Le Régent welcomes students from over 50 countries around the world. Many of our students are bilingual or even trilingual, speaking and writing in more than one language.
As well as encouraging all students to master their mother-tongue language and learn a new language, we are committed to developing confidence and competence in speaking, reading and writing in French language.
As the local language of the Swiss Romande part of the Valais, where we are located and a national language of Switzerland, the instruction of French is fundamental to an education at Le Régent!
Depending on the size of each year group, up to four different levels of French language and literature can be taught, allowing for homogeneous groups. We offer different abilities of our students, and teach a range of levels from beginners to advanced, thus catering for those who are new to French, as well as those who are bilingual. Only in the case of special educational needs will the omission of French be accepted.
In Juniors, from as early as Kindergarten, French is an integral part of our core curriculum. Furthermore, lessons of Art and Design are delivered through the French medium, reinforcing the learning with a very practical exposure to the language.
Students are placed in groups of different levels from Grade 1. The beginner and intermediate groups develop their understanding of Francophone culture and focus on building a solid foundation in the language. They engage in fundamental vocabulary acquisition, learning everyday phrases and basic grammar. Simple conversations are centred around familiar topics such as family, daily routines, animals etc. Students in G5 will have the opportunity to take a DELF Prim exam.
The advanced group follows a curriculum adapted from the Swiss system. As such, they develop their understanding of the mechanism of the French language and improve their written and oral expression.
As French is an integral part of our core curriculum, all students receive a minimum of three hours of French per week (4 periods). Year groups are divided into three to four ability levels, ranging from beginners to advanced, native speakers who study French language and literature. All students will be able to take a DELF exam at the end of Grade 10.
Our Senior students are given the choice to include French as one of their two language subjects , studied as part of their IB Diploma Programme. This option is available at both standard and higher levels, accommodating beginners in the Ab Initio group, intermediate learners in the Language B group and advanced speakers opting for Language and Literature.
We offer a range of languages taught to either first or second-language learners.
We strongly encourage all students to maintain and develop their ‘first’ or mother-tongue language throughout their studies at Le Régent. The literature and culture of this first language will probably be one of the subjects studied at the International Baccalaureate, guaranteeing a Bilingual IB Diploma. Our offerings include Spanish, Mandarin, German, Italian, Russian and Arabic.
Students also have the opportunity to study languages such as Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese, Russian, Italian and German. Some of these languages are included as part of the curriculum while others are added separately for an additional fee. More information about the rates for these private lessons can be found on our portal.
From Grades 6 to 10, the following languages offered in 2024/2025 are as follows:
IB 1 and 2 Students are given the choice to include Spanish, Mandarin, German, Italian, Russian and Arabic as one of their two language subjects in the IB Diploma Programme. This option is available at both standard and higher levels, accommodating beginner classes in AB Initio, intermediate classes in Language B as well as advanced speakers opting for Literature. These classes may be subject to additional cost or may not be opened if the number of students is less than 3.
We prepare our students for a range of language examinations such as DELF Prim, DELF (French), Certificat Voltaire (French), GOETHE (German), HSK (Mandarin) and IGCSE.
Typically, all Grade 10 students have the opportunity to take an external language exam to validate their language proficiency before transitioning to the IB programme, where they may opt to discontinue the study of that language. These external exams may also be taken by younger students should they wish to confirm their language level.
IGCSE Edexcel French, Mandarin and Spanish language exams can be taken at the end of Grade 9 for students learning these languages at an advanced level.