DFP Tourism-Hospitality-Catering
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Demonstrate your ability to work in French in the tourism, hospitality and catering industries!
Would you like to become a travel consultant, tour guide, receptionist, stopover agent, waiter or head waiter, or work in the tourism, hotel and/or catering industries in general?
The Diploma in French for Tourism, Hospitality and Catering will help you stand out professionally.
More information
Valid for life, the diploma is aimed at non-French-speaking staff in restaurants, hotels and travel agencies whose job it is to welcome French-speaking customers or develop business in French-speaking markets.
This diploma certifies your ability to use French effectively, both orally and in writing, in a variety of professional communication situations, by offering activities that are as close as possible to professional reality such as:
- respond to customer comments on a forum, draw up a plan for a guided tour, write the promotional text for a tourist offer
- welcome a customer, take an order, write a promotional text for a tourist offer, explain a map and advise a customer
The exam for the Diploma in French for Tourism, Hospitality and Catering is taken online, followed by an oral interview.
It consists of two parts:
01. Understanding and Processing Information
- Via computer
- Duration between 45 mins and 2 hrs depending on level
- Depending on the level, 3 to 7 activities (professional situations) based on the processing of authentic written documents (e.g. product sheet, graphs, etc.) and/or audio files (e.g. answering machine messages, a debate between experts, etc.) and on the written production of a professional document (e.g. e-mail, report, etc.)
- The number and nature of the documents to be processed or produced vary according to level
02. Oral Interaction
- Conversation (role-playing) with an examiner
- Duration between 5 and 15 mins depending on level, with preparation time
- 2 activities (professional scenarios) involving oral interaction (conversation to inform or convince) or oral production (e.g. presentation of a product)
- All the necessary information is provided in the subject line
Description of diplomas by level
The Diploma in French for Tourism, Hospitality and Catering is available in 3 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): A2, B1 and B2.
Diploma in French for Tourism, Hospitality and Catering A2
Level
The Diploma in French for Tourism, Hospitality and Catering A2 certifies elementary competence in French: the holder of this diploma can understand and express themselves in order to carry out communicative tasks in the simplest situations of everyday social and professional life.
Presentation of the tests
Total examination time: 1 hr 15 mins
Understanding and Processing Information
- Processing written information:
1) Update a hotel’s reservation register,
2) Identify the nature of customer comments and pass them on to the appropriate department - Processing oral information:
1) Note the purpose of a customer’s request during their stay,
2) Fill in a restaurant reservation book,
3) Take an order,
4) Direct a traveler, indicate an itinerary - Written expression and interaction: Write an e-mail in response to a reservation request
Oral Interaction
- Activity 1: Inform a customer about a city’s tourist activities
- Activity 2: Welcoming customers and presenting a menu
Skills assessed
Understanding and Processing Information
You can understand the essential elements of written administrative documents (passport, identity card) and customer messages.
You can understand the essentials of simple requests and short, predictable messages, face-to-face or over the phone in the most common reception situations.
You can draft standard business documents and write simple e-mail responses to requests for information, confirmation or cancelation in predictable situations.
Oral Interaction
You can establish very simple social and professional contacts and greet a customer, describe a tourist product, exchange factual information in a limited number of known or predictable situations.
Diploma in French for Tourism, Hospitality and Catering B1
Level
The Diploma in French for Tourism, Hospitality and Catering B1 certifies proficiency in French at an independent level, enabling users to understand and express themselves in everyday social and professional situations.
The holder of this diploma is able to carry out routine acts of professional communication in a routine or unpredictable context.
Presentation of the tests
Total examination time: 1 hr 55 mins
Understanding and Processing Information
- Processing written information:
1) Propose a menu adapted to a service request,
2) Respond to customer comments on a forum - Processing oral information:
1) Take orders, taking into account specific customer requests,
2) Display information about confirmed or canceled services - Written expression and interaction: Draft a proposal for a customized travel package
Oral Interaction
- Activity 1: Present tourist routes and argue in favor of one of them
- Activity 2: Present a guided tour plan
Skills assessed
Understanding and Processing Information
You can understand the essential elements of professional customer documents (menus, brochures, maps, activity programs, descriptions of tourist services) and customer messages.
You can understand the gist of requests and messages from customers or service providers, face-to-face or over the phone, in routine or unpredictable situations.
You can write standard business documents and tailor proposals, particularly in response to customer requests for services, and provide personalized responses to customer feedback.
Oral Interaction:
You can present a tourist offer in a personalized, well-argued manner,
start a guided tour by announcing the program.
Diploma in French for Tourism, Hospitality and Catering B2
Level
The Diploma in French for Tourism, Hospitality and Catering B2 certifies independent-level competence in French, enabling the user to communicate effectively in a wide range of professional communication situations.
The holder of this diploma is able to perform written and spoken professional communication tasks in all standard situations in their professional environment, including those requiring a certain degree of unexpectedness.
Presentation of the tests
Total examination time: 2 hrs 35 mins
Understanding and Processing Information
- Processing written information: Take notes to prepare a guided tour from a documentary file
- Processing oral information: Write an e-mail in response to a complaint
- Written expression and interaction: Write the promotional text for a tourism offer
Oral Interaction
- Activity 1: Explain a menu and advise customers according to their tastes
- Activity 2: Start a guided tour (present the geographical, historical, stylistic or cultural particularities of a site or work)
Skills assessed
Understanding and Processing Information
You can understand the essential elements of specialized descriptions relating to the tourism field (guidebooks, specialized press, specialized books: history, geography, architecture, etc.).
You can understand and respond to complaints with a personalized solution.
You’ll be able to write standard business documents, as well as a promotional text for a tourist product.
Oral Interaction:
You can present information in a structured, attractive and original way, to persuade and captivate your customer or audience.
Language proficiency levels
| Basic user | |
| A1 level Discovery |
A2 level Usual |
| Independent user | |
| B1 level Independant |
B2 level Advanced |
| Experienced user | |
| C1 level Experienced |
C2 level Fluent |
Further information
Who is the Diploma in French for Business recognized by?
Academic recognition
Diplomas in French for Business are offered at over a hundred universities and business schools worldwide, including the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna in Austria, the École Hôtellière de Lausanne in Switzerland, Bocconi University of Milan in Italy, Chosun University in South Korea, Podomoro University in Indonesia, Georgetown, DePaul and Vanderbilt Universities in the USA, and many others.
CEMS (The Global Alliance in Management Education) recognizes them for the validation of students’ French language skills at its 33 schools.
National recognition
Diplomas in French for Business are recognized by several ministries in Europe (France, Switzerland, Italy, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Austria…).
In France, Diplomas in French for Business are also recognized by the French Ministry of the Interior to validate your level of French when applying for a residence permit or naturalization in France.
Unlike the TEF, they are valid for life and will add value to your CV.
International recognition
The Diplomas in French for Business B1, B2 and C1 have also been awarded the European ALTE label, which gives them European and international scientific recognition.
What is your policy for processing my personal data?
When your register for a Diploma in French for Professions, Le français des affaires will collect a certain amount of information to reply to your request.
Le français des affaires will keep your data on file for 10 years. They are not transferred to third parties.
The data collected may also be processed for the purpose of carrying out studies and surveys, in order to improve our services. In this case, the data collected during surveys will be kept for a period of one year and will not be passed on to third parties.
In accordance with the French Data Protection Act of January 6, 1978, as amended, and the Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016-679, and within the framework and limits set by these texts, you may exercise your right to access data concerning you and have it rectified or deleted, which you may do by contacting francais@cci-paris-idf.fr or, in the event of difficulty, the Data Protection Officer at cpdp@cci-paris-idf.fr.
Finally, you can file a complaint with the CNIL, 3 Place de Fontenoy – TSA 80715 – 75334 PARIS CEDEX 07.