Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025

Section 5 - Types of Welsh language user and common reference levels

26. This section and Schedule 1 establish a standard method for describing Welsh language ability, which is intended to be relevant to all contexts.

27. Section 5(1) introduces Schedule 1, which includes a Table. The Table makes provision:

a)

describing three types of Welsh language user,

b)

specifying levels (referred to as “common reference levels”) for the types of Welsh language user, and

c)

describing the general characteristics of those levels.

28. The three types of Welsh language user are “basic Welsh language user”, “independent Welsh language user”, and “proficient Welsh language user”. The Table in Schedule 1 describes their ability in Welsh based on six levels (A1-C2). They are grouped as follows:

a)

basic user (A1 and A2),

b)

independent user (B1 and B2), and

c)

proficient user (C1 and C2).

29. The Table in Schedule 1 has been reproduced (in relation to the Welsh language) from the document Council of Europe (2020), Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment – Companion volume, Council of Europe Publishing, Strasbourg, available at www.coe.int/lang-cefr (ISBN 978-92-871-8621-8). The English language version is published with permission from the Council of Europe, and the Welsh language version by arrangement with the Council of Europe, under the sole responsibility of Senedd Cymru.

30. In accordance with section 5(2) and (3), the Welsh Ministers have the power, by regulations, to amend the Table in Schedule 1. However, they may not use this power unless it is necessary to respond to any change made to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.