Second Year Language (CEFR: B2)

‘Can do’ statements

The following descriptors provide an indication of the passive and productive abilities of students passing this course.

Listening Comprehension

• Understand the main ideas of complex speech on concrete and abstract topics delivered in a standardised dialect.
• Follow main ideas in a discussion, but may find it difficult to understand a discussion between several speakers who do not modify their language in any way
• Follow essentials of lectures, talks and reports and other forms of complex academic presentation

Reading comprehension

• Read with a large degree of independence, using dictionaries and other reference sources selectively when necessary.
• Rapidly grasp the content and significance of news, articles and reports and decide if a closer reading is worthwhile.
• Understand articles, reports and reviews in which the writer express specific points of view, eg. political commentary, critiques, plays, films etc.
• Read literary texts written in straightforward language and style if familiar with the story and/ or the writer.

Spoken

• Take an active part in conversation, expressing clearly and naturally a point of view, idea or feeling with effective turn-taking.
• Evaluate advantages and disadvantages and participate in reaching a decision in formal and informal discussions.
• Sustain opinions in discussions by providing relevant explanations, arguments and comments.

Written

• Write at length about topical issues, even though complex concepts may be oversimplified and can self-correct many mistakes in the process.
• Present a topical issue in a critical manner and weigh up advantages and disadvantages of various options .
• Develop a clear argument, linking ideas logically and expanding and supporting points of views with appropriate examples .
• Summarise information and arguments from a number of sources, such as articles or reports, discussions, interviews, presentations etc.