Explanation of the different levels
Here’s a breakdown of the abilities, skills, and grammar points ESL students need to master at each level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR):
A1-A2 (Beginner)
General Abilities:
- Understand and use everyday expressions.
- Introduce themselves and others.
- Ask and answer questions about personal details (name, age, nationality, etc.).
- Communicate in simple, routine tasks requiring a direct exchange of information.
Listening & Speaking:
- A1: Can understand slow, clearly articulated speech and basic phrases related to themselves or immediate environment.
- A2: Can understand phrases and frequently used expressions related to areas of immediate relevance (shopping, family, local geography).
- Can engage in simple conversations, ask and answer straightforward questions.
Reading:
- A1: Can understand familiar names, words, and very simple sentences, such as those on signs, posters, or catalogues.
- A2: Can read short, simple texts like postcards, and find specific information in simple everyday material.
Writing:
- A1: Can write simple phrases and sentences about themselves (e.g., name, age).
- A2: Can write short messages and simple notes (e.g., a postcard or an email to a friend).
Grammar Points:
- A1:
- Present Simple (for routines and facts)
- Be, have, there is/are
- Basic question forms (wh- questions, yes/no questions)
- Simple adjectives (big, small, etc.)
- Basic prepositions (in, on, under, at)
- A2:
- Present Continuous (for actions happening now)
- Past Simple (regular and irregular verbs)
- Future with “going to”
- Comparatives and superlatives
- Modals of ability and permission (can, could, may)
- Countable/uncountable nouns (some, any, much, many)
B1-B2 (Intermediate)
General Abilities:
- Can deal with most situations while traveling in an English-speaking area.
- Can produce simple connected text on familiar topics.
- Can describe experiences, events, dreams, hopes, and ambitions.
- Can give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
Listening & Speaking:
- B1: Can understand the main points of clear, standard speech on familiar topics (work, school, leisure).
- B2: Can understand extended speech and lectures, and follow more complex arguments on familiar topics.
- Can engage in a conversation on various topics, discussing personal interests, and narrating stories or describing situations in detail.
Reading:
- B1: Can understand texts with high frequency everyday or job-related language.
- B2: Can read articles, reports, and literature, and identify the writer’s point of view or tone.
Writing:
- B1: Can write simple connected text on familiar topics (e.g., an email or essay about personal experiences).
- B2: Can write detailed texts on a wide range of subjects, explain a viewpoint, and give advantages/disadvantages of various options.
Grammar Points:
- B1:
- Present Perfect (for experiences, life events)
- Past Continuous (for background actions)
- Future with “will,” “going to,” and Present Continuous
- First Conditional (if + present, will + verb)
- Relative clauses (who, which, that)
- Modals for advice and obligation (should, must, have to)
- B2:
- Present Perfect Continuous (for actions with a present result)
- Passive voice (all tenses)
- Reported speech (statements, questions, commands)
- Second Conditional (if + past simple, would + verb)
- Modals for possibility (might, may, could)
- Gerunds and infinitives (after verbs, as subjects)
C1-C2 (Advanced)
General Abilities:
- Can express ideas fluently and spontaneously.
- Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes.
- Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and recognize implicit meaning.
- Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects.
Listening & Speaking:
- C1: Can understand extended speech even when it is not clearly structured and relationships between ideas are only implied.
- C2: Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read, including complex lectures, debates, and technical discussions.
- Can speak fluently and use the language with a high level of accuracy in both formal and informal contexts.
Reading:
- C1: Can understand a wide range of demanding texts, including specialized articles and long, complex instructions.
- C2: Can read virtually all forms of written text, including complex and abstract material like literary works or specialized manuals.
Writing:
- C1: Can produce clear, well-structured text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors, and cohesive devices.
- C2: Can write in a well-organized and detailed manner on any subject, producing well-structured, coherent text.
Grammar Points:
- C1:
- Future Perfect and Future Continuous (for predictions and ongoing actions)
- Mixed conditionals (combining different time frames in if-clauses)
- Complex sentence structures (inversion for emphasis, cleft sentences)
- Advanced passive structures (get-passive)
- Advanced relative clauses (with prepositions)
- Advanced modals (must have, might have, should have for speculation about the past)
- C2:
- Subjunctive mood (formal and hypothetical statements)
- Use of inversion for rhetorical effect (Not only… but also)
- Advanced discourse markers (on the contrary, in any case)
- Nominalization (turning verbs into nouns for more formal writing)
- Idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs at a near-native level
- Hedging language (might, may, could possibly, etc. for subtlety)
Summary of Skills for Each Level:
- A1-A2 (Beginner): Simple daily conversations, basic grammar and vocabulary, understanding and producing short texts.
- B1-B2 (Intermediate): More complex discussions, narrating, and explaining with a deeper understanding of grammar structures.
- C1-C2 (Advanced): Near-native fluency, understanding nuanced language, producing clear and detailed formal and informal texts.