Ethan Zagrodnik. Two Grade 12 students — Sadie McMurren and Maya Persoage — also earned B1 certification.
In addition, seven Grade 12 students earned B2 certification: Keenan Bonekamp, Christian Campbell, Ashley Conrad, Abigail Garton, Lucy Hoff, Heidi Millar and Emma Walton.
Bellec expressed his amazement at the students achieving such a high level of French language proficiency.
“I am absolutely blown away by their success and I am incredibly proud of each and every one of them. This is my first year teaching at CSC and it has been an absolute pleasure to work with this group of students. They worked hard, giving up their Friday lunch hours — an immense sacrifice at the high school age — to practise for a good two months before the test, in addition to the practice they had in French class every day,” Bellec said.
“Every single student who attempted the DELF passed this year. In all my years in immersion, as a student and now as a teacher, I have never seen that. We have more DELF certificates received at CSC this semester than some entire school divisions.”
For the students, he also shared words of congratulations and pride in their accomplishments.
“Toutes mes félicitations à tous les diplômés du DELF,” he said. “Je suis fier de vous.”
