CEFR Level of Courses

What do speakers at A2 / B1 / B2 sound like?

At the link below you will find video examples of conversations at all 6 levels in 5 European languages. View by selecting language and level.

*Links on this page are currently being updated, we apologise for any inconvenience. 

And here are examples in other languages:

What level do I need to study abroad?

At most overseas universities, you will need at least a B2 level to study the same courses as native speakers. However some universities offer a full semester of courses for learners of the language at A2 or B1 level. An exchange experience can accelerate your progress through the intermediate levels.   

How long does it take to get to B2 level?

It depends on your entry level, how similar the language is to your native language, and how much time and effort you devote to your language learning.

From beginner level it will take a minimum of five #2 unit courses for you to reach B2 level in a language that uses the same alphabet as English. If you need to learn a new writing system as well, it will require more study, for example ten #2 unit courses to reach B2 level in both speaking and writing in Chinese.

Why are there blanks in the tables of UQ languages courses?

Not all skills are assessed in every course. A course may assess spoken interaction instead of assessing listening and spoken production separately. And some courses focus on writing or speaking, but not both.

Why are there several courses at the same level?

While students move quickly from A1 to A2, it takes considerable learning and practice to move through the intermediate levels (B1, B2).

Will I ever reach C2 level?

Not all learners reach C2 level. Indeed not all native speakers of English are at C2 level in every skill. B2 and C1 levels, however, already enable speakers to function competently in a foreign language.

Will I learn about culture?

Although cultural knowledge isn’t measured in the CEFR levels, our language courses at UQ emphasise understanding of the culture(s) in which the language is spoken, and intercultural communication skills.

Are there other ways of identifying language levels?

CEFR is the only system that identifies proficiency in any language. But there are also language-specific systems, for example, IELTS (English), HSK (Chinese), DELF/DALF (French), TestDaF (German), UKBI (Indonesian), JLPT (Japanese), TOPIK (Korean), TORFL (Russian), DELE (Spanish).

Can the CEFR really be used for ALL languages?

The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) was developed by the Council of Europe, but can be used to measure proficiency in any language that is both spoken and written. However, in languages that are only written (e.g. Latin and Ancient Greek) or only spoken (e.g. some indigenous languages), not all dimensions of the CEFR are applicable. And the CEFR does not capture written/reading proficiency adequately in languages with multiple scripts like Japanese. It is nonetheless useful as a basic tool to describe what people are capable of in communicating in these languages.