COURSES 2008 | 2009

Levels and study plan

The objectives of UAB Idiomes Barcelona levels are described in terms of communicative activities, in accordance with the guidelines established in the Council of Europe document Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

UAB Idiomes Barcelona courses are divided into six levels:

A, B, C, D, E, F

Study plan for ordinary courses at UAB Idiomes Barcelona

The study programme for ordinary courses envisages two certificates for "terminal levels" of language competence:

• the Intermediate Certificate
• the Advanced Certificate

The Intermediate Certificate is awarded on passing the first three ordinary courses.
The Advanced Certificate is awarded on passing the fifth ordinary course in English, French and Italian, the sixth in German.

Comparison between UAB Idiomes Barcelona levels and those of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL)

Brief description of our levels

Level A - (Initial)

The students can understand and use common, everyday expressions and very simple phrases in order to satisfy basic needs. They can introduce themselves and a third person and can ask and respond to questions about personal details such as where they live, who they know and what they have. They can interact in simple ways provided their interlocutor speaks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

Level B - (Preliminary or Waystage)

The students can understand common phrases and expressions relating to subjects of most immediate importance (such as providing basic information about themselves and their families, doing the shopping, asking for directions, talking about their jobs). The students can communicate in simple, everyday situations that require a simple, direct exchange of information on familiar, everyday themes. They can describe, in simple language, things relating to their own experience and person, their immediate environment and problems with issues of immediate necessity.

Level C - (Intermediate or Threshold)

Passing this level accredits the fact that the students have sufficient general command of the language to be able to maintain communication in any situation in their everyday lives. In particular, they can:
understand the main information in the clear, standard texts on everyday subjects they might regularly come across at work, college, during their leisure time, etc; cope with most of the situations that will probably occur when they travel to a country where the language is spoken; produce simple, coherent discourse on subjects that are familiar and/or of personal interest; describe facts and experiences, dreams, hopes and ambitions and give brief reasons and explanations for their opinions and projects.

Level D - (Upper Intermediate)

The students can maintain conversations with native speakers, with an acceptable degree of fluency on particular subjects. They can take part in discussions, debates or dialogues on subjects of general interest, giving points of view of a certain amount of complexity. They can understand the main ideas in authentic texts, including news, opinion, reference and literature and can follow their argument with the aid of dictionaries or other reference material. They can hold conversations on concrete and abstract subjects, even though at times listener and speaker may have to negotiate meaning. They can produce clear texts, without errors that obscure meaning, in a wide range of styles, such as formal and informal letters, narratives, descriptive and discursive compositions.

Level E - (Advanced 1 or Vantage)

Passing this level accredits the fact that the students have a good general command of the language which permits them to maintain, without difficulty, complete and effective communication in any situation, both orally and in writing. In particular, they can:
understand the main ideas in complex texts on concrete and abstract subjects, including technical discussion in their professional field; interact with a high degree of fluency and spontaneity in a conversation with a native speaker which is undemanding of either; produce clear, detailed texts on a wide range of subjects and express their point of view on a given issue, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of different options.

Level F - (Advanced 2)

Users at this level have easy, fluent command of the language and can adapt language to their context. They can use vocabulary and expressions in a creative fashion and have a reasoned style and register. They can participate actively in social, academic and professional conversations, as well as make presentations and give demonstrations. At this level, the user can draft and produce a wide variety of written texts.

UAB Idiomes Barcelona 2008 - 2009 | Design : Linguaweb