Level A2 of CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

At level A2 (waystage), we will find the majority of descriptors stating social functions are to be found, like use simple everyday polite forms of greeting and address; greet people, ask how they are and react to news; handle very short social exchanges; ask and answer questions about what they do at work and in free time; make and respond to invitations; discuss what to do, where to go and make arrangements to meet; make and accept offers. At level A2, we will also find the descriptors on getting out and about: the simpliﬁed cut-down version of the full set of transactional speciﬁcations in ‘The Threshold Level’ for adults living abroad, like: make simple transactions in shops, post ofﬁces or banks; get simple information about travel; use public transport: buses, trains, and taxis, ask for basic information, ask and give directions, and buy tickets; ask for and provide everyday goods and services.

Global scale of the skills of level A2 of the CEFR

The global scale of the common reference of the CEFR defines level A2's user capable of the following linguistic skills:

can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).
Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.
Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.

Self-assessment grid of level A2 of the CEFR

The CEFR describe level A2's user capable of carrying out the following linguistic skills:

Understanding	Listening	I can understand phrases and the highest frequency vocabulary related to areas of most immediate personal relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local area, employment). I can catch the main point in short, clear, simple messages and announcements.
Understanding	Reading	I can read very short, simple texts. I can find specific, predictable information in simple everyday material such as advertisements, prospectuses, menus and timetables and I can understand short simple personal letters.
Speaking	Spoken interaction	I can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar topics and activities. I can handle very short social exchanges, even though I can't usually understand enough to keep the conversation going myself.
Speaking	Spoken production	I can use a series of phrases and sentences to describe in simple terms my family and other people, living conditions, my educational background and my present or most recent job.
Writing	Writing	I can write short, simple notes and messages relating to matters in areas of immediate need. I can write a very simple personal letter, for example thanking someone for something.

Qualitative aspects of spoken language use of level A2 of the CEFR

Range	Uses basic sentence patterns with memorised phrases, groups of a few words and formulae in order to communicate limited information in simple everyday situations.
Accuracy	Uses some simple structures correctly, but still systematically makes basic mistakes.
Fluency	Can make him/herself understood in very short utterances, even though pauses, false starts and reformulation are very evident.
Interaction	Can answer questions and respond to simple statements. Can indicate when he/she is following but is rarely able to understand enough to keep conversation going of his/her own accord.
Coherence	Can link groups of words with 'and', 'but' and 'because'.

In the illustrative descriptors a distinction is made between the ‘criterion levels’ (e.g. A2 or A2.1) and the ‘plus levels’ (e.g. A2+ or A2.2). The latter are distinguished from the former by a horizontal line, as in this example for overall listening comprehension.

	Can understand enough to be able to meet needs of a concrete type provided speech is clearly and slowly articulated.
A2	Can understand phrases and expressions related to areas of most immediate priority (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment) provided speech is clearly and slowly articulated.
Levels A2.1 and A2.2 (A2+): listening comprehension

To know more about level A2+ of the CEFR.

Communicative language activities and strategies of level A2 of CEFR

Overall oral production	Can give a simple description or presentation of people, living or working conditions, daily routines, likes/dislikes, etc. as a short series of simple phrases and sentences linked into a list.
Sustained monologue: describing experience	Can tell a story or describe something in a simple list of points. Can describe everyday aspects of his/her environment e.g. people, places, a job or study experience. Can give short, basic descriptions of events and activities. Can describe plans and arrangements, habits and routines, past activities and personal experiences. Can use simple descriptive language to make brief statements about and compare objects and possessions. Can explain what he/she likes or dislikes about something. Can describe his/her family, living conditions, educational background, present or most recent job. Can describe people, places and possessions in simple terms.
Public announcements	Can deliver very short, rehearsed announcements of predictable, learnt content which are intelligible to listeners who are prepared to concentrate.
Addressing audiences	Can give a short, rehearsed presentation on a topic pertinent to his/her everyday life, brieﬂy give reasons and explanations for opinions, plans and actions. Can cope with a limited number of straightforward follow up questions. Can give a short, rehearsed, basic presentation on a familiar subject. Can answer straightforward follow up questions if he/she can ask for repetition and if some help with the formulation of his/her reply is possible.
Overall written production	Can write a series of simple phrases and sentences linked with simple connectors like ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘because’.
Creative writing	Can write about everyday aspects of his/her environment, e.g. people, places, a job or study experience in linked sentences. Can write very short, basic descriptions of events, past activities and personal experiences. Can write a series of simple phrases and sentences about their family, living conditions, educational background, present or most recent job. Can write short, simple imaginary biographies and simple poems about people.
Planning	Can recall and rehearse an appropriate set of phrases from his/her repertoire.
Compensating	Can use an inadequate word from his/her repertoire and use gesture to clarify what he/she wants to say. Can identify what he/she means by pointing to it (e.g. ‘I’d like this, please’).
Overall listening comprehension	Can understand enough to be able to meet needs of a concrete type provided speech is clearly and slowly articulated. Can understand phrases and expressions related to areas of most immediate priority (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment) provided speech is clearly and slowly articulated.
Understanding conversation between native speakers	Can generally identify the topic of discussion around him/her, when it is conducted slowly and clearly.
Listening to announcements and instructions	Can catch the main point in short, clear, simple messages and announcements. Can understand simple directions relating to how to get from X to Y, by foot or public transport.
Listening to audio media and recordings	Can understand and extract the essential information from short, recorded passages dealing with predictable everyday matters which are delivered slowly and clearly.
Overall reading comprehension	Can understand short, simple texts on familiar matters of a concrete type which consist of high frequency everyday or job-related language. Can understand short, simple texts containing the highest frequency vocabulary, including a proportion of shared international vocabulary items
Reading correspondence	Can understand basic types of standard routine letters and faxes (enquiries, orders, letters of conﬁrmation etc.) on familiar topics. Can understand short simple personal letters.
Reading for orientation	Can ﬁnd speciﬁc, predictable information in simple everyday material such as advertisements, prospectuses, menus, reference lists and timetables. Can locate speciﬁc information in lists and isolate the information required (e.g. use the ‘Yellow Pages’ to ﬁnd a service or tradesman). Can understand everyday signs and notices: in public places, such as streets, restaurants, railway stations; in workplaces, such as directions, instructions, hazard warnings.
Reading for information and argument	Can identify specific information in simpler written material he/she encounters such as letters, brochures and short newspaper articles describing events.
Reading instructions	Can understand regulations, for example safety, when expressed in simple language. Can understand simple instructions on equipment encountered in everyday life – such as a public telephone.
Watching TV and film	Can identify the main point of TV news items reporting events, accidents etc. where the visual supports the commentary. Can follow changes of topic of factual TV news items, and form an idea of the main content.
Identifying cues and inferring (Spoken & Written)	Can use an idea of the overall meaning of short texts and utterances on everyday topics of a concrete type to derive the probable meaning of unknown words from the context.
Overall spoken interaction	Can interact with reasonable ease in structured situations and short conversations, provided the other person helps if necessary. Can manage simple, routine exchanges without undue effort; can ask and answer questions and exchange ideas and information on familiar topics in predictable everyday situations. Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters to do with work and free time. Can handle very short social exchanges but is rarely able to understand enough to keep conversation going of his/her own accord.
Understanding a native speaker interlocutor	Can understand enough to manage simple, routine exchanges without undue effort. Can generally understand clear, standard speech on familiar matters directed at him/her, provided he/she can ask for repetition or reformulation from time to time. Can understand what is said clearly, slowly and directly to him/her in simple everyday conversation; can be made to understand, if the speaker can take the trouble.
Conversation	Can establish social contact: greetings and farewells; introductions; giving thanks. Can generally understand clear, standard speech on familiar matters directed at him/her, provided he/she can ask for repetition or reformulation from time to time. Can participate in short conversations in routine contexts on topics of interest. Can express how he/she feels in simple terms, and express thanks. Can handle very short social exchanges but is rarely able to understand enough to keep conversation going of his/her own accord, though he/she can be made to understand if the speaker will take the trouble. Can use simple everyday polite forms of greeting and address. Can make and respond to invitations, suggestions and apologies. Can say what he/she likes and dislikes.
Informal discussion (with friends)	Can generally identify the topic of discussion around him/her when it is conducted slowly and clearly. Can discuss what to do in the evening, at the weekend. Can make and respond to suggestions. Can agree and disagree with others. Can discuss everyday practical issues in a simple way when addressed clearly, slowly and directly. Can discuss what to do, where to go and make arrangements to meet.
Formal discussion and meetings	Can generally follow changes of topic in formal discussion related to his/her ﬁeld which is conducted slowly and clearly. Can exchange relevant information and give his/her opinion on practical problems when asked directly, provided he/she receives some help with formulation and can ask for repetition of key points if necessary. Can say what he/she thinks about things when addressed directly in a formal meeting, provided he/she can ask for repetition of key points if necessary.
Goal-Oriented co-operation (e.g. repairing a car, discussing a document, organising an event)	Can understand enough to manage simple, routine tasks without undue effort, asking very simply for repetition when he/she does not understand. Can discuss what to do next, making and responding to suggestions, asking for and giving directions. Can indicate when he/she is following and can be made to understand what is necessary, if the speaker takes the trouble. Can communicate in simple and routine tasks using simple phrases to ask for and provide things, to get simple information and to discuss what to do next.
Transactions to obtain goods and services	Can deal with common aspects of everyday living such as travel, lodgings, eating and shopping. Can get all the information needed from a tourist ofﬁce, as long as it is of a straightforward, non-specialised nature. Can ask for and provide everyday goods and services. Can get simple information about travel, use public transport: buses, trains, and taxis, ask and give directions, and buy tickets. Can ask about things and make simple transactions in shops, post ofﬁces or banks. Can give and receive information about quantities, numbers, prices, etc. Can make simple purchases by stating what is wanted and asking the price. Can order a meal.
Information exchange	Can understand enough to manage simple, routine exchanges without undue effort. Can deal with practical everyday demands: ﬁnding out and passing on straightforward factual information. Can ask and answer questions about habits and routines. Can ask and answer questions about pastimes and past activities. Can give and follow simple directions and instructions, e.g. explain how to get somewhere. Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information. Can exchange limited information on familiar and routine operational matters. Can ask and answer questions about what they do at work and in free time. Can ask for and give directions referring to a map or plan. Can ask for and provide personal information.
Interviewing and being interviewed	Can make him/herself understood in an interview and communicate ideas and information on familiar topics, provided he/she can ask for clariﬁcation occasionally, and is given some help to express what he/she wants to. Can answer simple questions and respond to simple statements in an interview.
Overall written interaction	Can write short, simple formulaic notes relating to matters in areas of immediate need.
Correspondence	Can write very simple personal letters expressing thanks and apology.
Notes, messages & forms	Can take a short, simple message provided he/she can ask for repetition and reformulation. Can write short, simple notes and messages relating to matters in areas of immediate need.
Taking the floor (turntaking)	Can use simple techniques to start, maintain, or end a short conversation. Can initiate, maintain and close simple, face-to-face conversation. Can ask for attention.
Co-operating	Can indicate when he/she is following.
Asking for clarification	Can ask very simply for repetition when he/she does not understand. Can ask for clariﬁcation about keywords or phrases not understood using stock phrases. Can say he/she didn’t follow.
Processing text	Can pick out and reproduce key words and phrases or short sentences from a short text within the learner’s limited competence and experience.

Communicative language competences of level A2 of CEFR

General linguistic range	Has a repertoire of basic language which enables him/her to deal with everyday situations with predictable content, though he/she will generally have to compromise the message and search for words. Can produce brief everyday expressions in order to satisfy simple needs of a concrete type: personal details, daily routines, wants and needs, requests for information. Can use basic sentence patterns and communicate with memorised phrases, groups of a few words and formulae about themselves and other people, what they do, places, possessions etc. Has a limited repertoire of short memorised phrases covering predictable survival situations; frequent breakdowns and misunderstandings occur in non-routine situations.
Vocabulary range	Has sufﬁcient vocabulary to conduct routine, everyday transactions involving familiar situations and topics. Has a sufﬁcient vocabulary for the expression of basic communicative needs. Has a sufﬁcient vocabulary for coping with simple survival needs.
Vocabulary control	Can control a narrow repertoire dealing with concrete everyday needs.
Grammatical accuracy	Uses some simple structures correctly, but still systematically makes basic mistakes – for example tends to mix up tenses and forget to mark agreement; nevertheless, it is usually clear what he/she is trying to say.
Phonological control	Pronunciation is generally clear enough to be understood despite a noticeable foreign accent, but conversational partners will need to ask for repetition from time to time.
Orthographic control	Can copy short sentences on everyday subjects – e.g. directions how to get somewhere. Can write with reasonable phonetic accuracy (but not necessarily fully standard spelling) short words that are in his/her oral vocabulary.
Sociolinguistic appropriateness	Can perform and respond to basic language functions, such as information exchange and requests and express opinions and attitudes in a simple way. Can socialise simply but effectively using the simplest common expressions and following basic routines. Can handle very short social exchanges, using everyday polite forms of greeting and address. Can make and respond to invitations, suggestions, apologies, etc.
Flexibility	Can adapt well rehearsed memorised simple phrases to particular circumstances through limited lexical substitution. Can expand learned phrases through simple recombinations of their elements.
Turntaking	Can use simple techniques to start, maintain, or end a short conversation. Can initiate, maintain and close simple, face-to-face conversation. Can ask for attention.
Thematic development	Can tell a story or describe something in a simple list of points.
Coherence and cohesion	Can use the most frequently occurring connectors to link simple sentences in order to tell a story or describe something as a simple list of points. Can link groups of words with simple connectors like ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘because’.
Spoken fluency	Can make him/herself understood in short contributions, even though pauses, false starts and reformulation are very evident. Can construct phrases on familiar topics with sufﬁcient ease to handle short exchanges, despite very noticeable hesitation and false starts.
Propositional precision	Can communicate what he/she wants to say in a simple and direct exchange of limited information on familiar and routine matters, but in other situations he/she generally has to compromise the message.

Level A2 of the CEFR serves as reference for DELF A2, DELF Prim A2, DELF A2 junior version, DELF A2 for schools and DELF Pro A2 tests.

​​Level A2 of CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

​​Global scale of the skills of level A2 of the CEFR

​​Self-assessment grid of level A2 of the CEFR