1. FSL Student Proficiency and Confidence
Dr. Katherine Rehner,
University of Toronto Mississauga

2. 
Dr. Ken Shore:
confidence is “one of the building blocks of school success; it provides a firm foundation for learning”
Starting Premise *all hand-drawn images are copyright material from the video produced by Curriculum Services Canada (

3. Background Common European Framework of Reference Funded by
Government of Ontario
Government of Canada—Department of Canadian Heritage
Directed by
Curriculum Services Canada
Background

4. CEFR & DELF familiar expressions, basic phrases
routine tasks, exchange of information
simple connected text, familiar topics
native speakers: fluency & spontaneity
CEFR & DELF

5. 14 Ontario Boards
84 students
207 students
143 students
Student Sample

6. from Boards, but not their teachers
Self-selected
DELF level
Certified examiners
from Boards, but not their teachers
Data Collection—DELF

7. Data Collection—Survey
Student survey:
Background info
what languages
which FSL programs
extra-curricular exposure
use of French media
Confidence
conversing, listening, writing, reading
range of situations and speakers
Self-rated exam performance
Data Collection—Survey

8. Core
Extended
Immersion B2 A2 A2 B2 B1 A2 B1 B2 B1
Sample by Program

9. 1. How did the students perform on the DELF overall and by skill area?
= overall average of 70%
= 79%
= 72%
= 62%
1. How did the students perform on the DELF overall and by skill area?

10. 1. DELF performance (continued)
 Oral & written production
Oral comprehension +
  
Written Comprehension
Written Comprehension
Written & Oral Production
Oral Comprehension
Written Comprehension & Oral Production
Oral Comprehension & Written Production
1. DELF performance (continued)

11. Strengths Improvement
Presenting information
Following instructions
Contextualized use of grammar
Contextualized use of
vocab (B1, B2)
2. Which sub-skills were strongest and which offered most room for improvement?

12. Proficiency-Related Conclusions
Elizabeth Hoerath
Transforming FSL website
Curriculum Services Canada
Proficiency-Related Conclusions

13. Proficiency-Related Conclusions © Elizabeth Hoerath and Curriculum Services Canada (

14. Proficiency-Related Conclusions
Using grammar and vocabulary in context
spontaneous
unrehearsed
subtleties of use
facilitate communication
action-oriented
inductive
Proficiency-Related Conclusions

15. 1. How confident are the students in each skill area?
Overall 
Reading
Listening
Writing
Conversing
= lowest confidence in productive skills
= lower confidence in oral skills than for B2
= higher conversing confidence than other levels
1. How confident are the students in each skill area?

16. Non-Francophones & classmates
Conversing
Teachers, classmates, friends
Francophones
Listening
2. In which situations do the students feel most and least confident in each skill area?

17. 2. Situations (continued)
Non-Francophones
Francophones
Writing
Teachers & classmates
Non-Francophones
Francophones
Reading
2. Situations (continued)

18. 2. Situations (continued)
Socio-situational factors impact confidence more than does underlying skill-confidence
2. Situations (continued)

19. Interactive exposure leads to greater conversing confidence.
Interactive exposure leads to greater conversing confidence.
3. How do interactive and receptive exposure connect to student confidence in each DELF level by skill area?

20. 3. Interactive and receptive exposure (continued)
Receptive exposure leads to greater writing and reading confidence (A2) and greater conversing and writing confidence (B1).
3. Interactive and receptive exposure (continued)

21. 3. Interactive and receptive exposure (continued)
interactive = oral skill confidence
receptive = written skills confidence
impact on confidence across skills
limited impact on confidence
3. Interactive and receptive exposure (continued)

22. Confidence-Related Conclusions
= greatest confidence
Interactive exposure can help boost conversing confidence.
Confidence-Related Conclusions

23. Confidence-Related Conclusions (continued)
We need to work explicitly on confidence.
Confidence-Related Conclusions (continued)

24. greater confidence greater confidence Higher score for all skills (except written production)
Higher scores for written
comprehension & production
Higher oral production scores
1. How is confidence in each skill area related to DELF scores for the same skill?

25. =
No connections (except receptive exposure  oral comprehension)
Receptive exposure leads to higher oral & written production scores.
Interactive exposure  higher oral scores.
Receptive exposure  higher written scores.
2. How do interactive and receptive exposure connect to students’ performance on DELF components?

26. =
Greater writing confidence leads to higher written production scores.
Greater confidence leads to
higher scores for ALL SKILLS (except for written production).
No such connections.
3. How is situational confidence in each skill area related to DELF scores for same skill?

27. YES!
Except for oral production for level A2.
4. Does self-assessed performance on each DELF component connect to students’ scores for that component?

28. Conclusions: Connecting Confidence and Proficiency

29. Conclusions: Proficiency
Strengths Opportunities for improvement
* Written Comprehension
* Oral Production (B2)
* Presenting information
* Following instructions
* Oral Comprehension
* Written Production
* Use of grammar and vocabulary in context

30. Conclusions: Confidence
Strengths Opportunities for improvement
* Reading confidence
* Non-Francophones
* Individual settings
* Friends
* Conversing confidence
* Francophones
* Large groups
* Unknown speakers

31. Conclusions: Proficiency & Confidence
Greater confidence is leading to higher DELF scores… Opportunities to strengthen link between proficiency & confidence…
* A2 = reading & writing
* B1 = conversing & listening
* B2 = reading & listening
* A2 = oral skills
* B1 = written production

32. Invitation to Consider…
How do these research-based findings compare with what you know to be true from your own experience?
Proficiency
Strengths: reading, conversing (B2), presenting information, following instructions
Improvements: listening, writing, using grammar and vocab in context
Confidence
Strengths: reading, non-Francophones, individual setting, friends
Improvements: conversing, Francophones, groups, strangers
Proficiency & Confidence
Strengths: A2=reading, writing; B1=conversing, listening; B2=reading, listening
Improvements: A2=orals skills; B1=written production