"Oh, I didn’t know you speak German. How well do you speak it?". These are tricky questions to answer. Some people rate their level "intermediate" for being able to say "hello" (no offence, but I’ve found this something Americans do more frequently) while others may say they "really don’t speak that much" whereas actually they can have a pretty good mastery of the language (I find this more frequently happening with Japanese).
Now you can take a test like TOEFL or IELTS for English, DELE for Spanish, HSK or BCT for Chinese, but that’s not going to impress anyone who doesn’t know what the levels in these schemes stand for. It doesn’t enable one to compare, say, my Spanish proficiency level to your level in Japanese.
The European Union, a community of many languages, has come up with a solution for this, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Regardless of the language, this framework rates you as a Basic Speaker (A), Independent Speaker (B) or Proficient Speaker (C). Each of these three proficiency levels is then subdivided in two stages, so when you learn any language, you will progress from A1 to C2.
Here is a table describing the different level ratings, credit to Wikipedia:
|
A1 Breakthrough |
Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help. |
| A2 Waystage | Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need. |
| B1 Treshold | Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes & ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans. |
| B2 Vantage | Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options. |
| C1 Effective Operational Proficiency | Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices. |
| C2 Mastery | Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations. |
Pingback: Certifying your Japanese level « Learn Languages :: Yago