Newsroom
Cambridge ESOL Wins French State School Contract
12 November 2007
Cambridge ESOL has won the French Ministry of Education’s tender to provide English language certification in state secondary schools across France. The tender is part of a nationwide project to improve French school-leavers’ second-language ability and to assess that ability within the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
The project was initially launched in 2006 for French students learning German. Following its success, the Ministry of Education widened the project to include English and Spanish learners. Spanish certificates will be provided by the Instituto Cervantes, a member of ALTE.
Dr Michael Milanovic, Chief Executive of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, said: “We are delighted to have been selected to work with the Ministry of Education. Cambridge ESOL supports the increasing trend towards mutual use and recognition of language certifications by partner European countries. We have worked with educationalists in France for many years, and have close relationships with French schools, universities and education authorities.”
Examinations will be taken by students in their final year of obligatory schooling (age 16). They are being specially developed for the Ministry of Education but will be of an equivalent level to the Cambridge Preliminary English Test (PET), at CEFR Level B1. CEFR provides a practical tool for setting standards to be attained at successive stages of learning and provides a basis for the mutual recognition of language qualifications.
The project will initially run for a three year period, with entry to the examinations being voluntary. The government envisages around 8,000 pupils will take the test in its first year, growing to around 55,000 in the third year of the project. The first examinations will take place in March 2008.
