enoeshett:
Paper based.

Ok thanks.

Coucou mes amies,

I was going through the instructions of writing ce examen and i was wondering if they are still valid.

1) i read here that no more negative marking thank God for that.

2) i also saw it must be a blue or black pen. No pencil?

3) chaque question has two lines of multiple choice answers. The first is for your first answer and the next line is if you make a mistake with the first answer (i hope I'm making sense ) meaning you have only two chances.

Please help validate this.

Thanks.

Bonjour tout le monde!!

J'ai lu tout vouz avez ecrit ici. Merci beaucoup pour tout l'information donnee. Je voudrais ecrire l'examen TEF l'annee prochain.

Okay, let me give my back story lol! I decided to learn french last year because I really like the language/culture. I live/work in Abuja. I finished the A1 classes in November last year and was meant to continue with A2 in January this year but I kept on procrastinating. My memory of what I learned last year is still very fresh because I have been able to read at least 85% of the french written on this thread since page one! I never knew about the whole Canada relocation until 3 weeks ago. My friend told me about it and I am so interested now. I plan on writing IELTS in August and without french, I will most likely get a CRS score of 438 or 441. From the looks of things, the draw scores may not come down to that so I want to write TEF as an option. I have a strong love for the french language so I believe that by the grace of God, I will be ready to write TEF by May, 2020. For now, I want to focus on passing IELTS in August.

I plan on finally starting the A2 classes in 2 weeks at institut francais here in Abuja. My only issue is that since I want to write TEF, they won't be teaching at my pace because I won't even finish with A2 classes till December this year. Meaning, I will begin B1 classes by January 2020. I plan on writing the TEF exam in May, 2020.

Should I forget about the classes and try to get a private tutor instead?

Mummychichi:
Coucou mes amies,

I was going through the instructions of writing ce examen and i was wondering if they are still valid.

1) i read here that no more negative marking thank God for that.

2) i also saw it must be a blue or black pen. No pencil?

3) chaque question has two lines of multiple choice answers. The first is for your first answer and the next line is if you make a mistake with the first answer (i hope I'm making sense ) meaning you have only two chances.

Please help validate this.

Thanks.

All valid.

cutebear:
Bonjour tout le monde!!

Should I forget about the classes and try to get a private tutor instead?

There are merits to both options. Good thing it's not required to go through each level before you're ready.

Might as well try out a private tutor if you want something tailored to you specifically. Bonne chance!

Thank you! Let me try to focus on passing my IELTS for now. Hopefully, I will come back with good news

Bellerin:


There are merits to both options. Good thing it's not required to go through each level before you're ready.

Might as well try out a private tutor if you want something tailored to you specifically. Bonne chance!

I have come again o!
Thanks in advance..screenshots below.

Any tips on how to make the fait divers more official/press like are welcome seems so informal sometimes.

Continued

Mamaroon:
Continued

Line 1 is considered to start at "c'etait"

Perhaps the opening should contain the location of the story?

Perhaps the reader should have an idea of what happened from the first paragraph as well (E.g A women was declared missing or At 3PM yesterday, a woman has been found having disappeared from her family just after lunch in the city of xyz)

L4: se reposer has to be l'imparfait not l'infinitif

Second paragraph was such a beauty - everything near perfect! Logical articulators (consequently,therefore, Suddenly,panic stricken,etc), a good sequence of events using passe compose, proper use of l'imparfait.
last phrase in paragraph 2 perhaps should have been "est eteint" or for more drama "en appellant son portable: eteint!"

Story appears different in paragraph 3:

In the opening, it seemed to say they couldn't find the woman after they had stopped for lunch and restarted the journey but paragrap 3 appears to narrate that the "lost woman" was waiting for them and the couple didn't arrive on time.

l'imparfait isn't a good fit for "continuaient" close to the end. "et ils ont continue(forgive the accent marks) le lendemain.

Really enjoyed it. Very good effort. Send in more!

Bellerin:

Line 1 is considered to start at "c'etait"

Perhaps the opening should contain the location of the story?

Perhaps the reader should have an idea of what happened from the first paragraph as well (E.g A women was declared missing or At 3PM yesterday, a woman has been found having disappeared from her family just after lunch in the city of xyz)

L4: se reposer has to be l'imparfait not l'infinitif

Second paragraph was such a beauty - everything near perfect! Logical articulators (consequently,therefore, Suddenly,panic stricken,etc), a good sequence of events using passe compose, proper use of l'imparfait.
last phrase in paragraph 2 perhaps should have been "est eteint" or for more drama "en appellant son portable: eteint!"

Story appears different in paragraph 3:

In the opening, it seemed to say they couldn't find the woman after they had stopped for lunch and restarted the journey but paragrap 3 appears to narrate that the "lost woman" was waiting for them and the couple didn't arrive on time.

l'imparfait isn't a good fit for "continuaient" close to the end. "et ils ont continue(forgive the accent marks) le lendemain.

Really enjoyed it. Very good effort. Send in more!

You are a blessing Bells, merci mille fois !

I like the opening you gave...really sounds like a reporter. I used se reposer because it was coming after a conjugated verb and manger was in infinitive too...does that not work? All other points noted. Still more work on imagination and flow...surprisingly, I'm actually enjoying this..... I appreciate your help.

Let me know if you need help. Listening to radio at work helps if you can. It has worked for me with CO.

Mamaroon:


You are a blessing Bells, merci mille fois !

I like the opening you gave...really sounds like a reporter. I used se reposer because it was coming after a conjugated verb and manger was in infinitive too...does that not work? All other points noted. Still more work on imagination and flow...surprisingly, I'm actually enjoying this..... I appreciate your help.

Let me know if you need help. Listening to radio at work helps if you can. It has worked for me with CO.

Oh I see...if the "pour" was for those two verbs then you're right. Has to be in the "l'infinitif" (Perhaps repeat the pour to be explicitly clear)

Merci. I try to listen to the radio as well. Thanks! Please carry on. There's only one way this will end.

Mamaroon:
I have come again o!
Thanks in advance..screenshots below.

Any tips on how to make the fait divers more official/press like are welcome seems so informal sometimes.

Beautiful... you're gearing up for C1 already.

I enjoyed the story. I'll just focuse on my area of interest, grammar.

0) Line 6: No need for "d'apres-midi". The time format already tells so.

1)Line 10: The expression is "par consequant" not "par consequence".

1) Line 15: replace "a" with "ont".

2) Line 18: there is no need for a comma after "dame". Remember my explanation on dependent and independent clauses.

3)Line 22: "son portable qui a enteindu" is actually far from what you intended to pen down. The past participle of the verb "eteindre" is "eteint" and since "portable" is the object of the verb here "portable qui etait eteint" would be more appropriate.

The last paragraph really challenged your French grammar .

4) Line 23: "le" should be replaced with "la" and "est" should be replaced with "etait".

5) Line 25: a semi colon after "Anne" would have made it easier to read. The commas were too much. Lol. Again, it's "la route" and not "le route".

6) Line 28: The expression "les deux femmes ont trouves chez... " is a bit off (refer to correction number 2 above). Again, "les deux femmes" is the object of the verb here so "les deux femmes ont ete trouvees chez... " would have been better. (I would use "retrouver" here though).

7) Line 29: I assume you wanted to use the present participle (drinking and chatting) when you typed "buvaient et bavardaient". "Buvant et bavardant" (participe present) is rather more appropriate. But since one of the verbs is taking an object (du the) while the other is not, I would introduce the "en train de" construct just to show which is active and which is passive. I'd assume they were chatting and the tea only served to make the moment more perfect. So I would write:

".... les deux femmes ont ete retrouvees chez Madam Anne en train de discuter en buvant du the... "

8 ) Line 29: I would put the word "tous" after "sont". That sounds more French.

9) Line 30: The verbs in a sentence must agree in construct. "Ils ont restes" should go with "Ils ont continue" so I would say "ils ont passes la nuit la bas et ont continue leur voyage le lendemain".

10) Paragraph 3: I know story lines and twists are subjective and but contrary to Bell's preference, I really loved the flash back! Giving the story's background half way down the line is a style employed by many writers and I find it creative. I only wish you made the flash back a paragraph of it's own.

Let me see who will give you B1 again!

Bellerin:


L4: se reposer has to be l'imparfait not l'infinitif

Story appears different in paragraph 3:

She actually meant "... pour manger et pour se reposer.."

I like paragraph 3!

etrange:


She actually meant "... pour manger et pour se reposer.."

I like paragraph 3!

True...I missed that. I liked paragraph 3 too .Thank you for the feedback. Really strong grammar points! Merci...

Bonjour a tous

Please are you saying that one must not go though all the levels (A1 to C1) to be ready for the exam?

Please can you kindly give me an idea of how my private class be taoilored to enable me write TEF in 6 months? Im still at A1 level and my private tutor wants us to go through past question but I'm of the opinion that we finish the grammar courses for all levels up to C1 at least. Am i on the right track? Thanks

Bellerin:


There are merits to both options. Good thing it's not required to go through each level before you're ready.

Might as well try out a private tutor if you want something tailored to you specifically. Bonne chance!

Nkydechik:
Bonjour a tous

Please are you saying that one must not go though all the levels (A1 to C1) to be ready for the exam?

Please can you kindly give me an idea of how my private class be taoilored to enable me write TEF in 6 months? Im still at A1 level and my private tutor wants us to go through past question but I'm of the opinion that we finish the grammar courses for all levels up to C1 at least. Am i on the right track? Thanks

It's my humble opinion that you do not need to go through all levels (A1 to C1) to be exam ready. It helps but it's an overkill. AF's estimated minimum of a B1 is a case in point. Once you become relatively comfortable, you can target exam readiness.

You would need to combine your private class with some self study to be ready in 6 months. A lot of work needs to go into Listening while building up your vocabulary.

Thank you very much for your response and for the tips.


[quqote author=Bellerin post=79209785]

It's my humble opinion that you do not need to go through all levels (A1 to C1) to be exam ready. It helps but it's an overkill. AF's estimated minimum of a B1 is a case in point. Once you become relatively comfortable, you can target exam readiness.

You would need to combine your private class with some self study to be ready in 6 months. A lot of work needs to go into Listening while building up your vocabulary.

[/quote]

Mamaroon:
Continued

Mamaroon I'm scared o This your writing just makes me feel I'm not ready at all! I need to go intensify my reading ooo

etrange:


Beautiful... you're gearing up for C1 already.

I enjoyed the story. I'll just focuse on my area of interest, grammar.

0) Line 6: No need for "d'apres-midi". The time format already tells so.

1)Line 10: The expression is "par consequant" not "par consequence".

1) Line 15: replace "a" with "ont".

2) Line 18: there is no need for a comma after "dame". Remember my explanation on dependent and independent clauses.

3)Line 22: "son portable qui a enteindu" is actually far from what you intended to pen down. The past participle of the verb "eteindre" is "eteint" and since "portable" is the object of the verb here "portable qui etait eteint" would be more appropriate.

The last paragraph really challenged your French grammar .

4) Line 23: "le" should be replaced with "la" and "est" should be replaced with "etait".

5) Line 25: a semi colon after "Anne" would have made it easier to read. The commas were too much. Lol. Again, it's "la route" and not "le route".

6) Line 28: The expression "les deux femmes ont trouves chez... " is a bit off (refer to correction number 2 above). Again, "les deux femmes" is the object of the verb here so "les deux femmes ont ete trouvees chez... " would have been better. (I would use "retrouver" here though).

7) Line 29: I assume you wanted to use the present participle (drinking and chatting) when you typed "buvaient et bavardaient". "Buvant et bavardant" (participe present) is rather more appropriate. But since one of the verbs is taking an object (du the) while the other is not, I would introduce the "en train de" construct just to show which is active and which is passive. I'd assume they were chatting and the tea only served to make the moment more perfect. So I would write:

".... les deux femmes ont ete retrouvees chez Madam Anne en train de discuter en buvant du the... "

8 ) Line 29: I would put the word "tous" after "sont". That sounds more French.

9) Line 30: The verbs in a sentence must agree in construct. "Ils ont restes" should go with "Ils ont continue" so I would say "ils ont passes la nuit la bas et ont continue leur voyage le lendemain".

10) Paragraph 3: I know story lines and twists are subjective and but contrary to Bell's preference, I really loved the flash back! Giving the story's background half way down the line is a style employed by many writers and I find it creative. I only wish you made the flash back a paragraph of it's own.

Let me see who will give you B1 again!

In fact, Etrange...take

I appreciate your time and comments.

Meanwhile I've found while reading fait divers in newspapers that some passe compose conjugation with etre in auxiliary are not in the DR & MRS VANDERTRAMP list....like deceder (to die) or percuter (to be hit) or do we use etre for synonyms of these verbs too?

Mummychichi:


Mamaroon I'm scared o This your writing just makes me feel I'm not ready at all! I need to go intensify my reading ooo

Don't be scared sis...I'm using my dictionary and grammar books as I go along and noting the points that I am learning in my book.

Bellerin:


All valid.

just to be clear, are we saying there is no more negative marking in TEF. If that's the case that will be good news for me, cos I've been practicing with negative marking.

Yemsot:


just to be clear, are we saying there is no more negative marking in TEF. If that's the case that will be good news for me, cos I've been practicing with negative marking.

Oui.

See here. https://www.lefrancaisdesaffaires.fr/tests-diplomes/test-evaluation-francais-tef#examen

Bellerin:


Oui.

See here. https://www.lefrancaisdesaffaires.fr/tests-diplomes/test-evaluation-francais-tef#examen

Merci beaucoup

Compréhension Orale..a resource from Canada Visa forum

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/tef-test-is-easy-or-difficult.368401/page-32

Happy Democracy Day

Mamaroon:
Compréhension Orale..a resource from Canada Visa forum

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/tef-test-is-easy-or-difficult.368401/page-32

Happy Democracy Day

Merci! Happy Democracy day!

Hello guys, am considering TEF as there is no hope again. The problem is that I don't have basic knowledge of French sef. Work schedule is too tough and might not afford me enough time for regular classes at French institute. I could do weekend classes with online study too. Do u guys think is possible for me to learn and attempt TEF on January. Birthday is February and I don't want points to drop. Any contact of a private tutor in Abuja will be appreciated too. Thanks

Amandacanny:
Hello guys, am considering TEF as there is no hope again. The problem is that I don't have basic knowledge of French sef. Work schedule is too tough and might not afford me enough time for regular classes at French institute. I could do weekend classes with online study too. Do u guys think is possible for me to learn and attempt TEF on January. Birthday is February and I don't want points to drop. Any contact of a private tutor in Abuja will be appreciated too. Thanks

Try the AF there....maybe one of the tutors can take you on after hours.

Anything is doable if you put your mind to it....you'll have to work hard for complete beginner..

In summary what I have discovered is that whether you use AF or personal tutor it seems that self study is the key to success.

Try PMing DanMisla who I believe wrote in Abuja.

All the best.

Mamaroon:


In fact, Etrange...take

Don't tell my hubby o.....

I appreciate your time and comments.

Mean while I've found while reading fait divers in newspapers that some passe compose conjugation with etre in auxiliary are not in the DR & MRS VANDERTRAMP list....like deceder (to die) or percuter (to be hit) or do we use etre for synonyms of these verbs too?

@bolded, he will understand. Lol.

Ok, for the sake of learning, we're told that "etre" is the auxiliary verb used with movement verbs in the passe compose construct of the indicative mode. This is true but another true thing is that there are other factors that could make a verb go with the auxiliary "etre" and not all movement verbs go with "etre". The general rule should be:

1) Movement verbs are conjugated with "etre". We all know this. Example: aller.

2) Verbs with reflexive pronoun (se) are conjugated with "etre" as this alters the meaning or direction of action. Example: s'apercevoir. NB: the verb "percuter" you mentioned actually goes with "avoir" and only takes "etre" when used with reflexive pronoun (i.e. se percuter - to ram into one another). I guess that is the construct you saw. Example: "les deux avions se sont percutes a l'aeroport".

3) In a case where a verb could be transitive (takes a direct object compliment) or intransitive (does not take a direct object compliment), the auxiliary verb "etre" is used when such a verb is used in the intransitive sense while "avoir" used with the transitive sense. Example: sortir.

4) Most intransitive verbs go with "etre". Example: naitre, deceder (as you pointed out ). But watch out, intransitive verbs that signify motion still go with "avoir". Example: marcher, courir, etc. This last part is a bit confusing and annoying cause we were meant to believe anything movement is "etre" in rule one. Lol.

5) Finally, know that there's no perfect rule or set of rules in linguistics. There'll always be exceptions. No site or textbook will give you a comprehensive list of verbs that go with "etre". This is because, sometimes, it's more about the meaning being portrayed by the verb (context) than the verb itself. So the books can only tell us how decipher which one to use to best send our intended message. We perfect the art as we advance and use the language more.

Amandacanny:
Hello guys, am considering TEF as there is no hope again. The problem is that I don't have basic knowledge of French sef. Work schedule is too tough and might not afford me enough time for regular classes at French institute. I could do weekend classes with online study too. Do u guys think is possible for me to learn and attempt TEF on January. Birthday is February and I don't want points to drop. Any contact of a private tutor in Abuja will be appreciated too. Thanks

Sorry you had to go and call me out from the other room. Lol. Glad Mamaroon has done justice to your question.

Thank you so much. Am at 443. Just need anything to get it up to 460. I will pm her. Am grateful

Mamaroon:


Try the AF there....maybe one of the tutors can take you on after hours.

Anything is doable if you put your mind to it....6 months may be stretching it for complete beginner...but 2 things to note.

1) how many extra points do you need? Is it just a few or in the region of 30 to 40 like some of us?

2) even if you do the exam in Jan, unfortunately results are not usually out by the following month....unless something changes (which it may, I think Lagos April results came out quickly ).......but prepare your mind for a scenario where the points with Feb birthday will be lost......but this may not matter if you get high scores in TEF

In summary what I have discovered is that whether you use AF or personal tutor it seems that self study is the key to success.

Try PMing DanMisla who I believe wrote in Abuja.

All the best.

Abeg no vex. This ppr journey can make u do the unthinkable. Thanks

etrange:


Sorry you had to go and call me out from the other room. Lol. Glad Mamaroon has done justice to your question.

Amandacanny:
Abeg no vex. This ppr journey can make u do the unthinkable. Thanks

It's fine.

It all makes the story very interesting at the end. I'm always glad to help in my own little ways.

You're welcome.