What is language level B1?

What it is

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) describes how well someone knows a language. The Council of Europe made it in 2001, and an updated version came out in 2020. There are six levels, from low to high:

• A1 and A2: basic user;
• B1 and B2: independent user;
• C1 and C2: proficient user.

The CEFR was originally meant to describe how well someone knows a foreign language, but the Dutch central government also uses it for texts. A text at B1 then means: someone who knows Dutch at level B1 understands the text.

What someone can read at each level is shown below (paraphrased and shortened):

Level	What someone can read
A1	Very short, simple texts, one sentence at a time: familiar names, words and short phrases.
A2	Short, simple texts about familiar, concrete subjects, with very common words.
B1	Texts with mainly common words from everyday life or work. For example, a personal letter about what someone experiences, feels or wants.
B2	Many kinds of text, largely independently, such as articles about current affairs. Less familiar expressions can be difficult.
C1	Long, complex texts, also outside their own field, if they can reread difficult parts.
C2	Almost all texts, including abstract and complex ones.

You can recognise a text at B1 by:

• a clear title and subheadings;
• an active writing style, with examples;
• everyday words that almost everyone knows;
• short, clear sentences.

Difficult (C1)	Simple (B1)
betreffende (concerning)	over (about)
verstrekken (provide)	geven (give)
relevant (relevant)	belangrijk (important)
prioriteit (priority)	voorrang (going first)

For people who have Dutch as their first language, there are other levels, such as 1F and 2F. Level 1F is comparable to A2, and 2F to B1. By the end of groep 8 (the last year of primary school), a pupil must have at least level 1F, and people with low literacy are at level A2 or 1F.

Why it matters

Many texts from governments and companies are written at level C1, and for many people that is hard to understand. If you write at B1, your language is not too difficult for about 80 per cent of adult readers.

Readers with a higher level of education also usually prefer B1, because it is easier and quicker to read, especially on a phone. That is why new texts on Rijksoverheid.nl are written at B1, and at A2 where possible.

A client who can read a text at B1 can check for themselves what was agreed.

Example: one message at three levels

A neighbourhood team needs a client’s payslips. Here is the same message at three levels.

• C1: ‘Teneinde je aanvraag in behandeling te kunnen nemen, verzoeken we je de benodigde bewijsstukken betreffende je inkomsten uiterlijk 15 november te overleggen.’ (In order to be able to process your application, we request that you submit the necessary supporting documents concerning your income by 15 November at the latest.)
• B1: ‘We hebben je loonstroken van de laatste 3 maanden nodig. Stuur ze voor 15 november. Dan kunnen we je aanvraag behandelen.’ (We need your payslips from the last 3 months. Send them before 15 November. Then we can deal with your application.)
• A2: ‘Stuur ons je loonstroken.
  Het gaat om de laatste 3 maanden.
  Stuur ze voor 15 november.
  Dan kijken we naar je aanvraag.’ (Send us your payslips. It is about the last 3 months. Send them before 15 November. Then we will look at your application.)

From C1 to B1, a lot changes. What your client needs to do now comes first. ‘Bewijsstukken betreffende je inkomsten’ (supporting documents concerning your income) becomes ‘loonstroken’ (payslips), and words like ‘teneinde’ (in order to) and ‘overleggen’ (submit) are gone. From B1 to A2, the sentences get even shorter, and each sentence is on a new line.

The B1 version suits most clients. If you know that someone finds reading difficult, choose the A2 version. Go through it together with your client, for example with a photo of a payslip. You can read how to choose such pictures in Visual support for your client.

Points to watch

• Choose A2 if B1 is too difficult. For people who find reading difficult, a letter or leaflet at B1 is often still too hard, and level A2 is a better fit. Then put the most important thing at the top, repeat what matters, write sentences of no more than 10 words and use pictures. Read more about recognising and discussing low literacy.
• Also look at structure, tone and design. These also decide whether your text works. So ask someone the text is meant for to read it.
• Judge for yourself what a measuring tool tells you. There are programs that measure the language level of a text, but what they give you is an estimate. A text can be B1 on paper and still not work, for example because the most important thing is at the bottom.
• For a website, also look at the requirement on reading level. It is in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the international guidelines for accessible websites. Is a text harder than what someone can read after about nine years of school? Then it needs extra explanation or an easier version, such as a summary in simpler language, pictures or symbols, or a spoken version. That requirement is called ‘3.1.5 Reading Level’ and belongs to the highest level, AAA, as do the requirements about difficult words (3.1.3 Unusual Words) and abbreviations (3.1.4 Abbreviations). Read more about understandable websites under WCAG.

Find out more

• Writing at B1 level for your clients: in ten steps, with examples.
• Checklist for a text at language level B1: points to check your text against.
• What is WCAG?