Lycée Français de Toronto
Encyclopedia
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Founded in 1995, the LFT has 400 students in 2010-2011 with an average of 16 students per classroom.
The Lycée Français de Toronto is governed by the French Ministry of Education and therefore evolves with developments and changes in the French educational system, in accordance with the accreditation requirements of the Agency for French Teaching Abroad (AEFE); hence a large proportion of the teachers and the headmaster, Dominique Duthel, being qualified by the French Board of Education.
The Lycée Français de Toronto offers the full range of grades in the French educational system, from pre-school to grade 12, and enriches it with an in-depth knowledge of Canadian history, geography and economy.
Since 2000, the year in which the first graduating class took the Baccalaureate
Baccalauréat
The baccalauréat , often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students take at the end of the lycée . It was introduced by Napoleon I in 1808. It is the main diploma required to pursue university studies...
examinations, our students’ results have been excellent, averaging 75% passing the exam with distinction. The LFT also offers the American option of the French Baccalaureate (OIB) with literature, language, history and geography classes specifically designed for bilingual students. These specific courses are offered in grade 10 in 2010-2011, from grade 6 to grade 11 in 2011-2012, for the first American option of the French Baccalaureate exam in 2013.
The students who wish to may prepare for and take Advanced Placement exams in “English Literature and Composition” during their graduating year, which will enable them to already have credits if enrolled in English-speaking universities.
Excellence in languages from pre-school is one of the school’s priorities. All the students have extensive hours of English lessons, from pre-school to grade 12, continuing the emphasis on academic excellence. The LFT also offers classes in Mandarin and Spanish starting grade 1 as an extra-curricular activity. In addition, Spanish as second language is part of the curriculum starting in grade 6, German as a second language from grade 7, and Mandarin on Italian as third language from grade 9.
Language learning at the LFT is in line with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, abbreviated as CEFR, is a guideline used to describe achievements of learners of foreign languages across Europe and, increasingly, in other countries...
(CEFR) and the students can take one of the following language certification exams based on their level:
- DELE
Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera
The Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera are official diplomas issued by the Spanish Instituto Cervantes and the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science to participants who pass a standardized test indicating Spanish language proficiencyThe DELE exists in six levels, each corresponds to a...
in Spanish
- ZD
Zertifikat Deutsch
The Zertifikat Deutsch is an internationally recognized exam of German language ability. It tests for a level of ability equivalent to level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages scale...
in German
- CILS
CILS (Qualification)
The Certificazione di Italiano come lingua straniera, or CILS is a qualification offered by the Foreigners University of Siena for foreign speakers of the Italian language, recognizing various levels of language proficiency...
in Italian
- HSK
Hànyu Shuipíng Kaoshì
The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, , abbreviated as HSK, is the People's Republic of China's only standardized test of Standard Chinese language proficiency for non-native speakers, namely foreign students, overseas Chinese, and members of ethnic minority groups in China...
in mandarin
After their years at the LFT, a large proportion of the school's graduates study in some of the most competitive universities in Canada (e.g:The University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, HEC Montréal
HEC Montréal
HEC Montréal , is the independent affiliated business school of the Université de Montréal, and the oldest management School in Canada. It holds accreditations from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA, one of three schools in North America to hold triple accreditation in management education...
), the United States, and Europe, a clear indication that they have managed to achieve a genuinely bilingual level. They also attend universities in France but most of them continue on to classes préparatoires (the first stage of France’s parallel elite university system).