The document discusses the B1 level certificate based on the Common European Framework. B1 indicates a medium proficiency in a language, including the ability to communicate in daily situations. It then summarizes a research study conducted with 21 students at a university in Ceuta, Spain. A questionnaire assessed students' English language abilities and experiences learning English. The results showed that most students were studying at a basic A1/A2 level, with weaknesses in speaking and listening skills. Most learned English primarily in school for 1 hour or less per week. The conclusion is that while a B1 level is important, most students only study English because it is required and do not dedicate extra time to achieve higher proficiency.

1. B1
Estela Alcaide Domínguez
Educación primaria, 2ºA
Curso 2016-17
IDIOMA EXTRANJERO Y SU DIDÁCTICA

2. 1.- What’s B1?
It’s a certificate that point out that the user have a medium level in a language. That
document is supported by Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
that also specify the requirements for reach that level in several skills like: Speaking,
Writing, Listening, Reading and Interaction.
- Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters
regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.
- Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where
the language is spoken.
- Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal
interest.
- Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly
give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
In a sentence, you have the B1 level if you can deal most of daily situations living in a
country that use that language.
Common Reference Levels: self-assessment grid B1:

3. 2.- The research:
Introduction
Our research has been based on a questionnaire developed by “Google Forms”, this
questionnaire consists of 17 questions aimed at collecting the data about the level in
English of the students in the ”Facultad de Educación, Economía y Tecnología de
Ceuta”. The sample, consisting of 21 students, has offered us the following answers.
Interpretation of collected data
About the gender of the student and his age, we can see that 81% of the respondents are
women, and 19% men, being the predominant age between 20 and 24 years.
Talking about the current studies the answers show that the respondents are focused
mainly in Nursing and Primary School degrees with lower answers in Kindergarten and
Informatics Engineering.
The research also shows that 25 % of our respondents combine studies with work while
75% only study.
Regarding the language they study, the data show that 85.7% are studying English, and
only 9.5% French, no one has chosen German and only one person select the other
language option.

4. About the level they have or think they have on English, we have obtained the
following results: 47.6% have or believe to have a level corresponding to A
(introduction to language and culture) while 33.4% think their level allow them to
handle most situations with only few troubles (a basic command of the language, B) and
only 19% think they have a complete command of the language.
It’s interesting that 76.2% in total has voluntarily decided to learn the language, while
only 23.8% have been forced to learn it for different reasons.
Even more interesting is the things that encourage them to learn that language, data
show that 61.9% see it as requirement for get the university degree while 33.3% think
that it’s a fundamental tool for relating and traveling and only a 14,3% think is an
interesting thing to learn.

5. If we focus on the main skill for learn a language (Listening, Writing, Reading, Spoken
production and Spoken interaction) the research show us some interesting facts.
About the Listening skill an important part of the respondents admit that they can’t
follow the main points of a radio or TV show about their interest even if the speech is
slow and clear.
Also about the writing skill near 50% of the surveyed show they can’t make simple
connected texts about familiar topics or write a personal letter that describe an
experience.
Talking about the Reading skill we notice that a high percent think that they can’t
understand text they can find easy in school or job in a lower percent they can’t handle
text about descriptions of events, feelings or wishes in a personal letter.
The scary facts come with the spoken production where a higher percent admit they
absolutely can’t make a speech about dreams, experience or hopes and in a lower
percent they find a lot of trouble for make a speech including reasons and explanations
for defend an opinion or resume the plot of a movie.

6. Finally if we see the results about the Spoken Interaction skill we notice that the level is
pretty low, with troubles in usual travel situations and unprepared conversations.
The respondents choose as the hardest skill for them the Spoken Production with a
52,4% manifesting the difficult pronunciation as the main reason, followed by the
Listening skill with a 19,1 % and finally the Writing and Reading skills with 14,3%
each one.

7. We also asked about the way they have learnt English and results show that a 66, 7%
did it along their academy life, only a 9,5% take classes in institutions out educative
system and a 33,3% learnt by themselves. When we asked about situations
where they can practice what they’ve learnt a low percent admit they can’t find
situations for practice day by day and mostly choose traveling situations and speaking
with foreigners like the most common chance for practice.
When we ask about how much time at week they spend learning English 52, 4% said
they spend between 1 -2 hours a week followed by 33, 3 % that admit they only spend 1
hour or less, 9,5 % spend between 3-4 hours and only 4,8 % spend more than 5 hours.

8. One of the questions related to tips for learn a language faster show us that the sample
think that listen to music, watch movies in original versions, travel and talking to people
who already manage the foreign language are the best ways for learn faster that
language.
We suggested 3 activities for improve English level and the most positive reaction was
for Language Immersion Courses like Erasmus with a 47, 6% followed by Learning
groups managed by the students and Informal talks in the University Snack-bar both
with a 19 % .
In the end we ask them if they want to suggest an activity that can be done at University
center for the students the result was a really interesting group of ideas related to music,
movies in original version and interactive groups of learning.
3.- Conclusions of Estela:
I think that currently, the B1 is of the language that is, is very important to obtain
any career, with respect to the data obtained we see that the majority are women
between 20 and 24 years, and only study, so The race is funded by parents. The
main language is English, since it is the universal language, however there are very
few people who know how to speak and write correctly, that is, low academic level
in the language. This is because the vast majority study it because they are forced
from the primary and do not do it to learn themselves. On the other hand, and
looking at the statistic there are almost half of the people surveyed who are better to
speak it than to write or hear it, with this you can say that you learn to be able to
communicate with people of that language and that's it.
I also think, observing the hours that the majority of the respondents dedicate to the
language that is of 1 hour, that they do it because it is what is established in the
schedule and very few people spend extra hours to learn the language, only when
We arrived at university.
This work has seemed interesting but complex, since we had to do several tasks,
first create the questionnaire, then pass it and from there get the data obtained, by
another also the definition of what is the B1 and what it serves.
To conclude my conclusion I think that B1 is important not only for the career but
for life in general, with the new technologies we are connected with practically
everyone and it is basic to at least master a language other than your native to be
able to communicate with people Of other countries and with other customs and
experiences.