My Journey to Ace the DELF-B2 Production Écrite- The writing Test

Hey everyone! 🌟 Today, I’m here to spill the beans on how I geared up for the DELF-B2 Production Écrite. Trust me, it’s not just about cramming; it’s an adventure! 🌈

Why Read My Story? 🤔

By the end of this fun ride, you’ll get a sneak peek into:

• Some cool topic examples I encountered during my DELF-B2 Production Écrite preparation. 📚
• My personal strategy that I swear by. 🧠
• A glimpse into the evaluation criteria (not as boring as it sounds, promise!). 📝
• The structure of the DELF B2 (know your enemy, right?). 🏗️
• Tips and tricks that saved my life. 💡
• How I rocked my preparation online with GlobalExam (virtual high five!). 💻

Preparing for the DELF B2? Stick with me, and let’s dive into the world of written production! 🏊‍♂️

My Encounter with the DELF-B2 Production Écrite Topics 🤺

Topic 1: A Letter to the Mayor 🏛️

Picture this: I’m living in this quaint pedestrian area in the heart of France. Then boom! The mayor decides to let buses zoom through our peaceful streets. 😱 So, what did I do? I penned down a letter to Monsieur le Maire, expressing my dismay (politely, of course). I talked about safety concerns, pollution, noise – you name it. I felt like a true activist! ✊ Lets read the same topic in French below:

Vous vivez en France dans une zone piétonne du centre-ville. Le maire de votre ville a décidé d’ouvrir certaines des rues de cette zone à la circulation des autobus pendant la journée. Comme représentant(e) de votre immeuble, vous écrivez une lettre au maire pour contester cette décision en justifiant votre point de vue.

You will need to present your subject in the form of a letter, with your address at the top, the date, and the subject. You will also need to start and end with a polite salutation appropriate for the mayor. Of course, it will be essential to use the formal “vous” form of address.

As for the arguments, you can develop them around themes such as: safety; pollution; noise; space. For each argument, you can develop a specific example: the safety of children; pollution for people sitting at café terraces; the noise disturbing the many people who work remotely in the building…

Stay tuned for a series of DELF-B2 Production Écrite compositions I am planning to post for you to prepare better for your exam 🙂

Topic 2: Article in the University Journal 🎓

Next up, I stumbled upon this topic: “Should work be a source of happiness?” I took a deep dive into this philosophical ocean and came up with a riveting article for the uni’s magazine. It was all about finding joy in work, with examples from doctors to baristas. A real eye-opener! 🌟

Le magazine de votre université en France invite ses lecteurs à contribuer sur le sujet suivant : le travail doit-il être une source de bonheur ? Vous décidez de participer en exprimant votre opinion dans un article construit et illustré d’exemples pertinents. (250 mots)

In this topic, you will first need to choose which viewpoint you will defend (it can be nuanced or firm). Then, you will need to present the topic with a title, a chapeau (an introductory summary), and a development that is also organized into several parts, each argued with an example.

For example, you could argue that it is possible to have a vocation by giving the example of doctors, talk about menial jobs by mentioning a personal experience, or argue about the work-life balance by discussing how it works in your country.

My Secret Strategy for Written Production 🕵️‍♂️

Regardless of the topic, here’s what I did:

• I stuck to the format like glue. 📄
• Organised my thoughts into a killer intro, body, and conclusion. 💭
• Used connectors like “tout d’abord”, “enfin” – you get the drift. 🔗. Have a look at the video I have shared after the Conclusion in this post
• Spiced things up with personal anecdotes – real or made-up (shh!). 🤫
• Employed persuasive vocab like “je pense que”, “il faut absolument” – felt like a French lawyer! 🗣️

The Scoring Saga 🎖️

Aiming for B2 means showing off how I can independently use French to argue and express my viewpoints. The test is out of 25 points, and I needed at least 5 per section to pass. No pressure, right? 😅

At this level, you must primarily show your ability to give your point of view and to organize a simple argument on a subject that directly affects you. It will be a societal theme to be treated in a personal way: for example, writing to the management of your child’s school, writing an article in your company’s newspaper; fun? Pfff no mais bon…🤔

Points are distributed according to numerous criteria such as (for example):

• Respect for the instructions.
• The ability to argue.
• Orthographic correctness.
• The extent of the vocabulary.
• The degree of elaboration of the sentences.

Word Count Woes 📏

The magic number was 250 words. Not too long to ramble, not too short to seem skimpy. And yes, every word counted – even “J’ai”! However, do not write too much as this increases the risk of making mistakes. Normally, there is a tolerance of 10%. If you write 225 words, it will not be penalized, but points will be deducted if you do not reach this number.

How to Count the Number of Words?

A word is a set of characters separated by a space.

For example: “Je suis libre” [I am free] = 3 words

“J’ai bu du thé” [I drank tea] = 4 words (j’ai = 1 word)

My Lifesaving Tips for the Test 🛟

• Read everything twice (or thrice!). 👀
• Jot down a roadmap of your ideas. 🗺️
• Craft an intro and conclusion that stick. 🧲
• Use examples like a pro storyteller. 📖
• Connectors! Connectors! Connectors! Cant stress enough on the importance of it!
• Save time for a quick review at the end – no silly mistakes on my watch! ⌚

Conclusion:

And that, my friends, is how I turned the daunting task of preparing for the DELF B2 written production into an exhilarating and rewarding journey. If I can do it, so can you! Let’s ace this together! 🎓🌟

Stay tuned for a series of DELF-B2 Production Écrite compositions I am planning to post for you to prepare better for your exam 🙂

No this video my friends, is a life saver when it comes to learning the right connectors! I love Vincent for his content-rich approach to explain the nitty gritties of the French language. This was one of my holy grail videos to ace DELF B2- both oral and written for connectors! You are welcome :P:P

Hope you had fun our beginner friendly French Grammar quiz on “Aller”. Find our latest blog post here.

My works

P.S. Are French verb conjugations nightmarishly hard for you? Or you are someone who like to learn them and practice to perfect your French? Regardless, I have written this book to help fellow learners own French conjugations like a boss!