English for beginners level A1. European Framework of Reference for Languages

English level A2 is the second level of language proficiency in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), a system for determining different language levels compiled by the Council of Europe. In everyday speech, this level can be called basic (for example, “I speak basic English”). The term elementary is the official description of a level in the CEFR - it is a basic level. A student who has mastered a basic level of English can meet his or her basic communication needs.

How to determine that you know English at A2 level

The best way to determine whether your English language skills meet the A2 level is to take a high-quality standardized test. Below is a list of the main internationally recognized tests and their corresponding A2 scores:

What can you do with an A2 level of English?

English level A2 is sufficient for tourist travel in an English-speaking country and communication with native English speakers. However, level A2 is considered insufficient to establish deeper friendships. Level of English A2 also allows you to collaborate with English-speaking colleagues, but work communication in English is limited to well-known topics at A2 level. A2 level of English is not enough to conduct scientific research or to understand English-language media (television, cinema, radio, magazines, etc.).

According to official CEFR guidelines, a student proficient in English at level A2:

Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to major areas of life to which it is directly related (e.g., basic information about family, shopping, geography, employment).
Can communicate within simple and everyday tasks that require a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar or everyday topics.
Can describe in simple terms individual aspects of his past, present, as well as issues related to areas with which he, she, and she directly interact.

History of the CEFR

Knowledge of a language at a certain level can be very different for different languages. It’s not surprising, because all languages are different - one has developed system grammatical tenses, but the words do not change. In the other there are only three tenses, but you will have to work hard on cases and declensions. In the third, the grammar is primitive, but each word is not a set of letters, but a unique picture (hieroglyph). For each of them, “I know this language at an intermediate level” will mean a completely different set of skills.

What happened before the CEFR scale appeared? In each country, determining levels of knowledge local language, as a rule, was carried out by a separate organization (usually the most respected in the field of language learning) - the Cervantes Institute in Spain, the Goethe Institute in Germany, Cambridge in the UK. Textbooks and courses, tests and exams, respectively, were developed for these levels, individual for each country and each language. At the same time, it was almost impossible to compare knowledge of English at the intermediate level, German at the Mittelstufe level and Chinese at the “jongdeng” (中等) level.

And so, in 1991 in Switzerland (which is no coincidence - this is a country with 4 official languages) at a scientific symposium, it was decided to develop a universal scale that can be used to assess the levels of knowledge of any language. Long story short (science is a slow business), by 2003 a pilot project of such a scale was launched, and in 2007 the final version of the CEFR scale was officially presented at a conference in Cambridge. In subsequent years, virtually all courses and exams in all European languages (and some non-European ones) were brought into line with the new scale.

How does CEFR work?

The CEFR scale consists of 3 large levels of language proficiency: A, B and C - they are called, respectively:

Basic user(“basic language user”, you can understand and use some simple elements language)
Independent user(“independent language user”, at this level you can communicate “without a dictionary”; whether good or bad, you can convey almost any idea)
Proficient user(“fluent user”, at this level you are already approaching native speakers; you can not only talk about anything, but also do it “beautifully”, it becomes pleasant to listen to you).

Each of these levels is divided into two more, which are already designated by letters - it turns out A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2– 6 levels in total. This number of levels was not chosen by chance: in order, on the one hand, to be sufficiently detailed and show different gradations in language knowledge, on the other hand, the levels should not be too close so that it is possible to distinguish them from each other.

In situations where finer crushing is still necessary, you may see something like A2.1, A2.2 or B1+. Officially, there are no such levels in the CEFR, but you can see them in the names of levels of different schools and courses, when you need to break one level into several.

How the CEFR assesses language proficiency

CEFR uses the so-called action-oriented approach, i.e. "action-oriented approach". To determine the level, it is not knowledge of any special grammatical structures or words that is used, but “what can do.” Not "learned" present perfect and 100 words from the topic ‘my city’”, and “can understand the main idea when communicating on familiar topics - work, school, leisure.”

For example, this is what “I can do” looks like for level A2:

I understand individual sentences and frequently used expressions related to basic areas of life (for example, basic information about myself and my family members, purchases, getting a job, etc.). I can perform tasks related to simple exchange of information on familiar or everyday topics. In simple terms I can tell about myself, my family and friends, and describe the main aspects of everyday life.

You see, “I can tell you about myself and my loved ones” - and it’s not so important what grammatical tense you will use, the main thing is that the interlocutor understands you - after all, this is the ultimate goal of ownership foreign language– exchange information, not learn rules.

Aspects of language proficiency (reading, writing, etc.)

The CEFR scale not only gives an overall picture of what a student can do at each level, but can also separately assess 5 components of a language (also called aspects, skills or competencies): reading, listening comprehension, speaking the language, using language for conversation, writing.

An attentive reader may have noticed that the so-called “speaking” (I know that there is no such word in Russian, but for the “speaking” skill this is the closest translation, don’t pick on it) is actually mentioned twice in this list. One skill is precisely the ability to speak (when, say, you tell something on stage or on camera), and the other is the ability to conduct a conversation: take the floor, ask for clarification, answer, joke in the end.

However, let's return to the description of the aspects. This is what understanding looks like, for example: writing(i.e. reading) for the same level A2:

I understand very short simple texts. I can find specific, predictable information in simple texts everyday communication: in advertisements, brochures, menus, schedules. I understand simple personal letters.

As you can see, this description is suitable for any language, not necessarily English. And indeed: CEFR is used to assess the level of more than 30 languages - and among them not only European ones: among the languages for which CEFR is used there are Japanese, Korean, and Chinese; on the list you can even find such exotic things as Galician (the language of one of the regions of Spain) and Esperanto (the most popular artificial language in the world).

CEFR English Proficiency Levels

Now, actually, let's look at these levels themselves. You will find official descriptions at the link at the end of the material, but here I will try to retell the description of these levels based on my experience. You can use these descriptions for an approximate self-assessment of your level, although do not forget that only such things as international exams can give a high-quality objective assessment.

About examples of speech for different levels: I tried to show in 2-3 sentences what topics and what words a student of a given level can speak on. There are more detailed descriptions of grammar and vocabulary by level on the Internet (see link at the end).

A few words about the names of the levels. Here I give original titles levels at which the CEFR was originally created. Subsequently, the names of the levels changed to the more familiar ones: beginner, elementary, etc. – more on this a little later.

A1 (Breakthrough)

Listening comprehension
You understand only familiar short phrases spoken slowly and clearly - about you, about relatives, about what is around you. A conversation is possible, but the interlocutor needs to be prepared not only to speak slowly and very clearly, but also to repeat what was said, paraphrase, using increasingly simpler structures.

If you are present during a conversation between two native speakers, you will hardly understand more than 2-3 random words. Films and TV series in the original... let's put it this way: they could just as easily be watched with the sound turned off.

Communication
You can handle things like numbers, prices, times, colors—and maybe a few other basic topics—with relative confidence. To fill gaps in vocabulary, both sides of the dialogue have to resort to gestures, facial expressions and pointing at surrounding objects.

Reading
Reading is limited to familiar words, names, sometimes in short sentences- in case something similar has already been encountered before. Even a dictionary doesn’t help much: knowledge of individual words is often not enough to even understand what is being said in principle; any slightly advanced grammatical construction will hopelessly confuse you. If you can read something at this level, it will be children's books with pictures, and not much will be gained from the pictures. less information than from words.

Speech
Basic “social phrases” – greetings, farewells, gratitude, apologies – are no problem. You can report basic information about yourself, about relatives, about something you remember from a textbook, simple descriptions and narratives. These, most likely, are not even complete sentences, but simply a set of words that we managed to remember and somehow put together. If there are no errors in the sentence, it is most likely luck. Even between such fragmentary sentences there will be noticeable pauses, during which you effortlessly scrape at the bottom of your own memory. Pronunciation at this stage, as a rule, also leaves much to be desired, so you also sometimes have to repeat what was said in order to be understood.

Example speech: My name is Dima. I live in Moscow. I want to buy this.

Letter
The simplest things, for example, filling out the questionnaire fields “name”, “nationality”, “address”, “date of birth”, etc. Any unfamiliar data will be challenging. You can rewrite a simple text written by someone else.

A1 is the very first level of the CEFR scale, at which the speaker has nothing special to brag about. Looking at the description, you might think that we are talking about a three-year-old child, and not about an adult - and, by the way, this feeling of awkwardness and helplessness is the main inhibitor for students.

However, there are two good news. First, pay attention to the official name of this stage - Breakthrough, that is, breakthrough. And this is not without reason. Yes, the difference between an A1 and a fluent speaker is huge. But between those who understand at least something and those who do not understand at all, the difference is even greater!

The second good news is that A1 is the step that will be left behind the fastest. Enjoy how your English improves noticeably literally every week - after a while you will only dream of such a rate of progress.

A2 (Waystage)

Listening comprehension
Listening comprehension still remains within the framework of several topics, but there are more such topics - shopping, transport, work, education. If the topic is familiar, you may be able to understand the main idea in a short and simple sentence.

Movies are still unavailable. Familiar words are already found in almost every phrase, but knowledge and experience are not yet enough to combine them into a coherent thought.

Communication
The conversation begins to feel like a conversation - with long pauses to find the right word, with pointing and gestures instead of words that you do not yet know. By listening to the speaker, there is a chance to understand the main idea - what is being said, whether something good or bad happened, etc. Almost all the details are still unavailable. It’s also not yet possible to actively conduct and maintain a conversation on your own.

Reading
You can read and understand, albeit with effort, short, simple texts – especially where context or “international” words help. At this level, you can already find the information you need from real daily materials: announcements, menus, schedules. Simple children's books (those with one sentence per page) are already widely accessible, but those with a paragraph per page are still a bit complex.

Speech
You can supplement information about yourself with details about your profession, education, hometown; you can talk about past events, plans, tell simple story. Phrases begin to be connected into logical structures using but, because, and, or. Speech becomes coherent, although sentences are still relatively short. In addition to memorized grammatical structures and phrases, you begin to experiment, grouping words into phrases and phrases yourself. And although such an experiment rarely goes without errors, the interlocutor will most likely understand what was meant. Listening to such speech is already quite possible, but it is still difficult - additional concentration of attention is required to grasp the meaning.

Example speech: On Friday I will go to watch a movie. I work on a marketing company in Moscow.

Letter
You can write a few phrases in English, but for now these are only the simplest things - a short letter, a chat message, a simple comment on social networks, etc. Most questionnaires are no longer difficult.

A2, level where you can string together several words, but into very simple, primitive phrases. With the exception of a few familiar topics, everything else is difficult. Your English is enough to cope with some life situations, but not with everyone.
The name of this stage is Waystage (stage of the path?) - I honestly admit, I don’t understand, and the authors don’t really explain it. I will assume that it has something to do with the fact that you have already achieved some progress, have already left the point of departure, but have not yet reached some significant level where English begins to bring practical benefits - although this is just my speculation.

B1 (Threshold)

Listening comprehension
When you listen to speech that is clearly spoken at a natural speed (such as a news anchor reading a news story or a documentary voice-over), you are able to successfully understand the main idea of what is being said, although there are still many unfamiliar words. Live speech with additional difficulties in the form of unclear pronunciation, strong accent, timbre, extraneous noise - so far it has been difficult.
Dramatic films, films with complex themes are still incomprehensible. But, for example, comedy series become accessible, especially if you have the opportunity to rewind and listen again to incomprehensible fragments.

Communication
B1 – level of English sufficient to not experience difficulties when traveling. The list of topics in which you are more or less familiar has expanded to include travel, hobbies, and current events. If the topic is familiar to you, you can take part in a very meaningful conversation. Communication becomes relatively reliable. In important and difficult situations, you can repeat what the other person said to make sure that you understood him correctly. In turn, the interlocutor generally has no problems understanding you, despite mistakes and accent.
At this level, it is already possible to make a simple presentation or report to an audience. However, the speech must be written in advance and rehearsed, and questions from the audience may remain ununderstood.

Reading
“Adult” non-adapted literature is not yet available, but books aimed at teenagers, books with a lot of dialogue and a small number of “smart” words are already tough. You get important skill- you begin to see the structure of the sentence, understand what role an unfamiliar word plays in it - a “linguistic guess” becomes available to you.

At this level, instructions or a computer program in English will not cause problems (although some words will have to be looked up in the dictionary).

Speech
You connect sentences into a meaningful structure, into a coherent narrative. You can describe events, give explanations, make assumptions, you can retell the content of a film or book, and express your opinion. Gestures and facial expressions to explain unfamiliar words give way to explanation with words. You are confident with familiar grammatical structures, but when your grammar knowledge is lacking, you are likely to use a copy of the structure of your native language, and this is most likely to be a mistake. However, you yourself already feel when you are confused and are trying to find an alternative way to construct a phrase.

Example speech: I’ve been studying English for a year. If you want to go there, you need to take a bus. We need to get to the airport at least two hours before the departure.

Letter
You can write a short, coherent text of several sentences (email, detailed comment in social network). However, such things as writing style and interesting language expressions are still inaccessible.

B1 level is a level sufficient for “survival” in English-speaking environment. You can handle any situation while traveling or living abroad. You can talk about almost any everyday topic, but the vocabulary for something more specialized will most likely be unfamiliar. However, you begin to overcome this by explaining some words with others, no longer using gestures.

The most important thing that happens at this level is that your knowledge gains enough “ critical mass” to move on almost independently. Of course, courses and textbooks will not be superfluous, but theoretically you can continue to study English by simply watching simple films and TV series, “absorbing” a foreign language. The official name of the Threshold level, threshold, just describes this qualitative transition.

B2 (Vantage)

Listening comprehension
At level B2, almost any material becomes aurally understandable - ordinary conversation, lectures, public performance, films and TV series - except in cases where the announcer uses a faster pace than usual or some sophisticated vocabulary or special terms. However, in this case, you can either guess the meaning of the word quite well, or guess its spelling so you can look it up in the dictionary.
B2 is the level when you watch films and TV series in English “for pleasure,” just to watch an interesting movie, and not to practice English. If something remains unclear, it rarely interferes with viewing.

Communication
At this level, a normal conversation with a native speaker becomes possible - you can understand his point of view, express and defend yours. Still slower than native language, but without such obvious pauses as in previous levels: even if you cannot find the right word, you know how to work around this problem, almost without drawing attention to it. You can take part in mass discussions, initiate conversations on your own, and speak for a long time at an almost constant pace. At the same time, your speech cannot yet be called completely smooth - yes, your proposals come out almost without delay, but there is some “twitchiness” in their content.

Reading
Majority modern books and other materials (articles, websites) are almost completely clear to you. Yes, unfamiliar words appear here and there, but they hardly become a serious obstacle.

Speech
You can speak the most different topics– from household to professional (where you have professional experience in English). You can talk about something in detail, present arguments for or against a certain point of view or approach. The range of grammatical structures is already quite extensive. You no longer make mistakes that hinder understanding, and you can correct the rest yourself if you have enough time.

Example speech: It shouldn’t be a problem for him, he has done similar tasks before. I haven't been told about these new requirements, it can be a problem finishing the project in time. Her boyfriend dumped her, so let’s go out and try to cheer her up.

Letter
You can write a coherent medium-sized text - a short essay, a report, a long-form email.

B2 – the level required to work in English – here you can already communicate freely with colleagues and express your thoughts – both verbally and writing. The name of the level – Vantage (viewpoint) symbolizes the moment when a student can look back at the English language he has studied and see the achieved result in a new light.

C1 (Effective Operational Proficiency)

Listening comprehension
You can understand speech even more freely by ear, including if fragments are missing or difficult to distinguish (due to accent, timbre, volume). C1 recognizes many idioms, phraseological units and slang (at least what foreigners know at this age and social status), understand references from popular culture, feel differences in style.

Watching films and TV series in English requires just as much effort as watching a film or TV series in your native language.

Communication
The freedom in communication that appeared at the previous level is complemented by the ease with which you now do it. Almost anything you can say in your native language, you can say in English. The pace of speech, coherence, and naturalness of intonation are almost the same as the speech of a native speaker.

Reading
You can read quite complex texts – both fiction and journalistic. Even specialized materials do not cause much difficulty (if, of course, the terms used are familiar to the average native speaker). When you read a literary English text, you begin to see and appreciate the style in which it is written.

Speech
English is no longer a barrier to expressing your thoughts. You can give a fairly voluminous speech, structured by topics and subtopics, focusing on individual points and leading to the desired conclusion; you can freely communicate in English on everyday topics; you can talk about almost anything using the right words, grammatical structures, and style. You can do all this without preparation, right at the moment of the conversation.

However, you are not yet at the level of a native speaker - occasionally, but in your speech there may be expressions that are unnatural for a native speaker, slips of the tongue, inaccuracies. They do not affect communication at all, they simply make you look like a non-native speaker.

Example speech: Brexit is quite a challenge for the country, but it may end up being beneficial in the long run. When it comes to the environmental issues, I think it’s the international efforts that have the biggest impact. What you are suggesting maybe a right thing to do in certain cases, but in our situation I prefer being risk averse.

Letter
Not only are you able to write coherent text of medium size, you can use different styles, depending on the need - from formal for official business correspondence to informal for conversations with acquaintances and friends.

If you look at the difference between C1 and B2, it may seem that growth has slowed down significantly. Indeed, C1’s performance is only slightly better than that of the previous stage, and C1 has practically no new skills. The most important thing that distinguishes this level is “ease”: maybe C1 does not do much more than the previous level - but English does not require effort from a student at this level (or rather, as much effort as a native language would require).

The name of this level is Effective Operational Proficiency, effective operational proficiency shows, on the one hand, exactly this - the English language has become a tool for you that you can use effectively, on the other hand, how little effort the creators of CEFR put into coming up with the name for this level.

С2 (Mastery)

Listening comprehension
It cannot be said that listening comprehension improves greatly at level C2: as at the previous level, you can easily listen to native speakers talk, understand English-language films and TV series. In fact, your listening comprehension corresponds to the listening perception of a native speaker.

Communication
As at C1 level, you can freely take part in a conversation in English on equal terms with a native speaker, the difference between your speech and the speech of a native speaker has become even smaller. It’s the same with films and TV series - if difficulties arose rarely before, now they arise even less often.

Speech
If in passive skills (where you need to understand English - reading and listening comprehension) there are practically no differences between C1 and C2, then in active skills (where you need to produce English yourself - that is, speaking and writing) there is a noticeable difference. If at the previous level you acquired ease - speaking English is as easy for you as in your native language, then C2 is a level where precision and grace are added to ease. You “play” with your English, choosing effective phrases, using interesting idioms, sentences are precise and beautiful; “Well said,” the interlocutors think. Only a subtle accent can identify you as a non-native English speaker.

I am not giving an example of speech here - the grammatical structures and vocabulary are practically no different from what was already in C1.

Letter
As with speaking, C2 is the level where your English gains “brilliance” and you become mastery, hence the name of this level, Mastery. In writing, you use interesting phrases and play with styles. Reading what you wrote is not only easy and understandable, but also pleasant.

C2 is the level at which mastery is added to the ease of using English. You don't just express your thoughts with ease - you do it in a memorable and interesting way. In fact, your English becomes indistinguishable from the English of a well-educated, fluent native speaker.

On C2 it is even more visible the main problem high levels - the difference with previous levels is not particularly noticeable, but the effort to move from C1 to C2 is needed almost as much as it was necessary to achieve C1.

CEFR and traditional English level names

After the appearance of the CEFR scale, previous standards for proficiency in many foreign languages were brought to it. Including English levels. The old, familiar names of levels were also brought into line with CEFR - beginner, beginner, upper-advanced, above intermediate, and so on. However, many levels, for example “conversational” or “free”, are more of a subjective assessment than the actual name of the level. In the following table I have tried to rank all the “alternative” English level names in relation to the CEFR scale levels.

CEFR	Other names (EN)	Other names (RU)
–	Starter, True Beginner	Zero, “I studied German/French at school”
A1	Beginner, False Beginner	Primary, “survival level”, “taught at school, but forgot everything”
A2	Elementary	Elementary, basic, “read and translate with a dictionary”
–	Pre-intermediate	Below average, initial average, weak average
B1	Intermediate	Medium, “conversational”, “threshold”
B2	Upper-intermediate	Above average, “I can pass an interview”
C1	Advanced	Advanced, “fluent”
C2	Upper-Advanced, Proficiency	Professional, “native level”, “perfect”

Looking at this table, you really understand that the creation of CEFR was a good idea - to replace this riot of open-to-interpretation names. Although in reality, descriptions such as “fluent” or even “read and translate with a dictionary” may be much clearer than the academically rigorous C1 or A2 - do not forget about this when indicating your level on your resume.

Time required to learn English to a certain level

The CEFR scale itself does not answer how long it takes to reach a particular level. Obviously, this depends on a bunch of factors - from the student, from the teacher, from motivation, homework and much more. However, it is still possible to make some kind of assessment. The University of Cambridge (the one that conducts the Cambridge exams - FCE, CAE and so on), for example, claims that the distance between two adjacent CEFR levels can be overcome in 200 hours of guided learning (something like “learning according to a structured program”). The first stage takes a little less time, the last - a little more. Here's how much, according to this data, it will take to achieve each level:

Level	Guided learning hours
A2	180-200
B1	350-400
B2	500-600
C1	700-800
C2	1000-1200

There is no A1 level here - if I understand correctly, this is because Cambridge does not accept A1 level exams. So don't ask.

With all my love for Cambridge and the Cambridge exams, let me suggest alternative point vision. Here are my reasons:

The distance between steps is not the same. Each next step is twice as high as the previous one. In other words, the further you study, the more difficult it will be to move to the next level. To achieve it you will need to spend twice more effort than to achieve the previous one. Techies would call such a scale “logarithmic.”
We will set broad boundaries for each level. The lower one is when you barely, with a creak, but reached the coveted level. The top one is when you have already gotten used to it and are ready to move on.
“Training according to the program” is, of course, great. But learning does not always take place exclusively in the classroom. In the case of a foreign language, it is very great importance have things like speaking practice and exposure (that is, the time when you are in a language environment): reading, films and TV series. But there should also be books with grammar here - how could we live without them? Therefore, I propose to consider the time of language learning not the time when you “study”, sitting in class or opening a textbook, but in general any activity during which you focus on the English language - books, TV series, correspondence, Internet sites in English .
To determine the upper limit, let's take the well-known “10,000 hours principle,” which says that in almost every activity, 10,000 hours of practice are needed to achieve mastery.

Here's what I got:

Level	Practice hours
A1	150-300
A2	300-600
B1	600-1200
B2	1200-2500
C1	2500-5000
C2	5000-10000

You know, my modest experience in learning foreign languages tells me that this is very similar to the truth.

One interesting observation that can be made by looking at this table. If you really want to achieve mastery, be prepared to spend a lot of time and effort on it. 10,000 hours, just so you understand, is an hour a day for 27 years. Another funny calculation: in the time it takes to grow from C1 to C2 (let’s assume it’s about 5000 hours), you can master a dozen other foreign languages, though only to level A2.

So, levels from A1 to C2, which you may have heard about from familiar teachers or representatives of language schools, are levels of language proficiency according to the so-called CEFR scale, or as it is also called the “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages”.
This scale is not based on knowledge of some sets of words or grammatical structures, but on what a language learner can do at one level or another. This is why the CEFR scale is universal - it can be applied to any language.

Additional Information

Overview of the CEFR for English Language Teachers, Introductory Guide to the CEFR for English Language Teachers (in English, 12 pages, all to the point):
http://www.englishprofile.org/images/pdf/GuideToCEFR.pdf

This page contains descriptions of grammatical structures and detailed examples speeches on CEFR levels(in English)
https://www.stgiles-international.com/student-services/level-descriptors/

CEFR competencies (in Russian):
https://mipt.ru/education/chair/foreign_languages/articles/european_levels.php

Wikipedia about CEFR (in English).

English level A1 is the first level of language proficiency in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), a system for determining different language levels compiled by the Council of Europe. In everyday speech, this level can be called initial. This term is the official level description in the CEFR and is also used in the EF SET system. In practice, it can correspond to level A1 of English. A student who is just starting to learn English, or does not yet have knowledge of the English language, is at a level below A1.

How to find out if you know English at A1 level

The best way to determine whether you know English at level A1 is to take a high-quality standardized test. Below is a list of the main internationally recognized tests and their corresponding A1 indicators:

What can you do with an A1 level of English?

An A1 level of English will be sufficient for very simple interactions, for example as a tourist in a country where English is spoken. Level A1 will not be sufficient for academic or professional purposes. According to official CEFR guidelines, a person who speaks English at level A1:

Can understand and use common everyday expressions and is very simple phrases.
Can introduce himself and others, ask and answer questions about personal information: where he lives, people he knows, and things he has.
Can interact with others in simple conversation if the other person speaks slowly and clearly and is willing to cooperate.

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment

The Council of Europe document entitled “Common European Framework of Reference: Learning, Teaching, Assessment” reflects the result of the work of experts from the Council of Europe countries, including representatives of Russia, on systematizing approaches to teaching a foreign language and standardizing assessments of language proficiency levels. “Competencies” clearly define what a language learner needs to master in order to use it for communication purposes, as well as what knowledge and skills he needs to master in order for communication to be successful.

What is the main content of this project, carried out within the framework of the Council of Europe? The participants in this project attempted to create a standard terminology, a system of units, or a commonly understood language to describe what constitutes a subject matter of study, as well as to describe levels of language proficiency, regardless of what language is being studied, in what educational context - what country, institute, school , in courses, or privately, and what techniques are used. As a result, it was developed a system of language proficiency levels and a system for describing these levels using standard categories. These two complexes create a single network of concepts that can be used to describe in standard language any certification system, and, consequently, any training program, starting from setting tasks - training goals and ending with the competencies achieved as a result of training.

Language proficiency level system

When developing the European Level System, extensive research was carried out in different countries, assessment methods were tested in practice. As a result, we came to an agreement on the number of levels allocated for organizing the process of learning a language and assessing the degree of language proficiency. There are 6 major levels, which represent lower and higher sublevels in the classic three-level system, including basic, intermediate and advanced levels. The level scheme is built on the principle of sequential branching. It begins by dividing the level system into three large levels - A, B and C:

The introduction of a pan-European system of language proficiency levels does not limit the ability of various teaching teams to develop and describe their own system of levels and training modules. However, the use of standard categories when describing your own programs contributes to the transparency of courses, and the development objective criteria language proficiency assessment will ensure recognition qualification characteristics received by students in exams. It can also be expected that the leveling system and the wording of the descriptors will change over time as experience is gained in the participating countries.

The language proficiency levels are summarized in the following table:

Table 1

Elementary possession	A1	I understand and can use in speech familiar phrases and expressions necessary to perform specific tasks. I can introduce myself / introduce others, ask / answer questions about my place of residence, acquaintances, property. I can participate in a simple conversation if the other person speaks slowly and clearly and is willing to help.
Elementary possession	A2	I understand individual sentences and frequently occurring expressions related to basic areas of life (for example, basic information about myself and my family members, purchases, getting a job, etc.). I can perform tasks related to simple exchange of information on familiar or everyday topics. In simple terms I can tell about myself, my family and friends, and describe the main aspects of everyday life.
Self-ownership		Understand the main ideas of clear messages made on literary language on various topics that typically arise at work, study, leisure, etc. I can communicate in most situations that may arise during a stay in the country of the target language. I can compose a coherent message on topics that are known or of particular interest to me. I can describe impressions, events, hopes, aspirations, express and justify my opinions and plans for the future.
Self-ownership		I understand the general content of complex texts on abstract and concrete topics, including highly specialized texts. I speak quickly and spontaneously enough to constantly communicate with native speakers without too much difficulty for either party. I am able to give clear, detailed messages on various topics and present my view on the main issue, showing the advantages and disadvantages of different opinions.
Fluency		I understand voluminous, complex texts on various topics and recognize hidden meanings. I speak spontaneously at a fast pace, without having difficulty finding words and expressions. I use language flexibly and effectively for communication in scientific and professional activity. I can create accurate, detailed, well-structured messages on complex topics, demonstrating mastery of text organization patterns, communication tools, and integration of text elements.
Fluency		I understand almost any spoken or written message, I can compose a coherent text based on several oral and written sources. I speak spontaneously with at a fast pace And high degree precision, emphasizing shades of meaning even in the most complex cases.

When interpreting a level scale, it must be borne in mind that the divisions on such a scale are not identical. Even if the levels appear equidistant on the scale, achieving them requires different time. So, even if the Waystage level is located halfway to the Threshold Level, and the Threshold level is located on the level scale halfway to the Vantage Level, experience with this scale shows that that it takes twice as long to progress from the Threshold to the Threshold Advanced level as it does to reach the Threshold level. This is explained by the fact that at higher levels the range of activities expands and an increasing amount of knowledge, skills and abilities are required.

More detailed description may be required to select specific learning objectives. It can be presented in the form of a separate table showing the main aspects of language proficiency at six levels. For example, Table 2 is compiled as a self-assessment tool to identify your knowledge and skills in the following aspects:

table 2

A1 (Survival Level):

Understanding	Listening	I understand individual familiar words and very simple phrases slowly and clearly sounding speech in situations of everyday communication, when they talk about me, my family and immediate environment.
Understanding	Reading	I can understand familiar names, words, and very simple sentences in advertisements, posters, or catalogues.
Speaking	Dialogue	I can participate in a dialogue if my interlocutor, at my request, repeats his statement in slow motion or paraphrases it, and also helps to formulate what I am trying to say. I can ask and answer simple questions about topics that I know or that interest me.
Speaking	Monologue	I can use simple phrases and sentences to talk about the place where I live and the people I know.
Letter	Letter	I can write simple cards (for example, congratulations on a holiday), fill out forms, enter my last name, nationality, and address on the hotel registration sheet.

A2 (Pre-threshold level):

Understanding	Listening	I understand individual phrases and the most common words in statements related to topics that are important to me (for example, basic information about myself and my family, about shopping, about where I live, about work). I understand what is being said in simple, clearly spoken, short messages and announcements.
Understanding	Reading	I understand very short simple texts. I can find specific, easily predictable information in simple texts of everyday communication: in advertisements, prospectuses, menus, schedules. I understand simple personal letters.
Speaking	Dialogue	I can communicate in simple terms typical situations, requiring direct exchange of information within the framework of topics and activities familiar to me. I can hold extremely brief conversations on everyday topics, but I still don’t understand enough to carry on a conversation on my own.
Speaking	Monologue	I can, using simple phrases and sentences, talk about my family and other people, living conditions, studies, current or former work.
Letter	Letter	I can write simple short notes and messages. I can write a simple letter of a personal nature (for example, expressing my gratitude to someone for something).

B1 (Threshold level):

Understanding	Listening	I understand the main points of clearly spoken statements within the limits literary norm on topics known to me that I have to deal with at work, at school, on vacation, etc. I understand what is being said in most radio and television programs about current events, as well as those related to my personal or professional interests. The speakers' speech should be clear and relatively slow.
Understanding	Reading	I understand texts based on frequency language material of everyday and professional communication. I understand descriptions of events, feelings, and intentions in personal letters.
Speaking	Dialogue	I can communicate in most situations that arise while staying in the country of the target language. I can participate without prior preparation in dialogues on a topic that is familiar/interesting to me (for example, “family”, “hobbies”, “work”, “travel”, “current events”).
Speaking	Monologue	I can construct simple coherent statements about my personal impressions, events, talk about my dreams, hopes and desires. I can briefly justify and explain my views and intentions. I can tell a story or outline the plot of a book or film and express my feelings about it.
Letter	Letter	I can write simple, coherent texts on topics that are familiar or of interest to me. I can write letters of a personal nature, telling them about my personal experiences and impressions.

B2 (Threshold Advanced Level):

Understanding	Listening	I understand detailed reports and lectures and even complex arguments contained in them, if the topics of these speeches are quite familiar to me. I understand almost all news and current affairs reports. I understand the content of most films if their characters speak literary language.
Understanding	Reading	I understand articles and communications on contemporary issues in which the authors take a particular position or express special point vision. I understand modern fiction.
Speaking	Dialogue	Without preparation, I can quite freely participate in dialogues with native speakers of the target language. I can take an active part in a discussion on a problem that is familiar to me, justify and defend my point of view.
Speaking	Monologue	I can speak clearly and thoroughly on a wide range of issues that interest me. I can explain my point of view on a current issue, expressing all the pros and cons.
Letter	Letter	I can write clear, detailed messages on a wide range of issues that interest me. I can write essays or reports, highlighting issues or arguing a point of view for or against. I know how to write letters, highlighting those events and impressions that are especially important to me.

Understanding	Listening	I understand detailed messages, even if they have an unclear logical structure and insufficiently expressed semantic connections. I understand all television programs and films almost fluently.
Understanding	Reading	I understand large complex non-fiction and fiction texts and their stylistic features. I also understand special articles and large technical instructions, even if they do not relate to my field of activity.
Speaking	Dialogue	I can express my thoughts spontaneously and fluently, without having difficulty finding words. My speech is distinguished by the variety of linguistic means and the accuracy of their use in situations of professional and everyday communication. I can accurately formulate my thoughts and express my opinions, as well as actively support any conversation.
Speaking	Monologue	I am able to clearly and thoroughly present complex topics, combine component parts into a single whole, develop individual provisions and draw appropriate conclusions.
Letter	Letter	I can express my thoughts clearly and logically in writing and communicate my views in detail. I can present in detail in letters, essays, reports complex problems, highlighting what I think is most important. I know how to use language style, corresponding to the intended addressee.

C2 (Proficiency level):

Understanding	Listening	I can freely understand any spoken language in direct or indirect communication. I can easily understand the speech of a native speaker speaking at a fast pace if I have the opportunity to get used to the individual characteristics of his pronunciation.
Understanding	Reading	I can freely understand all types of texts, including texts of an abstract nature, complex in compositional or linguistically: instructions, special articles and works of art.
Speaking	Dialogue	I can freely participate in any conversation or discussion and am proficient in a variety of idiomatic and colloquial expressions. I speak fluently and can express any shade of meaning. If I have difficulties in using language, I can quickly and unnoticed by others to paraphrase my statement.
Speaking	Monologue	I can express myself fluently, freely and reasonably, using appropriate linguistic means depending on the situation. I can logically construct my message in such a way as to attract the attention of listeners and help them note and remember the most important points.
Letter	Letter	I can logically and consistently express my thoughts in writing, using the necessary linguistic means. I can write complex letters, reports, reports or articles that have a clear logical structure that helps the recipient note and remember the most important points. I can write summaries and reviews of both professional work and fiction.

IN practical activities you can focus on a specific set of levels and a specific set of categories depending on your specific goals. This level of detail allows training modules to be compared with each other and with the Common European Framework of Reference.

Instead of identifying categories underlying language performance, it may be necessary to assess language behavior on the basis of specific aspects of communicative competence. For example, Table 3 is designed for speaking assessment, therefore, it is aimed at qualitatively different aspects of language use:

Table 3

A1 (Survival Level):

RANGE	He has a very limited vocabulary of words and phrases that are used to present information about himself and to describe specific particular situations.
ACCURACY	Limited control over the use of several simple grammatical and syntactic structures learned by heart.
FLUENCY	Can speak very briefly, utter individual statements, mainly composed of memorized units. Takes many pauses to search for an appropriate expression, pronounce less familiar words, and correct mistakes.
MUTUAL- ACTION	Can ask personal questions and talk about themselves. May respond in a basic way to the other person's speech, but overall communication depends on repetition, paraphrasing, and error correction.
CONNECTIVITY	Can connect words and groups of words using simple conjunctions that express a linear sequence, such as “and”, “then”.

A2 (Pre-threshold level):

RANGE	Uses elementary syntactic structures with memorized constructions, phrases and standard phrases to convey limited information in simple everyday situations.
ACCURACY	Uses some simple structures correctly, but still systematically makes basic mistakes.
FLUENCY	Can express ideas clearly in very short sentences, although pauses, self-corrections, and reformulations of sentences are immediately noticeable.
MUTUAL- ACTION	Can answer questions and respond to simple sayings. Can show when he/she is still following the other person's thoughts, but very rarely understands enough to carry on a conversation on their own.
CONNECTIVITY	Can connect groups of words using simple conjunctions such as “and”, “but”, “because”.

B1 (Threshold level):

RANGE	Has sufficient language skills to take part in a conversation; Vocabulary allows you to communicate with a certain amount of pauses and descriptive expressions on topics such as family, hobbies, interests, work, travel and current events.
ACCURACY	Quite accurately uses a set of constructions associated with familiar, regularly occurring situations.
FLUENCY	Can speak clearly, despite the fact that pauses for searching for grammatical and lexical means are noticeable, especially in statements of considerable length.
MUTUAL- ACTION	Can initiate, maintain and end one-on-one conversations when topics of discussion are familiar or individually relevant. Can repeat previous remarks, thereby demonstrating his understanding.
CONNECTIVITY	Can link several fairly short simple sentences into a linear text consisting of several paragraphs.

B2 (Threshold advanced level):

RANGE	Has sufficient vocabulary allowing you to describe something, express a point of view on general issues without explicitly searching for a suitable expression. Able to use some complex syntactic structures.
ACCURACY	Demonstrates a fairly high level of control grammatical correctness. Does not make mistakes that could lead to misunderstandings and can correct most of his own mistakes.
FLUENCY	Can produce utterances of a certain duration at a fairly even pace. May show hesitation in the selection of expressions or linguistic structures, but there are few noticeably long pauses in speech.
MUTUAL- ACTION	Can start a conversation, enter into a conversation at the appropriate moment, and end a conversation, although sometimes these actions are characterized by a certain clumsiness. Can participate in a conversation on a familiar topic, confirming their understanding of what is being discussed, inviting others to participate, etc.
CONNECTIVITY	Can use a limited number of communication devices to connect individual utterances into single text. At the same time, in the conversation as a whole there are individual “jumps” from topic to topic.

C1 (Proficiency level):

RANGE	Masters a wide range of linguistic means, allowing him to clearly, freely and within the appropriate style express any of his thoughts on a large number of topics (general, professional, everyday), without limiting himself in choosing the content of the statement.
ACCURACY	Maintains a high level of grammatical accuracy at all times; Errors are rare, almost unnoticeable and, when they occur, are corrected immediately.
FLUENCY	Capable of fluent, spontaneous utterances with virtually no effort. The smooth, natural flow of speech can only be slowed down in the case of a complex, unfamiliar topic of conversation.
MUTUAL- ACTION	Can select a suitable expression from a wide arsenal of means of discourse and use it at the beginning of his statement in order to get the floor, maintain the position of the speaker for himself, or skillfully connect his replica with the replicas of his interlocutors, continuing the discussion of the topic.
CONNECTIVITY	Can construct clear, uninterrupted, well-organized utterances that demonstrate confident command of organizational structures, functional parts of speech, and other means of coherence.

C2 (Proficiency level):

RANGE	Demonstrates flexibility by expressing ideas using a variety of language forms to accurately convey shades of meaning, semantic highlighting, eliminating ambiguity. Also fluent in idiomatic and colloquial expressions.
ACCURACY	Carries out constant monitoring of the correctness of complex grammatical structures, even in cases where attention is directed to planning subsequent statements and the reaction of interlocutors.
FLUENCY	Capable of long-term spontaneous utterances in accordance with the principles of spoken language; avoids or bypasses difficult places almost unnoticed by the interlocutor.
MUTUAL- ACTION	Communicates skillfully and easily, with virtually no difficulty, also understanding non-verbal and intonation signals. Can take an equal part in the conversation, without difficulty entering into right moment, referring to previously discussed information or to information that should generally be known to other participants, etc.
CONNECTIVITY	Able to construct coherent and organized speech, correctly and fully using a large number of different organizational structures, functional parts of speech and other means of communication.

The level assessment tables discussed above are based on the bank "illustrative descriptors", developed and tested in practice, and subsequently graduated into levels during the research project. The descriptor scales are based on a detailed category system to describe what it means to speak/use a language and who can be called a language speaker/user.

The description is based on activity approach. It establishes the relationship between language use and learning. Users and language learners are considered as subjects social activities , that is, members of society who decide tasks, (not necessarily language related) in certain conditions , in a certain situations , in a certain field of activity . Speech activity carried out in a broader social context, which determines true meaning statements. The activity approach allows taking into account the entire range of personal characteristics of a person as a subject of social activity, primarily cognitive, emotional and volitional resources. Thus, any form of language use and its studies can be described in the following terms:

Competencies represent the sum of knowledge, skills and personal qualities that allow a person to perform various actions.
General competencies are not linguistic, they provide any activity, including communicative.
Communicative language competencies allow you to carry out activities using linguistic means.
Context- this is a spectrum of events and situational factors against the background of which communicative actions are carried out.
Speech activity- This practical use communicative competence in a certain area of communication in the process of perception and/or generation of oral and written texts, aimed at performing a specific communicative task.
Types of communication activities involve the implementation of communicative competence in the process of semantic processing/creation (perception or generation) of one or more texts in order to solve the communicative task of communication in a certain field of activity.
Text - This is a coherent sequence of oral and/or written statements (discourse), the generation and understanding of which occurs in a specific area of communication and is aimed at solving a specific problem.
Under sphere of communication refers to a wide range public life, in which it is carried out social interaction. In relation to language learning, educational, professional, social and personal spheres are distinguished.
Strategy is a course of action chosen by a person aimed at solving a problem.
Task is a purposeful action necessary to obtain a specific result (solving a problem, fulfilling obligations or achieving a goal).

Multilingualism concept

The concept of multilingualism is fundamental to the Council of Europe's approach to the problem of language learning. Multilingualism arises as a person’s linguistic experience expands in the cultural aspect from the language used in the family to mastering the languages of other peoples (learned at school, college or directly in the linguistic environment). A person “does not store” these languages separately from each other, but forms communicative competence on the basis of all knowledge and all linguistic experience, where languages are interconnected and interact. According to the situation, the individual freely uses any part of this competence to ensure successful communication with a particular interlocutor. For example, partners can move freely between languages or dialects, demonstrating each's ability to express in one language and understand in another. A person can use knowledge of several languages to understand text, written or spoken, in a language he did not previously know, recognizing words that have similar sounds and spellings in several languages in a “new form.”

From this point of view, the purpose of language education changes. Now, perfect (at the level of a native speaker) mastery of one or two, or even three languages, taken separately from each other, is not the goal. The goal is to develop a linguistic repertoire in which all linguistic skills have a place. Recent changes to the Council of Europe's language program aim to develop a tool for language teachers to promote the development of multilingual personalities. In particular, the European Language Portfolio is a document in which a wide variety of experiences in language learning and intercultural communication can be recorded and formally recognized.

LINKS

Full text monographs in English on the Council of Europe website

Gemeinsamer europaischer Referenzrahmen fur Sprachen: Lernen, lehren, beurteilen
German text of the monograph on the German website cultural center named after Goethe

English for beginners level A1. European Framework of Reference for Languages

How to determine that you know English at A2 level

What can you do with an A2 level of English?

Read more about knowledge of English at Level A2

History of the CEFR

How does CEFR work?

How the CEFR assesses language proficiency

Aspects of language proficiency (reading, writing, etc.)

CEFR English Proficiency Levels

A1 (Breakthrough)

A2 (Waystage)

B1 (Threshold)

B2 (Vantage)

C1 (Effective Operational Proficiency)

С2 (Mastery)

CEFR and traditional English level names

Time required to learn English to a certain level

Additional Information

How to find out if you know English at A1 level

What can you do with an A1 level of English?

Read more about knowledge of English at Level A1

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment

Language proficiency level system

Multilingualism concept

LINKS