Theme: Accessing learner's writing skills to cefr scales content introduction chapter I. History of cefr

1.2 Aspects of language proficiency (reading, writing, etc.)
The CEFR scale not only gives an overall picture of what a student can do at each of the levels, but also can separately assess the 5 components of the language (they are also called aspects, skills or competencies): reading, listening comprehension, ability to speak the language, ability to use language for speaking, writing.
An attentive reader may have noticed that the so-called “speaking” (I know that such a word does not exist in Russian, but for the “speaking” skill this is the closest translation, do not find fault) is actually mentioned twice in this list. One skill is precisely the ability to speak (when, for example, you tell something from the stage or to the camera), and the other is the ability to conduct a conversation: take a word, ask for clarification, answer, joke in the end.
However, back to the description of the aspects. Here is what, for example, the understanding of written speech (i.e. reading) looks like for the same level A2:
I can understand very short, simple texts. I can find specific, predictable information in simple everyday texts: advertisements, brochures, menus, timetables. I understand simple personal letters.
As you can see, such a description is suitable for any language, not necessarily English. And indeed: CEFR is already used to assess the level of more than 30 languages ​​- and among them are not only European: among the languages ​​for which CEFR is used are Japanese, Korean, and Chinese; you can even find such exotics as Galician (the language of one of the regions of Spain) and Esperanto (the most popular artificial language in the world) on the list.
CHAPTER II. ENGLISH PROFICIENCY LEVELS CEFR
Now, actually, let's look at these levels themselves. The official descriptions can be found at the link at the end of the material, and here I will try to retell the description of these levels based on my experience. You can use these descriptions for a rough self-assessment of your level, although do not forget that only such things as international exams can give a quality objective assessment.
About examples of speech for different levels: in 2-3 sentences I tried to show on what topics and with what words a student of one or another level can speak. The network has a more detailed description of grammar and vocabulary by level (see link at the end).
A few words about the level names. Here I give the original names of the levels with which CEFR was originally created. As a result, the names of the levels changed to more familiar to us beginner, elementary, etc. - more on that later.
A1 (Breakthrough)
Listening comprehension
You understand only familiar short phrases spoken slowly and clearly - about you, about relatives, about what is around. A conversation is possible, but the interlocutor needs to be ready not only to speak slowly and very clearly, but also to repeat what was said, to paraphrase, using ever simpler constructions.
If you are present at a conversation between two native speakers, you will hardly understand more than 2-3 random words. Movies and series in the original ... let's just say: with the same success they could be watched with the sound turned off.
Communication
With relative confidence, you can handle things like numbers, prices, times, colors - and maybe a few other basic topics. To fill holes in the vocabulary, both sides of the dialogue have to resort to gestures, facial expressions, and pointing fingers at surrounding objects.
Reading
Reading is limited to familiar words, names, sometimes short sentences - in case something similar has already been met before. Even a dictionary does not help much: knowledge of individual words is often not enough to understand even what is being discussed in principle, any slightly advanced grammatical construction will hopelessly confuse. If anything can be read at this level, it will be children's picture books, and no less information will be obtained from pictures than from words.
Speech
Basic “social phrases” – greetings, farewells, gratitude, apologies – are no problem. You can provide basic information about yourself, about relatives, about something that you remember from the textbook, the simplest descriptions and stories. These are, most likely, not even complete sentences, but just a set of words that we managed to remember and somehow stick together. If there are no errors in the sentence, it is most likely luck. Even between such fragmentary sentences, there will be noticeable pauses, during which you scrape the bottom of your own memory with an effort. Pronunciation at this stage also usually leaves a lot to be desired, so you too sometimes have to repeat what has been said in order to be understood.
Speech example: My name is Dima. I live in Moscow. I want to buy this.
Letter
The simplest things, for example, fill in the questionnaire fields “name”, “nationality”, “address”, “date of birth”, etc. Any unfamiliar data will be difficult. You can rewrite simple text written by someone else.
A1 is the very first level of the CEFR scale, at which the speaker has nothing to boast of. Looking at the description, you might think that we are talking about a three-year-old child, and not about an adult - and, by the way, this feeling of awkwardness and helplessness is the main brake for students.
However, there are two good news. First, pay attention to the official name of this stage - Breakthrough, that is, a breakthrough. And it's not easy. Yes, the difference between an A1 and a fluent speaker is huge. But between those who understand at least something, and those who do not understand at all - the difference is even greater!
The second good news is that A1 is the stage that will be left behind the fastest. Enjoy how your English improves noticeably every week - after a while, you will only dream of such a rate of progress.
A2 (Waystage)
Listening comprehension
Listening comprehension is still limited to a few topics, but there are more such topics – shopping, transportation, work, education. If it's a familiar topic, you may well get the main idea of ​​a short and simple sentence.
Movies are still unavailable. Familiar words are already found in almost every phrase, but knowledge and experience are not yet enough to combine them into a coherent thought.
Communication
The conversation starts to look like a conversation - with long pauses to search for the right word, with finger pointing and gestures instead of words you don't already know. By listening to a native speaker, there is a chance to understand the main idea - what is it about, whether something good or bad happened, etc. Almost all the details are still unavailable. It is also not yet possible to actively conduct and maintain a conversation on your own.
Reading
You can read and understand, albeit with effort, short, simple texts – especially where context or “international” words help. At this level, you can already find the information you need from real daily materials: announcements, menus, schedules. Simple children's books (those with one sentence per page) are already available, but those with a paragraph per page are still a bit complicated.
Speech
You can add information about yourself with details about your profession, education, hometown; you can talk about past events, plans, tell a simple story. Phrases begin to connect into logical structures using but, because, and, or. The speech becomes coherent, although the sentences are still comparatively short. In addition to memorized grammatical structures and phrases, you begin to experiment by grouping words into phrases and phrases yourself. And although such an experiment rarely goes without errors, the interlocutor is likely to understand what was meant. Listening to such a speech is already quite possible, but so far it is difficult - in order to catch the meaning, additional concentration of attention is required.
Speech example: On Friday I will go to watch a movie. I work on a marketing company in Moscow.
Letter
You can write a few phrases in English, but for now, these are only the most basic things - a short letter, a chat message, a simple comment on social networks, etc. Most of the questionnaires are no longer difficult.
A2, a level where you can link a few words, but into very simple, primitive phrases. With the exception of a few familiar topics, everything else is difficult. Your English is enough to cope with some life situations, but not all.
The name of this stage is Waystage (way stage?) - I honestly admit that I don’t understand, but the authors don’t really explain. I will assume that it is somehow connected with the fact that you have already made some progress, have already left the point of departure, but have not yet reached some significant level where English begins to bring practical benefits - although these are just my conjectures.
B1 (Threshold)
Listening Comprehension
When you listen to a speech delivered clearly at natural speed (for example, a newscaster reading a news report or a documentary voice-over), you successfully understand the main idea of ​​what is being said, although there are still many unfamiliar words. Live speech with additional difficulties in the form of fuzzy pronunciation, strong accent, timbre, extraneous noise is still difficult.
Dramatic films, films on complex topics are still incomprehensible. But, for example, comedy series become available, especially if it is possible to rewind and listen again to incomprehensible fragments.
Communication
B1 - level of English, sufficient to not experience difficulties when traveling. The list of topics in which you are more or less familiar has already expanded to travel, hobbies, current events. If the topic is familiar to you, you can take part in a very meaningful conversation. Communication becomes relatively reliable. In important and difficult situations, you can repeat what the interlocutor said to make sure that you understood him correctly. In turn, the interlocutor basically has no problems understanding you, despite the mistakes and accent.
At this level, it is already possible to make a simple presentation or report in front of an audience. However, the speech must be written in advance and rehearsed, and questions from the audience may remain incomprehensible.
Reading
"Adult" non-adapted literature is not yet available, but books designed for teenagers, books with a lot of dialogue and a small amount of "smart" words are already tough. You have an important skill - you begin to see the structure of a sentence, understand what role an unfamiliar word plays in it - a “linguistic guess” becomes available to you.
At this level, an instruction or computer program in English will not cause problems (although some words will have to be looked up in a dictionary).
Speech
You connect sentences into a meaningful structure, into a coherent narrative. You can describe events, give explanations, make assumptions, you can retell the content of a movie or book, express your opinion. Gestures and facial expressions to explain unfamiliar words give way to explanation in words. You are confident with familiar grammatical structures, but when grammar knowledge is lacking, you are more likely to use a copy of the structure of your native language, and this is most likely to be a mistake. However, you yourself already feel when you are confused and trying to find an alternative way to build a phrase.
Speech example: I've been studying English for a year. If you want to go there, you need to take a bus. We need to get to the airport at least two hours before the departure.
Letter
You can write a short connected text of several sentences (an email, a detailed comment on a social network). However, such things as writing style, interesting language turns are still not available.
B1 level is the level sufficient to “survive” in an English-speaking environment. You can handle any situation while traveling or living abroad. You can talk about almost any daily topic, but the vocabulary for something more specific will most likely be unfamiliar. However, you begin to overcome this by explaining one word with another, no longer using gestures.
The most important thing that happens at this level is that your knowledge gains enough “critical mass” to move on almost independently. Of course, courses and textbooks will not be superfluous, but theoretically you can continue learning English by simply watching simple films and TV shows, “absorbing” a foreign language. The official name of the Threshold level, threshold, just describes this qualitative transition.
B2 (Vantage)
Listening comprehension
At B2 level, almost any material becomes audible - ordinary conversation, lectures, public speaking, films and series - except when the speaker uses a faster pace than usual or some sophisticated vocabulary or technical terms. However, in this case, you can already either guess the meaning of the word well, or guess about its spelling in order to look it up in the dictionary.
B2 is a level where you watch movies and series in English “for fun”, just to watch an interesting movie, and not to practice English. If something remains misunderstood, it rarely interferes with viewing.
Communication
At this level, it becomes possible to have a normal conversation with a native speaker - you can understand his point of view, express and defend your own. Still slower than in the native language, but without the obvious pauses of the previous levels: even if you can't find the word you're looking for, you can get around this problem without drawing much attention to it. You can take part in mass discussions, initiate conversations on your own, speak for long periods of time at an almost constant pace. At the same time, speech cannot be called completely smooth yet - yes, sentences come out of you almost without delay, but there is some “twitchiness” in their content.
Reading
Most modern books and other materials (articles, websites) are almost completely clear to you. Yes, unfamiliar words are found here and there, but they hardly become a serious obstacle.
Speech
You can speak on a variety of topics - from everyday to professional (where you have professional experience in English). You can talk in detail about something, present arguments for or against a particular point of view or approach. The set of grammatical structures is already quite extensive. You no longer make mistakes that hinder understanding, and you can correct the rest yourself if you have enough time for this.
Speech example: It shouldn't be a problem for him, he has done similar tasks before. I haven't been told about these new requirements, it can be a problem finishing the project in time. Her boyfriend dumped her, so let's go out and try to cheer her up.
Letter
You can write a coherent text of medium size - a short essay, a report, an extended e-mail.
B2 - the level required to work in English - here you can already freely communicate with colleagues and express your thoughts - both orally and in writing. The name of the level - Vantage (point of view) symbolizes the moment when a student can already look back at the English he studied from above, see the result achieved in a new light.
C1 (Effective Operational Proficiency)
Listening comprehension
You can understand speech even more freely, even if fragments of it are missing or difficult to distinguish (due to accent, timbre, loudness). C1 recognizes many idioms, phraseological turns and slang (at least what foreigners know at this age and social status), understand references from popular culture, feel differences in style.
Watching movies and series in English requires as much effort as watching a movie or series in your native language.
Communication
In addition to the freedom in communication that appeared at the previous level, the ease with which you now do it is added. Almost everything that you can say in your native language, you can express in English. The pace of speech, coherence, natural intonation almost do not differ from the speech of a native speaker.
Reading
You can read quite complex texts, both literary and non-fiction. Even specialized materials do not cause much difficulty (provided, of course, that the terms used are familiar to the average native speaker). In a literary English text you read, you begin to see and appreciate the style in which it is written.
Speech
English is no longer an obstacle to expressing your thoughts. You can make a fairly voluminous speech, structured by topics and subtopics, focusing on individual points and leading to the desired conclusion; you can freely communicate in English on everyday topics; you can talk about almost anything, using the right words, grammatical constructions, style. You can do all this without preparation, right at the moment of the conversation.
However, you are not yet at the level of a native speaker - occasionally, but in your speech there may be turns that are unnatural for a native speaker, reservations, inaccuracies. They do not affect communication at all, they just give you a non-native speaker.
Speech example: Brexit is quite a challenge for the country, but it may end up being beneficial in the long run. When it comes to the environmental issues, I think it's the international efforts that have the biggest impact. What are you suggesting maybe a right thing to do in certain cases, but in our situation I prefer being risk averse.
Writing
You are not only able to write coherent text, medium size, you can use different styles, depending on the need - from formal for formal business correspondence to informal for talking with acquaintances and friends.
If you look at the difference between C1 and B2, it may seem that growth has slowed down a lot. Indeed, C1's performance is only slightly better than that of the previous stage, and C1 has practically no new skills. The most important thing that distinguishes this level is “lightness”: maybe C1 does not do much more than the previous level - but from a student at this level, English does not require effort (or rather, as much effort as a native language would require).
The name of this level is Effective Operational Proficiency, effective operational knowledge shows that on the one hand, this is exactly what English has become for you as a tool that you can use effectively, on the other hand, how little effort the creators of CEFR put into coming up with a name for this level.
C2 (Master)
Listening comprehension
It cannot be said that listening comprehension improves greatly at level C2: just like at the previous level, you can easily listen to the conversation of native speakers, understand English-language films and series. In fact, your listening comprehension matches that of a native speaker.
Communication
As at the C1 level, you can freely take part in an English conversation on equal terms with a native speaker, the difference between your speech and that of a native speaker has become even smaller. It's the same with films and TV shows - if before the difficulties arose rarely, now they arise even less often.
Reading
You can read any text available to a native speaker - at the same speed, with the same level of understanding. Of course, Shakespeare in the original is still incomprehensible, but he is also incomprehensible to those who have English as their native language.
Speech
If in passive skills (where you need to understand English - reading and listening comprehension) there are practically no differences between C1 and C2, then in active skills (where you need to produce English yourself - that is, speaking and writing) there is a noticeable difference. If at the previous level you acquired ease - speaking English is as easy for you as in your native language, then C2 is a level where accuracy and grace are added to ease. You “play” with your English, choosing spectacular expressions, using interesting idioms, sentences are precise and beautiful; “Well said,” the interlocutors think. Only a barely perceptible accent can betray you as a person with a non-native English language.
I do not give an example of speech here - grammatical constructions and vocabulary practically do not differ from what was already on C1.
Writing
As with speaking, C2 is the level where your English becomes “brilliant” and you become mastery, hence the name of this level, Mastery. In writing, you use interesting turns, play with styles. Reading what you wrote is not only easy and understandable, but also pleasant.
C2 - the level at which skill is added to the ease of using English. You don't just express your thoughts with ease - you do it in a memorable and interesting way. In fact, your English becomes indistinguishable from the English of a well-educated, native speaker.
On C2, the main problem of high levels is even more visible - the difference with the previous levels is not particularly noticeable, but it takes almost as much effort to pass from C1 to C2 as it took to reach C1.