The DELF Junior is an official diploma in French language studies from France’s national Ministry of Education. Similar to the Cambridge First Certificate available for English language learners, this diploma is valid for life, awarded and recognized around the world.
The DELF certification is an opportunity that eases access to higher education at the undergraduate level in world class French universities for the students who wish to opt for studies in France.
Since 2013, the French Embassy in India, in collaboration with the Delhi Public School Society, has launched two DELF Junior Examination Centres at Delhi Public School Mathura Road and at DPS Noida for all the schools in the DPS network in Delhi NCR.
In December 2014 and in April 2015, 455 students of French appeared for the test and all of them passed the same with flying colours.
The students were appearing for the A1 and A2 levels. These language proficiency levels are defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages as follows:
- DELF A1: This level recognizes basic knowledge of the language. It is called the “discovery” stage. At this stage, the learner can interact in a simple way: she/he can speak about herself/himself and her/his immediate environment.
- DELF A2: DELF A2 is based on the same principle: it recognizes the linguistic competency of a basic user, considered as a social actor. The candidate can communicate about simple and routine tasks requiring the most common polite phrases and exchanges of information.
- Learning French in Delhi and in India:
- Universities:
There are around 1,000 students at the French studies departments in four major universities in Delhi: Delhi University (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
Indian universities are interested in partnerships with French institutions of higher education:
- JNU was the first university in India to offer a degree in Francophone studies and works in partnership with Ecole normale supérieure de Lyon, Sciences Po Paris, the universities of Strasbourg, Rouen, Lyon 3, Rennes 2, and Paris 8;
- DU has a partnership with Ecole normale supérieure, Ecole Polytechnique de Paris, Sciences Po Paris, the Ecoles Centrales of Nantes and Paris, Ecole des Mines of Nantes, and Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 University;
- IGNOU has a partnership with Stendhal Grenoble 3 University, and is formulating a Bachelor of Education programme with French option;
- JMI has a partnership with Sciences Po Paris, the universities of Paris 8 and Rennes 2 and INALCO (national institute of languages and eastern civilisations).
- Alliance française de Delhi:
The Alliance française de Delhi is an Indo-French Cultural Centre which specializes in French language teaching, and organizing and curating cultural events. Located in the Lodi Estate Institutional Area, it offers a wide array of French language courses, teacher training sessions, translation and interpreting services and a Media Library.
Number of admissions for French language courses in 2014: 5500 students
- Learning French in India: facts and figures:
Estimation of the number of learners: 5 lakhs
Estimated distribution:
| Schools | 70 % |
| Universities | 20% |
| Alliances françaises | 8% |
| Other Language centres | 2% |
| 100% |
