What can you do with an A1 level in English?

An A1 level of English would be sufficient for very simple interactions, for example as a tourist in an English-speaking country. An A1 level would not be sufficient for other academic or professional purposes.

A1 level English skills

The official can-do statements are broken down into smaller chunks for teaching and learning purposes. This more detailed skill breakdown can help you assess your own English level, or help a teacher assess a student’s level. For example, a student at the A1 level in English will be able to:

• Introduce himself simply and use basic greetings.
• Tell where he and others are from and give a basic description of his city.
• Talk simply about family and colleagues, describing their appearance and personalities.
• Discuss clothing at a basic level and ask sales clerks simple questions about it.
• Talk about favorite foods and make simple orders for take-out food.
• Talk about daily activities and arrange meetings with friends and colleagues.
• Describe current weather conditions and suggest activities according to the weather forecast.
• Talk in general terms about his health and describe common medical symptoms to a doctor.
• Describe the location of his home and give simple directions.
• Talk about his hobbies and interests and make plans for fun activities with friends or colleagues.
• Complete basic transactions at a hotel, including checking in and checking out.
• Discuss common products, make basic purchases and return faulty items.

Although progress will depend on the type of course and the individual student, students can expect to reach the A1 level in English with 60 to 80 hours of instruction.

Skills in detail:

Listening:

• Can follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for him/her to assimilate meaning.
• Can understand instructions addressed carefully and slowly to him/her and follow short, simple directions.

Reading:

• Can understand very short, simple texts a single phrase at a time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required.
• Can understand short, simple messages on postcards.
• Can recognise familiar names, words and very basic phrases on simple notices in the most common everyday situations.
• Can get an idea of the content of simpler informational material and short simple descriptions, especially if there is visual support.
• Can follow short, simple written directions (e.g., to go from X to Y).

Speaking:

• Can interact in a simple way but communication is totally dependent on repetition at a slower rate of speech, rephrasing and repair.
• Can ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.
• Can understand everyday expressions aimed at the satisfaction of simple needs of a concrete type, delivered directly to him/her in clear, slow and repeated speech by a sympathetic speaker.
• Can understand questions and instructions addressed carefully and slowly to him/her and follow short, simple directions.
• Can make an introduction and use basic greeting and leave-taking expressions. Can ask how people are and react to news.
• Can understand everyday expressions aimed at the satisfaction of simple needs of a concrete type, delivered directly to him/her in clear, slow and repeated speech by a sympathetic speaker.
• Can understand questions and instructions addressed carefully and slowly to him/her and follow short, simple directions.
• Can ask people for things, and give people things.
• Can handle numbers, quantities, cost and time.
• Can understand questions and instructions addressed carefully and slowly to him/her and follow short, simple directions.
• Can ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.
• Can ask and answer questions about themselves and other people, where they live, people they know, things they have.
• Can indicate time by such phrases as next week, last Friday, in November, three o’clock.
• Can reply in an interview to simple direct questions spoken very slowly and clearly in direct non-idiomatic speech about personal details.

Writing:

• Can ask for or pass on personal details in written form.
• Can write a short simple postcard.
• Can write numbers and dates, own name, nationality, address, age, date of birth or arrival in the country etc. such as on a hotel registration form.

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