Do you speak English? Do you speak (language)?

How can you tell if someone speaks a foreign language?

If you get chatting to the person waiting next to you at the ‘bus stop, you can usually sense within moments what their level of English or your language is.  However, this can be misleading as perhaps poor spoken language will overshadow good comprehension, or perhaps a ready conversational grasp will mask weak written skills.

Levels of language proficiency in the workplace or when studying

When it comes to applying for a job or a place studying abroad or when choosing the correct level of study for the next stage of your language learning journey, people need to understand and be able to communicate what someone’s level in a language is.  This is where the Common European Frame of Reference (CEFR) comes in.  The CEFR works with letters A to C, with A being a beginner and C being the most proficient.  Within A-B-C, there are subdivisions, for instance with B1 being lower intermediate and B2 being higher intermediate.  The CEFR is especially useful as it can be cross-referenced to other schemes, for instance IELTS and TOEFL; IELTS and TOEFL are widely used to judge applicants’ levels of English for university entrance.  CEFR can be used to make comparisons across different school systems, for instance GCSE, A Level, International Baccalaureate, the Austrian Matura etc.  CEFR is used for comparing proficiency in different languages, whereas IELTS and TOEFL are used for testing English only.  ACTFL is used in America.

Parlez-vous français?  Sprechen Sie Deutsch?

Sometimes people ask if you can speak French/ German/ Chinese etc, and assume that you either speak it or you don’t – especially if they have limited experience of the language themselves.  This ignores the gradations in between beginner and proficient independent user.  Many people will have had the experience of starting to learn a few words of a language, trying it out abroad with a shopkeeper, waiter or ‘bus driver, only for the local person to assume that you can speak it fluently because you managed a few words.  Speaking a language is not either/or; Lingua Learn UK will help you progress along your language learning journey.

The CEFR levels

Here are the CEFR levelsfrom A1 to C2:

• A1: The most basic level demonstrates an ability to communicate and exchange simple information. The language learner can utilize and understand familiar common expressions and basic phrases to satisfy their needs. For example, they can introduce themselves and others and have conversations about personal details, such as things they have, people they know and where they live. At this level, the language learner can understand the conversation when the other person speaks slowly and wants to help them.
• A2: This stage describes a capability to handle simple information and express oneself in familiar contexts. The language learner can frequently comprehend used expressions and sentences related to personal information, such as employment, family, local geography, and shopping.
• B1: The independent level illustrates a limited ability to express oneself in familiar situations and generally deal with unfamiliar ones. The language learner can understand the primary points of information regarding leisure, work, and school. They can also provide brief explanations for their plans and opinions and express their ambitions, future events, hopes, and dreams. They’ll most likely feel comfortable communicating in an area where the target language is commonly spoken.
• B2: This stage demonstrates a capacity to fulfil most goals and express oneself in various topics. The language learner can comprehend a complex text’s primary ideas on abstract and concrete issues, such as technical discussions in their career field. They can interact with native speakers with fluidity and spontaneity to prevent strain for either speaker.
• C1: This proficiency level describes an ability to communicate appropriately, sensitively, and capably while addressing unfamiliar topics. The language learner can recognise a wide range of longer, more demanding texts and understand their implicit meaning. They can typically express themselves without much need to pause and search for the correct expression. They can use this language for professional, social, and academic purposes, demonstrating a controlled use of organisational patterns and cohesive devices.
• C2: This mastery level illustrates the capacity to deal with academic or cognitively demanding material and use language effectively at a level of performance that’s usually more advanced than that of an average native speaker. The language learner can easily understand almost everything they hear or read. They can summarise information from various sources and create new arguments and stories coherently in many advanced situations.

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