French as a foreign language (FLE) courses

Purpose

This detailed description of each knowledge level of the AEL ACADEMIA scale is addressed to all teachers, candidates and Human Resources departments.

Suggestions and reminders

• I think it is useful to draw the attention of all teachers to the importance of accurately and conscientiously determining the numerical level of a candidate's knowledge of the language. It is absolutely essential to rely on the description of the levels and not to work "in the dark" or "according to experience". It is still too often the case that the data "written" in the (assessment or test) report does not correspond to the chosen figure (e.g. the candidate has mastered almost all the complexities [subjunctive, conditional] - level 2.75!!! - cf. our level scale, level 3 is a candidate who has barely mastered the basic structures!)
  
  
• It is important to bear in mind that we are working on a scale of 1 to 7 (and that therefore level 3.5 is "only" the middle).
  
  
• Adding a quarter level at the end of each 30-hour cycle is not a good solution either! Each candidate must be considered in isolation according to the level grid.
  
  

If it is felt that the candidate has been undervalued in the placement test (there are several reasons for this), it is necessary in the final assessment to consciously raise the level.

• I also feel it is necessary to remind you that, when assessing a candidate, the numerical level is not determined on the basis of "mistakes made", but on the basis of the candidate's ability to communicate something effectively, especially for the first three levels of the grid.
  
  

I recommend you read the following pages very carefully and wish you courage, skill and fun!

• This description takes up and explains the data of the existing grid, gives an overview of the candidate's abilities in the areas of: speaking, listening and reading comprehension. Finally, a table describes in detail the candidate's active and passive knowledge of the given level.
  
  
• "Active knowledge" does not mean "perfect knowledge and error-free use of a grammatical element"! It is a global operation of the candidate's use of an element to communicate.

E.g. the candidate knows personal pronouns: this does not mean that he/she always uses all the complement pronouns correctly or that he/she masters their place completely.

• "The candidate recognizes this element" does not mean that the candidate "understands" or "actively uses" it. It means that he/she has already seen, learned this element, but that the knowledge is buried.

E.g. the candidate recognizes the subjunctive: this does not mean that he is able to form and use it correctly.

The candidate is a complete beginner: he/she has no command of the target language at all.

• The candidate has never come into contact with French, he has no knowledge of it either actively or passively.
• No words are used, understood or recognized by the candidate.
• It is certainly not a Dutch-speaking Belgian (the Dutch-speaking Belgian has necessarily already come into contact with French, through school, culture, neighbourhood, television, work, etc.) or a Swiss.
• It is unlikely to be an Italian or Spanish speaker, as the latter has a passive basis in French (minimal comprehension).

The candidate is a false beginner, which means that the candidate has an extremely limited command of the target language.

1          Speech act

• The candidate uses isolated terms as answers to simple questions. He/she is not able to construct a correct basic structure.
• The candidate manages to talk about himself/herself (family, job, hobbies, etc.) to an extremely limited extent. To do this, he or she uses a few ready-made formulas:

E.g. Hello, I am... I work...

2          Listening comprehension

• The candidate understands a number of common terms or very short, simple sentences with clear and precise pronunciation and repetition:

E.g. What are you doing? Who are you? Where do you live?

3          Reading comprehension

• The candidate does not understand the meaning of a text related to his/her professional or private interests. He/she may recognize some words but does not understand the overall meaning of the text.

ACTIVE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL 1

The candidate uses the following elements actively, but not without error:

1          Vocabulary

• A few isolated terms that reflect the basis of learning (school, self-study or holiday).

E.g. Name, house, work, restaurant, table…

• Some ready-made formulas, welcome or polite formulas.

E.g. I am... I work... Hello

• Some numbers: 1, 2, 3, 10, 100...
  
  

2          Grammar

2.1       Structures

• The candidate answers in isolated terms. He/she is not able to form a correct basic structure.
  
  

2.2       Conjugations

• The candidate uses the present tense exclusively and makes mistakes (sometimes even in the infinitive), even in the regular forms.
• The candidate has no clear idea of the formation of the present.

2.3       Syntax

• Pronouns: the candidate recognizes personal pronouns, but does not use them correctly.
• Prepositions: the candidate knows some of the most common prepositions, but does not use them without failling (on, in, at).

PASSIVE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL 1

 The applicant acknowledges but is not entitled to use the following items:

1          Vocabulary

• Very general vocabulary (family, shop, holiday) which the candidate vaguely remembers (from school, holiday, self-study).
• Some extremely basic and common formulas:

E.g. How are you? Good luck. See you soon.

• Some temporal terms: day, hour, month, year, moment...
  
  

2          Grammar

2.1       Structures

• The candidate recognizes the basic structure SUBJECT + VERB + COMPLEMENT:

E.g. I am reading a book. I am going to the station.

2.2       Conjugations

• Present tense of regular verbs
• Present tense of the verbs “to have” and “to be”
  
  

2.3       Syntax

• Personal pronouns and articles, feminine and plural of common adjectives
• Terms used in questioning: who, when, how, why, how much, where
• Negation: do not
• Common prepositions of place: in, on, at, in front of...
• Questioning: is it...?
• Presentatives: here is, here, there

The candidate is weakly intermediate, which means that he/she has a limited command of the target language.

1          Speech act

• The candidate no longer uses isolated terms to answer simple questions.
• He is able to give more information about himself, through some basic correct structures.
• The candidate is able, to a limited extent, to express him/herself in a small group about a well-known topic or interest (family, holiday, work).
  
  

2          Listening comprehension

• The candidate understands short, simply formulated information at a slightly faster pace.
  
  

3          Reading comprehension

• The candidate understands a short, simple text on a well-known subject, using a dictionary.

ACTIVE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL 2

The candidate actively uses what the Level 1 (re) candidate knew passively:

1          Vocabulary

• The vocabulary remains very general and limited.
  
  

2          Grammar

2.1       Structures

• The candidate knows and uses the basic structure SUBJECT + VERB + COMPLEMENT.
  
  

2.2       Conjugations

• The candidate knows and uses the present tense including the verbs "to have" and "to be" and some other irregular verbs.
  
  

2.3       Syntax

• Personal pronouns and articles (use/choice is obviously still a problem)
• Terms used in questioning: who, when, how, why, how much, why + is it
• Negation: do not (sometimes a problem of space)
• Common prepositions of place
• Presentatives: here is, there is, there
• Feminine and plural (common and regular nouns and adjectives)

PASSIVE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL 2

The applicant acknowledges the following:

1          Vocabulary

• General vocabulary studied at school
• Some terms regularly used at work
  
  

2          Grammar

2.1       Structures

• The correct placement of terms within a basic structure
• Some simple subordinates (relative, declarative)
  
  

2.2       Conjugations

• The past tense of common verbs
• The imperfect tense
• The near future
• The future simple tense of regular verbs
• Modal verbs (must, can, know, want)
  
  

2.3       Syntax

• The relative pronouns who and what
• Complex negations: no one, nothing, no longer, not yet, never
• The place of simple pronouns (the, him; without combination)
• Adjectives and demonstrative pronouns
• Possessive adjectives

The candidate is intermediate, which means that he/she has a fairly good command of the target language.

1          Speech act

• The candidate is able to take part in a conversation about everyday topics. Uses correct basic structures. Still makes errors that do not jeopardize communication.
• When attempting to use complex structures, the candidate makes major errors which sometimes cause communication difficulties.
• The candidate is able to talk about himself/herself in a fairly extensive way.
• The candidate is able to express him/herself on topics related to his/her work and interests.
• The candidate uses a few basic telephone formulas (e.g. to pass a caller to a French-speaking colleague):

E.g. Excuse me! I'll put you through to my colleague. One moment, I'll transfer you.

2          Listening comprehension

The applicant includes:

• A telephone conversation with a French speaker, provided that the speaker speaks slowly and clearly.
• Simply formulated information about known topics, or work-related, delivered at a normal pace.
• A conversation about topics from everyday life (weekends, holidays, family, sports, work).
  
  

3          Reading comprehension

With the help of a dictionary, the candidate understands:

• a text on a known topic;
• a text from the candidate's professional field (e.g. brochure);
• a press article on a known subject;
• a short informative text (e.g. simple instructions for use).

ACTIVE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL 3

The candidate actively uses what the level 2 candidate (re) knew passively:

1          Vocabulary

• More extensive general vocabulary from everyday life.
• Basic telephone formulas.
• Specific/technical/professional vocabulary commonly used at work.
  
  

2          Grammar

2.1       Structures

The candidate knows and uses:

• the basic structure;
• the simple subordinate (simple relative, declarative), nevertheless causing hesitations in the use of tenses, small errors.
  
  

2.2       Conjugations

• The present
• The passé composé and the imperfect tense (the candidate does not, however, master the distinction in use)
• Simple future tense (persistent difficulties with irregulars) and near future tense
• Modal verbs (must, can, know, want)
  
  

2.3       Syntax

• The relative pronouns who and what
• Some complex negations: no one, nothing, never, never again
• Demonstrative and possessive adjectives and pronouns
• The place and use of simple pronouns (the, him...)
• Common prepositions of time (with confusion of use)
• Regular comparisons

PASSIVE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL 3

The applicant acknowledges the following:

1          Vocabulary

• General vocabulary
• Technical vocabulary from the candidate's current professional field
• Telephone packages
  
  

2          Grammar

2.1       Structures

• Relative subordinates, indirect questions
• Common coordinating conjunctions (and, but, because...) and simple subordinating conjunctions (cause: because; time: when, when)
• Simple hypothetical system (if)
• Infinitive proposition
  
  

2.2       Conjugations

• Present tense
• Common prepositional verbs (go to, come from, return from…)
  
  

2.3       Syntax

• Some complex relative pronouns (where, which)
• Complex pronounalisation (en, y)
• Comparatives and superlatives
• Most common prepositions of purpose, cause, concession...

The candidate is strong intermediate, which means that he/she has a fairly good command of the target language.

1          Speech act

The candidate is able to:

• Take an active part in a conversation on common topics.
• Participate in an informal meeting, where the presence of a "non-native" is taken into account.
• Speak fluently on a professional topic.
• Hold a telephone conversation, without communication being impeded.
• Giving instructions.
• Requesting and giving information.
• The candidate uses basic structures without difficulty; he/she has mastered some complex constructions.
  
  

2          Listening comprehension

The applicant includes:

• A routine telephone conversation on everyday topics, conducted at a normal pace.
• A telephone conversation conducted at a normal pace.
• A TV or radio documentary on a general (non-specialised) topic, or the candidate's field of work.
  
  

3          Reading comprehension

The candidate understands (possibly with occasional use of the dictionary):

• The overall idea conveyed by a text on a known subject (newspaper, magazine)
• The overall idea of a text on a professional topic.
• The minutes of a meeting.
• A contract.
• A report.
  
  

ACTIVE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL 4

The candidate actively uses what the level 2 candidate (re) knew passively:

1          Vocabulary

• General vocabulary
• Telephone and greeting forms
• Specific vocabulary (administration, insurance...) of the professional field
• Expressions of agreement, disagreement, opinion.

E.g. I agree with you. In my opinion... I hope... I prefer…

2          Grammar

2.1       Structures

Complex structures are used to a limited extent:

• relative, indirect interrogative, hypothetical system (not without tense difficulties!);
• infinitive propositions (difficulties due to the choice or not of the preposition behind the verb);
• common complements (will, opinion, statement, certainty, possibility, necessity), with no clear idea of the indicative/subjunctive competition;
• use of simple and common subordinating conjunctions (because, when, when, if).
  
  

2.2       Conjugations

• All tenses of the indicative (not always used in correct concordance!)
• Conditional
• Some forms of the present subjunctive of extremely common verbs (copying of often heard expressions: e.g. "I must be, I do")
• Common prepositional verbs
  
  

2.3       Syntax

• Complex relative pronouns: where, whose
• Complex pronounalisation: y, en and some combinations (lui en, le lui)
• Complex negations (without combinations), deletion of the partitive
• Better and more extensive use of prepositions (purpose, cause, concession, etc.):

E.g. According to, following…

• Use of phrases, adjectives or verbs + preposition (not without confusion of choice):

E.g. take into account, happy with, responsible for

PASSIVE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL 4

The applicant acknowledges the following:

1          Vocabulary

• Extensive vocabulary in the daily professional field (specific technical vocabulary)
  
  

2          Grammar

2.1       Structures

• More complex structures
• More subordinating conjunctions (more complex ways of expressing cause, time, condition...)
• Logical articulations (coordinating conjunctions)
  
  

2.2       Conjugations

• Concordance of tenses in the indicative
• Present subjunctive
• Liabilities
  
  

2.3       Syntax

• Combined relative pronouns (in front of which, by which...) + combination with the demonstrative (what, which)
• The adjective/adverb distinction
• Comparative and superlative irregularities and the plural of adjectives
• Some common idiomatic expressions (do + infinitive, "do not"...)
• Distinction of employment if/when
• Combined pronouns (l’, y)

The candidate is advanced, which means that he/she has a very good command of the target language.

1          Speech act

The candidate is able to:

• Take part in a conversation on an everyday topic without communication being impeded or disrupted.
• Defend their opinion.
• Present or make a presentation at a meeting.
• Speak fluently and richly on a professional topic.
• Participate in a formal meeting.
• Actively participate in a discussion about a professional topic.
  
  

2          Listening comprehension

The applicant includes:

• A conversation between two French speakers, conducted at a normal pace.
• A TV or radio program on a non-specialised topic.
• A telephone conversation with a French speaker.
• A discussion at a meeting.
  
  

3          Reading comprehension

The applicant includes:

• Newspaper articles on general or specific topics, without the help of a dictionary. If some specific words are not understood, they are not essential for overall understanding.
• Common business documents.
  
  

ACTIVE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL 5

The candidate actively uses what the level 4 candidate (re) knew passively:

1          Vocabulary

• General vocabulary
• Technical vocabulary
• Telephone and greetings
• Most commonly used idioms:

E.g. It is worthwhile to; it is the least we can do.

2          Grammar

2.1       Structures

• More complex structures (coordination, subordination, relative)
• More subordinating conjunctions (cause: given that, since; time: while, before; purpose: so that, so that...) and coordination conjunctions (sometimes inappropriate use of however or confusion of "in fact")
• Indirect speech
  
  

2.2       Conjugations

• Concordance of tenses, relations of simultaneity, anteriority, posteriority (future of past)
• Present and past subjunctive (not without problems of use, especially behind subordinating conjunctions and in relatives)
• Liabilities
• Wider range of prepositional verbs with correct usage
  
  

2.3       Syntax

• Relative pronouns combined (opposite which, in relation to which...) and highlighted with the demonstrative (what, ..)
• Combined complex negations (there is no one anywhere)
• Essential prepositions
• Pronominalizations combined (I make him do it); to a lesser extent with negations and compound tenses
• Finer distinction of adjective/adverb use, if/when
• Regular comparatives and superlatives
• Common irregular plurals
• Common idiomatic constructions (do + infinitive, ne que, go away)
  
  

PASSIVE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL 5

The applicant acknowledges the following:

1          Vocabulary

• Even more extensive vocabulary, both common and technical: press articles, brochures, scientific articles, reports, letters, contracts, etc.
• Idiomatic and nuanced expressions
  
  

2          Grammar

2.1       Structures

• Even more complex constructions (opposition, concession, subjective cause)
• Gerund (en); present participle, past participle in isolation
• Past infinitive clauses
• Idiomatic constructions
  
  

2.2       Conjugations

• More secure time concordance
• Safer use of the subjunctive in completives and behind the most common conjunctions
  
  

2.3       Syntax

• Better selected prepositions behind verbs, adjectives, expressions (idiomatic constructions)
• Place of the adverb
• Adjectives and indefinite pronouns (all, every, each)
• Idiomatic constructions (to read)

The candidate is very advanced, which means that he/she has no difficulty in the oral target language.

1          Speech act

The candidate is able to: express themselves fluently using complex structures.

• Giving instructions.
• Present your company and its responsibilities in detail.
• Welcoming French-speaking visitors and accompanying them around the company.
• Chairing a meeting.
• Explain, clarify, give an opinion about a specific problem.

2          Listening comprehension

The candidate is able to:

• Follow a conference.
• Easily follow and participate in a meeting.
• Follow a TV or audio program.
• Follow a conversation between French speakers.
• Follow lectures on general or professional topics.

3          Reading comprehension

The candidate is able to:

• Read and understand texts on various subjects without difficulty: letters, faxes, reports, contracts, brochures, press articles, specialist magazines, etc.

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL 6

• The candidate no longer has any difficulty in speaking French. He has a very good active and passive knowledge of it. He/she actively uses what the candidate at level 5 (re) knew passively.
• The candidate is able to use complex structures (including opposition, concession, cause; gerund, infinitive clauses), although he/she sometimes makes a non-determining error (omission of a subjunctive behind a negative or relative opinion).
• The candidate has a wide range of vocabulary in various fields, but this can be considerably extended.
• The candidate expresses himself/herself fluently and the mistakes he/she makes do not affect the effectiveness of the communication. These occasional errors allow us to diagnose that the candidate is not a French speaker:

E.g.                   Confusions of prepositions behind verbs, adjectives, prepositions

                         Gender problems of nouns

                        Lexical or structural confusions (at this time/at this moment)

                        Expressions used inappropriately in some contexts

• The candidate may have difficulties with active written communication: spelling, specific forms of correspondence.

The candidate is perfectly bilingual.

The candidate's command of the target language is virtually the same as his/her mother tongue.

He is able to use complex constructions without error and has a rich and extensive vocabulary.

The teaching material will reflect a differentiated and diversified pedagogy. We have many sources, each more effective than the last, which will be increasingly personalized over the years. Hachette and TV5 Monde are our preferred tools in the genesis of AEL Academia.