CEFR LEVEL A1 (basic user - beginner)

Photo: Caroline (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hills_alive/)

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, abbreviated as CEFR or CEF, is a guideline used to describe achievements of learners of foreign languages. The six reference levels  are becoming widely accepted as the European standard for grading an individual's language proficiency.

• Level A1 (basic user - breakthrough or beginner)
• Level A2 (basic user - way stage or elementary)
• Level B1 (independent user - threshold or intermediate)
• Level B2 (independent user - vantage or upper-intermediate)
• Level C1 (proficient user - advanced)
• Level C2 (proficient user - mastery or proficiency)

This web will focus on the first four levels of the CEFR.

Level A1 (basic user - breakthrough or beginner)

• Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.
• Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has.
• Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

The grammar points included in this level are:

1. Adjectives: common and demonstrative
2. Adverbs of frequency
3. Comparatives and superlatives
4. Going to
5. How much/how many and very
6. common uncountable nouns
7. I’d like
8. Imperatives (affirmative and negative)
9. Intensifiers - very basic
10. Modals: can/can’t/could/couldn’t
11. Past simple of “to be”
12. Past Simple
13. Possessive adjectives
14. Possessive s
15. Prepositions, common
16. Prepositions of place
17. Prepositions of time, including in/on/at
18. Present continuous
19. Present simple
20. Pronouns: simple, personal
21. Questions
22. There is/are
23. To be, including question+negatives
24. Verb + ing: like/hate/love

(Adapted from Britishcouncil.org)


The vocabulary that will be covered is:

Food and drink
Nationalities and countries
Personal information
Things in the town, shops and shopping
Verbs – basic
Family life
Hobbies and pastimes
Holidays
Leisure activities
Shopping
Work and jobs