MY CURRENT LEVEL OF SPANISH?
somewhere between A1 and a2
My starting point is knowing no Spanish at all, other than a smattering of random words picked up over the years from TV or films. Level 0 essentially.
My plan is to take an exam with the Instituto Cervantes at the highest level I think I’ll be able to pass after 12 months of studying Spanish. I’m aiming for a good standard by April 2021, but measuring exactly what qualifies as a good standard is a tricky business. Nobody seems to be able to agree on what “fluent” means, so trying to figure out if someone is quite fluent, or partly fluent, or reasonably fluent, seems a bit like asking how long a fraction of a piece of string is.
Since the Instituto Cervantes exams follow the levels set out by the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), I'll measure my progress through the year, and my level at the end of it, by that yardstick. You can rread more about the CEFR levels below.
My plan is to take an exam with the Instituto Cervantes at the highest level I think I’ll be able to pass after 12 months of studying Spanish. I’m aiming for a good standard by April 2021, but measuring exactly what qualifies as a good standard is a tricky business. Nobody seems to be able to agree on what “fluent” means, so trying to figure out if someone is quite fluent, or partly fluent, or reasonably fluent, seems a bit like asking how long a fraction of a piece of string is.
Since the Instituto Cervantes exams follow the levels set out by the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), I'll measure my progress through the year, and my level at the end of it, by that yardstick. You can rread more about the CEFR levels below.
A1 LEVEL REACHED - 17 June 2020
Due to Covid 19 restrictions, the Instituto Cervantes is not holding any DELE A1 exams at the moment. Instead, I downloaded the A1 sample paper from their website, sat it and had it corrected by an accredited Instituto Cervantes DELE examiner. And passed! As of 17 June 2020 I have (sort of officially) reached A1 level in Spanish, and according the examiner am not far off reaching level A2.
The exam is in four parts: reading comprehension, listening comprehension, writing and oral exam. Here are my completed sections, with the written section corrected by the examiner, and a recording of the oral exam together with some corrections of errors I made during it emailed to me by the examiner:
The exam is in four parts: reading comprehension, listening comprehension, writing and oral exam. Here are my completed sections, with the written section corrected by the examiner, and a recording of the oral exam together with some corrections of errors I made during it emailed to me by the examiner:
prueba_1.pdf |
prueba_2.pdf |
prueba_3.pdf |
prueba_4.mp3 |
prueba_4.pdf |
I got all the answers right in part one of the exam, reading comprehension, though I did change my answer to question 15 after rereading it. In the second part of the exam, I changed my answer to question 12, and wasn't sure if I had got the answer correct. I got all the answers right, but since question 12 was partially a guess, I'll say it was 24/25 or 96%. The examiner didn't give me a percentage score for the third and fourth parts of the test, but said that I had passed them and had passed the A1 exam overall.
about the CEFR Language levels
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is the European standard for measuring foreign language ability. It sets out six different levels from A1 (basic) to C2 (mastery).
According to the Instituto Cervantes the number of hours of classes normally needed to reach each level is:
A1 - 60 hours of classes
A2 - 180 hours of classes
B1 - 300 hours of classes
B2 - 480 hours of classes
According to the Instituto Cervantes the number of hours of classes normally needed to reach each level is:
A1 - 60 hours of classes
A2 - 180 hours of classes
B1 - 300 hours of classes
B2 - 480 hours of classes
In Irish schools, students sit the Junior Certificate exam, which is somewhere between the A1 and A2 standard, after about 180 hours of Spanish classes, and sit the Leaving Certificate exam, approximately B1 standard, after a total of around 300 hours of classes.
In UK schools, the GCSE Spanish exam, which students sit in the fourth year of secondary school, roughly equates with the A2 standard, while the AS Level exam (5th year) is at approximately B1 standard and the A Level exam (6th year) reaches to around the B2 standard.
In US schools, the Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish exam which is taken in the final year of high school is somewhere between the B1 and B2 standard.
In UK schools, the GCSE Spanish exam, which students sit in the fourth year of secondary school, roughly equates with the A2 standard, while the AS Level exam (5th year) is at approximately B1 standard and the A Level exam (6th year) reaches to around the B2 standard.
In US schools, the Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish exam which is taken in the final year of high school is somewhere between the B1 and B2 standard.
Description of the CEFR levels
This is the description of the various CEFR levels taken from the Council of Europe website:
Basic user
A1
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.
A2
Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.
Independent user
B1
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes & ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
B2
Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
Proficient user
C1
Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
C2
Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.
This is the description of the various CEFR levels taken from the Council of Europe website:
Basic user
A1
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.
A2
Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.
Independent user
B1
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes & ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
B2
Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
Proficient user
C1
Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
C2
Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.