I wanna know about TEF test. Is it easy or difficult for non-native speakers?? In how much time one can learn French ( average time )???
TEF Test Is Easy or Difficult ????
- Thread starter Lolo12
- Start date
Let's look at it this way.
If you are a non-native speaker of English (in the sense that it isn't the officially spoken language in your immediate family/native language/mother tongue), reflect on how easy or difficult was the IELTS/CELPIP for you and how much you scored on that test. Also reflect on the fact that you've probably been learning English for more than a decade (or possibly even longer). Plus the fact that you were much younger and research suggests that adults have a harder time acquiring new languages than children.
TEF is going to be on the same lines. It will require extremely hgh levels of commitment, dedication and passion to learn French enough to get a meaningful score. I would expect it to take at least a year of hard work to get you anything more than 10 CRS points. If you haven't aced IELTS, increasing that score would be easier.
All the best!
If you are a non-native speaker of English (in the sense that it isn't the officially spoken language in your immediate family/native language/mother tongue), reflect on how easy or difficult was the IELTS/CELPIP for you and how much you scored on that test. Also reflect on the fact that you've probably been learning English for more than a decade (or possibly even longer). Plus the fact that you were much younger and research suggests that adults have a harder time acquiring new languages than children.
TEF is going to be on the same lines. It will require extremely hgh levels of commitment, dedication and passion to learn French enough to get a meaningful score. I would expect it to take at least a year of hard work to get you anything more than 10 CRS points. If you haven't aced IELTS, increasing that score would be easier.
All the best!
Asivad Anac said:
I agree with Asivad. I am learning French and invested about 100 hours till now. For a beginner, with one year of intensive full time learning and probably some months in the company of native speakers, I'm guessing one can score 15 points. Many years of practice is required to hit the maximum.
I've already score the maximum in IELTS (CLB 10) and I think spending 1 year working in Atlantic Canada will help in both ways, 35 points in canadian experience and 15 in french.
DELF A1 A2 B1 are easier and progressively difficult. TEF is equivalent to DELF B2 since express entry points are given only starting from mid range scores in TEF.
If your goal is to pass TEF then I suggest that you find a good teacher who will learn you basics and then work only on TEF preparation with you. When I was passing the exam there was a girl with me with a very basic knowledge but she still managed to pass TEF with good results. Her teacher really worked with her in techniques for successful TEF completion and managed to teach her well.
There are teachers who only do specific exam preparations and they know how to increase your chances. I took one like that for my husband's IELTS preparation and he is really progressing fast.
Just for a bench, I speak French since forever (but I'm pretty bad with school like knowledge) and I had to prepare for 2 full weeks for the exam is it is really specific. There are unfortunately only 2 books for TEF preparation they are really helpful. The process is basically the same as for IELTS preparation and practice makes perfect.
There are teachers who only do specific exam preparations and they know how to increase your chances. I took one like that for my husband's IELTS preparation and he is really progressing fast.
Just for a bench, I speak French since forever (but I'm pretty bad with school like knowledge) and I had to prepare for 2 full weeks for the exam is it is really specific. There are unfortunately only 2 books for TEF preparation they are really helpful. The process is basically the same as for IELTS preparation and practice makes perfect.
Lolo12 said:
I spoke with two french native speakers from France who took it. Both highly educated, too (doctorate degrees in science), both grew up in France in all-french families and studied there.
They thought the test was unexpectedly and unnecessarily hard. They both scored high (got over 90-95% of total score) but complained about non-clear questions and tasks. The both said they have no idea how non-native speaker would get high scores in it.
Don't want to scare you. Just facts.
Big fish is right. I am French (from France) and I took the TEF. This test is made and corrected in France and is designed for French persons, not for French Canadians, not for French speakers from other countries...
I scored very high and my husband too but it was definitely unnecessarily hard. I work in a completely bilingual environment and I can assure you that even if most of my colleagues are French Canadians and speak French fluently, some of them would have had troubles understanding some of the questions of the TEF.
And in addition to that, the fees we all pay for the TEF are sent to France. This money doesn't even stay in the Canadian economy which is a real shame. I really don't get why this test is the only possibility offered by CIC in a bilingual country where millions speak French.
French is far from the easiest language to learn, it can take years to just reach the level to be able to have a normal conversation. It also is a great language and knowing even a bit of French can open you a lot of opportunities in Canada. If you are motivated to learn French go for it ! If you just want to score at the TEF without having the bases in French at the moment it is going to be hard.
I scored very high and my husband too but it was definitely unnecessarily hard. I work in a completely bilingual environment and I can assure you that even if most of my colleagues are French Canadians and speak French fluently, some of them would have had troubles understanding some of the questions of the TEF.
And in addition to that, the fees we all pay for the TEF are sent to France. This money doesn't even stay in the Canadian economy which is a real shame. I really don't get why this test is the only possibility offered by CIC in a bilingual country where millions speak French.
French is far from the easiest language to learn, it can take years to just reach the level to be able to have a normal conversation. It also is a great language and knowing even a bit of French can open you a lot of opportunities in Canada. If you are motivated to learn French go for it ! If you just want to score at the TEF without having the bases in French at the moment it is going to be hard.
helena21 said:
Can you please tell me the names of those two books?
Is TEF Canada a different test than TEF? Alliance Français has a separate page for TEF Canada http://www.francais.cci-paris-idf.fr/tef-canada/
number411 said:
Hi,
They are on the same site under "outils de preparation" and when you scroll to the end you have "ouvrages de preparation" or something like that and they put both book there http://www.francais.cci-paris-idf.fr/outils-de-preparation-au-tef/.
I'm not quite sure about the difference between TEF and TEF Canada, and in the centre I took the test they didn't know how to explain it properly either.
I prepared from TEF book and it was enough. I didn't see any difference in the test concept.I managed to find one book fully online and for the other I have audio files only (I borrowed the book itself from Alliance Francaise in my country). Send me your e-mail address and I can send them to you via we transfer if you want, to save you some time.
H.
BTW I managed to find a difference between TEF and TEF Canada.
Regular TEF has 5 parts:
- Written comprehension
- Oral comprehension
- Written expression
- Oral expression
- Syntax
While TEF Canada only has 4. CIC is not asking the Syntax part of the test.
Regular TEF has 5 parts:
- Written comprehension
- Oral comprehension
- Written expression
- Oral expression
- Syntax
While TEF Canada only has 4. CIC is not asking the Syntax part of the test.
Lolo,
being a french native does not mean you will get the best score, for instance, the average score in Australia for IELTS is 6.9 out of 9, they are natives as you know.
The average score for IELTS in Africa is 7 out of 9, they are not natives (Statistics from IELTS website).
It is all about training, you have to do a lot of examples and read documentation about any languages test, it is the best way, because they are tons of treaks. Also of course you have to be fluent in that languages.
My advice, if you need those 4 points for your second language, go for it, at the end you just need to score the minimum which is CLB 4.
Also, it is good to have it for your job prospection, so you do not lose anything passing it (if you have its fees available)
Good luck,
being a french native does not mean you will get the best score, for instance, the average score in Australia for IELTS is 6.9 out of 9, they are natives as you know.
The average score for IELTS in Africa is 7 out of 9, they are not natives (Statistics from IELTS website).
It is all about training, you have to do a lot of examples and read documentation about any languages test, it is the best way, because they are tons of treaks. Also of course you have to be fluent in that languages.
My advice, if you need those 4 points for your second language, go for it, at the end you just need to score the minimum which is CLB 4.
Also, it is good to have it for your job prospection, so you do not lose anything passing it (if you have its fees available)
Good luck,
I fully agree with Adam!
The other thing is also that with a slightly better TEF result a person can get into OINP PNP French Speaking Stream (regardless of the overall CSR).
I did that as I anyhow planned to move to Toronto if everything goes well and it was the only way to have even a slightest chance to get ITA. I have 361 points and thanks to TEF I got PT from Ontario. Now I'm waiting to see if I will get the nomination.
Also, there is New Brunswick which is the only bilingual province I think and they have a special treatment for those who speak both languages.
The other thing is also that with a slightly better TEF result a person can get into OINP PNP French Speaking Stream (regardless of the overall CSR).
I did that as I anyhow planned to move to Toronto if everything goes well and it was the only way to have even a slightest chance to get ITA. I have 361 points and thanks to TEF I got PT from Ontario. Now I'm waiting to see if I will get the nomination.
Also, there is New Brunswick which is the only bilingual province I think and they have a special treatment for those who speak both languages.
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