Find Your Language Level - Buckinghamshire Adult Learning

Find Your Language Level

Please click on the levels below and assess yourself to find the appropriate language course for you.

Beginner Self-Assessment

If you have no prior knowledge of the language or know only a few words or phrases, enrol on a Beginner course.

Elementary Self-Assessment

  1. Can you give basic personal details e.g. name, job, where you live?
  2. Can you greet, thank and say goodbye correctly depending on the time of day and relationship?
  3. Can you order snacks and drinks in a café / restaurant?
  4. Can you state what you want in a supermarket or market, specifying quantity / weight?
  5. Can you ask where places are and understand straightforward directions?
  6. Can you tell the time?
  7. Can you ask for tickets at the railway station and understand the reply?
  8. Can you ask for a room at a hotel, specifying simply your requirements?
  9. Can you talk simply about your likes and dislikes?
  10. Can you state and understand numbers if spoken slowly, (e.g. age, prices, times)?

If you answered ‘yes’ to eight or more of the questions above, please enrol on an Elementary course.

Pre-Intermediate Self-Assessment

  1. Can you exchange basic personal information?
  2. Can you talk simply about your daily routine?
  3. Can you order a basic meal in a restaurant and ask for the bill?
  4. Can you talk simply about past activities?
  5. Can you talk about how you spend your free time – what you like to do, how often, etc.?
  6. Can you describe what you want when shopping for clothes, shoes or souvenirs?
  7. Can you use simple expressions about the weather?
  8. Can you request and understand basic tourist information?
  9. Can you understand the gist of simple printed information e.g. timetables, posters etc.?
  10. Can you state and understand numbers 1-100?

If you answered ‘yes’ to eight or more of the questions above, please enrol on a Pre-Intermediate course.

Lower Intermediate Self-Assessment

  1. Can you talk about yourself and your family and understand similar information from others?
  2. Can you describe where you live?
  3. Can you talk simply about past and future activities?
  4. Can you plan a social event with friends, agreeing where to go and when?
  5. Can you describe what leisure activities you do in your free time in detail?
  6. Can you explain your requirements when booking accommodation?
  7. Can you read and understand a menu with a selection of typical dishes?
  8. Can you explain in detail what you need when shopping?
  9. Can you request and understand information on places to visit and make a booking?
  10. Can you obtain the necessary information to make a journey by public transport?

If you answered ‘yes’ to eight or more of the questions above, please enrol on a Lower Intermediate course.

Intermediate Self-Assessment

  1. Can you talk in some detail about yourself and others?
  2. Can you describe in some detail where you live?
  3. Can you describe past and future holidays, events, and activities?
  4. Can you talk about your childhood and life in the past?
  5. Can you describe and enquire about dishes in detail?
  6. Can you explain what you need in a variety of everyday situations?
  7. Can you complain if something goes wrong in a hotel or restaurant?
  8. Can you describe medical symptoms simply at the doctors?
  9. Can you describe lost property, saying when and where it was lost?
  10. Can you arrange a social event with friends, discussing options, stating preferences and agreeing where to go and when?

If you answered ‘yes’ to eight or more of the questions above, please enrol on an Intermediate course.

Upper Intermediate Self-Assessment

  1. Can you cope confidently with a range of everyday situations when travelling abroad?
  2. Can you use past tenses in your speech and writing?
  3. Can you use future tenses in your speech and writing?
  4. Can you talk about your preferences in relation to films, music, books, TV, etc. and ask others about their views?
  5. Can you express emotions and opinions?
  6. Can you agree and disagree with someone’s opinion?
  7. Can you listen to a news broadcast and pick out the main headlines?
  8. Can you read and understand the gist of a variety of texts?
  9. Can you write a short letter/email to a friend describing a past event?
  10. Can you give a three minute presentation on a subject of your choice?

If you answered ‘yes’ to eight or more  of the questions above, please enrol on an Upper Intermediate course