C2
C1+
C1
B2+
B2
B1+
B1
A2+
A2
A1+
- I can understand any kind of spoken language, whether live or broadcast, delivered at fast speed, even in a noisy environment.
- I can appreciate irony and sarcasm and draw appropriate conclusions about their use.
- I can understand any interlocutor, given an opportunity to adjust to a non-standard accent or dialect.
- I can fully appreciate the sociocultural implications of language used by other speakers and can react accordingly.
- I can follow debates, discussions, specialised lectures and presentations that contain a high degree of colloquial expressions, regional usage, or unfamiliar terminology.
- I can fully appreciate films, plays, TV and the radio, including humour, nuance, and implied meaning.
- I can extract necessary information from poor quality, audibly distorted public announcements or instructions, e.g. in a station with a train going past, in a sports stadium, etc.
C1+
- I can understand a wide range of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms, appreciating shifts in style and register.
- I can understand everybody I talk to, given the opportunity to occasionally confirm something, especially if the accent or dialect is non-standard and unfamiliar.
- I can easily follow complex interactions in group discussion and debate, even on abstract and unfamiliar topics.
- I can follow lectures, presentations and demonstrations with relative ease, making decisions about what to note down and what to omit as the lecture proceeds and ask detailed questions.
- I can without too much effort follow films which contain a large amount of slang and a wide range of idioms.
C1
- I can understand enough to follow extended speech on abstract and complex topics of academic or vocational relevance.
- I can generally understand everybody I talk to, though I may need to confirm some details, especially if the accent is unfamiliar.
- I can follow extended discussion even when it is not clearly structured and when relationships are only implied and not signalled explicitly.
- I can follow most lectures, discussions and debates both within and outside my field.
- I can understand in detail an argument in a discussion programme.
- I can understand complex technical information, such as instructions for operating equipment and specifications for products and services I know about.
B2+
- I can understand standard spoken language, live or broadcast, even in a noisy environment.
- I can understand in detail what is said to me in standard spoken language, even with an element of background noise.
- I can keep up with an animated discussion between native speakers.
- I can follow lectures and presentations in my field, even if the organisation and language are both complex.
- I can understand in detail TV documentaries, interviews, talk shows, plays and films in standard language.
- I can understand announcements, instructions, telephone messages etc. even when they are spoken fast, provided they are in standard dialect.
B2
- I can understand the main ideas of complex speech on concrete and abstract topics delivered in a standard dialect, including technical discussions in my field of specialisation.
- I can understand in detail what is said to me in standard spoken language.
- I can with some effort catch much of what is said around me, but may find it difficult to understand a discussion between several speakers who do not modify their language in any way.
- I can follow the essentials of lectures, talks and reports and other forms of complex academic or professional presentation in my field. I can follow TV drama and the majority of films in standard dialect.
- I can understand TV news, current affairs, documentaries, interviews, talk shows, etc.
- I can understand announcements and messages spoken in standard dialect at normal speed.
B1+
- I can understand straightforward information about everyday, study- or work-related topics, identifying both general messages and specific details, provided people speak clearly in a familiar accent.
- I can follow clear speech directed at me in everyday conversation, in an accent that is familiar to me.
- I can generally follow the main points of extended discussion around me, if people talk clearly.
- I can follow a lecture or talk within my own field, if the subject matter is familiar and the presentation clearly structured.
- I can follow TV programmes on topics of personal interest when people speak clearly.
- I can understand information in announcements and other recorded, factual texts, if they are delivered in clear standard speech.
B1
- I can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar, everyday subjects, provided there is an opportunity to get repetition or clarification sometimes.
- I can understand what is said to me in everyday conversations, but I sometimes need help in clarifying particular details.
- I can understand the main points of discussion on familiar topics in everyday situations when people speak clearly, but I sometimes need help in understanding details.
- I can follow clearly spoken, straightforward short talks on familiar topics.
- I can understand the main points in TV programmes on familiar topics when the delivery is relatively slow and clear. I can understand simple technical information, such as operating instructions for familiar types of equipment.
A2+
- I can understand enough of what people say to be able to meet immediate needs, provided people speak slowly and clearly.
- I can understand when people talk to me about everyday things, as long as I can ask for help.
- I can generally identify changes in the topic of discussion around me which is conducted slowly and clearly.
- I can understand short, simple stories when told clearly and slowly.
- I can follow the main points of TV news, if people talk slowly and clearly, if I am familiar with the subject and if the TV pictures help me to understand the story.
- I can understand the main point in short, clear, simple messages, announcements and instructions (e.g. airport gate changes).
A2
- I can understand simple information and questions about family, people, homes, work and hobbies.
- I can understand what people say to me in simple, everyday conversation, if they speak clearly and slowly and give me help.
- I can understand short conversations about family, hobbies and daily life, provided that people speak slowly and clearly.
- I can follow changes of topic in TV news reports and understand the main information.
- I can understand short, clear and simple messages at the airport, railway station etc. For example: “The train to London leaves at 4:30”.
- I can understand the main information in announcements if people talk very clearly. For example: weather reports, etc
A1+
- I can understand people if they speak very slowly and clearly about simple everyday topics.
- I can understand people describing objects and possessions (e.g. colour and size).
- I can understand simple questions and instructions addressed carefully and slowly to me. In a shop I can understand the price of an article, if the salesperson helps me understand.
- I can understand when people are talking about themselves and their families if they speak very slowly and clearly, using simple words.
- I can understand figures and times given in clear announcements, for example at a railway station.
- I can understand simple directions how to get from X to Y, on foot or by public transport, provided that people speak very slowly and very clearly.
- I can understand simple words and phrases, like "excuse me", "sorry", "thank you", etc. I can understand the days of the week and months of the year.
- I can understand times and dates.
- I can understand numbers and prices.
- I can understand basic greetings and leave taking, like “Hello”, “good bye”, “good morning”, etc.
- I can understand simple personal questions when people speak slowly and clearly. (e.g. What’s your name?”,“How old are you?”, “What’s your address?”)
- When listening to a conversation, I can understand words and short sentences, provided that people speak very slowly and very clearly.
- I can recognise my flight number in short, clear and simple messages at international airports.