CEFR Levels and the European Day of Languages

 

Picture source: culturebridges.eu

September 26th, The European Day of Languages, is a day I like to celebrate. As an aspiring polyglot, I've always felt identified with the idea of this day, even if I do not live in Europe.

Browsing the website that marks the celebration, I've found this excellent video to explain the Common European Framework for Reference -CEFR- to explain what knowledge level of a foreign language implies and entails. 

What is a language knowledge level? 

How long does it take to be an A1 or a B2 in a foreign language?

Picture source: Cambridgeenglish.org

Questions like these are posed to us, teachers of English as a foreign language, every year. The difference between the concept of a level and the reality of a level are slippery things to explain.

Languages are expressions of culture. Knowledge implies so much. They are so much more of a bridge across cultures than a box with a label or a piece of paper with a certificate. 

I kept nodding as I listened to Peter Brown on this video. Hope you enjoy it too.