by Curlan Campbell, NOW Grenada
Grenada has 3 more DELF/DALF certified French teachers on the island, proficient in grading the DELF/DALF exams. Alliance Française de la Grenade initiated the training. Alliance’s Director Ilona Forte-Gilbert, was the first on the island to be certified.
The three teachers who completed the course on Friday, 15 December are:
- Roger Williams, Happy Hill Secondary School
- Kymmala Francis, JW Fletcher Catholic Secondary School
- Ikashacu Hamlet, Mac Donald College.
The DELF (Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française) and DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française) are French proficiency certifications for non-native speakers of French, awarded by the French Ministry of Education to certify competency in the French language.
The DELF and DALF are composed of 6 separate diplomas that correspond to the language levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Deputy Director of the Alliance Française of Saint Lucia, Sabrina Lipoff conducted the evaluation. She indicated that for each level, 4 different language proficiencies are evaluated: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Rather than attaining a certain score in the exam to identify a candidate’s level, there is a minimum overall pass mark one has to attain for each diploma, and the highest-level diploma received is what indicates the competence of the candidate.
Lipoff said that candidates are required to renew their certification after 5 years as a result of the dynamic nature of the exams. “ This certificate certifies them up to five years after which they will have to sit another exam… the exams are ever changing so they must keep up with the demands”.
Participants, Roger Williams says students studying the French language will also benefit since they will no longer have to wait for their exam results.
he is hopeful that the training will become more accessible to all French teachers on the island.
” In fact, more and more teachers will be brought in to be trained in that field so this is just the initial stage of it”.
Kymmala Francis said this certification will enhance the learning of the French language on the island.
” I appreciate being offered the opportunity to get this form of training, it will assist me in teaching and I know it will also assist my students in their learning”.
The DELF and DALF diplomas are recognised throughout the world making them the best way to officially certify one’s level of proficiency in French for personal or professional purposes. Those who have passed the DALF exam (C1 or C2) do not need to take language exams for entrance into French universities.
