How to determine your level of English?
Today, English is still the leader among foreign languages, which means English courses are always a good investment of time and resources, whether it is to improve your competitiveness in the labour market and/or use of language in real-life situations, to socialise, or for study or travel purposes. Skrivanek offers various English courses for adults, taking the individual wishes and interests of each participant, prior knowledge, and requirements regarding the course content into account. You can learn English by selecting group or individual classes on-site or online at any level (A1–C1), no matter if you are a beginner and want to learn English from scratch, just want to refresh your memory of what you learnt during school, or want to improve your English skills for a specific goal, for example, a job in a new field or industry.
If you have decided to invest in your knowledge and want to improve your language skills, it is a good idea to determine your level of English before choosing the right courses for yourself.
Language skill levels
In the European Union, language proficiency levels and the according skills and knowledge are defined and regulated. The Council of Europe has created a document called “The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages” or CEFR. The European common guidelines set a solid base for the development of language learning programmes, guidelines, tests, class books, etc. throughout Europe. In the guidelines, the knowledge to acquire and skills to develop in order for learners to communicate successfully are explained in detail. The cultural context of the function of the language is also shown. Language levels to evaluate the language learner’s progress at each stage of learning and even throughout their whole lifetime are also defined. The material prepared by the CoE sets apart the general levels – basic (A1, A2), intermediate (B1, B2), and advanced levels (C1, C2), which are also followed by Skrivanek Training Centre. The language proficiency levels defined in the common European guidelines, as well as the requirements to attain them, aid in creating study groups containing students with the same level of knowledge.
Basic (A1, A2)
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- A1 – Breakthrough or Beginner
- A2 – Waystage or Elementary
Intermediate (B1, B2)
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- B1 – Threshold or Pre-Intermediate
- B2 – Vantage or Upper-Intermediate
Advanced (C1, C2)
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- C1 – Effective Operational Proficiency or Advanced
- C2 – Mastery or Proficiency
Levels of English and Attainment Requirements
A1 Level English Skills
Can understand and use simple expressions and basic phrases to fulfil certain needs. Can introduce themselves and others, ask and answer personal questions, for example, questions about home, family or friends, items owned. Can communicate at an elementary level if the other speaker is speaking slowly and clearly, and is ready to help.
A2 Level English Skills
Can understand selected questions and frequently used expressions about current everyday questions (e.g., information about themselves and their family, shopping, their surroundings, and work opportunities). Can communicate in situations with a simple exchange of information about familiar questions. Can talk about themselves, their closest surroundings and express their needs in simple words.
B1 Level English Skills
Can understand the most important information about familiar topics in texts about work, school, spare time etc., expressed in clear, standard-language expressions. Can almost always handle situations that may occur during travel in locations where the language studied is spoken. Can create a simple, cohesive text about personally relevant or interesting topics. Can describe their experiences, life events, dreams, hopes and aspirations, explain and provide reasons for their views and plans.
B2 Level English Skills
Can understand the main idea in complex texts about clear and abstract topics, as well as in discussions about professional questions in their field. Can converse rather freely and spontaneously, communication with native speakers is smooth and free-flowing. Can express themselves regarding various topics and defend their opinion, expressing the benefits and drawbacks of various options clearly and in detail.
C1 Level English Skills
Can understand long and complex texts about various topics, being able to decode the subtext as well. Can express themselves fluently and spontaneously, without having to look for words. Can skilfully use appropriate language in social, academic and professional environments. Can create a clear, detailed and well-structured text about complicated questions, using knowledge about text formation and appropriate cohesive devices.
C2 Level English Skills
Can understand everything read or heard with ease. Can summarise and sequentially state information from various spoken or written sources, recalling expressed arguments and opinions. Can express themselves spontaneously, precisely and fluently, taking the nuance of meaning into account, even in complicated situations.
Find out your level of English with us for free
If you have studied English before but aren’t sure about your level of knowledge, you can do the Skrivanek 45-minute English test on our website for free. We will send the test results to your inbox soon after completion. For those who have decided to learn English without any prior knowledge – we invite you to apply for our beginner (A1) courses.
English courses as an adventure
On Skrivanek courses, your foreign language knowledge will be improved quickly and effectively thanks to EFFECTO – our domestically-developed teaching method that focuses on faster language learning.
Our language courses are based on active language skill development through interactive tasks in a friendly and creative environment. The idea behind the success of our method is letting the students talk instead of the teacher, which encourages the course participants to use the language spontaneously in almost-everyday situations. The teaching staff encourages students to speak, express their opinion, as well as read and listen to texts on various current topics, according to the current level of knowledge.
Various courses of English
Today, it’s very hard to be competitive in the labour market without having a good knowledge of English. English plays a crucial role in career growth, not only creating more opportunities in local or personal business development but also in international companies, which often provide the opportunity to work remotely, communicating with management and colleagues worldwide online.
If the test results show that your knowledge of English is already at an advanced level and general language classes are no longer suitable for you, Skrivanek offers courses in business English, as well as courses in professional English, where the language is learnt by adjusting the contents to a particular field, expanding one’s professional knowledge in areas such as marketing, business, finance management, record-keeping, law and IT. Our team is open to new challenges and ideas – we can also create an individual course programme for both individuals and enterprises.
English – new challenges and opportunities
Improving your level of English will not only make you more competitive in the job market but also expand your horizons, allowing you to make international contacts and get to know new people, and will be very useful in learning other new things. There is a plethora of resources in English, and, being the international language of tourism, it will save you in every trip.
By learning English, you will also have a wide range of entertainment and culture available without you having to rely on subtitles and translation apps anymore. A large part of the world’s leading media is in English – daily news, research articles, magazines dedicated to a specific field or industry – art, fashion, cars, sports, science, medicine etc., as well as countless apps, podcasts, YouTube channels, social media accounts, books, comics… No matter what your interests are, knowing English will create many more opportunities to access information.