French language certifications ( DELF and DALF)

The students eager to get a French language certification will be provided with adequate tools and resources by the French teaching staff (Anna Fidotta, Muriel Travaillard and Nadine Bombillon) in order to acquire the skills and knowledge that will help them to pass the DELF or DALF exams. But , as our department is not an examination centre, the students will have to go to Alliance Française to sit for their exams.

In France, the DELF and DALF exams have been placed under the authority of the French Local Education Authorities (rectorats). In other countries, the DELF and DALF exams have been placed under the authority of the French Cultural Office of the French embassies. In Catania, DELF and DALF exams can be sat for in the non-profit French language and culture organization called Alliance Française (www.alliancefrct.org) located in via Caronda n°492.

For further information, ask the French teaching team

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DELF: Diplôme d'études en langue française (French Language Studies Diploma)

DALF: Diplôme approfondi de langue française (Advanced French Language Diploma)

The French proficiency certificates DELF and DALF, intended solely for non native speakers of French provide official certification of proficiency practice and mastery of the French language and can be sat for and obtained independently of each other, in the same country or in different countries and without any restriction on the time period. They are official diplomas issued by the French Ministry of Education to certify that foreign candidates have achieved a certain level of French.

DELF covers 4 independent diplomas corresponding to the first four levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.(A1: basic level known as the "Breakthrough" level. At this stage, students can interact with others in simple ways: they can talk about themselves further and their immediate environment; A2: is a similar level and validates the skills of a basic language user, considered to be a social actor. The candidate is able to perform simple tasks in everyday life. They are able to use the most common polite forms of address and exchange; B1: Speakers at this level are now becoming more independent. They are now capable of maintaining a conversation: they can understand and follow a discussion and give opinions. They are able to handle unexpected situations arising in everyday life; B2: a degree of independence has been acquired which allows the speakers to defend their opinions, develop their points of view and negotiate with others. At this level, candidates should find social discourse easy and be capable of correcting their own mistakes.

DALF covers 2 independent diplomas (C1: Language users at C1 level are autonomous. They are able to communicate fluently and spontaneously. They possess a wide range of vocabulary and are able to choose the correct expression to introduce their comments. They can produce clear and well-constructed discourse without hesitation that shows their command of the use of structure; C2:command of the language is conveyed by accuracy, appropriateness and fluency of expression. C2 candidates are able to complete tasks at the advanced or academic level.) Each level assesses the following 4 skills: oral comprehension and spoken French, written comprehension and written

French. Benefits of DELF and DALF

They are valid for life and are recognized throughout the whole world making them the best way to officially certify ones level of proficiency in French for personal or professional purposes.

They facilitate the educational mobility ( European mobility Programs Erasmus and

Leonardo; double degree program with Liege, Belgium for the GLOPEM students) and

occupational mobility (1100 French enterprise holdings in Italy and more than 600 Italian

companies in France

Dalf exempts its holders from any other french language exams for admission into French

universities.

The Status of French language

With over 220 million French speakers worldwide, French is one of the six official languages of the

United Nations, one of the three procedural languages of the European Union along with English

and German and the sole language used for the deliberations of the Court of Justice of the

European Union official and working language in the European Union and African Union

A language spoken on all five continents

A language taught throughout the world

An International language of reference