C2 Level Exams

[Shopgirl1]

Has anyone done any of these in any languages?
Is there much difference between C1 and C2?

[Mistigri]

A friend of mine did her language assessment ahead of an application for French citizenship recently - presumably the DALF but not 100% sure. She was very surprised to get C2. TBH I was quite surprised too!

Theoretically there is a big difference between a C1 and a C2, but in a test situation I think the dividing line may be rather fine. My friend reckons she got lucky with some of the listening comprehension and that she "blagged" (her word) the speaking component. Her spoken French is very confident but she makes quite a lot of grammatical errors and her written French is not great (but then that is true of many native speakers of course).

[Shopgirl1]

Thanks, that’s interesting.
I’d like to do Spanish C2 - I was C1 in the past, but rusty now and was placed at the end of B2. Just wondering when I get back to C1 in Spanish how much it will take to be ready for C2 - I studied about 3 years on and off and spent a year in Spain to get to C1.

[Mistigri]

I suspect you would need a substantial period of immersion to be confident of a C2. Friend referred to above has lived in France for about 15 years, for the last 5 in an almost entirely French speaking context (French partner and friends, works in French speaking environment).

For comparison I'd put my spoken French at a good C1 after being in France for 20 years but living with an English speaker and working in a mainly English speaking environment (although for a French company). My written French is a good C2 though. I might get a surprise if I did the C2 DALF but I wouldn't be 100% confident about it.

[Shopgirl1]

Immersion isn’t really an option with 3 year old twins and a husband who will never move there. I’d love to go for a couple of months and study intensively, but it’s just not possible so I guess I need to find another way that may take a bit longer!

[Shopgirl1]

I might look into a postgrad in it - the on and off 3 years was at BA level, so quite intense. At least that way I would have a focus and would have to use it a lot. I’m doing an evening class at the moment and finding it slow and boring.

[Mistigri]

Can you find a local conversation group or get in touch with native speakers in your area via social media? There are a lot of young Spanish people in the UK. My employer's UK R&D centre is practically Spanish speaking there are so many young Spanish PhDs working there!

[Shopgirl1]

Yes, I could do that, after all, I’m learning it to speak it! I’m sure if I looked I might even find groups of 40 year old mothers as well...need to do a bit of research.

[AuldHeathen]

You should be able to find some way for Spanish conversation if you live reasonably urban. I keep looking at listings and see lots of Spanish. I’m wanting to get German up to C2 but there are few classes where l am except if you want Spanish! Depending on where you are there might be a toddler group if you live in a city/big town. Online groups might work. I do some German that way. Maybe look for groups that relate to a hobby/interest. I’ve done that and my German is improving a bit. I’ve got a husband who won’t move too - and l’m getting to the end of my working life, with Brexit it’s impossible for me to move now.
I read novels to help my vocabulary - short stories can be good if you’re short of ‘own time’.

[Shopgirl1]

AuldHeathen I’m sorry I’ve only just seen this. I’ve actually passed C2 German, I first learned German as a child though and just always used it, so never did C1 and am not really sure on the gap between them. I’m in my class with Spanish again and will just continue that way, but an also watching films.

For German, I recommend downloading the ARD and ZDF Mediatheks and watching German tv and films, there are often good ones on. Also read lots, i always read the books on the Goethe C2 course and check what universities are reading on German literature courses as they are normally interesting reads.

[LightDrizzle]

I missed getting the DELE Superior (C2) by 1 mark! I was gutted, particularly as I passed on the dreaded oral and failed on an element I was usually untroubled by. Since then, my Spanish had deteriorated through lack of use so it would be a big task to get up to that level again.
I learned at night classes to A2 standard and then used DELE coursebooks at home, attending the Instituto Cervantes in Leeds for the exam only. I passed the DELE Intermedio the year prior to taking and failing the Superior.
We are buying a house in Portugal so I’m battling the horror of European Portuguese phonology. I’ll defintely aim to take exams in Portuguese, they are great goals and benchmarks and a real gold standard. Despite falling foul of it myself, I think it’s good that you can’t pass on overall percentage; you must pass each of the 4 skills.

[Shopgirl1]

Wow Lightdrizzle, that was tough missing out by one mark, but what an achievement to get so close based primarily on self study.
What level is the DELE Intermedio?

[Shopgirl1]

Just read online it’s B2. It’s a hugh achievement to get from that to C2 more or less in a year with just self study. You have given me hope, I’d love to do the C2 exam next year.