“Language level B1 required.” It appears in job adverts, in civic integration requirements and in quotes from language institutes. But what can someone at B1 actually do, and is that enough to operate a forklift safely, deal with a customer or understand a work instruction? Language levels A1 to C2 come from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and they exist to answer exactly that question. This article explains the six levels in plain language, with what each one means on the shop floor and which level suits which kind of role.
What is the CEFR?
The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) is a European standard describing what someone can do in a language: speaking, listening, reading and writing. The scale runs from A1 (beginner) to C2 (near-native) and is used across Europe, for every language. A B1 in Dutch therefore means broadly the same as a B1 in German or English. The framework does not look at grammar knowledge or vocabulary in isolation, but at what someone actually manages to get done with the language. That makes it usable for employers: the level says something about what an employee can handle.
The six language levels explained
A1: beginner
Someone at A1 understands isolated words and very short, slowly spoken sentences on familiar topics. Introducing themselves, saying a number, “yes”, “no”, “stop”. On the shop floor: an employee at A1 only understands an instruction if it is demonstrated or supported by pictograms. Understanding a safety instruction independently is not possible.
A2: basic user
Short, simple sentences about everyday matters: working hours, simple instructions, asking a straightforward question. At A2 an employee can follow a simple spoken work instruction if it is given calmly and in short steps, and can report that something is broken. A written work instruction or a safety document is still too difficult. For many production roles with fixed, repetitive tasks, A2 is the minimum for working safely, provided the instructions are adapted accordingly.
B1: independent user
Someone at B1 copes in most everyday situations, including when something unexpected happens. They understand the main points of a conversation or a text about work, can explain what happened and can give a simple opinion. On the shop floor, B1 is the level at which an employee follows a spoken safety briefing, asks follow-up questions when something is unclear, describes a fault and reads a short written instruction. B1 is also the level required for civic integration in the Netherlands and the one asked for in many vacancies in production, logistics and care support. For anyone wanting to sit the Dutch VCA safety exam in Dutch, B1 is in practice the floor; the exam is also available in other languages, including English, German and Polish.
B2: upper intermediate user
At B2 someone holds a fluent conversation with native speakers, including on more abstract subjects, and writes a clear text. They can follow a discussion, support a position and add nuance. For roles involving customer contact, planning, quality control or leading a shift, B2 is a realistic requirement. For business English or German in sales and purchasing, B2 is usually the target as well: negotiating and presenting ask for more than B1.
C1: proficient user
Someone at C1 uses the language smoothly and effectively for work and study, understands long and complex texts and picks up implicit meaning. This is the level of policy roles, legal and financial positions, higher education and jobs involving a lot of writing.
C2: mastery
Practically everything a native speaker can do, including subtle usage, humour and irony. On the shop floor C2 is rarely required, except for translators, interpreters and language trainers.
Which level does an employee need?
That depends on what the role demands of the language, not on the job title. A useful approach is to answer three questions per role:
- Which instructions must someone understand? Spoken and visual (A2), spoken and short written instructions (B1), procedures and documents (B2).
- Who must someone communicate with? Only direct colleagues and the team leader (A2 to B1), also customers, suppliers or other departments (B2), also in writing and formally (B2 to C1).
- What happens if it goes wrong? The greater the safety risk, the more important it is that someone understands an instruction independently and dares to ask. That last part is not a language level but a matter of culture and trust, and deserves separate attention in a multilingual team.
In practice, production companies often find that A2 with adapted instructions is enough for fixed tasks, that B1 is needed as soon as someone has to respond independently to deviations, and that B2 only comes into play for shift leaders, planners and customer contact.
How do you establish an employee’s level?
An online self-test gives an indication, but mainly measures reading and grammar, not what someone shows on the shop floor. A sound level assessment consists of a conversation with a trainer, a listening and reading component and preferably an observation in the work situation itself. At Speak And Spoke that assessment is part of the intake for every training programme: the starting level is established per participant, and at the end of the programme it is measured again. That makes what the training delivered visible to both employer and employee.
How long does it take to move up a level?
Guidelines from Dutch second-language teaching assume roughly 100 to 200 guided hours per level step, depending on the learner’s mother tongue, their previous education and how much practice happens outside the lesson. Moving from A2 to B1 takes longer than from A1 to A2. What influences the pace most is whether the language is used daily at work and whether there is practice between lessons, for instance through e-learning and the Online Academy. A programme that takes place on the shop floor and connects to the company’s own processes therefore produces a visible step faster than an evening course detached from work.
In short
A1 and A2 are basic levels at which instructions have to be adapted. B1 is the level at which an employee understands a spoken instruction independently and asks follow-up questions, and it serves as the floor for most operational roles. B2 becomes necessary as soon as customer contact, planning or supervision are involved. If you are unsure which level a role requires or where your team stands, you can arrange a no-obligation introduction with Speak And Spoke. The situation is reviewed and you receive advice on the level needed and the route towards it. For companies doing business across the border there are separate articles on a business English course and a business German course.