What you can say at each level
A1: survival phrases
You can introduce yourself, ask and answer very simple questions about where you live or who you know, and use familiar everyday phrases, if the other person speaks slowly and helps. Speaking is mostly short, memorised chunks.
A2: simple, direct exchanges
You can handle routine situations such as shopping, ordering or asking for directions, and describe your family, your work and your surroundings in simple terms. You still pause often and need the other person to be patient.
B1: holding a conversation
You can cope with most situations while travelling, talk about familiar or personal topics, and describe experiences, plans and opinions with short reasons. You make mistakes and search for words, but people follow you. This is the level where speaking starts to feel like talking.
B2: fluent, spontaneous talk
You can take part in an ordinary conversation with a native speaker without strain on either side, explain a point of view on a topic, and argue for and against it. Errors are occasional and rarely stop the message.
C1 and C2: precise and flexible
At C1 you express ideas fluently and spontaneously, mostly without searching for words, and adjust your language to the situation. At C2 you can convey fine shades of meaning and recover smoothly from a slip. Few learners need C2 for daily life.
Using levels to practice better
Find your level by speaking
Lumen Speak starts with a short spoken placement: you talk with the tutor and it shows your level, free and without a card. A level based on what you can say aloud is more useful for speaking than one from a reading test.
A plan built around that level
Your classes are planned for where you are now, each with one goal, so the language is slightly harder than what you can already produce rather than far above or below it.
Corrections that come back
Mistakes you make are noted and brought back in later classes, which is how the gap between your level and the next one closes.
Practice in the situations you need
Role-play scenes such as ordering, small talk or an interview let you practice the level you are aiming for, not just the one you are at.
Check where you are, then aim one step up
You do not need a certificate to use levels. You only need an honest look at what you can say today.
Describe your day out loud
Talk for one minute about what you did today, with no notes. If you can only manage short phrases, you are around A1 to A2; if you can link sentences with because and but, B1 is close.
Notice where you stop
Do you stop to find a word, to build a sentence, or to understand the question? The reason you stop shows what to work on next.
Pick the next level's task
Choose one thing from the level above: giving a reason, telling a past story, disagreeing politely. Practice that single task until it comes without a pause.
Repeat it with a different topic
Say the same kind of thing about something new. If it still holds, the skill is yours rather than a memorised answer.
Re-check every few weeks
Do the one-minute description again. Levels move slowly, so measure change over weeks, not days.
Common questions
- What are the CEFR levels?
- The CEFR has six common reference levels: A1 and A2 (basic user), B1 and B2 (independent user) and C1 and C2 (proficient user). They describe what a learner can do in a language, such as understanding, speaking, reading and writing.
- What is B1 level speaking?
- At B1 you can deal with most everyday situations, talk about familiar topics and give short reasons or explanations for your opinions and plans. You may hesitate and make mistakes, but a sympathetic listener can follow you.
- Which CEFR level do I need to be conversational?
- There is no official line, but B1 is where most people start to feel able to hold an ordinary conversation, and B2 is where it becomes comfortable with native speakers. What you need depends on the situations you want to handle.
- Is the CEFR only for European languages?
- It was developed for European languages, but its can-do descriptions are language-neutral and are used to describe levels in many other languages, including Japanese and Chinese, often alongside each language's own tests.
- Are there levels below A1 and between the main levels?
- Yes. The 2020 Companion Volume describes a Pre-A1 level for the very first steps, and it describes in-between steps such as A2+, B1+ and B2+ for learners who are past a level but not yet at the next one.
- How can I find out my speaking level?
- Speak and be assessed on it. An official exam gives a certificate; for a quick, free read, Lumen Speak's spoken placement has you talk with the tutor for a few minutes and shows your level.
Sources
- Council of Europe (2001), Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment.
- Council of Europe (2020), Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Companion Volume.