Levels

Listed below are the levels now recognized by the European Council, and what you need to be able to do, in order to reach each level.

The descriptive names of the levels have changed,
but I have listed the old names first, so that you will not be confused.

A1 – Beginners (now called Breakthrough)

You need to be able to understand everyday expressions.
To be able to introduce yourself to others.
To be able to ask and answer basic questions about where you live, what you do etc.
For example: Ask about food and drink, and order something to eat in a restaurant.
To be able to have a simple conversation as long as the other person speaks slowly and clearly.

A2 – Pre-Intermediate (now called Waystage)

You need to be able to understand sentences that have to do with daily life. For example: family information, shopping, work, leisure etc.
You should be able to have a normal conversation about these things even though you don’t have a lot of vocabulary.
You should be able to describe what you do and ask questions of the other person.

B1 – Intermediate (now called Threshold)

You should be able to do things like rent an apartment, open a bank account, ask for directions, etc.
Be able to deal with most situations when travelling in a country where the language is spoken.
Be able to talk and write about experiences and events, giving reasons and explanations for the way you think and feel.

B2 – Upper Intermediate (now called Vantage)

You should be able to express yourself clearly on most topics, giving detailed descriptions of people and places where necessary.
Be able to hold technical discussions in your particular field.
Be able to converse normally without any difficulty with native speakers.
Be able to write about a wide range of subjects, giving opinions and explaining viewpoints.

C1 – Advanced (now called Effective Operational Proficiency )

You must have the ability to communicate well and be able to deal with unfamiliar topics, recognizing specific meaning.
Express yourself fluently without spending time trying to remember the correct words and expressions.
Be able to communicate within a group of people. For example: In a discussion or an argument where you must hold your own and have your turn to speak.
Be able to produce written text on complex subjects.

C2 – Proficiency (now called Mastery)

You need to be able to understand easily virtually everything you hear.
Speak fluently and spontaneously, as well as a native speaker, in difficult situations.
Be able to deal with academic material and summarize information from different sources.
Be able to read and understand text as quickly (or more so) than a native speaker.
At this stage, it should also be possible to teach the language to others.

These descriptions now refer to any of the languages in Europe.
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment has been developed by the Language Policy Division of the Council of Europe (Strasbourg) (c) 2001 Council of Europe, Language Policy Division

The Association of Language Testers of Europe (ALTE), whose members have aligned their language examinations with the CEF, provides guidance on the number of guided teaching hours needed to fulfil the aims of each CEF level:

A1 Approximately 90 - 100 hours

A2 Approximately 180 - 200 hours

B1 Approximately 350 - 400 hours

B2 Approximately 500 - 600 hours

C1 Approximately 700 - 800 hours

C2 Approximately 1,000 - 1,200 hours

Guided teaching hours are the hours during which the learner is in a formal learning context such as the classroom. The number of hours needed for different learners varies greatly, depending on a range of factors such as:

• age and motivation

• background

• amount of prior study and extent of exposure to the language outside the classroom

• amount of time spent in individual study.

"LEVELS"

How do you know what English level you are?

Listed below are the levels now recognized by the European Council, and what you need to be able to do, in order to reach each level.