Cambridge ESOL has won the French Ministry of National Education’s tender to provide English language certification in state secondary schools across France.
The contract 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 launched in 2006 for French students learning German. Following its success, the Ministry of National Education widened the project to include English and Spanish. Spanish certificates will be provided by the Instituto Cervantes, a member of ALTE.
Examinations will be taken by students in their final year of obligatory schooling (age 16). They are being specially developed for the Ministry of National Education but will be of an equivalent level to the Cambridge Preliminary English Test (PET), at CEFR Level B1.
The project will initially run for three years, with entry to the examinations being voluntary. The first examinations will take place in March 2008.
Dr Michael Milanovic, Chief Executive of Cambridge ESOL, said: ‘We are delighted to have been selected to work with the Ministry of National Education. We have worked with educationalists in France for many years, and have close relationships with French schools, universities and education authorities.’