Three Seniors Earn DELF Certification in French

Blake Dickey ’26, Andrew Lobo ’26 and GiGi Helling have earned the Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française (DELF) B2 certification in French from the French Ministry of Education. The exam the students took for certification includes listening comprehension, reading comprehension, writing and speaking. Earning the credential indicates that Dickey, Lobo and Helling can understand complex ideas, express nuanced opinions, and communicate independently in French in academic, professional and social contexts – a level often considered the threshold for studying or working in a French-speaking environment. “I applaud these Falcons in adding such a feather to their caps,” said Andréanne Annis, Upper School French Teacher.

“Congratulations to Blake, GiGi and Andrew on their fantastic achievement of earning the DELF B2, which rewards their commitment to understanding and producing French to such an advanced level,” said Middle School French Teacher and DELF Examiner Rob Napier. “These students have shown they are able to defend their opinions with detailed arguments, negotiate, and show a high degree of fluency and spontaneity. From my perspective, it’s gratifying to see students I taught in Middle School show the dedication I encouraged to now be eligible to enter most French universities and French-speaking institutions without pre-admission tests. Bravo!”

Alison Robinson, Department of Modern and Classical Languages Chair, added, “I am incredibly proud of the diligence that these students have demonstrated in earning their B2 certification. They are true trailblazers and have set the stage for others to follow. Congratulations!”

During the 2023-24 academic year, French Teachers Annis (Upper School), Névine Watkins (Lower School) and Napier (Middle School) completed training to become Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française (DELF) examiners. This training enabled the School to become an official DELF testing center. FWCD is the first JK-12 school in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex to earn this distinction.