Proficiency Levels

The student is able to understand and use everyday basic expressions and simple sentences to satisfy immediate needs; he/she can introduce herself and others, request basic information about accommodation, belongings, and acquaintances. At this level, the student can relate on a basic level provided the other person speaks slowly and clearly and is willing to cooperate.

The student is able to understand phrases and expressions used frequently in domains where the student has experience and are of relevance to him/her (basic information on herself and family, shopping, sites of interest, occupations and so forth); the student can communicate when engaging in simple everyday activities which do not require more than simple, direct exchanges about information on things that are usual or known to her. The student at this level can describe aspects about her past and her environment in simple terms, as well as questions regarding immediate needs.

The student is able to understand the basic points in clearly written texts and in standard language if they deal with subjects known to her, whether they be work, study or activity situations; he/she can cope with most situations which arise when travelling to an area where the language is spoken; he/she is able to produce simple and coherent texts on a familiar topic or in those topics of personal interest. The student is at this level when she can describe experiences, events, desires and aspirations as well as briefly justify her opinions or explain her plans.

The student is able to understand well the main ideas of complex texts dealing with both concrete and abstract topics, including technical texts, providing they fall within his/her realm of specialisation; he/she can interact with native speakers with sufficient ease and naturalness so that the communication takes place effortlessly on the part of both speakers. The student is at this level when he/she can produce clearly written texts on different subjects and defend a point of view on a general subject with the pros and cons of the different options.

The student is able to understand a wide range of long texts which have a certain degree of rigor, and recognise inferred meanings wherein. She can express herself fluently and spontaneously without visible signs of effort in searching for the proper expression. The student can use the language in a flexible manner in social, academic and professional situations. She can produce clear and well-structured texts which entail a certain degree of complexity, demonstrating the correct use of organisation, articulation and coherence mechanisms in writing.

The student is easily able to understand everything she hears and reads; she is able to reconstruct information and arguments drawing on different sources in both spoken and written language and present them in a coherent and summarised fashion. The student is at this level when she can express herself with spontaneity, ease and with a degree of precision in the nuances of meaning, even in fairly complex situations.