DELF B1 French Course in Paris — Intermediate Level

As per the guidelines of CEFRL (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) these are the things learners are supposed to be able to do once they are at the B1 level.

Listening: They can recognize the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure etc. Also, understanding of main point of many radio or TV shows on current affairs or topics related to personal or professional interest when delivery is relatively slow and clear.

Reading: They can understand texts consisting of high frequency everyday or job-related language. Understanding of description of events, feelings and wishes in personal letters. 

Spoken interaction: They can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. They can enter unprepared conversation on the topics that are familiar, or of personal interest.  

Spoken production: They can interact in a simple way in order to describe the events and experiences, my dreams, hopes and ambitions. They can briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

Writing: They can write simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. They can write personal letters describing experiences and impressions. 

In short, learners with a B1 level :

Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.

Can deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling in an area where the language is spoken.

Can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest.

Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

Administrative importance:

The B1 level is the prerequisite for the 10-year carte de résident (long-stay residence card). The B1 level can be proved with a DELF, TCF or equivalent certificate of B1. 

You can understand English language. You have the A2 level of French language.

There will be an assessment of your current level of French, by one of our teachers, to ascertain that you can fit into this program.

Based on your performance during the test, we will suggest you a program that will best suit your situation.

Listening: To be able to recognize the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure etc. Also, be able to understand the main points of many radio or TV shows on current affairs or topics related to personal or professional interest when delivery is relatively slow and clear.

Reading: To be able to understand texts consisting of high frequency everyday or job-related language. To be able to understand descriptions of events, feelings and wishes in personal letters. 

Spoken interaction: To be able to deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. To be able to enter unprepared conversation on the topics that are familiar, or of personal interest.  

Spoken production: To be able to interact in a simple way in order to describe the events and experiences, my dreams, hopes and ambitions. To be able to briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

Writing: To be able to write simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. To be able to write personal letters describing experiences and impressions. 

As per the guidelines of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), after completing the B1 level, learners can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters met at work, at school and in leisure. They can deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling in a French-speaking area, produce simple connected text on familiar topics, describe an experience or an event, and briefly give reasons and explanations for their opinions and plans.

Course material: the programme follows Inspire 3 (Hachette FLE), level B1 — nine units, thirty-six lessons — supplemented with authentic documents.

1. Themes and what you will be able to do

• Introducing yourself, living together — talk about your character, your tastes and your activities; compare generations; give advice and make predictions; identify and explain cultural differences.
• Inequality and commitment — express opposition; report a news story and narrate in the past; highlight a piece of information; talk about your career path; comment on a survey and qualify what you say.
• Online services — express obligation; describe an online service; make recommendations and hypotheses; express a wish; describe a problem and pass judgement.
• Free time — talk about your leisure habits; answer a survey; ask questions and request information; explain a social practice; write a short piece of fiction.
• Where we live — describe a town and how it has changed; locate in space and in time; run a guided tour; describe a home; comment on a novel; discuss improvements to the living environment.
• Art in everyday life — describe a work of art and appraise it; explain an artist's work; express usefulness, contradiction and a qualified opinion; explain the benefits of an art form.
• News and the media — describe a profession; state an objective; chair a debate; warn about a risk; report speech and react to a claim; flag unverified information.
• Nature and ecology — express regret and reproach; make hypotheses about what did not happen; read an article of law; express doubt; take part in a debate; put forward a proposal.
• Travel — recount an experience in the past; explain a motivation; describe a trend and make predictions; express feelings; read a poetic text.

2. Grammar covered

• Tenses and moods: present indicative, recent past, present continuous, near future, simple future, future perfect (introduction), imperfect, perfect and past-participle agreement, pluperfect, present and past conditional, subjunctive (formation, obligation, doubt, feelings).
• Hypothesis and condition: si + present; si + imperfect + present conditional; si + pluperfect + past conditional.
• Pronouns: simple relative pronouns (qui, que, où, dont) and compound ones; direct and indirect object pronouns; stressed pronouns; y and en; double pronouns; the subject pronoun on; indefinite adjectives and pronouns.
• Structuring discourse: cause, consequence, purpose, opposition, concession, emphasis, linking words, anteriority, simultaneity and posteriority, time markers.
• Other points: the gerund (manner and simultaneity), the present participle, the passive, question forms, negation (ne… personne, ne… rien, ne… ni… ni, ne… jamais), comparative and superlative, adverb formation and position, adjective position, reported speech in the present and the past, elision in informal register.

3. Pronunciation

• Rhythmic groups; liaison and vowel linking; nasal vowels and denasalisation; vowel contrasts and semi-vowels; the consonants [s], [z], [ʃ] and [ʒ]; stress and expressive intonation.

4. Written and spoken techniques, and mediation

• Taking part in an everyday conversation; presenting statistics in writing; writing an email of complaint; writing a newsletter; giving an oral presentation; writing a museum label; writing a news item; taking part in a debate; writing a cover letter.
• Mediation: clarifying a spoken message, illustrating statistics, explaining a term, explaining an instruction, building a mind map, interpreting pictograms, taking notes, handling disagreement, interpreting gestures.

How the course is delivered. This programme sets out the full range of content worked on during the course. The actual progression adapts to the group: depending on the needs expressed, the pace of learning and the richness of classroom exchanges, some points are explored longer than planned while others may only be touched on. The trainer adjusts that coverage to serve the level's learning objectives, which remain the commitment of the course.

At the end of our program, you will attend a test at our center to ascertain that you have reached the desired level for which you opted for this program. Our tests are based on the DELF models.

Successful candidates are given a certificate from our center.

For students who are unable to sit for this exam, they can attend the same later depending on their availability and our scheduled dates for examinations of the same level.

DELF (Diplôme d'études en langue française)

Centre Zenith is an official DELF-DALF examination centre — you can prepare and sit your DELF or DALF exam directly with us.

The DELF is a diploma from France Education International, for France's ministry of education.

Once you have enrolled, let us know if you would like to sit the DELF or DALF examination after your course. As an official examination centre, we hold the sessions ourselves — you register for your exam directly with us: Inscription DELF B1.

Places per session are limited, so book early — réservez votre session DELF B1.

Both DCL and DELF have lifetime validity and can be used for all official purposes, like applying for the 10-year residence card or for applying for French nationality.

For students who are paying through CPF or paid by the France Travail through us, appearing in the DCLEP examination after your program is mandatory.

DCLEP (Diplôme de Compétence en Langue Étrangère Professionnelle) — Français Langue Étrangère

The DCLEP is an official diploma issued by the French Ministry of National Education and Youth (Ministère de l’Éducation nationale et de la Jeunesse).

Unlike the DELF and DALF — where each level has its own exam and diploma — the DCLEP is a single exam: you sit it once and are awarded a level from A2 to C1 based on your performance.

More information can be found on the official website: www.francecompetences.fr.

In our Bezons centre, we are located on the 4th floor of a building that is easily accessible by wheelchair. The elevator is spacious and there are no stairs that need to be climbed to reach our center.

In our Gare de Lyon centre, we are located at the ground floor, and accessible by wheelchair.

If you have any other concerns, such as if you hear or see differently from most others and need special accommodations, please send a WhatsApp message to Sourav, our point of contact for disabled individuals at Centre Zenith, at 07 78 64 53 16.

You can also email us at formation@centrezenith.com or send us a direct message through our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/centrezenith.