Nikki Scott-Despaigne Mar 25, 2018:

The condition is used a lot in psychological reports. If the parents or the child have provided a "certificat de scolarité", then the conditional would probably not be used here. So yes, it may have the "allegedly" meaning (is said to be, etc.), but more context will indicate whether there is a reason to translate this in a conditional in English. There may be some indication of a particular starting point in time, in which case, conditional may be appropriate. That said, in English, one very common solution would be to use the simple present tense. More context might help, particularly info on what has gone before.

One strong argument in support of the use of the present tense here is "X explique que": "X tells me that Y is completemy bilingual, etc." Even the future element in the sentence that follows could be expressed in the present tense in English too : "He says that he wants to go to a college in Canada ... after the lycée, etc." You could use "would like to" too.

Tony M Mar 25, 2018:

@ ph-b + Charles Thanks so much for that information, and for giving me the right term; I remember this being discussed years and years ago, when "Have I Got News For You" first started coining their "allegedly" catch phrase, but never knew the official term; I was going to say 'suppository conditional', but then realized that wasn't right :-))

ph-b (X) Mar 25, 2018:

About Charles's conditionnel journalistique https://hal-univ-diderot.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01227288 - with ideas on how best to convey it (no offence to anyone, of course - I just thought it made interesting reading)

Daryo Mar 25, 2018:

agree on that it's just the psychologist reporting what this young man is saying, with an added layer of "reserve" [implied: it's him saying that, not me].

Charles Davis Mar 25, 2018:

Students are normally 16 when they start 1ère and 17 when they finish, but he could have had to repeat a year, particularly if his native language is English (he claims to think in English); redoublement is not uncommon with students whose level of French is not considered adequate and perhaps this was the case when he was younger. Or he could have been placed a year behind his age group when he entered the French system.

The conditionals are surely reporting what he claims is currently the case and are neither conditional nor future in sense. He is (he says) currently in 1ère. The tense usage is as in this document from Luxembourg, dated 2016:

"A cet égard, il explique qu'il serait scolarisé au Luxembourg, pays où sa famille séjournerait depuis le 23 mai 2011. Inscrit au Lycée Michel Lucius, il serait un bon élève, qui serait apprécié tant par ses camarades de classe que par le personnel enseignant"
http://www.ja.etat.lu/35001-40000/36348.pdf

This is sometimes called the "conditionnel journalistique", I believe. The sense is "allegedly".

Tony M Mar 25, 2018:

@ Asker French secondary education runs in reverse order from 6ème (age approx. 12) to 1ère — the logic is that is is the sixth – first year prior to the final year. Then they arrive in Terminale at age approx. 18 when they will be taking the Bac.