LEVEL 1   BEGINNER

The student can't respond to spoken language, can't produce meaningful sentences, and can't communicate effectively.

LEVEL 2   ELEMENTARY

The student can understand and produce greetings, comments, and limited conversations, but often uses one-word answers. Speaking and listening ability is limited to the sounds of the student's own language.

LEVEL 3   UPPER ELEMENTARY

The student can produce understandable language, but it is slow and simple. The student can recognize the sounds of the language, but may have trouble producing them properly. The student would have much trouble living abroad.

LEVEL 4 LOWER INTERMEDIATE

The student can construct simple but meaningful sentences about familiar topics, but may have trouble fully expressing ideas and opinions. The student often hesitates because of structural problems and lack of vocabulary. The student would have some trouble living abroad.

LEVEL 5   INTERMEDIATE

Can participate in limited conversations about a variety of topics, though errors still occur. Could travel overseas without too many problems, but would have trouble doing a job in the target language.

LEVEL 6   UPPER INTERMEDIATE

The student has confidence, a large vocabulary, clear pronunciation, and can produce complex language to express ideas. The student can usually understand native speakers at natural speed, and could live abroad with few problems.

LEVEL 7   ADVANCED

The student can discuss almost any subject with a good degree of thoroughness and with few errors. The student can participate in group discussions with native speakers, though they might experience some difficulty.

LEVEL 8   NEAR NATIVE

The student can live abroad, communicate in all social and work situations, and can use idioms and understand nuances of meaning. Although the student may make minor errors, such errors are hardly noticeable.