Information on the short language course level structure at COL. Beginners Step 1-3/Japanese Beginners Step 1-6 (3 terms, 45 contact hours - CEFR A1) (Japanese; 6 terms, 90 contact hours - CEFR A1) This level is about you and your immediate environment. At the end of A1 level, you’ll be able to: introduce yourself and talk about your family, hobbies and where you live ask simple questions and carry out tasks like ordering a drink or asking for directions. Please note: Beginners Japanese has levels 1-6, taught over 6 terms. Pre-requisites Beginners 1: None, for complete beginners Beginners 2 & 3: Completion of Beginners 1 and 2 respectively Japanese Beginners 3-6: Completion of Beginners 2-5 respectively CEFR Outcome Upon completion of Beginners 3 (Beginners 6 for Japanese) you will achieve the Common European Framework level CEFR A1. Elementary Step 1-6 (6 terms, 90 contact hours - CEFR A2) This level is your essential kit for travelling abroad or helping a visitor. At the end of A2 level, you’ll be able to: talk about a past holiday and make recommendations on what to see and do talk about your future plans, compare options and choose. Pre-requisites Elementary 1: Completion of CEFR A1 or Beginners 3 (Beginners 6 for Japanese) Elementary 2-6: Completion of Elementary 1-5 respectively CEFR Outcome Upon completion of Elementary 6 you will achieve the Common European Framework level CEFR A2 Intermediate Step 1-6 (6 terms, 90 contact hours - CEFR B1) This is the level you need to live abroad and get by in most situations. At the end of B1 level, you’ll be able to: describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions narrate a story or relate the plot of a book or film. Pre-requisites Intermediate 1: Completion of CEFR A2 or Elementary 6 Intermediate 2-6: Completion of Elementary 1-5 respectively CEFR Outcome Upon completion of Intermediate 6 you will achieve the Common European Framework level CEFR B1 Upper Intermediate Step 1-6 (6 terms, 90 contact hours - CEFR B2) This is the level you need to work or study in the language. It is the minimum level required by universities for international first year students. At the end of B2 level, you’ll be able to: understand most current affairs TV programmes have a degree of fluency that allows you to take an active part in discussions with other speakers of the language. Pre-requisites Upper Intermediate 1: Completion of CEFR B1 or Intermediate 6 Upper Intermediate 2-6: Completion of Upper Intermediate 1-5 respectively CEFR Outcome Upon completion of Upper Intermediate 6 you will achieve the Common European Framework level CEFR B2 Advanced (CEFR C1/C2) At level C1, you’ll be able to: express yourself fluently and spontaneously, almost effortlessly It will only be conceptually difficult subjects that hinder you. At level C2 you’ll be able to: express yourself spontaneously at length, avoiding or navigating any difficulty smoothly The courses on this level are open-ended and students can join in any term. Pre-requisites Advanced: Completion of CEFR B2 or Upper Intermediate 6 'Actuel' courses in French, German, Italian and Spanish: Completion of CEFR C1 or at least two years of Advanced CEFR Outcome Upon completion of two years of Advanced courses, you will achieve the Common European Framework level CEFR C1. CEFR Information More information about the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) can be found on the Council of Europe Website here. Still not sure? For enquiries about which level would be most appropriate for you, please contact one of our language teams: Arabic | languagesforall-arabic@ed.ac.uk British Sign Language | languagesforall-BSL@ed.ac.uk Chinese | info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk French | languagesforall-french@ed.ac.uk Gaelic | languagesforall-gaelic@ed.ac.uk General English | languagesforall-english@ed.ac.uk German | languagesforall-german@ed.ac.uk Italian | languagesforall-italian@ed.ac.uk Japanese | languagesforall-japanese@ed.ac.uk Modern Greek | languagesforall-moderngreek@ed.ac.uk Portuguese | languagesforall-portuguese@ed.ac.uk Russian | languagesforall-russian@ed.ac.uk Spanish | languagesforall-spanish@ed.ac.uk Swahili | languagesforall-swahili@ed.ac.uk Turkish | languagesforall-turkish@ed.ac.uk Ukrainian | languagesforall-ukrainian@ed.ac.uk For all general enquiries, please contact us on 0131 650 4400 or COL@ed.ac.uk. Ready to book? Browse our Languages A-Z This article was published on 2024-08-30