What is My current French Language Level

Your French Language Level

Most students who want to improve in French first need to know their current French Language Level. So they need to know which are the language levels and what they stand for. The creation of these levels is intended to measure the linguistic ability of a student.

Many times, my student do not know their language level and in order to know it they need to undergo an evaluation that will determine the French language level they have.

My last student did not know what her language level was, nor did she know about the existence of the different levels, she had to find it out. So she took a first course with me to determine her level.

Well, after all, it turned out she had level A1 which is the basic or initial level. So now she could organize herself to climb to the next level, now she is level A2, and she continues to climb. (here the link if you need to take French Courses with me or other teachers)

 

The CERF scale: Measure your French Language Level

 

There are different systems to measure the linguistic skills of a student with respect to a language, however the CERF scale (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is the most common.

In this system, the levels of a language are described by letters and numbers A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2. These are the six language levels.

This scale is ascending, where A1 is the initial or basic level and C2 is the highest level where the language is mastered.

 

Level A1

This is a basic level to which many students tend to aspire, but they should not settle for having this level, they can climb much higher.

Although at this level a speaker can communicate in a basic way, it is still not enough to have effective communication. The DELF A1 French exams present exercises that can be solved in a simple way, however the real experience of a conversation at this level will always present some limitations.

A student at this level will not be able to transmit fully and accurately what they want to say and will not be able to understand what they are answering either, as the rate of speech is often too fast for a speaker at this level. Therefore, you will need to speak slowly as well as be spoken very slowly.

You can Have a look at my Delf A1 Video Course free preview to check out the kind of vocabulary used at this French A1 level

 

Level A2

 

If you have planned to travel abroad as a tourist, you should have the A2 level, since this will allow you to have daily conversations in various circumstances.

You will not have problems having lunch in a restaurant or asking about any concerns, it will be easy to check into a hotel or buy some things you need.

Above all, you can basically communicate what you want; however, you will be limited in explaining misunderstandings or making some claims.

Deeper conversations are more complex, therefore this level will not allow the speaker to carry out these types of conversations.

 

Level B1

 

It is curious to say that at this level you can make a claim; explain misunderstandings and have deeper conversations.

You will be able to cope in various situations without needing help, that is, you will be able to move around the city without fear of getting lost or not being able to communicate.

If you meet someone and fall in love, with this level of language you can better express your feelings and you can have important experiences. Therefore, the language problem will not be a barrier to start various conversations.

This is a level that you should aspire to very urgently as it will allow you to communicate with others without someone helping you.

 

Level B2

 

When you reach this level you can get married if you wish, at this level conversations are more successful, since your vocabulary is more abundant and your grammar is much better. And even if there are still some difficulties, your friends will be happy to chat with you.

It may be that you make some lexical errors or in expressions of the language, as happens to many at different levels. And you can even be a teacher in a French Speaking Country.

When I was learning Spanish I used to refer to old things with the word “old man” because in French it is said “ancient” to old things, however, in Spanish the word “old man” is used to refer to older people and not to stuff. It was anecdotal for those who heard me say “this book is an old man.”

Here you can have a look at my French course, preparing for the DELF B2 exam

 

Level C1

 

This is a fairly high level and this level will allow you to speak in any area of ​​life. Here you can participate in a conference, social or family gatherings, or sport events.

You can also read any kind of book, since this is not a problem at this level, for example you can read literary works, texts on health, psychology, education, and everything you want.

Probably the only thing that will be limited will be the technicalities, that is, the technical vocabulary of some profession, such as, for example, the technical terms of Medicine or Engineering.

This level will also allow you to access doctoral programs required by a university or higher institution.

 

Level C2

 

This is the highest level of a language, here you understand everything, here you will reach an understanding of many common details that are used in the language.

However, the curious thing is that the majority of the French speakers (or other mother tongue) do not have this level, since the complexity of a language is not fully understood.

Therefore there are very few students who aspire to reach this level, however no one is prevented from doing so.

 

How long does it take to climb up one French Language Level?

 

Some estimate that in 3 months you can learn a language, but this is only possible if you live in the place where the language is spoken. But if not, the time will be relative, that is, it will depend on how many hours you take classes, study or practice.

Some believe that in 80 hours you will be able to reach the French Language level A1 and that for the next level you will need twice as many hours, that is, 160 hours, and for the next level, twice as many as 160, that is, 320, and thus continue doubling for each level. Only for level C2 much more time is required than estimated since the study of a language is infinite.

But I don’t agree with these statistics. Each of my Student has had a such different learning curve compared to the other students… I have a Qatari student who was able to grow from 0 to hero (less than A1 level to B2 level) in only 1,5 year (2,5 hours weekly) so he climbed each level in only 49 hours.

The time to learn a language will be determined by your desire and willpower to learn, your organization, your discipline, and other factors such as time, your job, etc.

Then it is you who can estimate an approximate time depending on your organization and the learning schedule that you have established.

And if you would like to have some Online Course with me just check this link: Skype/Zoom Courses with Christophe Ternay

 

Speak fluently like a native speaker

 

You have to know that some native speakers do not have the so-called fluency of a language; hence it follows that if you have a B2 level you are already fluent.

However, someone in your opinion may think that you are not fluent and that you will have it when you have the C1 or C2 level.

Like I said, there are many native speakers who have not reached the C2 level, so you don’t have to be ashamed if you don’t reach this level.

I hope this information has been useful and you liked it, I wish you success in your next DELF exam.