Le Grand Concours, or the National French Contest, is a French event in the form of a 60 minute national test, designed, written, financed, and disseminated by the members of the American Association of Teachers of French. Its purpose is to help stimulate further interest in the teaching and learning of French and to help identify and reward achievement on the part of both students and teachers.
All students of French, from grade 1 through senior high school, are eligible. In addition, students studying French on overseas campuses, with a private tutor exclusive of any formal classroom instruction in French, or via Homeschooling, are all eligible to compete for awards.
Tableau d'Honneur - 2007 Participation Statistics
- How does a teacher enter students?
- What's on the test? How does one prepare students?
- At what level must a student enter?
- What is the difference among Divisions A, B, and C?
- What are the dates for Contest administration?
- Where may the contest be held?
- What are the fees?
- What Prizes are awarded and to whom?
- How many students may enter Le Grand Concours?
- Who scores the test?
- Any final tips?
How does a teacher enter students?
Contact your chapter's Contest Administrator. A listing appears in our newsletter, Le Grand Concours, in the French Review, and on this web site.
What's on the test? How does one prepare students?
The
2008 Specifications for levels 01-5 and for FLES are available on this web site. Reviewing these specifications and practicing with previous contests will help both teachers and students prepare for the coming event. Review materials are available from the Director. Print out and use the Order Form on this site.At what level must a student enter?
Students take the examination for the level at which they are currently receiving school credit. Exceptions:
 | FLES: Students in Grades 1-6 |
| Level 01: Students in Grade 7 or 8 who began their study of French in the Fall of the current year. |
| Level 1: Students in Grades 9-12 who began their study of French in the Fall of the current year. |
(back to list of FAQ's)
What is the difference among Divisions?
Students entering the secondary school category (Levels 01-5) present varying backgrounds: some come from homes where French is spoken; others have not heard a word of correct French until they cross the threshold of their classroom.
To compensate for these differences, examinations at Levels 01, 1, and 2 are entered in different divisions: A -- E. Divisions D and E have been added for students studying under a block or modular schedule. All tests within the same level are identical; grouping by division is done to promote more equitable placement. Thus, one student entering at Level 1A and another at 1C will take the same test, but the 1A student will be scored with other 1A students; the 1C student will be scored with other 1C students. Further explanations of Divisions and other enrollment information is available here or you can contact your local Contest Administrator, the Director, or the National Chair of Eligibility.
| Division A is designed, en principe, for students who begin their study of French in American secondary schools without any significant prior French experience. |
| Division B is for students with some prior or outside experience with French. |
| Division C is designed for students whose French background is more extensive than students in Division B (i.e. native speakers). |
| Division D is designed for students who have just started a new level of French at Contest time. |
| Division E is for students not currently taking French. |
(back to list of FAQ's)
What are the dates for Contest administration?
A range of dates is provided to compensate for local school activities and holidays. Chapters are requested, however, when administratively possible, to select a single date for all participants within the Chapter. For 2008 the FLES Contest dates are February 18-27; the Secondary Contest dates are March 1 - 23.
Where may the contest be held?
FLES may be administered in the classroom. Levels 01-5 are administered in Area
Centers or in the classroom. AATF encourages Chapters to establish several Area Centers in order to minimize
student and teacher travel. However, where administratively necessary, Levels 01-5 may be
administered during the school day in individual schools.
The following fees represent the National expenses, for basic test and tape development, duplication, and distribution; administrative costs; computer scoring; mailing fees; stationery; publicity; and prizes. Chapters normally add a charge to these fees to support local Contest expenses.
FLES exams are sold in kit form only, with printed and taped material in sufficient quantity to test 10 students.
| KIT FORM A: speaking and listening comprehension: $16.00. |
| KIT FORM B: speaking, listening comprehension, reading comprehension: $18.00. |
| Listening comprehension CDs: $6.00 |
SECONDARY SCHOOLS, LEVELS 01-5:
| Individual exams:
|
| Listening Comprehension CDs @ $6.00 |
NOTE: Chapters normally add a charge to these fees to support local Contest expenses.
(back to list of FAQ's)
What Prizes are awarded and to whom?
There are two categories of awards: Chapter and National. Chapters offer prizes to those students who are among the top scorers at the Chapter level for each level and division. National prizes are subsidized out of the fees paid by each entrant. Prizes, to be awarded by Le Grand Concours, include French dvds, medals, books, etc. In addition, various French firms donate prizes which are distributed to National winners. National winners are students who place in the top ten ranks.
How many students may enter Le Grand Concours?
The Executive Council of the AATF recommends that teachers enter all of their students.
The purpose goes far beyond "winning" or receiving national recognition. It
provides a solid class activity; it also provides a national "guide" to help
teachers determine how their students perform, item by item, based upon major grammatical
concepts, reading comprehension, aural comprehension, and cultural topics. By the way,
individual student scores are never published by the National Office.
We do! All tests will be computer-scored by AATF. Results will be sent in a timely fashion.
Join AATF! Help us work more harmoniously to continue to encourage the study of French. Enter all of your students in Le Grand Concours. Since all prizes at the National level are partially subsidized out of participants' fees, the greater the number of participants, the greater the number and quality of prizes. Send suggestions for improving our efforts to the appropriate member of the Grand Concours National Committee. If in doubt, send comments to the National Director.