Common European Framework of Reference, CEFR

Common European Framework of Reference

By Karina Khayrullina

There are several ways to explain your level of foreign language proficiency.Sometimes you can hear about levels such as Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced. Some call their score on one of the exams.Recently, the CEFR system has been gaining more and more popularity. It is convenient because it has high-quality descriptions of levels and is already used in all European countries.

A1

A very limited set of situations. For example, to buy something in a store or on the market, that is, when there is an opportunity to point a finger. T

he student can introduce himself. Tell who he works for and where he lives.Can deal with the simplest forms on the Internet: enter your name, email, phone, password.

The student needs maximum assistance from the interlocutor.

A2

This level is also too basic for communication. But simple situations become available to you, for example, in a restaurant or an airport.The student can talk about the weather, discuss upcoming plans or purchases, tell about his work or family.At this level, it is possible to write a short letter, compose an invitation, express gratitude.Significant help from the interlocutor is still required.

B1

English with a dictionary is the right name for this level, since many grammatical constructions are already familiar to you, and by looking at words you can understand many texts related to your interests.English for Travel is another variant of the name for B1, since it is in traveling that you can feel the results of your studies. Many people in non-English-speaking countries will know English at about this level.Online — at this level, you can write a small post in social networks, tell where you were and whether you liked it. You can express your attitude about someone's statement.In the UK, this is the minimum level for obtaining citizenship. There are no strict requirements in the States, but poor knowledge of the language will be a negative factor.You still need some help from the interlocutor in standard situations.

B2

Everything that was before made it possible to solve momentary tasks. Now there is an opportunity to fully interact with society.Job — now you will be able to work in a qualified position in an English-speaking environment. Of course, many nuances during communication will elude you, especially if we are talking about topics beyond your professional competencies.

Freelancers with such knowledge of English will be more or less comfortable looking for orders and communicating with English-speaking customers. Education - for English learners at this level, the opportunity to gain new knowledge opens up. The amount of content on the Internet in English is almost 10 times more than in Russian. On B2, it becomes available to you. Of course, not everything is yet, and what is available will not be easy. But even this can give some people a serious advantage in their profession or studies.

Simple blogs and vlogs. You will be able to watch training channels on YouTube. Bloggers usually speak quite simply, plus most today have good audio recording equipment. And a clear pronunciation. Similar materials can sometimes be viewed on B1, but mainly for the development of hearing. Now you can already use them for their intended purpose, that is, to gain knowledge.You can watch some online courses, mostly in your specialty.

Some British universities accept international students with this level. Although they certainly expect that the student will make rapid progress in English. It will be difficult to study with B2.Online — at this level, you can already communicate online in various formats, including group chats. Understand the main meanings in the statements of other participants. Although still some hidden meanings are not available to you.

C1

At this level, you can be completely autonomous in a domestic, academic and working English-speaking environment.Education — Now you can use almost any online courses for your education. From marketing to neuroscience.Scientific content becomes available to you. Almost all significant scientific publications are made in English, regardless of the nationality of the author. And today they can be accessed online absolutely for free.Many people may think“ "I'm not a scientist, why would I do that?". This includes not only fundamental science. There are a lot of materials on the topic of social sciences.There are a lot of special literature printed in English, which is simply impossible to find in Russian. It is certainly not very convenient and cheap to purchase on Amazon, but some books can be purchased for Kindle and read online. Others can be found on the Internet.This level is sufficient for admission to most British and American university programs.Online — you can take part in almost any online discussions, including on professional and academic topics. You are comfortable communicating in chat rooms, forums and social networks. You already feel well what the interlocutor wanted to say, even if he makes mistakes or confuses something. That is, you see what may cause misunderstanding, you feel the cultural / national characteristics of the interlocutors. However, it may take you some time to adjust between different communication formats.Work — you can engage in activities related to team management, facilitation. You have enough English, not only to participate in the discussion, but also to manage its course.

C2

At this level, you can understand almost everything said, with the exception of complex accents or speech using a large number of unfamiliar conversational constructions.

Education — studies related to complex literature - philology, theology, philosophy.

Entertainment - a wide range of fiction becomes available, although not without difficulties. As well as films in the original language

Online - in online events, you can act in any role, including as a group leader. You see all the misunderstandings that arise in the team and are able to eliminate them. You can adapt your statements for different situations on the go. You see the hidden meanings, you understand the jokes.

Work - also applies to offline group work. You can also work with multilingual team members, adjusting the speech for each of them.