French Courses What is Level A1? | Alliance Française Halifax

Definition

In order to precisely assess the linguistic skills of our learners, we use the norms defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFRL).

Leaning a language 'for good' requires accurate and reliable evaluation.

Our instructors are fully knowlegeable of the judging criteria required to measure your language skills, and will be able to guide you and monitor your progress.

Level A1 (Breakthrough or Elementary) is the entry level of language proficiency defined by the CEFRL.

At level A1, the learner can :

interact in a simple way
ask and answer simple questions about themselves, where they live, people they know, and things they have
initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics

Global scale of skills

The global scale of the common reference of the CEFR defines level A1 learners as capable of the following linguistic skills:

Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.
Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has.
Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

Self-assessment

If I am an A1-level learner:

I can recognise familiar words and very basic phrases concerning myself, my family and immediate concrete surroundings when people speak slowly and clearly.
I can understand familiar names, words and very simple sentences, for example on notices and posters or in catalogues.
I can interact in a simple way provided the other person is prepared to repeat or rephrase things at a slower rate of speech an help me formulate what I'm trying to say. I can ask and answer simple questions in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.
I can use simple phrases and sentences to describe where I live and people I know.
I can write a short, simple postcard, for example sending holiday greetings. I can fill in forms with personal details, for example entering my name, nationality and address on a hotel registration form.

Communicative Competences

At level A1, a learner:

Has a very basic range of simple expressions about personal details and needs of a concrete type.
Has a basic vocabulary repertoire of isolated words and phrases related to particular concrete situations.
Shows only limited control of a few simple grammatical structures and sentence patterns in a learnt repertoire.
Pronunciation of a very limited repertoire of learnt words and phrases can be understood with some effort by native speakers used to dealing with speakers of his/her language group.
Can copy familiar words and short phrases e.g. simple signs or instructions, names of everyday objects, names of shops and set phrases used regularly.
Can spell his/her address, nationality and other personal details.
Can establish basic social contact by using the simplest everyday polite forms of: greetings and farewells; introductions; saying please, thank you, sorry, etc.
Can link words or groups of words with very basic linear connectors like ‘and’ or ‘then’.
Can manage very short, isolated, mainly pre-packaged utterances, with much pausing to search for expressions, to articulate less familiar words, and to repair communication.