Your progress and results

Progress is facilitated by the small number of students in your class (average number 4 to 6) but it also depends on your willingness to learn, your character (don’t be shy!), and your speed of understanding and learning.

Our program is flexible enough to accommodate each participant’s pace, but as well as attendance in class, one or two hours of independent study per day is encouraged. We strongly recommend that students stay with a family to ensure a complete and continuous immersion in the French language and lifestyle.

Your Certificate

At the end of the course, you will receive a certificate which formally states the length of your course and the level to which you have studied. Additionally, your teacher will write an assessment describing your competence levels, both written and oral, stating the level that you have reached. Also, you will receive personal suggestions to build on what you have learned at CLE.

Courses for credit

Students who wish to receive credits for CLE courses have two options:
– Pre-approval through your college or university: contact the Study abroad office or French language department at your college or university prior to starting the program.
– Transfer credits secured through the accredited Brookhaven College.

DELF or DALF

If you wish to test your knowledge of French by taking a diploma delivered by the Ministry of Education of France and recognised throughout the world, we would recommend the DELF (Diplôme d’Etudes en Lanque Française) or the DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Lanque Française).

During your stay at CLE, you can involve yourself with one of these exams (DELF or DALF) and if the dates of the exams are not convenient, you can take the exams back in your own country. There are 900 exam centers spread throughout 154 countries.

Since September 2005, the DELF and DALF have been modified in line with the “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages” which allows comparable skill evaluations between one language and another.

Each diploma evaluates 4 skills: the understanding of written and spoken French and the use of written and spoken French. All the activities contained in our courses at CLE prepare you for the tests you might take for the DELF or DALF. Nevertheless, if you wish to familiarise yourself with these tests and take the exams with confidence, you can take  individual classes to help you.

According to your level, you can choose the diploma for which you want to be tested. If you have already passed some elements of DELF or DALF using the old formula, these elements remain valid.

For more information about the duration of the exams, the costs and the dates, read this page