Learn French in Singapore
Singapore has no French-speaking population of its own, yet French has a steady place in its classrooms. Many people here first met the language as a third language at secondary school and want to pick it back up as adults.
French in Singapore
French has no official status in Singapore, whose official languages are English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. It reaches people mainly through education. The Ministry of Education Language Centre was set up in 1978 to teach French and Japanese as third languages, and French remains one of the third languages it offers to secondary students today. Alliance Française de Singapour also runs modular French lessons for students of MOE schools, with fees subsidised by the ministry. For French-speaking families, the International French School (Singapore), historically the Lycée Français de Singapour, teaches the French national curriculum to children aged 2 to 18 from its campus in Ang Mo Kio and is linked to the AEFE, the agency for French schools abroad. The result is a city where French is a learned language rather than a home language for most people.
Why people in Singapore learn French
A large share of adult learners in Singapore studied French at the MOE Language Centre and do not want to lose it. Others have children in the bilingual or French stream at the International French School and want to follow homework and talk with teachers. Some work with colleagues or clients in France, Belgium, Switzerland or francophone Africa and find that even basic French makes calls and visits easier. Students looking at universities in France or Canada need a recognised level, often B2, and a DELF diploma is valid for life. Travel also plays a part, since French is spoken from Paris and Geneva to Québec.
The French you'll hear
There is no local French dialect in Singapore, so the useful target is the standard French taught in France, which is what Alliance Française, the MOE Language Centre and the DELF exams are built around. That is the French you will hear from French expatriates at the International French School and in French businesses here. If you plan to move to Montréal, it is worth also learning a few Québec words later, since everyday vocabulary there differs in places. Start with clear standard pronunciation and the polite vous form, which suits both workplaces and first meetings.
- J'ai appris le français au lycée.I learned French at secondary school.
- Je voudrais reprendre le français.I would like to take up French again.
- Vous pouvez parler plus lentement, s'il vous plaît ?Could you speak more slowly, please?
- Mon fils est à l'école française.My son goes to the French school.
- Je prépare le DELF B2.I am preparing for the DELF B2.
French exams in Singapore
Alliance Française de Singapour states on its own site that it is the only official centre in Singapore for the DELF and DALF, the French Ministry of Education diplomas from A1 to C2. It offers adult versions as well as DELF Prim and DELF Junior for children and teenagers. Its certifications page also lists the TEF and the DFP professional French diplomas. Check its exam calendar for the next session and registration deadline.
Check dates and fees with the exam centre directly; they change every session.
Where to start in the course
French Ultimate is an online course, so you can follow it from Singapore or anywhere else. These topics are the most useful here:
Questions about learning French in Singapore
I did French at the MOE Language Centre years ago. Where should I restart?
Most people who stopped after secondary school remember more than they think. Take a placement test and you will often land around A2 or B1. French Ultimate is an online course, so you can revise the A2 grammar units quickly, then move on to new material at your own pace in the evenings, without needing to travel across the island to a class.
Does French Ultimate have a school or teachers in Singapore?
No. French Ultimate is an online course with video lessons, speaking practice, graded stories and DELF and DALF mock exams. It has no premises, teachers or partners in Singapore. If you want a physical classroom or need to sit the official exam, Alliance Française de Singapour is the accredited centre for DELF and DALF here.
Is a DELF certificate useful if I already took French at O-Level?
They measure different things. A school result shows you passed a national syllabus, while the DELF places you on the international CEFR scale used by universities and employers abroad. French universities commonly ask for B2. Because the DELF does not expire, it can be worth sitting while your school French is still fresh.
Learn French from Singapore, at your own pace
Animated video lessons that stop for your answers, speaking practice, graded stories and DELF/DALF mock exams, from A1 to C2. Start with the free placement test to see where you are.
Take the placement test