Banting FI students have the opportunity to earn an Ontario French Immersion Certificate upon graduation. For students wishing to achieve an advanced level of proficiency and to be able to be successful at the DELF examinations, we strongly recommend that FI students take a senior history, geography, science, math and/or sociology courses that will accelerate language acquisition and provide a measure of comfort while undergoing this French examination.
10 French Immersion courses in total, 4 of which must be the French language courses from Grades 9 through 12.
The DELF/DALF is an exam that a student can take to obtain a diploma from the French government.
The DELF exam certificate officially recognizes a student’s level of proficiency in French measured across four categories: speaking, writing, listening and reading. For more information, please visit the following DELF website: https://destinationdelf.ca/
Sir Frederick Banting was the first high school to administer the DELF exam in TVDSB in 2015. Since then, the pass rate for the B2 exam sits at 97,3% while the B1 is at 98% in large part due to the commitment of students, teachers and TVDSB learning coordinators.
Banting's French language instruction is predicated on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) which defines official levels of language proficiency. Every May, Banting's Grade 12 French Immersion students will have the opportunity to take an internationally-recognized language exam called the Diplôme d’études en langue française (DELF)
For many post-secondary French language programs and French language or bilingual jobs in Canada, the DELF proficiency exam is also a requirement or an accepted form of attestation to proficiency.
The B2 user has a degree of independence that allows him/her to construct arguments to defend his/her opinion, explain his/her viewpoint and negotiate. At this level, the candidate has a degree of fluency and spontaneity in regular interactions and is capable of correcting his/her own mistakes.
The B1 user becomes independent. He/she can maintain interaction: he/she can understand and partake in a discussion and give his/her opinion. He/she is capable of dealing with situations likely to arise in daily life.
The A2 level 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.
The A1 user has basic knowledge at this level, also called the "discovery" stage. The user can interact in a simple way: he/she can speak about him/herself and his/her immediate environment.
Since 2005, this program has achieved a 100% pass rate. That is 15% above the provincial average for Ontario.
Our students can choose to sit an AP exam. If they are successful, they may receive a first year university credit in French language. They must first, however, verify that their university of choice accepts this credit in order to do so.