How does Innovative Language Learning measure proficiency?

Innovative Language Learning organizes language learning into the following levels:

At the Absolute Beginner (Level 1) level, learners are acquiring the skills necessary to describe the basic relationship between themselves and the world around them. Basic tasks include introducing yourself, giving presents, making simple purchases at a store, talking about your family, identifying body parts, and so forth.

Once learners reach the Beginner (Level 2) level, they’re able to communicate with others at a more abstract level. They can, for example, give their opinion about a past experience, describe simple hopes and aspirations, compare options, or make an appointment at a given date or time.

Intermediate (Level 3) learners can engage and participate in sustained discussion that is both logical and empathetic. They can tell and understand stories, complain, and describe problems with proposed solutions.

Once they reach the Upper Intermediate (Level 4) level, learners become proficient users of language as a tool for building consensus. They can express sympathy effectively, handle major turning points in conversations and discussions, and rephrase important ideas as part of a larger strategy of collaborating with co-workers, family, or others in their community.

Advanced (Level 5) students show a mastery of the language that approaches that of the native speakers. They use the language skillfully to help shape discourse and the direction of communities and organizations.

For each of these levels, students are measured across seven skill areas: speaking, reading, writing, listening, vocabulary, grammar, and culture. The first four of these skills (speaking, listing, reading, and writing), are considered communicative and are tested against specific communication objectives that students should be able to achieve at each level. These types of language achievements are commonly called “can do statements,” since they describe what learners at each level “can do.” They can include statements about very concrete tasks, such as “Can order at a restaurant,” but also more complicated higher order skills, such as “can communicate with empathy.”

Grammar and vocabulary are tested against lists of words and grammar points appropriate for each level. These lists are created by cross-referencing word frequency lists in each language, as well as vocabulary and grammar selected for the most popular standardized tests.

For culture, learners start with lessons about food and holidays, and then help go on to acquire knowledge about the people, events, attitudes, and values that have come to shape the social and political environment of the countries in which the language is spoken.

How Do I Choose a Level?

When you join, you will be prompted to choose a level either by taking our placement test or by self-assessing based on a series of prompts. How this journey begins depends on your subscription level.

The number of hours studied can also help you understand your level, especially if you have a clear idea of how many hours you’ve spent learning a language with guided instruction. As a very rough and general rule, each level takes around 200 hours to complete.

The process of finding the right level, however, sometimes takes longer than the initial steps. If you feel that the material you’ve been recommended is too hard or too easy, you can access lessons from the other levels on the Lesson Library page, or by changing your level on your account page.

You’ll likewise find that the recommended pathway in each level begins with a diagnostic test. Based on your score on this test, you’ll receive further recommendations on how and where to begin studying within the pathway