One of the things that can make learning French unnecessarily confusing is the way we talk about levels.
Someone says, “I am B1 in French,” and that is supposed to tell you something about their ability, but what does B1 actually mean in real life?
Can they have a conversation? Can they travel alone in France? Can they discuss politics? Can they understand a French film? Can they write an email? Can they argue with someone without getting completely lost?
The answer is that the difference between the levels is much bigger than simply knowing more vocabulary and more grammar.
As you move from A1 to B2, the kind of French you are able to use changes.
At A1 and A2, French is largely about your immediate world: yourself, your family, your routine, your likes and dislikes, the people around you, the places you go and the practical situations you encounter.
Once you move into B1, the world of French starts becoming much bigger.
You are no longer talking only about what is happening around you. You are beginning to explain what you think about things happening around the world.
By B2, that becomes much more developed. You are expected to discuss, compare, explain, defend an opinion, consider different perspectives and talk about more abstract or complex subjects with considerably more linguistic control.
This progression is broadly reflected in the CEFR, which describes language ability through what learners can actually do with the language rather than simply listing grammar they have studied.
So what should you actually be able to do at each level?
A1 French: You can SURVIVE in French
A1 is the absolute beginner stage.
I like to think of A1 as TOURIST FRENCH, because that is a useful way of understanding what this level is really about.
You can introduce yourself, say where you are from, talk about where you live and give basic information about yourself. You can ask someone’s name, understand simple questions and talk about things such as your family, your job, your nationality and your daily routine.
You can order something in a café, ask for directions, buy something in a shop and deal with basic situations where the other person is willing to speak slowly and clearly.
You can talk about very simple likes and dislikes.
J’aime le café.
Je n’aime pas le poisson.
J’aime voyager.
The sentences may be simple, but they are useful.
The official CEFR description of A1 similarly focuses on familiar everyday expressions, basic personal information and simple interaction where the other person may need to speak slowly or help you.
At this level, don’t expect yourself to have a philosophical discussion in French.
If you can walk into a bakery in France and successfully buy what you want, introduce yourself to someone and understand a simple question about your day, you are already doing what A1 is supposed to prepare you for.
A2 French: You can function in your everyday world
A2 is where French starts feeling less like a collection of survival phrases and more like an actual language you can use.
I would call A2 advanced beginner French.
You have more vocabulary, more grammatical structures and considerably more ability to describe what is happening around you.
You can talk about your family, your work, your studies, your hobbies, your neighbourhood, your holidays and your plans. You can describe people and places. You can talk about what you did yesterday and what you are going to do tomorrow.
You can explain what you like and dislike and give simple reasons for your preferences.
This is also where conversations become a little less predictable.
You may be able to have a short conversation about a restaurant, a holiday, your weekend or your daily routine without needing the other person to carry the entire interaction.
The CEFR describes A2 as the ability to understand frequently used expressions connected with areas of immediate relevance and to communicate in simple, routine exchanges involving familiar matters.
There is still a very obvious limitation, though.
Your French is largely connected to your world.
Your people.
Your places.
Your experiences.
Your routine.
And that is perfectly appropriate at A2.
B1 French: Your French world becomes much bigger
B1 is where I think many learners experience a very noticeable shift.
You are no longer restricted to talking about your immediate life.
You can begin discussing ideas.
This doesn’t mean you suddenly become a French-speaking academic.
It means you can start expressing an opinion and giving some explanation behind it.
You can talk about education, technology, travel, work, health, the environment, social media, relationships, culture and current events.
You can explain why something is a problem.
You can compare two possibilities.
You can describe advantages and disadvantages.
You can talk about an experience and explain what happened.
You can give your opinion and understand someone else’s opinion, even if you don’t always have the vocabulary to express everything with complete precision.
This is a significant change.
At A2, you might say: J’aime vivre dans une grande ville parce qu’il y a beaucoup de restaurants.
At B1, you can begin developing the idea: Vivre dans une grande ville présente plusieurs avantages, notamment en matière de transport et d’emploi, mais cela peut également être stressant et coûteux.
The grammar has become more sophisticated, but that is not really the most important difference.
The bigger difference is that your thoughts have become more sophisticated in French.
The CEFR describes B1 users as being able to produce connected language about familiar or personally relevant topics, describe experiences and give brief reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
This is also where learners preparing for exams such as TEF Canada and TCF Canada start encountering a very different kind of French.
You are not simply describing a picture or telling someone about your weekend.
You may have to develop an argument.
You need to explain causes and consequences.
You may need to suggest solutions.
You have to compare options and justify your position.
That requires more than vocabulary.
It requires LINGUISTIC MATURITY.
B2 French: You can actually discuss things
B2 is what I would call advanced intermediate French.
And this is where the difference between “I know French” and “I can function quite comfortably in French” becomes much more obvious.
At B2, you should be able to participate in conversations with considerably more spontaneity.
You can discuss familiar and less routine subjects, explain your position and support it with reasons and examples. You can understand the main ideas of complex texts on concrete and abstract topics, and you can participate in discussions without needing the other person to constantly simplify everything for you.
The Council of Europe describes B2 speakers as being able to interact with enough fluency and spontaneity for regular interaction with speakers of the language to be possible without strain, while also explaining viewpoints and providing relevant explanations and arguments.
This is where discussions become much more interesting.
You can talk about whether social media has improved communication.
You can discuss the advantages and disadvantages of working from home.
You can debate whether governments should take stronger action on environmental issues.
You can discuss the impact of technology on education.
You can explain why young people are changing their attitudes towards work.
You can talk about immigration, globalisation, artificial intelligence, climate change, education systems or cultural differences.
More importantly, you can go beyond saying that something is “good” or “bad”.
You can explain why.
You can discuss the causes.
You can consider the consequences.
You can propose solutions.
You can acknowledge another person’s argument and explain where you agree or disagree.
That is a completely different level of language use.
The biggest shift from A2 to B1
If I had to explain the progression in the simplest possible way, this would be it.
At A1 and A2, your French is mostly about people and things around you.
You.
Your family.
Your friends.
Your job.
Your house.
Your city.
Your food.
Your hobbies.
Your holidays.
Your plans.
Once you reach B1, your French starts moving towards the world around you.
You can discuss what is happening in society, explain your experiences, give opinions and talk about issues that go beyond your immediate personal life.
At B2, you are expected to do much more with those ideas.
You need to connect them.
Explain them.
Defend them.
Challenge them.
Compare them.
And do it in French.
That is why simply memorising more vocabulary doesn’t automatically turn an A2 learner into a B2 learner.
The language has to become more flexible because your thinking has to become more flexible in that language.
And what about C1 and C2?
Although this article is about A1 to B2, it is useful to understand where the journey continues.
C1 is generally considered independent proficiency at an advanced level. You can express yourself fluently and spontaneously, use French flexibly for social, academic and professional purposes and produce well-structured language on complex subjects.
C2 is the highest CEFR level and represents proficiency that is close to what we casually describe as near-native ability, although it is better understood as very high-level mastery rather than literally being a native speaker.
At that stage, the challenge is no longer simply communicating an idea.
It is communicating it with a very high degree of precision, flexibility, nuance and control.
So where are you really on the French journey?
This is why I don’t like judging a learner’s French only by the number of grammar chapters they have completed.
A person can know an impressive amount of grammar and still struggle to have a conversation.
Another learner might make plenty of mistakes but communicate comfortably about everyday subjects.
The levels are really about what you can do with the language.
At A1, you are building the ability to function in very basic situations.
At A2, you are becoming comfortable discussing your immediate world.
At B1, you are beginning to express ideas, opinions and explanations beyond that immediate world.
At B2, you are developing the linguistic maturity needed to participate in discussions, construct arguments and deal with increasingly complex subjects.
And that is why moving from A1 to B2 is not simply about adding more French.
It is about changing the kind of French you are capable of using.
This is also how I think French should be taught at LingoRelic.
The objective should never be to make a learner feel that they have “finished” a level because they have memorised its grammar.
The real question is whether they can take what they have learnt and actually use it.
Can they talk about themselves?
Can they describe their surroundings?
Can they explain an experience?
Can they express an opinion?
Can they defend it?
Can they understand another perspective?
Can they discuss a global issue and move beyond simple statements into causes, consequences, advantages, disadvantages and possible solutions?
That progression is what makes language learning interesting.
And somewhere between saying “Je m’appelle…” for the hundredth time and eventually finding yourself having a proper discussion in French, you realise just how much has changed.
A1 is where you start finding your way around French. A2 is where you start living a little in it. B1 is where you start thinking beyond yourself in it. B2 is where you can start having real discussions in it.
That is the journey.
And every level has its own purpose.
For a small, natural CTA at the end, I’d use this:
Ready to move beyond the basics?
At LingoRelic, we believe every level of French should prepare you for the next one. From building your foundation at A1 and A2 to expressing opinions, developing arguments and handling real discussions at B1 and B2, our focus is on helping you actually use the language, not just complete another level.
Whether you’re learning French for yourself, for life in a French-speaking environment, or preparing for TEF Canada or TCF Canada or DELF/DALF, we’re here to help you make that progression with the right guidance and plenty of practice.
You know where to find us.
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