A2 English with Linguapress

What does A2 English mean?

"A2" is one of six  levels on the scale of foreign language proficiency set up by the Council of Europe. In practical terms, it is the level that pupils are expected to reach in the second or third year of secondary-school English, depending on the school context.

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or CEFR, was established in 2001, after several years of discussion among language teaching experts from different countries. It is now generally accepted as the international yardstick for assessing a learner's level in a second or additional language.

According to the Council of Europe

To achieve the A2 basic level in English, learners must acquire the skills needed to....

• understand sentences and frequently used expressions relating to everyday life (e.g.  basic personal and family information, shopping, places, work)
• communicate in simple English involving a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and everyday topics
• describe in simple English aspects of their background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.

So what does this mean in terms of teaching?

It means that teachers must teach, and learners must acquire, the essential grammar and vocabulary of a language that will allow learners to master these skills.  The CEFR does not prescribe a list of grammar and vocabulary for each language; it supposes that teachers and course-writers will know or be told  what is needed in order to achieve these goals.

A2 = Basic level English -  KET

It is generally accepted that for English, the A2 level can be certified by passing the A2 Key stage exam (KET) from Cambridge with a score of 120 to 139
Other A2 certifications include:
  ► Level 1 on the PTE General scale,
  ► At least 225 on the TOEIC  listening and reading test.. 

A2 tests require a good grasp of essential English grammar, so here are the principal points of grammar that teachers need to teach, and students need to learn.

Verbs

• Present tenses: Simple present,  present continuous.
• Past tenses: Simple past,
• Gerunds ( -ing forms) and the infinitive
• Interrogative forms (simple questions)

Pronouns, nouns and determiners

• Personal pronouns, count and non-count nouns,  plural nouns, essential determiners (articles, demonstratives, etc.)

Prepositions, adjectives and adverbs

• Essential prepositions of place and time, adjectives, comparatives and superlatives, gradation of adjectives,  use of general adverbs, adverbs of degree

All of these grammar topics are clearly explained in Rossiter's Descriptive Grammar of English, recommended by LInguapress and available through Amazon, Waterstones (UK), Barnes & Noble (USA) and other good bookstores.

A2 and B1 English on Linguapress.com

 
   Check out some A2 reading resources (with audio and interactive exercises)  ️

• Princess Kate  
• Ed Sheeran  
• The place where money has no value  
• Martin Luther King
• The story of Football .... 

and more   

 Distinguishing between A2 level texts and low B1 level texts is not easy, and is sometimes pointless. Depending on the vocabulary and structures used, as well as the students' native language, some texts that will definitely qualify as B1 English in certain learning contexts will be perfectly suitable for A2 level students in other language learning situations. 
    English reading texts will often be easier for students who speak a European mother tongue,  than for students  whose native language is very different. European languages share a common base and many common elements of grammar and vocabulary. There are less similarities, notably of grammar, between English and Semitic or Asiatic languages, for example; and the less similarities there are between two languages, the harder it is for speakers of one language to learn the other. This is particularly the case during the early stages of learning a foreign language, as far as B1 level.

    The main feature of A2 level texts on Linguapress.com is that they tend to be short (250 - 400 words), use shorter sentences mostly in the active voice, and concentrate on basic vocabulary. They are simple, but not simplistic. Here is an  example, an easy English text about "Princess Kate".

   The general Linguapress intermediate English reading resources directory includes resources from A2 level to B1, with a few easy B2 texts as well. The easiest low-intermediate resources are specifically indicated with the A2 marker.

How to achieve A2 level in English?

There is no magic answer to this question, but there are a number of pathways to success.
   
    As far as vocabulary is concerned, mastering English at A2 level normally requires an active vocabulary of about 1,500 words, though many students will know more than this.
    Languages are learned in a much deeper and more permanent way when they are acquired in context and by example; this means reading in English, which is the best way to acquire vocabulary, listening and talking which familiarise the learner with common expressions, collocations and different aspects of communication, and guided or unguided writing, which allows, or sometimes forces, students to use language creatively.

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