Evaluating listening skills

A2

• I can understand phrases and expressions related to immediate needs.
• I can generally identify the topic of discussion around me which is conducted slowly and clearly.
• I can generally understand clear, standard speech on familiar matters, although in a real life situation. I might have to ask for repetition or reformulation.
• I can handle simple business in shops, post-offices or banks.
• I can understand enough to be able to meet concrete needs in everyday life provided speech is clear and slow.
• I can understand enough to manage simple, routine exchanges without too much effort.
• I can understand simple directions relating to how to get from X to Y, by foot or public transport.
• I can catch the main point in short, clear, simple messages and announcements.
• I can understand the essential information from short recorded passages dealing with predictable everyday matters which are spoken slowly and clearly.
• I can identify the main point of TV news items reporting events, accidents, etc., where the visual material supports the commentary.

B1

• I can guess the meaning of occasional unknown words from the context and understand sentence meaning if the topic discussed is familiar.
• I can generally follow the main points of extended discussion around me, provided speech is clear and in standard language.
• I can follow clear speech in everyday conversation, though in a real life situation I will sometimes have to ask for repetition of particular words and phrases.
• I can understand straightforward factual information about common everyday or job-related topics, identifying both general messages and specific details, provided speech is clear and generally familiar accent is used.
• I can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters which occur regularly.
• I can understand simple technical information, such as operation instructions for everyday equipment.
• I can understand the information content of the majority of recorded or broadcast audio material about familiar subjects spoken relatively slowly and clearly.
• I can catch the main points in broadcasts on familiar topics and topics of personal interest when the language is relatively slow and clear.
• I can listen to a short narrative and form hypotheses about what will happen next.
• I can follow a lecture or a talk within my own field, provided the subject matter is familiar and the presentation straightforward and clearly organised.
• I can follow many films in which visuals and action carry much of the storyline, and in which the story is straightforward and the language clear.