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Common European Frame of Reference:
Language Courses at Universidad de Alicante
Choosing your Course Schedule
On the Universidad de Alicante (UA) campus you will study alongside a large number of students from the member nations of the European Union and other countries. You will enter language courses designed to correspond to the Common European Frame of Reference (CEF), which defines language and cultural competencies across the continent.
Since you will be integrated into a European academic system, please take the following into consideration when choosing your courses:
- Prior to your arrival in Alicante, you must take an online examination designed and administered by UA, and your initial course assignment will be based upon your performance on this examination.
- Once in Alicante, there will be an add/drop period. Depending on your classroom performance during that period, you may be advised to change your level. However, UA will not allow you to enroll in a course which exceeds your level of preparation.
- Please make sure that your advisor is aware of the variation in course titles and that rigorous EU standards (described below) in force at UA may cause you to be placed in a lower level than would be expected on your home campus. You will want print out this page and bring it to your meeting with your advisor.
CEF Language Courses
Following careful study of course content, as well as consultation with our colleagues at Universidad de Alicante and other institutions, we have determined the following equivalencies between the CEF and CC-CS courses, which conform to U.S. standards:
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CEF Course Title |
CC-CS Course Titles |
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Level 1: |
A1/A1+ |
Inicial Absoluto, Inicial 2 |
SPAN 101/102UA |
Elementary Spanish I/II |
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Level 2: |
A2/A2+ |
Intermedio 1,2 |
SPAN 203/204UA |
Intermediate Spanish I/II |
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Level 3: |
B1/B1+ |
Intermedio Alto 1,2 |
SPAN 309/310UA |
Advanced Spanish I/II |
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Level 4: |
B2/B2+ |
Avanzado 1,2 |
SPAN 311/313UA |
High Advanced
Spanish I/II |
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Level 5: |
C1/C1+ |
Avanzado Alto 1,2 |
SPAN 403/405UA |
Special Topics in Advanced Language Study I/II |
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Level 6: |
C2/C2+ |
Superior 1,2 |
SPAN 451/452UA |
Spanish Study Superior Level I/II |
Explanation of the CEF System
The EU has established a system of six levels for all European languages; at each level, there are two instructional modules, or courses. Each level comprises from 120-140 hours of instruction or contact hours, with each individual course having 60-70 contact hours.
The titles of the levels used in the CEF designations do not correspond to the titles of courses with similar content taught at U.S. institutions. To determine the equivalencies, CC-CS has highly detailed descriptions of each of the courses taught with objectives, grammar points, and socio-cultural content, and would be happy to make them available.
Tips on Choosing Your Language Courses:
- The first three levels taught at UA (A1-B1+) correspond to the elementary, intermediate and advanced levels in the U.S. system.
- At U.S. colleges and universities, the fifth semester of college-level Spanish is considered to be the advanced level, while the CEF calls the fifth semester High Intermediate. We have maintained the U.S. terminology, and consider B1 and B1+ to be equivalent to Advanced Spanish I and II.
- Students in SPAN 311UA and SPAN 313UA (B2/B2+) have a high degree of functionality in Spanish, and usually will have completed at least two or more courses in Spanish language study at the advanced level.
- Students in SPAN 403UA and 405UA (C1/C1+) will have completed three or more courses at the advanced level. SPAN 451UA and SPAN 452UA (C2/C2+) are designed for students with native or near-native levels who are working to perfect their already superior skills.
Choosing Your Continuation Period Courses:
Please take into consideration that Universidad de Alicante requires a certain level of proficiency, demonstrated by your entrance exam and intensive language course, in order to be enrolled in the Integrated Spanish Studies with Local Students program.
Transcript Note: If your college or university accepts the CC-CS transcript, the numbers and titles in the CC-CS Course Titles column of the above will appear. If you request a transcript from Universidad de Alicante, the numbers and titles in the CEF Course Titles column will appear.
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