The CEFR Scale: What A1 to C2 Really Means for Language Learners

If you’ve studied one or several second languages, you’ve probably come across the terms A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2 to evaluate your language level. This scale of linguistic evaluation is called the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or CEFR for short.

It’s become common practice to use the CEFR frame of reference to qualify second language proficiency, including oral expression and written French skills in the foreign language learning process. However, the widespread use of these terms, whether by students, employers, or schools, has diluted their meaning. As a result, understanding of the terms and their evaluation vary considerably.

The article explores what is meant by these terms as well as the advantages and disadvantages of using them in language courses and language tests.

A1

Table of Contents

A1 to C2 – What is it? Definitions Common misconceptions Tests – Theory vs. Practice How long does it take to improve? Conclusion

A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2: CEFR – What is it?

At its core, the CEFR offers a standardized way to describe and measure language proficiency. The framework divides proficiency into six levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2, each encompassing incremental language abilities. By understanding these levels, language learners can effectively set learning goals, select appropriate learning materials, and gauge their progress with precision.

Furthermore, understanding the CEFR’s impact on education, employment, and international mobility provides a competitive edge in today’s multilingual environment.

CEFR levels defined: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, Geneva, learn French

CEFR levels defined

The CEFR divides language proficiency into six levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2. Each level encompasses specific proficiency markers, allowing learners to understand their current language level and what is required to progress further.

It’s important to keep in mind that each level can also be broken down into percentiles. So, it’s possible for a learner to be a low-B1 or high-B1 as opposed on simply B1, or B2.. This said, most tests don’t make this differentiation, meaning that general understanding of the different levels tends to be too clear-cut.

You’re a complete beginner and can’t express yourself in the language. You may be able to say “yes,” “no,” and other straightforward words, but beyond this, you are unable to communicate.

At the upper echelon of this level, you’ve reached a level of elementary proficiency. You can comprehend and use simple everyday expressions and basic phrases for your immediate needs. You can introduce yourself and ask simple questions about personal information. Understanding common words, phrases, and simple sentences in familiar contexts is also a part of A1 proficiency.

Degree of fluency:

You can introduce yourself in very simple terms: Your name, age, nationality. You understand others when they present themselves.

You can undertake simple communication such as ordering food, paying, and purchasing items, though you cannot describe everyday situations in much detail. At this level, you can only use straightforward vocabulary to do so and cannot go into many details, such as the product specifications.

Example:

You: An iced tea, please.

Server: Sure.

Server: 3.50.

You: Thank you.

Note: you don’t have the level required to ask for specific ingredients, discuss the price, etc. If you were in a shop buying clothes, you could ask for a shirt but could not go into details of size, styles, etc.

Time needed to get to this level: With the correct method, you should be able to reach this level in 20 to 30 hours of study + practice on your side.

It’s important to note that classes prepare you for real-time communication. Keeping your level may be complicated if you don’t practice speaking outside lessons or after an initial course.

At an upper A2 level (upper 70th percentile) you understand and use basic vocabulary and grammar. You can handle simple, routine tasks involving direct information exchange on familiar topics. This includes describing your background, immediate environment, and discussing real-life situations and daily activities. You can engage in basic social interactions, simple yet standard conversations, and comprehend simple written texts.

Degree of fluency:

You can introduce yourself in very simple terms: Your name, age, nationality. You can understand others when they present themselves.

You can undertake simple communication such as ordering food, paying, and purchasing items. However, you can only use simple vocabulary to do so and cannot go into many details, such as in-depth specifications of the product.

Example:

You: An iced tea, please, and a packet of chips, please.

Server: Sure. Peach or lemon iced tea?

You: umm… lemon, please.

Server: Here you go.

You: Thanks. How much is it?

Server: 7.50.

Note: for an A2 level, you’re probably can’t express yourself as quickly as a native person. Your rhythm may be slower, making it difficult to understand the other person. However, you can get past typical daily communication and are able to transpose the language from one situation to another. This is to say that you can use the syntactic structures for ordering drinks to enquire about clothes in a shop.

Class time needed to get to progress from A1 to A2: 20 to 30 hours class + some practice outside class.

At a B1 level, as a learner in the (70th B1 percentile +), you can now comprehend and produce more complex sentences and phrases. You’re comfortable expressing yourself on various topics, including work, school, leisure activities, and personal interests. You can begin engaging in discussions, sharing opinions, and explaining situations. You comprehend the main points of clear, standard speech and texts related to familiar subjects.

Degree of fluency:

B1 level signifies the ability to deal with most situations likely to arise while traveling in an area where the language is spoken.

B1 transitions from basic vocabulary and simple daily tasks to essential conversational language skills. Discussing your day, past experiences, and future events requires understanding more abstract concepts. In terms of speech, this level also requires you to understand people speaking at a native speed.

This jump is the result of acquisition and innate fluency.

Example:

You: A packet of paprika chips, please.

Server: Sure. We have a large bag or a small bag. The large bag is 5.50, and the small one’s 4.50. But we give you the small bag for free if you take two large ones.

You: Umm.. then I’ll take two large packets, please.

Server: Here you go.

You: Thanks. How much is it?

Server: 11.00$.

Note: the complexity in this type of phrase lies in the conditional price of the purchase.

The jump from A2 to B1 is considerable, at least in terms of the formal understanding of the levels. To express yourself on more complex topics and converse with people with the same ease, you must be comfortable listening and understanding native speech, including negatives, conditional statements, and double negatives. Your language level is no longer characterized by linear syntax but may include more complex phrases and conditions.

Class time needed to get to progress from A2 to B1: 50 to 70 hours class + regular practice outside class.

This level marks significant progress in your proficiency. You can now express yourself fluently and spontaneously without much effort. You understand complex texts and can participate effectively in discussions and debates on various topics, expressing viewpoints and providing arguments.

Degree of fluency:

You can write explicit, detailed texts on a wide range of subjects and understand implicit meanings in more complex conversations.

You understand extended conversations, speeches, and lectures following intricate lines of argumentation as long as the topic is somewhat familiar. Most TV news and current affairs programs are understandable to you, and you can grasp the majority of films in standard dialect.

Your degree of fluency enables you to interact spontaneously and comfortably with native speakers, facilitating regular communication. Engaging actively in discussions within familiar contexts comes naturally to you, allowing you to articulate and sustain your viewpoints effectively.

If, for example, you’ve been learning French, you should be able to attend a university course in the French language. While you may struggle with more demanding subjects such as law, most subjects are accessible at this level.

Note: It’s possible to be a B2 level in conversational aptitude but a lower or higher level in writing and reading. It’s possible to be completely fluent, this is in terms of speaking, but unable to read or write.

Class time needed to get to progress from B1 to B2: 100 / 150 hours + considerable practice outside of class.

Note: Levels correspond to your fluency degree. While lessons can help, especially at the lower levels, in reaching this fluency level, at the higher levels, it’s tied to how well you incorporate the language into your daily life and routines. It’s unlikely that someone not regularly exposed to the language over a week can progress to a B2 level or higher.

Obviously if you are in a specialized full immersion 8-month course you may not need the practice outside of class. However, this is not usually the case.

B2 level allows for more in-depth interaction in a professional or academic setting, while C1 and C2 levels denote advanced proficiency, enabling individuals to understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and recognize implicit meaning.

Proficiency at the C1 level involves a high degree of fluency and accuracy. Learners can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and recognize implicit meaning. They express themselves fluently and spontaneously, using language flexibly and effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes. They can produce well-structured, detailed texts on complex topics.

Note: Under the current CEFR categorization of fluency, most native speakers would fall into the C1 category and fall short of C2.

This is the highest CEFR level, where learners have mastery over the language. The person with a C2 level can understand almost everything they read or hear. It may take some effort to understand some regional accents at first, but you should be able to understand most accents quickly. You can summarize information from different spoken and written sources and reconstruct arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Your language usage is accurate, flexible, and nuanced, allowing them to communicate effectively in any context.

misconceptions about the CEFR, Learn French, Geneva

Common misconceptions about the Common European framework of reference

While the CEFR is a valuable tool for learners, common misconceptions can hinder its effective use. One such misconception is the belief that proficiency can only be accurately assessed through formal examinations aligned with the CEFR.

In reality, the CEFR provides a flexible framework that allows for self-assessment and the recognition of informal learning experiences.

While the CEFR provides a clear framework for understanding language levels, language schools, coaches, universities, and others are not obligated to strictly adhere to those defined levels when offering language lessons. This is to say that a school can classify an A2 class as B1 if they want and there’s nothing to stop them.

Some may mistakenly assume that reaching a higher CEFR level guarantees complete fluency or mastery of a language when, in fact, acquisition is a continual process that extends beyond the boundaries of specific proficiency levels.

Language certifications and Common European framework of reference

Many tests and certification, such as the DELF/DALF for French, the Goethe-Zertifikat for German, and the Cambridge English exams, align their test categories and passing grades with the CEFR levels and taxonomies. This alignment ensures that these certifications are internationally understood.

Certifications like DELF/DALF assess both spoken and written French language proficiency, emphasizing the importance of written skills for professional and technical communication.

Tests – Theory vs. Practice

It’s essential to keep in mind that examining bodies don’t have to answer to the creators of the CEFR in order to use their evaluation grid. If they want, they can set the bar of C1 at a high B2 level or a C2 at a high B2.

Test results reflect the vision of the test creator and not the that of the CEFR.

The standardized frame for referring to the language doesn’t ensure a standard for testing. There are many tests, a few of which are internationally recognized. Testing methods vary considerably, and results may differ significantly from one test to another.

The same can be said of language courses. It isn’t uncommon for language schools to label a A2 course as a B2 course. This is a great way for them to make their students think their progressing and recommend the school.

Self-assessment, Learn French, Learn English

Self-assessment:

CEFR provides a self-assessment grid that can be used to self-assess your current level. They offer the self-assessment grid in 32 languages.

CEFR Self-assessment

There’s quite a disparity between the official outline of the linguistic levels on the global scale of the CEFR website vs. the language self-assessment on the same CEFR website.

Why some people may never progress to C1 or C2

Progressing to C1: A person who isn’t exposed to the language daily, through their formal work setting, academic life, family life or social life etc. will probably not reach a C1 level. At its core, this is a level akin to native fluency.

“But I did a language test and it put me at a C1.”

Sure, this is possible. However, the creators of the test have no obligation to adhere to the exact definitions outlined in the CEFR.

Many tests such as IELTS test writing, reading and speaking separately, but results are provided as a global average. The person tested gets the results for the different sections as well as an average score. As a result, some people improve their overall score through the writing and reading exams while perhaps obtaining low scores in speaking and listening.

Note: I did both my Undergrad and Postgrad in the UK. During both degrees, I was in class with non-native English speakers. Both degrees required high qualifications of English to participate. In in both degrees, I studied with people who had a very hard time speaking English. They could read and write, but when it came to conversing, this was quite problematic.

It’s possible to be fluent in a language and still make mistakes. Its possible to be a native French speaker and write very badly. If we take the tests as a benchmark, native speakers make many mistakes.

Attaining a C2 level requires more than native fluency. This level is closer to the specialized fluency that one may encounter in people in technical fields. Typically, with higher studies, or people who are avid readers, or have undertaken rigorous self-study past basic high-school requirements.

Example:

Reading: “I can read with ease virtually all forms of the written language, including abstract, structurally or linguistically complex texts such as manuals, specialized articles and literary works.” (CEFR- self-assessment)

Note: for many native speakers, this categorization may mean that they are not considered C2 readers in their native language.

The average person who grew up in the USA schooling system can read at a 7th or 8th-grade level; this is to say, the level of a 13-year-old. Certain statistics place the UK well under this number with a reading age of 9 years old. As a point of comparison, the Sun Newspaper in the UK is written for the average reading level of an 8-year-old.

Specialized articles or literary works are more demanding than this level. This level can also be unique to people who have taken certain higher education studies but is not transversal to all university studies. This is to say that a person who studies history may find it easier to read articles on this subject than a person who studies chemistry, and vice versa.

How long does it take to improve?

Currently, there is no universal agreement on how long it takes to improve one’s language level.This depends on factors such as student motivation, environment, the teaching method, the teacher, and the student. It also depends on what you mean by improve and what metrics are used.

From our experience, the average student can learn French, improving from a pre-A1 to a low A2 level in approximately 40 hours. This is for a student who can read and write the Latin alphabet. If they are unfamiliar with the Latin alphabet, it is still possible to improve spoken listening comprehension in those times, but writing and reading will take longer.

Time, CEFR, Language learning, French

Time not quantity

Learning a language takes time. And no matter the study’s intensity, it’s impossible to circumvent the natural cognitive process. Some schools sell the idea of fluency in 100 hours, achieved over a 3-week course. While you might progress, reaching the level takes time.

Intensive vs. standard classes article

You could progress from a 0 Level to a lower B1 level in 100 hours. However, this needs to be done over multiple months. How fast you progress is also a question of your environment.

Progressing from one level to the next takes time and personal time commitment. Progressing from an A1 to an A2 will be relatively fast compared to progressing from an A2 to a B1.

The reason is that language learning is not linear. When you know little or nothing of the language, acquiring the basic vocabulary and sentence structures to communicate on simple daily subjects is quite a jump and can be done relatively quickly.

However, progressing from a basic understanding and use of the language, A2, to an intermediate level of conversation, B1, where you can hold simple conversations with native speakers, requires much more effort.

This isn’t simply a question of learning lists of words or understanding the theory of the language (grammar), but rather, it’s a question of innate fluency and acquisition.

The following estimation is based on our teaching method and level metrics.

  • 0 to low A2: 40 / 60 hours study – (2 to 3 months + basic use of the language outside class)
  • A2-B1: 50/70 Hours Study (2 to 3 months + regular use of language outside class)
  • B1-B2: 100/150 hours (2 to 3 months + regular use of language outside class)

Common European framework of reference: Navigating Language Proficiency and Myths

The CEFR delineates the progression from basic linguistic skills to advanced fluency, offering a structured framework for learners to understand their current proficiency and chart their language learning journey. Yet, misconceptions exist regarding the strict assessment tied to formal examinations aligned with the CEFR, ignoring the flexibility it offers for self-assessment and informal learning experiences.

Language certifications often align with CEFR levels, providing internationally recognized benchmarks. However, discrepancies in testing methods and varying standards among institutions highlight the need for cautious interpretation of test results.

Attaining higher CEFR levels, particularly C1 and C2, demands not just formal study but continuous immersion and exposure to the language in various contexts. Mastery at these advanced levels goes beyond mere linguistic competence, delving into nuanced expressions, implicit meanings, and specialized language domains.

Furthermore, the timeframe for improvement varies widely based on numerous factors, including motivation, learning environment, teaching methods, and individual capabilities. While certain estimations suggest progression within specific hour brackets, achieving fluency demands sustained effort, consistent practice, and immersion over an extended period.

Navigating language learning through the CEFR involves not only understanding the defined proficiency levels but also recognizing the dynamic nature of language acquisition. Embracing this understanding enables learners to set realistic expectations, choose appropriate learning approaches, and appreciate the continuous journey of mastering a new language.

My Linguistics, language courses, Geneva, Learn languages

The author:

My Linguistics specializes in creating language acquisition methods for teachers and students. Our Swiss-based training center serves as a testing ground for our method.

We’re passionate about helping people unlock the power of language and communication, and we’re committed to providing the resources and support needed to achieve fluency.

Contact us to learn more about our approach and method.

My Linguistics method: https://mylinguistics.com/method

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