B2 Advanced Intermediate

This skill relates to the comprehension of audio-visual media, understanding not only spoken content but also visual cues and context provided by the medium to decode the message.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can understand most TV news and current affairs programmes.

Can understand documentaries, live interviews, talk shows, plays and the majority of films in the standard form of the language or a familiar variety.

Associated Concepts

This competency pertains to grasping the content of discussions between others, often without being an active participant. It involves processing dialogue, contextual cues, and underlying dynamics.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can with some effort catch much of what is said around them, but may find it difficult to participate effectively in discussion with several users of the target language who do not modify their language in any way.

Can identify the main reasons for and against an argument or idea in a discussion conducted in clear standard language or a familiar variety.

Can follow chronological sequence in extended informal discourse, e.g. in a story or anecdote.

Associated Concepts

This involves comprehending spoken content in settings like lectures, presentations, or performances. As part of an audience, one needs to process information while considering group dynamics and atmosphere.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can follow complex lines of argument in a clearly articulated lecture, provided the topic is reasonably familiar.

Can distinguish main themes from asides, provided the lecture or talk is delivered in standard language or a familiar variety.

Can recognise the point of view expressed and distinguish this from facts being reporting.

Associated Concepts

This pertains to reading with the purpose of familiarizing oneself with new information or environments. It can involve skimming and scanning texts like maps, directories, or brochures for specific details.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can scan quickly through long and complex texts, locating relevant details.

Can quickly identify the content and relevance of news items, articles and reports on a wide range of professional topics, deciding whether closer study is worthwhile.

Associated Concepts

This skill focuses on in-depth reading to extract facts, insights, and logical reasoning from texts. It often involves engaging with more complex content, such as academic articles, reports, or opinion pieces.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can understand articles and reports concerned with contemporary problems in which particular stances or viewpoints are adopted.

Can recognise when a text provides factual information and when it seeks to convince readers of something.

Can recognise different structures in discursive text: contrasting arguments, problem–solution presentation and cause–effect relationships.

Associated Concepts

This relates to comprehending content delivered through auditory channels without the benefit of visual context, like in audio books or podcasts. It demands focused listening and the ability to interpret content based solely on auditory cues.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can understand most documentaries and most other recorded or broadcast material delivered in the standard form of the language and can identify mood, attitude, etc.

Associated Concepts

This competency focuses on one's ability to articulate thoughts, ideas, and information verbally. It encompasses a variety of speaking situations, from casual conversation to more formal discourse.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can give clear, detailed descriptions and presentations on a wide range of subjects related to their field of interest, expanding and supporting ideas with subsidiary points and relevant examples.

Associated Concepts

This competency deals with the preparation phase of both oral and written expression. It involves organizing thoughts, structuring content, and determining the best approach to convey a message.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can plan what is to be said and the means to say it, considering the effect on the recipient(s).

Associated Concepts

This skill focuses on producing original written content, often involving imaginative storytelling, poetry, or other forms of artistic expression.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can give clear, detailed descriptions on a variety of subjects related to their field of interest.

Can give a review of a film, book or play.

Associated Concepts

This competency pertains to adjusting one's communication approach when faced with gaps in vocabulary or grammar knowledge. It's about finding alternative ways to express a thought or idea when the exact words or structures are not readily accessible.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can address most communication problems by using circumlocution, or by avoiding difficult expressions.

Associated Concepts

This involves a continuous spoken discourse centered on imparting specific information or details on a subject without interruption.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can communicate detailed information reliably.

Can give a clear, detailed description of how to carry out a procedure.

Associated Concepts

This skill relates to the structured written presentation of information or arguments on a particular topic. Both formats require clarity, coherence, and a logical flow of ideas.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can produce an essay or report which develops an argument, giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view and explaining the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

Can synthesise information and arguments from a number of sources.

Associated Concepts

This competency concerns self-awareness and the ability to identify and correct errors in real-time during communication. It involves both recognizing mistakes and making necessary adjustments on the fly.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can correct slips and errors that they become conscious of, or that have led to misunderstandings.

Can make a note of their recurring mistakes and consciously monitor for them.

Associated Concepts

This skill refers to speaking at length to present a particular argument or perspective, supporting the case with evidence and reasoning.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can develop a clear argument, expanding and supporting their points of view at some length with subsidiary points and relevant examples.

Can construct a chain of reasoned argument.

Can explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

Associated Concepts

This competency focuses on speaking to groups, whether small or large, ensuring the content is engaging, relevant, and adapted to the audience's needs and context.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can give a clear, prepared presentation, giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view and giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

Can take a series of follow-up questions with a degree of fluency and spontaneity which poses no strain for either themselves or the audience.

Associated Concepts

This competency revolves around engaging in spoken dialogues, ensuring mutual understanding and effective exchange of ideas across various contexts.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction, and sustained relationships with users of the target language, quite possible without imposing strain on either party. Can highlight the personal significance of events and experiences, and account for and sustain views clearly by providing relevant explanations and arguments.

Associated Concepts

This competency pertains to participating in casual spoken exchanges, demonstrating fluency, coherence, and adaptability based on the context and participants.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can engage in extended conversation on most general topics in a clearly participatory fashion, even in a [audially/visually] noisy environment.

Can sustain relationships with users of the target language without unintentionally amusing or irritating them or requiring them to behave other than they would with another proficient language user.

Can convey degrees of emotion and highlight the personal significance of events and experiences.

Associated Concepts

This skill refers to engaging in relaxed, non-structured dialogues where participants share opinions, ideas, and experiences without a rigid agenda.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can take an active part in informal discussion in familiar contexts, commenting, putting a point of view clearly, evaluating alternative proposals and making and responding to hypotheses.

Can with some effort catch much of what is said around them in discussion, but may find it difficult to participate effectively in discussion with several users of the target language who do not modify their language in any way.

Can account for and sustain their opinions in discussion by providing relevant explanations, arguments and comments.

Associated Concepts

This competency involves participating in structured discussions or debates, often following specific conventions or protocols, ensuring clear, organized, and persuasive contributions.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can participate actively in routine and non-routine formal discussion.

Can follow the discussion on matters related to their field, understand in detail the points given prominence.

Can contribute, account for and sustain their opinion, evaluate alternative proposals and make and respond to hypotheses.

Associated Concepts

This competency concerns communicating effectively to procure products or services, demonstrating clarity, politeness, and negotiation skills when required.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can state requirements and ask detailed questions regarding more complex services, e.g. rental agreements.

Can explain a problem which has arisen and make it clear that the provider of the service/customer must make a concession.

Associated Concepts

This skill involves sharing and receiving data or knowledge, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and relevance in both oral and written contexts.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can understand and exchange complex information and advice on the full range of matters related to their occupational role.

Can pass on detailed information reliably.

Associated Concepts

This competency pertains to both conducting interviews and responding as an interviewee, demonstrating effective questioning, listening, and answering techniques.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can take the initiative in an interview, and expand and develop ideas with little help or prodding from an interviewer.

Associated Concepts

This skill involves writing letters, emails, or other direct written communications, ensuring clarity, appropriateness, and adherence to conventions.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can compose letters conveying degrees of emotion and highlighting the personal significance of events and experiences and commenting on the correspondent’s news and views.

Can use formality and conventions appropriate to the context when writing personal and professional letters and e-mails.

Can compose formal e-mails/letters of invitation, thanks or apology using appropriate registers and conventions.

Can compose non-routine professional letters, using appropriate structure and conventions, provided these are restricted to matters of fact.

Can obtain, by letter or e-mail, information required for a particular purpose, collate it and forward it by e-mail to other people.

Associated Concepts

This skill revolves around participating in digital interactions, such as chats or forums, ensuring effective exchange, netiquette, and adaptability based on the platform.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can participate actively in an online discussion, stating and responding to opinions on topics of interest at some length, provided contributors avoid unusual or complex language and allow time for responses.

Can engage in online exchanges between several participants, effectively linking their contributions to previous ones in the thread, provided a moderator helps manage the discussion.

Can recognise misunderstandings and disagreements that arise in an online interaction and deal with them, provided the interlocutor(s) are willing to co-operate.

Associated Concepts

This competency pertains to working with others in a digital environment towards a shared objective, ensuring mutual understanding, and effective online communication.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can collaborate online with a group that is working on a project, justifying proposals, seeking clarification and playing a supportive role in order to accomplish shared tasks.

Associated Concepts

This competency is about collaborating harmoniously with others in conversations or discussions, demonstrating flexibility, empathy, and shared responsibility.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can help the discussion along on familiar ground, confirming comprehension, inviting others in, etc.

Can summarise the point reached at a particular stage in a discussion and propose the next steps.

Associated Concepts

This skill involves seeking further information or verification when something is unclear in a conversation or written communication, ensuring full comprehension.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can ask for explanation or clarification to ensure they understand complex, abstract ideas.

Can formulate follow-up questions to a member of a group to clarify an issue that is implicit or poorly articulated.

Associated Concepts

This competency involves conveying precise details clearly and accurately, ensuring that the intended audience understands the exact data points.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can relay (in Language B) the main point(s) contained in formal correspondence and/or reports (in Language A) on general subjects and on subjects related to their fields of interest.

Can relay in a written report (in Language B) relevant decisions that were taken in a meeting (in Language A).

Can relay in writing (in Language B) the significant point(s) contained in formal correspondence (in Language A).

Associated Concepts

This skill refers to reading and understanding written content, extracting essential information, and discerning its significance.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can synthesise and report (in Language B) information and arguments from a number of sources (in Language A).

Can summarise (in Language B) a wide range of factual and imaginative texts (in Language A), commenting on and discussing contrasting points of view and the main themes.

Can summarise (in Language B) the important points made in longer, complex texts (in Language A) on subjects of current interest, including their fields of special interest.

Can recognise the intended audience of a text (in Language A) on a topic of interest and explain (in Language B) the purpose, attitudes and opinion of the author.

Can summarise (in Language B) extracts from news items, interviews or documentaries containing opinions, arguments and discussions (in Language A)

Can summarise (in Language B) the plot and sequence of events in a film or play (in Language A).

Can summarise in writing (in Language B) the main content of complex texts (in Language A) on subjects related to their fields of interest and specialisation.

Associated Concepts

This competency concerns leading and managing group discussions, ensuring all members contribute, understand, and work harmoniously.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can ask questions to stimulate discussion on how to organise collaborative work.

Can help define goals for teamwork and compare options for how to achieve them.

Can refocus a discussion by suggesting what to consider next, and how to proceed

Associated Concepts

This skill involves working together with others to interpret, create, or convey shared understandings, pooling collective insights.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can further develop other people’s ideas and opinions

Can present their ideas in a group and pose questions that invite reactions from other group members’ perspectives.

Can consider two different sides of an issue, giving arguments for and against, and propose a solution or compromise.

Associated Concepts

This competency revolves around overseeing conversations, ensuring they remain productive, respectful, and on topic, guiding participants when necessary.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can explain the different roles of participants in the collaborative process, giving clear instructions for group work.

Can explain ground rules of collaborative discussion in small groups that involves problem solving or the evaluation of alternative proposals.

Can intervene when necessary to set a group back on task with new instructions or to encourage more even participation.

Associated Concepts

This skill refers to promoting deeper, more abstract discussions, stimulating participants to think critically and share innovative ideas.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can formulate questions and feedback to encourage people to expand on their thinking and justify or clarify their opinions.

Can build on people’s ideas and link them into coherent lines of thinking.

Can ask people to explain how an idea fits with the main topic under discussion.

Associated Concepts

This competency pertains to creating an inclusive environment where individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds can share and learn from one another.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can encourage a shared communication culture by expressing understanding and appreciation of different ideas, feelings and viewpoints, and inviting participants to contribute and react to each other’s ideas.

Can work collaboratively with people who have different cultural orientations, discussing similarities and differences in views and perspectives.

Can, when collaborating with people from other cultures, adapt the way they work in order to create shared procedures.

Associated Concepts

This skill involves mediating between parties, bridging communication gaps, and resolving misunderstandings to ensure harmonious interactions.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can communicate (in Language B) the sense of what is said in a welcome address, anecdote or presentation in their field (given in Language A), interpreting cultural cues appropriately and giving additional explanations when necessary, provided the presenter stops frequently in order to allow time for them to do so.

Can communicate (in Language B) the sense of what is said (in Language A) on subjects within their fields of interest, conveying and when necessary explaining the significance of important statements and viewpoints, provided the interlocutors give clarifications if needed.

Associated Concepts

This competency revolves around tactfully handling sensitive topics or conflicts, guiding participants towards understanding and resolution.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can, by asking questions, identify areas of common ground and invite each side to highlight possible solutions.

Can outline the main points in a disagreement with reasonable precision and explain the positions of the parties involved.

Can summarise the statements made by the two sides, highlighting areas of agreement and obstacles to agreement.

Associated Concepts

This skill involves connecting new information to what's already known, aiding in comprehension and retention.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can formulate questions and give feedback to encourage people to make connections to previous knowledge and experiences.

Can explain a new concept or procedure by comparing and contrasting it to one that people are already familiar with.

Associated Concepts

This competency concerns adjusting one's linguistic style based on the audience or context, ensuring clarity and appropriateness.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can make accessible for others the main contents of a text on a subject of interest (e.g. an essay, a forum discussion, a presentation) by paraphrasing in simpler language.

Associated Concepts

This skill refers to simplifying complex data or concepts, making them accessible and understandable to a broader audience.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can make a complicated process easier to understand by breaking it down into a series of smaller steps.

Can make concepts on subjects in their fields of interest more accessible by giving concrete examples, recapitulating step by step and repeating the main points.

Associated Concepts

This competency involves expanding on concise or intricate writings, elaborating for clarity and depth.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can make new information more accessible by using repetition and adding illustrations.

Associated Concepts

This skill pertains to condensing verbose or redundant content, ensuring it remains clear, concise, and focused on the core message.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can edit a source text by deleting the parts that do not add new information that is relevant for a given audience in order to make the significant content more accessible for them.

Can identify related or repeated information in different parts of a text and merge it in order to make the essential message clearer.

Associated Concepts

This skill pertains to one's ability to use a broad spectrum of linguistic structures and expressions in various contexts, showcasing language proficiency.

At level B2.1 this means:

Has a sufficient range of language to be able to give clear descriptions, express viewpoints and develop arguments without much conspicuous searching for words/signs, using some complex sentence forms to do so.

Associated Concepts

This competency focuses on the extent of words and phrases an individual knows and can use effectively in diverse situations.

At level B2.1 this means:

Has a good range of vocabulary for matters connected to their field and most general topics.

Can vary formulation to avoid frequent repetition, but lexical gaps can still cause hesitation and circumlocution.

Can produce appropriate collocations of many words/signs in most contexts fairly systematically.

Can understand and use much of the specialist vocabulary of their field but has problems with specialist terminology outside it.

Associated Concepts

This skill revolves around the correct and consistent use of grammatical structures in speech or writing, ensuring clarity and proper language form.

At level B2.1 this means:

Shows a relatively high degree of grammatical control. Does not make mistakes which lead to misunderstanding.

Has a good command of simple language structures and some complex grammatical forms, although they tend to use complex structures rigidly with some inaccuracy.

Associated Concepts

This skill revolves around understanding and applying the social rules of language use, ensuring one's expressions align with the cultural and societal norms of the audience.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can adjust their expression to make some distinction between formal and informal registers but may not always do so appropriately.

Can sustain relationships with users of the target language without unintentionally amusing or irritating them or requiring them to behave other than they would with another proficient user.

Can express themselves appropriately in situations and avoid crass errors of formulation.

Associated Concepts

This skill pertains to building and expanding upon a topic cohesively, ensuring the discussion remains focused and evolves logically.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can follow the conventional structure of the communicative task concerned when communicating their ideas.

Can develop a clear description or narrative, expanding and supporting their main points with relevant supporting detail and examples.

Can develop a clear argument, expanding and supporting their points of view at some length with subsidiary points and relevant examples.

Can evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

Can clearly signal the difference between fact and opinion.

Associated Concepts

This competency focuses on organizing ideas logically and connecting them with appropriate linguistic tools, ensuring the content flows smoothly and is easy to follow.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can use a limited number of cohesive devices to link their utterances into clear, coherent discourse, though there may be some “jumpiness” in a long contribution.

Can produce text that is generally well-organised and coherent, using a range of linking expressions and cohesive devices.

Can structure longer texts in clear, logical paragraphs.

Associated Concepts

This competency revolves around adapting one's linguistic style and content based on the evolving dynamics of a conversation or the needs of the audience.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can adjust to the changes of direction, style and emphasis normally found in conversation.

Can vary formulation of what they want to say.

Can reformulate an idea to emphasise or explain a point.

Associated Concepts

This skill refers to the ease and flow of speech or writing, ensuring the message is conveyed smoothly and without undue hesitation or disruption.

At level B2.1 this means:

Can produce stretches of language with a fairly even tempo; although they can be hesitant as they search for patterns and expressions, there are few noticeably long pauses.

Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with users of the target language quite possible without imposing strain on either party.

Associated Concepts