CEFR Descriptors (2020)

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
1	No	CEFR Descriptor Scheme (updated)	Mode of communication	Activity, strategy or competence	Scale	Level	Descriptor

15	412	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Overall oral interaction	Pre-A1	Can ask and answer questions about themselves and daily routines, using short, formulaic expressions and relying on gestures to reinforce the information.
16	581	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Information exchange	Pre-A1	Can ask and tell what day, time of day and date it is.
17	582	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Information exchange	Pre-A1	Can ask for and give a date of birth.
32	583	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Information exchange	Pre-A1	Can ask for and give a phone number.
51	585	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Information exchange	Pre-A1	Can ask very simple questions for information, such as “What is this?” and understand one- or two-word/sign answers.
68	1322	Communicative language competences		Pragmatic competence	Propositional precision	Pre-A1	Can communicate very basic information about personal details in a simple way.
82	622	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Written interaction	Overall written interaction	Pre-A1	Can convey basic information (e.g. name, address, family) in short phrases on a form or in a note, with the use of a dictionary.
97	650	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Written interaction	Correspondence	Pre-A1	Can convey basic personal information in short phrases and sentences, with reference to a dictionary.
107	225	Communicative language strategies	Reception		Identifying cues and inferring (spoken, signed and written)	Pre-A1	Can deduce the meaning of a word/sign from an accompanying picture or icon.
124	260	Communicative language activities	Production	Oral production	Sustained monologue: describing experience	Pre-A1	Can describe themselves (e.g. name, age, family), using simple words/signs and formulaic expressions, provided they can prepare in advance.
125	1178	Communicative language competences		Linguistic competence	Grammatical accuracy	Pre-A1	Can employ very simple principles of word/sign order in short statements.
146	261	Communicative language activities	Production	Oral production	Sustained monologue: describing experience	Pre-A1	Can express how they are feeling using simple adjectives like “happy” or “tired”, accompanied by body language.
147	663	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Written interaction	Notes, messages and forms	Pre-A1	Can fill in very simple registration forms with basic personal details: name, address, nationality, marital status.
173	146	Communicative language activities	Reception	Reading comprehension	Reading for orientation	Pre-A1	Can find information about places, times and prices on posters, flyers and notices.
188	324	Communicative language activities	Production	Written production	Overall written production	Pre-A1	Can give basic personal information (e.g. name, address, nationality), perhaps with the use of a dictionary.
207	455	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Conversation	Pre-A1	Can greet people, state their name and take leave in a simple way.
226	96	Communicative language activities	Reception	Audio-visual comprehension	Watching TV, film and video	Pre-A1	Can identify the subject of a video document on the basis of visual information and previous knowledge.
234	788	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating a text	Relaying specific information in writing	Pre-A1	Can list (in Language B) names, numbers, prices and very simple information from texts (in Language A) that are of immediate interest, that are composed in very simple language and contain illustrations.
261	709	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Online interaction	Goal-oriented online transactions and collaboration	Pre-A1	Can make selections (e.g. choosing a product, size, colour) in a simple online purchase or application form, provided there is visual support.
262	549	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Obtaining goods and services	Pre-A1	Can make simple purchases and/or order food or drink when pointing or other gesture can support the verbal reference.
274	1333	Communicative language competences		Pragmatic competence	Fluency	Pre-A1	Can manage very short, isolated, rehearsed utterances using gesture and signalled requests for help when necessary.
290	390	Communicative language strategies	Production		Compensating	Pre-A1	Can point to something and ask what it is.
297	687	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Online interaction	Online conversation and discussion	Pre-A1	Can post online short simple statements about themselves (e.g. relationship status, nationality, occupation), provided they can select them from a menu and/or refer to an online translation tool.
316	686	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Online interaction	Online conversation and discussion	Pre-A1	Can post simple online greetings, using basic formulaic expressions and emoticons.
325	233	Communicative language activities	Production	Oral production	Overall oral production	Pre-A1	Can produce short phrases about themselves, giving basic personal information (e.g. name, address, family, nationality).
350	15	Communicative language activities	Reception	Oral comprehension	Overall oral comprehension	Pre-A1	Can recognise everyday, familiar words/signs, provided they are delivered clearly and slowly in a clearly defined, familiar everyday context.
370	106	Communicative language activities	Reception	Reading comprehension	Overall reading comprehension	Pre-A1	Can recognise familiar words/signs accompanied by pictures, such as a fast-food restaurant menu illustrated with photos or a picture book using familiar vocabulary.
379	16	Communicative language activities	Reception	Oral comprehension	Overall oral comprehension	Pre-A1	Can recognise numbers, prices, dates and days of the week, provided they are delivered slowly and clearly in a defined, familiar everyday context.
391	454	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Conversation	Pre-A1	Can recognise simple greetings.
403	124	Communicative language activities	Reception	Reading comprehension	Reading correspondence	Pre-A1	Can recognise times and places in very simple notes and text messages from friends or colleagues (e.g. “Back at 4 o’clock” or “In the meeting room”), provided there are no abbreviations.
413	81	Communicative language activities	Reception	Oral comprehension	Understanding audio (or signed) media and recordings	Pre-A1	Can recognise words/signs, names and numbers that they already know in simple, short recordings, provided these are delivered very slowly and clearly.
423	772	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating a text	Relaying specific information in speech or sign	Pre-A1	Can relay (in Language B) simple instructions about places and times (given in Language A), provided these are repeated very slowly and clearly.
424	773	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating a text	Relaying specific information in speech or sign	Pre-A1	Can relay (in Language B) very basic information (e.g. numbers and prices) from short, simple, illustrated texts (in Language A).
425	584	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Information exchange	Pre-A1	Can tell people their age and ask people about their age.
454	579	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Information exchange	Pre-A1	Can tell people their name and ask other people their names.
455	424	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Understanding an interlocutor	Pre-A1	Can understand a number of familiar words/signs and recognise key information (e.g. numbers, prices, dates and days of the week), provided the delivery is very slow, with repetition if necessary.
456	453	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Conversation	Pre-A1	Can understand and use basic, formulaic expressions such as “Yes”, “No”, “Excuse me”, “Please”, “Thank you”, “No thank you”, “Sorry”.
482	123	Communicative language activities	Reception	Reading comprehension	Reading correspondence	Pre-A1	Can understand from a letter, card or e-mail the event to which they are being invited and the information given about day, time and location.
505	67	Communicative language activities	Reception	Oral comprehension	Understanding announcements and instructions	Pre-A1	Can understand short, simple instructions for actions such as “Stop”, “Close the door”, etc., provided they are delivered slowly face-to-face, accompanied by pictures or manual gestures and repeated if necessary.
524	14	Communicative language activities	Reception	Oral comprehension	Overall oral comprehension	Pre-A1	Can understand short, very simple questions and statements, provided they are delivered slowly and clearly and accompanied by visuals or manual gestures to support understanding and repeated if necessary.
550	145	Communicative language activities	Reception	Reading comprehension	Reading for orientation	Pre-A1	Can understand simple everyday signs such as “Parking”, “Station”, “Dining room”, “No smoking”, etc.
580	423	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Understanding an interlocutor	Pre-A1	Can understand simple personal information (e.g. name, age, place of residence, origin) when other people introduce themselves slowly and clearly, directly to them, and can understand questions on this theme addressed to them, though the questions may need to be repeated.
581	422	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Understanding an interlocutor	Pre-A1	Can understand simple questions that directly concern them (e.g. name, age and address), if the person is asking slowly and clearly.
582	172	Communicative language activities	Reception	Reading comprehension	Reading for information and argument	Pre-A1	Can understand the simplest informational material such as a fast-food restaurant menu illustrated with photos or an illustrated story formulated in very simple everyday words/signs.
583	187	Communicative language activities	Reception	Reading comprehension	Reading instructions	Pre-A1	Can understand very short, simple, instructions used in familiar everyday contexts (e.g. “No parking”, “No food or drink”), especially if there are illustrations.
584	580	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Information exchange	Pre-A1	Can use and understand simple numbers in everyday conversations.
585	1151	Communicative language competences		Linguistic competence	General linguistic range	Pre-A1	Can use isolated words/signs and basic expressions in order to give simple information about themselves.
586	504	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Formal discussion (meetings)	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
602	523	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Goal-oriented co-operation (cooking together, discussing a document, organising an event, etc.)	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
615	481	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Informal discussion (with friends)	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
623	601	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Interviewing and being interviewed	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
651	614	Communicative language activities	Interaction	Oral interaction	Using telecommunications	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
664	921	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating a text	Analysis and criticism of creative texts (including literature)	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
687	797	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating a text	Explaining data in speech or sign	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
688	805	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating a text	Explaining data in writing	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
710	905	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating a text	Expressing a personal response to creative texts (including literature)	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
723	885	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating a text	Note-taking (lectures, seminars, meetings, etc.)	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
736	834	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating a text	Processing text in speech or sign	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
750	852	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating a text	Processing text in writing	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
760	862	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating a text	Translating a written text in speech or sign	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
773	871	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating a text	Translating a written text in writing	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
774	1013	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating communication	Acting as an intermediary in informal situations (with friends and colleagues)	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
789	1029	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating communication	Facilitating communication in delicate situations and disagreements	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
798	1002	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating communication	Facilitating pluricultural space	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
806	956	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating concepts	Collaborating to construct meaning	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
835	985	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating concepts	Encouraging conceptual talk	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
853	937	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating concepts	Facilitating collaborative interaction with peers	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
863	971	Communicative language activities	Mediation	Mediating concepts	Managing interaction	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
872	759	Communicative language activities	Mediation		Overall mediation	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
886	315	Communicative language activities	Production	Oral production	Addressing audiences	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
906	296	Communicative language activities	Production	Oral production	Public announcements	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
922	273	Communicative language activities	Production	Oral production	Sustained monologue: giving information	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
938	289	Communicative language activities	Production	Oral production	Sustained monologue: putting a case (e.g. in a debate)	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
957	349	Communicative language activities	Production	Written production	Creative writing	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
972	369	Communicative language activities	Production	Written production	Reports and essays	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
986	50	Communicative language activities	Reception	Oral comprehension	Understanding as a member of a live audience	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1003	31	Communicative language activities	Reception	Oral comprehension	Understanding conversation between other people	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1014	206	Communicative language activities	Reception	Reading comprehension	Reading as a leisure activity	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1030	1223	Communicative language competences		Linguistic competence	Orthographic control	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1040	1187	Communicative language competences		Linguistic competence	Vocabulary control	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1052	1168	Communicative language competences		Linguistic competence	Vocabulary range	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1061	1310	Communicative language competences		Pragmatic competence	Coherence and cohesion	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1072	1261	Communicative language competences		Pragmatic competence	Flexibility	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1081	1295	Communicative language competences		Pragmatic competence	Thematic development	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1105	1274	Communicative language competences		Pragmatic competence	Turntaking	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1119	1248	Communicative language competences		Sociolinguistic competence	Sociolinguistic appropriateness	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1138	749	Communicative language strategies	Interaction		Asking for clarification	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1152	735	Communicative language strategies	Interaction		Co-operating	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1169	722	Communicative language strategies	Interaction		Turntaking	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1179	1051	Communicative language strategies	Mediation	Strategies to explain a new concept	Adapting language	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1188	1060	Communicative language strategies	Mediation	Strategies to explain a new concept	Breaking down complicated information	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1224	1039	Communicative language strategies	Mediation	Strategies to explain a new concept	Linking to previous knowledge	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1249	1071	Communicative language strategies	Mediation	Strategies to simplify a text	Amplifying a dense text	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1262	1080	Communicative language strategies	Mediation	Strategies to simplify a text	Streamlining a text	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1275	402	Communicative language strategies	Production		Monitoring and repair	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1296	378	Communicative language strategies	Production		Planning	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1311	1104	Plurilingual and pluricultural competence			Building on pluricultural repertoire	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1323	1137	Plurilingual and pluricultural competence			Building on plurilingual repertoire	Pre-A1	No descriptors available
1334	1118	Plurilingual and pluricultural competence			Plurilingual comprehension	Pre-A1	No descriptors available