A C1 level speaker can also be considered as someone who is a fluent speaker of the language. They will have no problem speaking, reading, writing and understanding the language and don't really need to take pauses to think while they are speaking.
SKILLS AT LEVEL C1
He/she can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for the right expression. He/she can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.
A C1 level of English allows for a full range of functionality at work or in an academic setting. The C1 level would allow for full autonomy in a native English-speaking country.
B1 is synonymous with good language skills. B2 is synonymous with very good/fluent language skills. C1 is synonymous with business fluent language skills. C2 is synonymous with (almost) native language level.
In everyday speech, this level might be called “bilingual”, as in “I am bilingual in English and French.” A well-educated native English speaker is technically at a C2 level. Relatively few English learners reach this level because their professional or academic goals do not require it.
If you are at C1, then you are bilingual and have been for some time. Bilingual is not an either/or condition, there is a graduation of fluency.
C1 Advanced:
At the C1 CEFR level, a language learner: – Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer clauses, and recognize implicit meaning. – Can express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions.
C1 (Effective operational proficiency or advanced): C1 speakers understand and use advanced grammar and vocabulary. They can actively participate in many social situations, producing well-structured utterances.
C1 Advanced, formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE), is one of our Cambridge English Qualifications. It is the in-depth, high-level qualification that shows you have the language skills that employers and universities are looking for.
You can expect to encounter more complex, nuanced texts and questions in C2 Proficiency compared to C1 Advanced. However, both tests are at a high level and success in either qualification will be accepted as proof of English proficiency by most universities.
If you achieve a scale score of 180–199 (grade B or C) in your exam, you will be awarded the Certificate in Advanced English at Level C1.
In summary, C2 level is considered the highest level of proficiency in the CEFR framework, and it's considered as a near-native speaker level of proficiency, but not equivalent to the proficiency of a native speaker.
CEFR-level C1 (advanced)
You can express yourself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. You can use language flexibly and effectively for social and professional purposes.
Is C1 Advanced hard? Definitely yes. It is proof of language skills similar to those of native speakers. Although it is not the highest language level, (higher is C2) it represents the understanding of the language at the academic level and the ability to talk about virtually any topic freely.
Full professional proficiency is rated 4 on the scale. A person at this level is described as follows: able to use the language fluently and accurately on all levels and as normally pertinent to professional needs. able to understand all forms and styles of speech pertinent to professional needs.
5 – Native / Bilingual Proficiency
Someone at this language proficiency level was either raised speaking the language as their native tongue or has been speaking it so long that they are completely fluent. They have little or no accent.
When we talk about being fluent in a language, many people will often interpret fluency as being at a B2 grade or higher within the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or CEFR. Throughout the world, B2 level is often required for work and education abroad.
C1 Advanced is a focused academic English exam, which shows that students have the English skills they need to succeed at college or university on undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
C1 English (Advanced)
Level C1 corresponds to users who can express themselves fluently and spontaneously. They can use language flexibly and effectively for all purposes.
He/she can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.
Can a non native speaker reach C2? No, not all native speakers speak their languages at C2 level. I am bilingual by myself, and I can understand everything, of course, written or spoken in my native languages.
Level B2: Basic Fluency
Reaching B2 is generally considered by most people as having basic fluency. You'll have a working vocabulary of around 4000 words.
In linguistics, the term near-native speakers is used to describe speakers who have achieved "levels of proficiency that cannot be distinguished from native levels in everyday spoken communication and only become apparent through detailed linguistic analyses" (p.