What is it?
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages was developed by the Council of Europe to establish international standards for Language Learning, Teaching and Assessment in all modern European languages, including English.
Within the framework, there are six common reference levels of language proficiency – A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. These reference levels describe what a learner can do at each of the six levels. You can find a more detailed description of each level on the European Language Portfolio website.
The CEF is about more than syllabus content though. It’s also about you, the learner, and helping you to become the best language learner you can be.

CEF and our courses
The British Council has adopted CEF standards in all teaching centres globally.
In Slovakia, to ensure the British Council offers you the best quality and most up to date courses, and to help you to become the best language learner you can be, we have upgraded our courses to meet the standards set out in the CEF reference levels of language proficiency.
You can see how your course relates to the CEF levels on the table below: