Does McGill University give transfer credit for IB French A: Language and Literature HL?

There is a real question about what happens if you want to continue studying French at McGill, but it works differently than the "native speaker trap" narrative suggests. Here is how the system actually functions:

The French Language Centre (FLC) requires a placement test for all students, including complete beginners. The test determines which FRSL course level is appropriate for you. If the placement test shows your French proficiency exceeds the level offered by the FLC, you will be directed to the Département des littératures de langue française, de traduction et de création (DLLF) or the School of Continuing Studies. This routing is based on your demonstrated proficiency, not on the fact that you took French A rather than French B.

Crucially, the DLLF is not exclusively for native francophones. The department explicitly acknowledges that non-francophone students study there and considers their presence an advantage of the learning environment. The DLLF even offers a "Langue française" minor specifically designed for French-as-a-second-language students who already have a solid command of the language. All instruction is conducted entirely in French, which is demanding but not the same thing as being graded against native speakers with an unfair standard.

One specific course worth understanding: FREN 201, sometimes cited as a "native-level" composition course, is actually titled "Le français littéraire (français langue seconde)"—Literary French for FSL students. Its prerequisite is FRSL 431 or enrollment in advanced FRSL courses (445, 446, 449, or 455). It serves as a bridge from the FLC into the DLLF, not as a native-speaker gauntlet.