Alignment Report · CEFR
SFWH A0 source ↗
SFWH A1 source ↗
SFWH A2 source ↗
SFWH B1 source ↗
SFWH B2 source ↗
Simple French with Hems × CEFR A0–B2 Alignment Report
An independent curriculum-and-practice alignment report comparing the publicly documented Simple French with Hems A0–B2 pathway with the Council of Europe’s CEFR descriptive framework for communicative language activities, competence and learner progression.
Important terminology. The official CEFR Common Reference Levels are A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. The 2020 Companion Volume also includes Pre-A1 descriptors. Simple French with Hems uses A0 as its internal label for a complete-beginner, pre-A1 starting stage. In this report, A0 → Pre-A1 is therefore an alignment convention, not an official CEFR level name.
5SFWH stages mapped: A0/Pre-A1, A1, A2, B1 and B2
40level-by-dimension alignment judgments
4CEFR communicative modes: reception, production, interaction and mediation
0claims of CEFR certification, accreditation or official level-awarding authority
What CEFR alignment actually means
The CEFR is a framework for describing what language users can do. It is broader than a grammar syllabus and broader than an exam. The Council of Europe presents the learner as a social agent and organizes communicative language use through reception, production, interaction and mediation, supported by linguistic, sociolinguistic and pragmatic competences.
ReceptionUnderstanding spoken, signed and written input.
ProductionCreating spoken, signed and written language.
InteractionCo-constructing meaning with other people.
MediationHelping make information, ideas or communication accessible to others.
How this report judges alignment
The mapping is intentionally conservative. Public course descriptions are compared against CEFR functions; a level label alone is never treated as proof of alignment.
Direct evidence
Public SFWH content clearly targets the same communicative function or performance band.
Supported
SFWH provides structured practice, but real-world or live transfer is still needed.
Partial / supplement
The CEFR dimension is present only indirectly or requires additional task design.
01 · Executive alignment summary
Where the A0–B2 pathway aligns most strongly
The strongest documentary alignment is in reception and production, because SFWH publicly documents listening, reading, speaking and writing activities at every major level. Interaction is meaningfully supported by guided speaking and scenario practice, but CEFR interaction ultimately requires genuine two-way co-construction with another person or responsive system. Mediation is the least explicit area in the current public curriculum descriptions.
| Dimension | A0 / Pre-A1 | A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | Overall judgment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral reception / listening | Direct | Direct | Direct | Direct | Direct | Strongly documented progression from supported beginner listening to more natural, detailed spoken French. |
| Written reception / reading | Direct | Direct | Direct | Direct | Direct | Strong progression from simple words/messages toward longer and more complex texts. |
| Spoken production | Supported | Direct | Direct | Direct | Direct | Clear progression in sentence building, explanation, opinion and argument. |
| Written production | Supported | Direct | Direct | Direct | Direct | Clear progression from basic responses to connected paragraphs and organized arguments/reports. |
| Interaction | Supported | Supported | Supported | Supported | Supported | Course scenarios and speaking practice support interaction, but live or responsive two-way use should be added to demonstrate CEFR interaction fully. |
| Mediation | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Not yet sufficiently explicit in public descriptions; add tasks that require relaying, explaining, summarizing or facilitating understanding. |
| Linguistic range & control | Supported | Direct | Direct | Direct | Direct | Grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and sentence-pattern progression are central to the pathway. |
| Learning strategies / autonomy | Direct | Direct | Direct | Direct | Direct | Self-paced review, repetition, quizzes, progress assessments and active recall/retry are repeatedly documented. |
02 · Entry stage
A0 → CEFR Pre-A1
SFWH uses A0 for learners starting from zero. The CEFR Companion Volume uses Pre-A1 for the emerging ability that precedes A1.
CEFR directionRecognize and use a very small repertoire of familiar words, expressions and highly supported messages.
SFWH documentary evidenceGreetings, introductions, essential vocabulary, basic sentence formation, listening/pronunciation, simple reading, beginner questions and repeated guided practice.
| CEFR dimension | Benchmark — concise paraphrase | SFWH evidence | Alignment | Implementation note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral reception | Recognize familiar words and very short formulaic expressions when delivery is slow and supported. | A0 explicitly includes listening, pronunciation, greetings, introductions and common expressions. | Direct evidence | Use replay, visual support and restricted vocabulary, then reduce support gradually. |
| Written reception | Recognize familiar words, names and very short simple written language. | Simple reading and understanding activities are included in A0. | Direct evidence | Pair print with images/audio and keep text highly predictable. |
| Spoken production | Produce isolated words, rehearsed expressions and very simple personal information. | Speaking/pronunciation practice plus greetings, introductions and basic sentence patterns. | Supported | Require learners to produce without reading after guided repetition. |
| Written production | Copy or produce very short, formulaic personal information and familiar language. | Simple sentence-building and short beginner responses are documented. | Supported | Add name/contact/profile cards and one-line personal responses. |
| Interaction | Respond to very simple questions with extensive support and repetition. | A0 includes responding to short beginner questions and introductory speaking practice. | Supported | Add teacher/peer turn-taking or responsive AI with strict beginner prompts. |
| Mediation | Relay very simple familiar information with strong support. | No explicit mediation sequence is identified in the public A0 description. | Partial | Add “show/tell another learner,” picture-label explanation and simple bilingual relay tasks. |
| Linguistic competence | Emerging sound-symbol awareness and a tiny repertoire of basic forms. | Pronunciation, essential vocabulary and basic sentence patterns are explicit A0 goals. | Direct evidence | Avoid presenting A0 as complete A1 competence. |
| Strategies / autonomy | Use repetition, imitation and support to complete very simple tasks. | Self-paced replay, quiz repetition and review are explicit. | Direct evidence | Excellent fit for a pre-A1 bridge into the formal A1 course. |
03 · Basic user
CEFR A1
Beginning functional communication: familiar expressions, personal information, short messages and simple interaction when support is available.
CEFR directionUnderstand and use familiar everyday expressions; introduce oneself; ask/answer basic questions; interact simply with cooperative support.
SFWH documentary evidenceGreetings, personal information, everyday questions, sentence construction, simple conversations, short texts, basic writing, pronunciation and guided speaking.
| CEFR dimension | Benchmark — concise paraphrase | SFWH evidence | Alignment | Implementation note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral reception | Understand familiar words and basic phrases concerning self, family and immediate surroundings when speech is clear. | Listening to simple French conversations is an explicit A1 outcome. | Direct evidence | Include both item-level listening and short connected utterances. |
| Written reception | Understand familiar names, words and very simple sentences in short practical texts. | Reading short messages and passages is explicitly documented. | Direct evidence | Use notices, messages, forms and short descriptive passages. |
| Spoken production | Use simple phrases/sentences to describe self, familiar people and immediate needs. | A1 includes sentence-building, pronunciation and speaking activities; end goal is simple beginner exchanges. | Direct evidence | Assess unscripted personal responses, not only repetition accuracy. |
| Written production | Write short simple phrases and basic personal information. | Writing basic sentences and responses is explicit. | Direct evidence | Add short messages/forms and simple descriptions. |
| Interaction | Ask and answer simple questions and participate in very basic exchanges with help. | Everyday questions and simple exchanges are central to A1. | Supported | To evidence CEFR interaction, include genuine turn-taking rather than only model-answer speaking. |
| Mediation | Convey simple predictable information or help another person understand a very basic message. | Public A1 documentation does not identify mediation as a separate activity. | Partial | Add tasks such as explaining a simple notice, relaying a schedule or identifying key information for someone else. |
| Linguistic competence | Limited but usable repertoire of basic vocabulary, structures and pronunciation. | Essential vocabulary, beginner grammar/verbs, word order and pronunciation are core A1 elements. | Direct evidence | Accuracy should be judged alongside communicative success. |
| Strategies / autonomy | Rely on rehearsal, repetition, clarification and familiar patterns. | SFWH explicitly encourages replay, review, repeated quizzes and active speaking practice. | Direct evidence | Use the platform’s repeatability as a scaffold, then remove supports for assessment. |
04 · Basic user
CEFR A2
Routine communication across familiar situations, with greater detail, connected sentences and growing independence.
CEFR directionUnderstand high-frequency language; communicate in simple routine tasks; describe background, surroundings and immediate needs.
SFWH documentary evidenceRoutine/work/family/travel/shopping communication, past/future patterns, practical reading, short paragraphs, six tests in each major skill.
| CEFR dimension | Benchmark — concise paraphrase | SFWH evidence | Alignment | Implementation note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral reception | Understand frequently used expressions and the essential message in short clear exchanges. | A2 explicitly targets frequent expressions, short conversations, instructions and everyday information. | Direct evidence | Include unfamiliar speakers and small variations in rate/context before completion. |
| Written reception | Read very short, simple practical texts and locate predictable information. | Simple emails, notices, descriptions, instructions, stories and practical texts are listed. | Direct evidence | Strong functional match. |
| Spoken production | Describe family, living conditions, background, work and familiar experiences in simple connected language. | A2 explicitly covers routines, family, work/studies, experiences, plans and more detailed questions/answers. | Direct evidence | Assess connected responses rather than single-sentence accuracy. |
| Written production | Write simple connected text, short notes and descriptions about familiar matters. | Short messages, personal descriptions, connected paragraphs and six writing tests are documented. | Direct evidence | Use functional formats: message, description, short account. |
| Interaction | Handle simple routine exchanges and common service/travel situations. | A2 explicitly includes travel, shopping and service situations and asking more detailed questions. | Supported | Strong scenario alignment; add unscripted interlocutor responses for full interaction evidence. |
| Mediation | Relay the main point of simple, predictable information or help others understand routine content. | No explicit mediation strand is publicly identified. | Partial | Add “tell your partner what the message says,” summarize a notice, or explain basic instructions. |
| Linguistic competence | Expanded everyday vocabulary and control of simple structures sufficient for routine communication. | A2 documents wider vocabulary, longer sentences, present/past/future patterns, grammar and pronunciation. | Direct evidence | Monitor intelligibility and functional accuracy, not perfection. |
| Strategies / autonomy | Use rehearsal, self-correction, contextual clues and repeated practice more independently. | Course encourages recording oneself, building original answers, reviewing errors and repeating difficult activities. | Direct evidence | This is a strong bridge from guided practice toward B1 independence. |
05 · Independent user
CEFR B1
Independent communication on familiar matters: connected discourse, travel situations, experiences, plans, opinions and reasons.
CEFR directionUnderstand main points of clear standard input; deal with most travel situations; produce connected text; describe experiences and justify opinions/plans briefly.
SFWH documentary evidenceLonger connected sentences, familiar social/work topics, experiences, plans, opinions/reasons, follow-up questions, longer conversations and organized paragraphs.
| CEFR dimension | Benchmark — concise paraphrase | SFWH evidence | Alignment | Implementation note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral reception | Understand main points of clear standard input on familiar work, school, leisure and everyday topics. | B1 targets longer conversations and the main ideas of clear conversations about familiar subjects. | Direct evidence | Add multiple speakers and moderate naturalness to verify transfer. |
| Written reception | Understand texts consisting mainly of high-frequency everyday or job-related language and descriptions of events/feelings. | Public B1 materials include articles, emails, stories, instructions and practical intermediate texts. | Direct evidence | Strong match; vary genre and purpose. |
| Spoken production | Connect phrases to describe experiences, events, hopes, ambitions and briefly explain opinions/plans. | B1 speaking practice includes experiences, plans, opinions, reasons, comparisons, problems/solutions and connected longer responses. | Direct evidence | Require spontaneous 1–3 minute responses on familiar prompts. |
| Written production | Write simple connected text on familiar or personally relevant topics. | B1 targets organized paragraphs and more developed writing. | Direct evidence | Use email, narrative, explanation and opinion formats. |
| Interaction | Handle many situations while travelling and enter unprepared conversation on familiar topics. | B1 explicitly develops follow-up questions, familiar problems/solutions and communication with less reliance on memorized phrases. | Supported | Add live/unpredictable exchanges to demonstrate “unprepared” interaction. |
| Mediation | Relay straightforward information, summarize main points and support collaborative understanding in familiar contexts. | Not documented as a named B1 outcome in current public course material. | Partial | Add summary-to-partner tasks, explain-a-text activities and collaborative problem solving. |
| Linguistic competence | Sufficient vocabulary and grammatical control for familiar topics, despite noticeable limitations. | B1 emphasizes broader vocabulary, connected discourse, grammar, pronunciation and reduced dependence on memorized responses. | Direct evidence | Judge range, control and communicative effectiveness together. |
| Strategies / autonomy | Plan, compensate, paraphrase, monitor and repair communication with growing independence. | SFWH encourages creating original responses, recording oneself, reviewing errors and repeating where independent use breaks down. | Direct evidence | Add explicit paraphrase/repair tasks to strengthen CEFR strategy evidence. |
06 · Independent user
CEFR B2
More spontaneous and flexible communication: complex texts, developed arguments, abstract topics and detailed spoken/written production.
CEFR directionUnderstand main ideas of complex text; interact with fluency/spontaneity; produce clear detailed text; explain viewpoints with advantages and disadvantages.
SFWH documentary evidenceLonger less predictable conversations, defended opinions, reasons/examples, perspectives, advantages/disadvantages, abstract/hypothetical ideas, longer texts and organized arguments/reports.
| CEFR dimension | Benchmark — concise paraphrase | SFWH evidence | Alignment | Implementation note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral reception | Understand extended speech and the main ideas of propositionally/linguistically complex discourse, including more natural delivery. | B2 explicitly develops more detailed and more natural spoken French and natural-speed comprehension. | Direct evidence | Include unfamiliar voices, normal speed and multiple registers. |
| Written reception | Read with substantial independence and understand complex texts on concrete and abstract topics. | B2 includes longer texts, analysis and more complex reading. | Direct evidence | Add authentic articles, reports and viewpoint texts where appropriate. |
| Spoken production | Present clear, detailed descriptions and arguments, developing points with reasons/examples. | B2 explicitly includes defending opinions, giving reasons/examples, comparing perspectives, advantages/disadvantages and abstract/hypothetical ideas. | Direct evidence | This is one of the strongest descriptor-to-course matches in the report. |
| Written production | Produce clear detailed text, reports/arguments and reasoned viewpoints across a wide range of subjects. | B2 explicitly lists organized arguments, reports and detailed responses. | Direct evidence | Use timed and untimed writing with revision and independent production. |
| Interaction | Interact with sufficient fluency/spontaneity for sustained regular communication and develop/defend positions. | B2 targets longer, less predictable and more spontaneous conversation with less hesitation. | Supported | To claim full interaction evidence, include real-time interlocutor tasks with follow-up, challenge and repair. |
| Mediation | Convey detailed information, explain complex content and facilitate shared understanding across viewpoints. | The public B2 page documents explanation and comparison, but not mediation as a distinct social task. | Partial | Add article-to-briefing summaries, explain-to-a-novice tasks, viewpoint synthesis and collaborative decision activities. |
| Linguistic competence | Good range and control sufficient for detailed, flexible communication, with errors that do not usually cause misunderstanding. | B2 explicitly targets broader vocabulary, grammar, greater accuracy, abstract topics and reduced dependence on memorized language. | Direct evidence | A B2 course can support this competence; only performance evidence can confirm an individual learner’s B2 level. |
| Strategies / autonomy | Plan, monitor, reformulate and adapt expression to task, audience and communicative pressure. | SFWH encourages original answers, recording, active use, review of mistakes and repeated practice rather than passive completion. | Direct evidence | Add explicit register/audience adaptation tasks for stronger pragmatic evidence. |
07 · Coverage beyond the four skills
What should be strengthened to make the CEFR alignment even more defensible?
SFWH’s public documentation is already strongest where most language products concentrate: listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. The CEFR, however, is wider. These additions would make future alignment reporting substantially stronger.
1. Make mediation explicit
Add tasks where learners relay, summarize, explain or restructure information for another person.
Priority gap2. Evidence real interaction
Use live or genuinely responsive dialogues that require turn-taking, clarification, repair and unplanned follow-up.
Strengthen evidence3. Add sociolinguistic control
Show register, politeness, formality, social conventions and audience-appropriate choices by level.
Add strand4. Add pragmatic descriptors
Track coherence, turn development, thematic organization, precision and functional appropriateness—not only grammar accuracy.
Add rubric5. Add plurilingual/pluricultural tasks
CEFR 2020 gives these greater prominence. English support can be a resource, but tasks should also develop intercultural interpretation and flexible use of linguistic resources.
Supplement6. Separate course completion from proficiency
Keep the current disclaimers: finishing a course does not itself award an official CEFR level. Demonstrated performance should be assessed independently.
Already handled08 · Buyer interpretation
What an organization can reasonably conclude
This report supports the statement that Simple French with Hems is structured in a way that broadly corresponds to communicative progression from a pre-A1 foundation through CEFR B2-level objectives, with particularly clear documentary alignment in reception, production and linguistic development.
It should not be used to state that the Council of Europe has approved the program, that SFWH can officially award CEFR levels, or that course completion automatically demonstrates proficiency.
Recommended procurement wording
- Curriculum structure: A0/Pre-A1 through B2 progression with grammar, vocabulary and all four major language skills.
- Alignment: Course outcomes show substantial correspondence with CEFR communicative expectations at A1–B2.
- Assessment: SFWH includes level-based tests and practice, but official CEFR claims require appropriate performance evidence and, where relevant, recognized external assessment.
- Implementation: Organizations can strengthen interaction and mediation through live facilitation, paired tasks and performance rubrics.
09 · Sources and basis
Primary references used for this alignment
- Council of Europe. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment — Companion Volume (2020). Updated CEFR descriptive scheme and illustrative descriptors. Official source ↗
- Council of Europe. CEFR Global Scale / Common Reference Levels. Official source ↗
- Council of Europe. CEFR level descriptions and descriptor resources. Official source ↗
- Simple French with Hems. Complete French Pathway A0–B2 — publicly documented pathway, four-skill coverage and learning/assessment components. SFWH source ↗
- Simple French with Hems. A0 complete-beginner / pre-A1 entry stage. SFWH source ↗
- Simple French with Hems. Complete French Mastery A1. SFWH source ↗
- Simple French with Hems. Complete French Mastery A2. SFWH source ↗
- Simple French with Hems. Complete French Mastery B1. SFWH source ↗
- Simple French with Hems. Complete French Mastery B2. SFWH source ↗
Method note. This is an independent documentary alignment based on publicly available course descriptions and Council of Europe materials reviewed in August 2026. It is not a formal standard-setting study, external accreditation review, psychometric validation or Council of Europe endorsement. “Alignment” here means correspondence between documented learning/practice targets and CEFR functions; individual proficiency must be demonstrated through performance.
