What can you do with an A2 level in English?

An A2 level of English is sufficient for tourism in an English-speaking country and socializing with English speakers, although to develop deeper friendships an A2 level is not adequate. An A2 level of English also allows for networking with English-speaking colleagues, but working in English is limited to very familiar topics at the A2 level. An A2 level of English is not sufficient for academic study or for consuming most English-language media (TV, movies, radio, magazines, etc.).

A2 level English skills

The official can-do statements are broken down into smaller pieces for teaching 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 A2 level in English will be able to do all the things that a student in level A1 can do, and in addition he will be able to:

• Evaluate coworkers’ performance in the workplace.
• Relate events from your past, including your weekend activities and interesting stories.
• Describe your past life, giving details about important milestones.
• Entertain someone in your home or visit a friend or colleague in their home.
• Discuss your vacation plans and tell friends and colleagues about your vacation afterwards.
• Talk about the natural world and travels.
• Talk about movies that you like and choose a movie to see with friends.
  discuss clothing and what kind of clothes you like to wear.
• Engage in basic communication at work, including attending meetings on familiar topics.
• Describe an accident or injury, get medical help from a doctor and fill a prescription for medicine.
• Engage in basic business socializing, welcoming guests and attending networking events.
• Understand and make basic business proposals in your area of expertise.
• Talk about and explain the rules of games.

Although progress will depend on the type of course and the individual student, students can expect to reach the A2 level in English with 200 hours of cumulative instruction.

Skills in detail:

Listening:

• Can understand enough to be able to meet needs of a concrete type provided speech is clearly and slowly articulated.
• Can understand phrases and expressions related to areas of most immediate priority (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment) provided speech is clearly and slowly articulated.
• Can generally identify the topic of discussion around her that is conducted slowly and clearly.
  Can catch the main point in short, clear, simple messages and announcements.
• Can understand simple directions relating to how to get from X to Y, by foot or public transport.
• Can understand and extract the essential information from short recorded passages dealing with predictable everyday matters that are delivered slowly and clearly.
• Can identify the main point of TV news items reporting events, accidents etc. where the visual supports the commentary.
• Can follow changes of topic of factual TV news items, and form an idea of the main content.

Reading:

• Can understand short, simple texts on familiar matters of a concrete type which consist of high frequency everyday or job-related language
• Can understand short, simple texts containing the highest frequency vocabulary, including a proportion of shared international vocabulary items.
• Can understand basic types of standard routine letters and faxes (enquiries, orders, letters of confirmation etc.) on familiar topics
• Can understand short simple personal letters.
• Can find specific, predictable information in simple everyday material such as advertisements, prospectuses, menus, reference lists and timetables.
• Can locate specific information in lists and isolate the information required (e.g. use the “Yellow Pages” to find a service or tradesman).
• Can understand everyday signs and notices: in public places, such as streets, restaurants, railway stations; in workplaces, such as directions, instructions, hazard warnings.
• Can identify specific information in simpler written material he/she encounters such as letters, brochures and short newspaper articles describing events.
• Can understand regulations, for example safety, when expressed in simple language.
• Can understand simple instructions on equipment encountered in everyday life – such as a public telephone.

Speaking:

• Can interact with reasonable ease in structured situations and short conversations, provided the other person helps if necessary.
• Can manage simple, routine exchanges without undue effort; can ask and answer questions and exchange ideas and information on familiar topics in predictable everyday situations.
• Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters to do with work and free time.
• Can handle very short social exchanges but is rarely able to understand enough to keep conversation going of his/her own accord.
• Can understand enough to manage simple, routine exchanges without undue effort.
• Can generally understand clear, standard speech on familiar matters directed at him/her, provided he/she can ask for repetition or reformulation from time to time.
• Can understand what is said clearly, slowly and directly to him/her in simple everyday conversation; can be made to understand, if the speaker can take the trouble.
• Can establish social contact: greetings and farewells; introductions; giving thanks. Can generally understand clear, standard speech on familiar matters directed at him/her, provided he/she can ask for repetition or reformulation from time to time.
• Can participate in short conversations in routine contexts on topics of interest.
• Can express how he/she feels in simple terms, and express thanks.
• Can handle very short social exchanges but is rarely able to understand enough to keep conversation going of his/her own accord, though he/she can be made to understand if the speaker will take the trouble.
• Can use simple everyday polite forms of greeting and address
• Can make and respond to invitations, invitations and apologies.
• Can say what he/she likes and dislikes.
• Can generally identify the topic of discussion around her which is conducted slowly and clearly.
• Can discuss what to do in the evening, at the weekend.
• Can make and respond to suggestions.
• Can agree and disagree with others.
• Can discuss everyday practical issues in a simple way when addressed clearly, slowly and directly.
• Can discuss what to do, where to go and make arrangements to meet.
• Can generally follow changes of topic in formal discussion related to his/her field which is conducted slowly and clearly.
• Can exchange relevant information and give his/her opinion on practical problems when asked directly, provided he/she receives some help with formulation and can ask for repetition of key points if necessary.
• Can say what he/she thinks about things when addressed directly in a formal meeting, provided he/she can ask for repetition of key points if necessary.
• Can understand enough to manage simple, routine tasks without undue effort, asking very simply for repetition when he/she does not understand.
• Can discuss what to do next, making and responding to suggestions, asking for and giving directions.
• Can indicate when he/she is following and can be made to understand what is necessary, if the speaker takes the trouble.
• Can communicate in simple and routine tasks using simple phrases to ask for and provide things, to get simple information and to discuss what to do next.
• Can deal with common aspects of everyday living such as travel, lodgings, eating and shopping.
• Can get all the information needed from a tourist office, as long as it is of a straightforward, non-specialised nature.
• Can ask for and provide everyday goods and services.
• Can get simple information about travel, use public transport: buses, trains, and taxis, ask and give directions, and buy tickets.
• Can ask about things and make simple transactions in shops, post offices or banks.
• Can give and receive information about quantities, numbers, prices etc.
• Can make simple purchases by stating what is wanted and asking the price.
• Can order a meal
• Can understand enough to manage simple, routine exchanges without undue effort. Can deal with practical everyday demands: finding out and passing on straightforward factual information.
• Can ask and answer questions about habits and routines.
• Can ask and answer questions about pastimes and past activities.
• Can give and follow simple directions and instructions e.g. explain how to get somewhere.
• Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information.
• Can exchange limited information on familiar and routine operational matters
• Can ask and answer questions about what they do at work and in free time
• Can ask for and give directions referring to a map or plan.
• Can ask for and provide personal information.
• Can make him/herself understood in an interview and communicate ideas and information on familiar topics, provided he/she can ask for clarification occasionally, and is given some help to express what he/she wants to.
• Can answer simple questions and respond to simple statements in an interview.
• Can deliver very short, rehearsed announcements of predictable, learnt content which are intelligible to listeners who are prepared to concentrate.
• Can give a prepared straightforward presentation on a familiar topic within his/her field which is clear enough to be followed without difficulty most of the time, and in which the main points are explained with reasonable precision.
• Can take follow up questions, but may have to ask for repetition if the speech was rapid.

Writing:

• Can write short, simple formulaic notes relating to matters in areas of immediate need.
• Can write very simple personal letters expressing thanks and apology.
• Can take a short, simple message provided he/she can ask for repetition and reformulation.
• Can write short, simple notes and messages relating to matters in areas of immediate need.
• Can give a simple description or presentation of people, living or working conditions, daily routines. likes/dislikes etc. as a short series of simple phrases and sentences linked into a list.
• Can tell a story or describe something in a simple list of points.
• Can describe everyday aspects of his environment e.g. people, places, a job or study experience.
• Can give short, basic descriptions of events and activities.
• Can describe plans and arrangements, habits and routines, past activities and personal experiences.
• Can use simple descriptive language to make brief statements about and compare objects and possessions.
• Can explain what he/she likes or dislikes about something.
• Can describe his/her family, living conditions, educational background, present or most recent job. Can describe people, places and possessions in simple terms.
• Can write a series of simple phrases and sentences linked with simple connectors like “and”, “but” and “because”
• Can write about everyday aspects of his environment e.g. people, places, a job or study experience in linked sentences.
• Can write very short, basic descriptions of events, past activities and personal experiences.
• Can write a series of simple phrases and sentences about their family, living conditions, educational background, present or most recent job.
• Can write short, simple imaginary biographies and simple poems about people.

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