What Level Am I?

Unless you are complete beginner you will be given a level test to decide your level and place you in a group. The level you select on our availability check tool does not determine which class you are taught in; this is decided by the outcome of a level test and your ability to communicate with teachers on the first day.

What level do you choose?

The levels we show on our availability check tool simply lets us show you the courses and dates available to your general level. Using this approximate indication of level for your booking also means that we can let our schools know before your arrival if you are a complete beginner, or if you will indeed need to take the level test on arrival. We do not need to know your exact level at this point.

The difference between the group courses offered by our schools ('Semi-Intensive', 'Intensive', 'Super-Intensive') is simply the number of lessons per week (not the level at which they are taught). In any one week, each of the courses run at several different levels.

Our school will place you in a group at an appropriate level. If you find it too easy or too difficult, it is normally not a problem to change up or down a level.

Here are some basic guidelines to help you decide which level to choose when checking availability or making a booking:

Beginner - No prior knowledge of the language.
Elementary - Able to 'do the basics' such as count, recite the alphabet, introduce yourself, ask and answer simple questions.
Intermediate - Able to 'get by' in the language on a day to day basis but with limited vocabulary and not familiar with advanced grammatical points.
Advanced - Good knowledge of the language with broad vocabulary (for example, a university graduate) and able to use the language at a high level making few mistakes.

More detailed information on the levels offered by our schools:

The European Framework

If you would like more information regarding levels, you may like to compare our levels with those of the 'European Framework'.

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is adopted by many of our language schools. Please follow the link above to read examples of what can be achieved at each level.

The CEFR divides language learners into three broad groups which can then be further divided into six levels.

The CEFR gives a great basis, with guidelines that describe what the language learner should be able to achieve in reading, listening, speaking and writing at each level.

Students at our school in Barcelona

Our largest schools break this guideline up further, to accommodate more transitional levels. It is not uncommon to have 9 or even 12 'levels' and therefore classes so students are taught in the most suitable group for the level they are at. It is also true that some of our most popular schools will have two or three classes running at the same time and of the same level, to keep class sizes to the specified size.

If you have any further questions about the course or accommodation then please do not hesitate to contact us.