We all filled in our profiles here and added our native languages and target languages on the levels A1 -C2. How do you know that your levels are accurate? Did you take a language proficiency exam, a placement test or a course on a certain level? Did a teacher assess your level or did you assess it with the help of the CEFR (and its companion volume)? Or is it just a general feeling you have about your level? Do you adjust your level when not having used the language for a long time (e.g. you have a C1 certificate but then after 20 years of not using the language, you deem yourself intermediate and not advanced anymore)? Do you tend to undestimate or overestimate your level?
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Before I heard about the A1-C2 levels, I described my language levels “tourist”, “grammar school” (school up to age 14), “high school or college level”, and “I understand movies”.
I totally underestimate my level. I studied French for 5 years and probably reached B2 in speaking and reading (25 years ago). The last time I went to France was 22 years ago, and I was fine with non-native speakers, but did have trouble with a couple native speakers. Now I say I’m advanced beginner, despite understanding most basic conversations in French. I still don’t say I speak very well, only because I know how well I used to speak it. But I’m sure I can participate in a conversation if I needed to.
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I had no idea about the European rankings of language level until I found the polyglot community online. I know my JLPT level for Japanese based on my study materials targeted at specific levels, though I’m waiting to test at at least N2 (which is probably in line with C1). I know at one point my Spanish was much higher, but it’s been more than 20 years and will surely take some work to recover. As for how to specify levels in my profile, I based it on descriptions of the rankings that I’d found elsewhere online. I aimed not to over- or underestimate, but I don’t have a strong enough sense of the CEFR system to be sure.
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I have never actually taken any tests to assess my language skills. I just have a feeling about my levels. I might learn something if I were to take a proper assessment. I feel like I could know more, be at a higher level, than I think I do.
When you are able to describe yourself, your environment and your feelings in a very basic way, you speak at A1 level.
When you can have a conversation with almost anybody but only for every day speech, you have A2 level.
Only when you can attend customers troubleshooting you are able to consider yourself at least B1, or basic professional level.
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To clarify, I used this to guesstimate my level: https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/table-2-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels-self-assessment-grid
Otherwise, one individual might classify my Japanese as B2 or another might say I’m A1. 
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Unfortunately there’s very limited (official) testing criteria for Persian outside the SAMFA (not available in Australia) or the OXPET (£350 / AU$615 
!!) so I base it on things like the CEFR guide.
As a predominately self-studier, this helps me at least gauge where I am and helps me fill in any foundational gaps. Using native content is also very helpful for me, including podcasts, tv shows, texting with friends and classes with tutors.
Unless required for a job or qualification, I don’t see obtaining a certificate as necessary or a goal. Especially where I am always trying to challenge myself to improve anyway.
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I guess for me it depends on how much vocabulary I know, the grammar, and if I’m able to tell stories in the target language(s). Pretty simple. Heh.
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3 of my graduate students made a Machine Learning system for automatic evaluation of fluency and pronunciation directly from speech… You just record a 30 seconds explanation about anything in the target language, and the ML system carries out the AI-driven analysis and spits out your broad level (A, B, or C). In our experiments the prediction had an accuracy above 90%, which is a fairly good result.
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Will your students publish this? For which languages?
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this is off topic, but would you mind sharing some favorite podcasts in Persian that are not too difficult?
No problem! I’ve found with Persian podcasts that they are either too simple (Chai & Conversation) or native… so I try to float in native content outside my comfort zone, but relevant to my interests. The rest I supplement with YouTube videos.
I listen to:
- PodGap (For learning - with transcriptions, workbooks etc. Mohsen is an iTalki tutor too, I believe)
- RadioNist (recently on YouTube too, with English text available to follow)
- khodcast (bit of a bro-club, but interesting topics)
- iamshirin (inclusivity)
- mast o rasty (interviews and philosphising)
- sbs persian (Australian and world news in Persian)
If you’d like to send me a message, I’d be happy to chat all things Persian with you and share other resources, if you like?
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Thank you. I listen to PodGap, it’s good. Chai and Conversation was good at the beginning but it has too much English, in my view 
I would love to chat with you about all things Persian. What’s the best way to get in touch with you?
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You can send me a message here, if you like. Just hover over my name for the Message feature. Otherwise, my Instagram is @candaceface. Shoot me a DM.
This is exactly my situation and about the same time frame as well. And your non-official assessment levels are accurate as well.
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Welcome Alison! Bienvenida! te mando saludos desde Buenos Aires.
For me it’s not difficult to assess my language levels because I have language diplomas and have been doing language courses at the adult education centre ( Volkshochschule = VHS in Germany) and there all offered courses use the European Framework of Languages.
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Mines more of a feeling. I’ve never taken any of the Japanese proficiency tests primarily because their primary usefulness is securing employment. I say I’m C1 in Japanese, but l’m probably a high B. I am comfortable enough where I could travel to Japan and get by without speaking any English. Last time I did that was 1998. I have the grammar down, my stumbling point is vocabulary. I don’t have opportunity to speak it daily but I maintain it through news and television and Duolingo.
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This is a really good question. I know personally that putting a label on my Polish is hard for me as I’ve learned it mostly through self study, immersion and talking with my husband’s family and friends. Some of our friends think I’m advanced because I can speak pretty fluently on topics I’m confortable with, whereas I see myself more as intermediate because I know how much vocabulary I’m still lacking (I’m a French and Spanish teacher). I took a practice B1 exam and passed it, but it’s still hard to know as I didn’t do the writing or speaking portions like the real test would have.
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For me, I take the language profiency exams for most of my foreign languages and for those that do not have a proficiency test or are not available in where I live, then I will take language tests at language schools. So for me, it is pretty clear which level I’m at so that I get a feel of my progress
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