Level C2 of CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

Level C2, whilst it has been termed ‘Mastery’, is not intended to imply native-speaker or near native-speaker competence. What is intended is to characterise the degree of precision, appropriateness and ease with the language which typiﬁes the speech of those who have been highly successful learners.

Descriptors calibrated here include: convey ﬁner shades of meaning precisely by using, with reasonable accuracy, a wide range of modiﬁcation devices; has a good command of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms with awareness of connotative level of meaning; backtrack and restructure around a difﬁculty so smoothly the interlocutor is hardly aware of it.

Global scale of the skills of level C2 of the CEFR

The global scale of the common reference of the CEFR defines level C2's user capable of the following linguistic skills:

Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read.
Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation.
Can express him/herself spontaneously, very ﬂuently and precisely, differentiating ﬁner shades of meaning even in more complex situations.

Self-assessment grid of level C2 of the CEFR

The CEFR describe level C2's user capable of carrying out the following linguistic skills:

Understanding	Listening	I have no difficulty in understanding any kind of spoken language, whether live or broadcast, even when delivered at fast native speed, provided I have some time to get familiar with the accent.
Understanding	Reading	I can read with ease virtually all forms of the written language, including abstract, structurally or linguistically complex texts such as manuals, specialised articles and literary words.
Speaking	Spoken interaction	I can take part effortlessly in any conversation or discussion and have a good familiarity with idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms. I can express myself fluently and convey finer shades of meaning precisely. If I do have a problem I can backtrack and restructure around the difficulty so smoothly that other people are hardly aware of it.
Speaking	Spoken production	I can present a clear, smoothly flowing description or argument in a style appropriate to the context and with an effective logical structure which helps the recipient to notice and remember significant points.
Writing	Writing	I can write clear, smoothly flowing text in an appropriate style. I can write complex letters, reports or articles which present a case with an effective logical structure which helps the recipient to notice and remember significant points. I can write summaries and reviews of professional or literary works.

Qualitative aspects of spoken language use of level C2 of the CEFR

Range	Shows great flexibility reformulating ideas in differing linguistic forms to convey finer shades of meaning precisely, to give emphasis, to differentiate and to eliminate ambiguity. Also has a good command of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms.
Accuracy	Maintains consistent grammatical control of complex language, even while attention is otherwise engaged (e.g. in forward planning, in monitoring others reactions).
Fluency	Can express him/herself spontaneously at length with a natural colloquial flow, avoiding or backtracking around any difficulty so smoothly that the interlocutor is hardly aware of it.
Interaction	Can interact with ease and skill, picking up and using non-verbal and intonational clues apparently effortlessly. Can interweave his/her contribution into the joint discourse with fully natural turntaking, referencing, allusion making, etc.
Coherence	Can create coherent and cohesive discourse making full and appropriate use of a variety of organisational patterns and a wide range of connectors and other cohesive devices.

Communicative language activities and strategies of level C2 of CEFR

Overall oral production	Can produce clear, smoothly ﬂowing well-structured speech with an effective logical structure which helps the recipient to notice and remember signiﬁcant points.
Sustained monologue: describing experience	Can give clear, smoothly ﬂowing, elaborate and often memorable descriptions.
Addressing audiences	Can present a complex topic conﬁdently and articulately to an audience unfamiliar with it, structuring and adapting the talk ﬂexibly to meet the audience’s needs. Can handle difﬁcult and even hostile questioning.
Overall written production	Can write clear, smoothly ﬂowing, complex texts in an appropriate and effective style and a logical structure which helps the reader to ﬁnd signiﬁcant points.
Creative writing	Can write clear, smoothly ﬂowing, and fully engrossing stories and descriptions of experience in a style appropriate to the genre adopted.
Reports and essays	Can produce clear, smoothly ﬂowing, complex reports, articles or essays which present a case, or give critical appreciation of proposals or literary works. Can provide an appropriate and effective logical structure which helps the reader to ﬁnd signiﬁcant points.
Planning	Can plan what is to be said and the means to say it, considering the effect on the recipient/s.
Compensating	Can substitute an equivalent term for a word he/she can’t recall so smoothly that it is scarcely noticeable.
Monitoring and repair	Can backtrack and restructure around a difﬁculty so smoothly the interlocutor is hardly aware of it.
Overall listening comprehension	Has no difﬁculty in understanding any kind of spoken language, whether live or broadcast, delivered at fast native speed.
Understanding conversation between native speakers	Can easily follow complex interactions between third parties in group discussion and debate, even on abstract, complex unfamiliar topics.
Listening as a member of a live audience	Can follow specialised lectures and presentations employing a high degree of colloquialism, regional usage or unfamiliar terminology.
Listening to announcements and instructions	Can extract speciﬁc information from poor quality, audibly distorted public announcements, e.g. in a station, sports stadium etc. Can understand complex technical information, such as operating instructions, speciﬁcations for familiar products and services.
Listening to audio media and recordings	Can understand a wide range of recorded and broadcast audio material, including some non-standard usage, and identify ﬁner points of detail including implicit attitudes and relationships between speakers.
Overall reading comprehension	Can understand and interpret critically virtually all forms of the written language including abstract, structurally complex, or highly colloquial literary and non-literary writings. Can understand a wide range of long and complex texts, appreciating subtle distinctions of style and implicit as well as explicit meaning.
Reading correspondence	Can understand any correspondence given the occasional use of a dictionary.
Reading for orientation	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.
Reading for information and argument	Can understand in detail a wide range of lengthy, complex texts likely to be encountered in social, professional or academic life, identifying ﬁner points of detail including attitudes and implied as well as stated opinions.
Reading instructions	Can understand in detail lengthy, complex instructions on a new machine or procedure, whether or not the instructions relate to his/her own area of speciality, provided he/she can reread difﬁcult sections.
Watching TV and film	Is skilled at using contextual, grammatical and lexical cues to infer attitude, mood and intentions and anticipate what will come next.
Identifying cues and inferring (Spoken & Written)	Is skilled at using contextual, grammatical and lexical cues to infer attitude, mood and intentions and anticipate what will come next.
Overall spoken interaction	Has a good command of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms with awareness of connotative levels of meaning. Can convey ﬁner shades of meaning precisely by using, with reasonable accuracy, a wide range of modiﬁcation devices. Can backtrack and restructure around a difﬁculty so smoothly the interlocutor is hardly aware of it.
Understanding a native speaker interlocutor	Can understand any native speaker interlocutor, even on abstract and complex topics of a specialist nature beyond his/her own ﬁeld, given an opportunity to adjust to a non-standard accent or dialect.
Conversation	Can converse comfortably and appropriately, unhampered by any linguistic limitations in conducting a full social and personal life.
Informal discussion (with friends)	Can easily follow and contribute to complex interactions between third parties in group discussion even on abstract, complex unfamiliar topics.
Formal discussion and meetings	Can hold his/her own in formal discussion of complex issues, putting an articulate and persuasive argument, at no disadvantage to native speakers.
Goal-Oriented co-operation (e.g. Repairing a car, discussing a document, organising an event)	Can understand detailed instructions reliably. Can help along the progress of the work by inviting others to join in, say what they think, etc. Can outline an issue or a problem clearly, speculating about causes or consequences, and weighing advantages and disadvantages of different approaches.
Transactions to obtain goods and services	Can cope linguistically to negotiate a solution to a dispute like an undeserved trafﬁc ticket, ﬁnancial responsibility for damage in a ﬂat, for blame regarding an accident. Can outline a case for compensation, using persuasive language to demand satisfaction and state clearly the limits to any concession he/she is prepared to make. Can explain a problem which has arisen and make it clear that the provider of the service/customer must make a concession.
Information exchange	Can understand and exchange complex information and advice on the full range of matters related to his/her occupational role. Can pass on detailed information reliably. Can give a clear, detailed description of how to carry out a procedure. Can synthesise and report information and arguments from a number of sources.
Interviewing and being interviewed	Can keep up his/her side of the dialogue extremely well, structuring the talk and interacting authoritatively with complete ﬂuency as interviewer or interviewee, at no disadvantage to a native speaker.
Overall written interaction	Can express him/herself with clarity and precision, relating to the addressee ﬂexibly and effectively.
Correspondence	Can express him/herself with clarity and precision in personal correspondence, using language ﬂexibly and effectively, including emotional, allusive and joking usage.
Notes, messages & forms	Can take messages communicating enquiries, explaining problems. Can write notes conveying simple information of immediate relevance to friends, service people, teachers and others who feature in his/her everyday life, getting across comprehensively the points he/she feels are important.
Taking the floor (turntaking)	Can select a suitable phrase from a readily available range of discourse functions to preface his/her remarks appropriately in order to get the ﬂoor, or to gain time and keep the ﬂoor whilst thinking.
Co-operating	Can relate own contribution skilfully to those of other speakers.
Asking for clarification	Can ask follow-up questions to check that he/she has understood what a speaker intended to say, and get clariﬁcation of ambiguous points.
Note-taking (lectures, seminars, etc.)	Is aware of the implications and allusions of what is said and can make notes on them as well as on the actual words used by the speaker.
Processing text	Can summarise information from different sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation of the overall result.

Communicative language competences of level C2 of CEFR

General linguistic range	Can exploit a comprehensive and reliable mastery of a very wide range of language to formulate thoughts precisely, give emphasis, differentiate and eliminate ambiguity. No signs of having to restrict what he/she wants to say.
Vocabulary range	Has a good command of a very broad lexical repertoire including idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms; shows awareness of connotative levels of meaning.
Vocabulary control	Consistently correct and appropriate use of vocabulary.
Grammatical accuracy	Maintains consistent grammatical control of complex language, even while attention is otherwise engaged (e.g. in forward planning, in monitoring others’ reactions).
Phonological control	Can vary intonation and place sentence stress correctly in order to express ﬁner shades of meaning.
Orthographic control	Writing is orthographically free of error.
Sociolinguistic appropriateness	Has a good command of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms with awareness of connotative levels of meaning. Appreciates fully the sociolinguistic and sociocultural implications of language used by native speakers and can react accordingly. Can mediate effectively between speakers of the target language and that of his/her community of origin taking account of sociocultural and sociolinguistic differences.
Flexibility	Shows great ﬂexibility reformulating ideas in differing linguistic forms to give emphasis, to differentiate according to the situation, interlocutor, etc. and to eliminate ambiguity.
Turntaking	Can select a suitable phrase from a readily available range of discourse functions to preface his/her remarks appropriately in order to get the ﬂoor, or to gain time and keep the ﬂoor whilst thinking.
Thematic development	Can give elaborate descriptions and narratives, integrating sub-themes, developing particular points and rounding off with an appropriate conclusion.
Coherence and cohesion	Can create coherent and cohesive text making full and appropriate use of a variety of organisational patterns and a wide range of cohesive devices.
Spoken fluency	Can express him/herself at length with a natural, effortless, unhesitating ﬂow. Pauses only to reﬂect on precisely the right words to express his/her thoughts or to ﬁnd an appropriate example or explanation.
Propositional precision	Can convey ﬁner shades of meaning precisely by using, with reasonable accuracy, a wide range of qualifying devices (e.g. adverbs expressing degree, clauses expressing limitations). Can give emphasis, differentiate and eliminate ambiguity.

Level C2 of the CEFR serves as reference for DALF C2 tests.