CEFR stands for Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and is mainly used in Europe to refer to proficiency level in a foreign language. There are six levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2.
Specifically applied to Italian what the CEFR levels of proficiency entail can be broken into two parts:
- Definitions of each level (A1–C2) for Italian
- What skills, language functions, and grammar structures are expected
1. CEFR Levels for Italian
A1 (Beginner / Breakthrough)
- Skills: Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases. Can introduce themselves, ask/answer simple questions about personal details.
- Language Functions: Greetings, asking for directions, ordering food, shopping, numbers, dates, time, prices.
- Grammar Structures:
- Regular verbs in present tense (–are, –ere, –ire)
- Some irregular verbs (essere, avere, fare, andare, stare)
- Articles, singular/plural nouns, adjectives (basic agreement)
- Simple prepositions
- Basic sentence structure (SVO)
A2 (Elementary / Waystage)
- Skills: Can communicate in simple, routine tasks. Can describe aspects of background, immediate environment, and basic needs.
- Language Functions: Talking about family, hobbies, routine, making simple comparisons, describing daily life.
- Grammar Structures:
- Present tense of more irregular verbs
- Reflexive verbs
- Simple past tense (passato prossimo with avere/essere)
- Comparatives and superlatives
- Direct and indirect object pronouns (mi, ti, lo, la, gli, le, etc.)
- More prepositions with articles (nel, sulla, etc.)
B1 (Intermediate / Threshold)
- Skills: Can deal with most situations likely to arise when traveling in Italy. Can produce simple connected text on familiar topics. Can describe experiences, dreams, ambitions, and give reasons for opinions.
- Language Functions: Telling stories, expressing preferences, giving advice, talking about future plans.
- Grammar Structures:
- Imperfetto and contrast with passato prossimo
- Future tense (futuro semplice)
- Conditional present (vorrei, potrei, etc.)
- “Si impersonale” (si dice che…)
- Simple relative clauses (che, cui)
- More complex use of pronouns (ci, ne)
B2 (Upper-Intermediate / Vantage)
- Skills: Can interact with fluency and spontaneity with native speakers. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects. Can explain viewpoints and advantages/disadvantages of options.
- Language Functions: Discussing current events, expressing abstract ideas, debating, describing causes and consequences.
- Grammar Structures:
- Congiuntivo presente & passato (in subordinate clauses)
- Passive voice (viene fatto, è stato detto)
- Reported speech (ha detto che…)
- Complex relative pronouns (il quale, la quale)
- Use of gerundio (stavo leggendo…)
- Expansion of conditional (periodi ipotetici di tipo 1 e 2)
C1 (Advanced / Effective Operational Proficiency)
- Skills: Can express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for academic, social, and professional purposes.
- Language Functions: Giving presentations, writing essays, negotiating meaning, subtle nuance, irony.
- Grammar Structures:
- Full mastery of congiuntivo (imperfetto, trapassato)
- Periodi ipotetici di tipo 2 e 3 (se avessi studiato, avrei passato l’esame)
- Advanced passive and impersonal forms
- Sophisticated connectors (benché, purché, affinché, qualora)
- Complex reported speech with tense changes
C2 (Mastery / Proficiency)
- Skills: Can understand virtually everything heard or read. Can summarize information, reconstruct arguments, and express themselves very fluently with precision and subtlety.
- Language Functions: Negotiating fine shades of meaning, handling academic/professional discourse, idioms, cultural references.
- Grammar Structures:
- Near-native mastery of all moods/tenses
- Idiomatic and figurative language
- Stylistic register (formal/informal shifts, literary forms)
- Nuanced connectors and discourse markers
- Complex hypotheticals and counterfactuals
