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Information about the applicant’s level of language proficiency for a resume is not paramount, but it is still very significant. This column needs to be filled out not for show, but with full responsibility, because many recruiters check this information in the first place. There are a number of positions which it is simply impossible to occupy if the applicant cannot freely speak, read and write in a foreign language.
Since a resume is a rather concise document, it is sometimes difficult for many to display in it reliably their level of language proficiency. For resumes, questionnaires and other documents, it is best to use the international classification according to which knowledge is determined. This is a kind of code, looking at which, the employer will immediately see how well his potential employee knows a foreign language.
Knowledge of languages: why this information in the resume?
Globalization in the economy is gaining momentum every year. Many companies are looking for partners abroad. Some find investors there, others find suppliers, and others find customers. And if the conclusion of preliminary contracts and transactions is the task of highly qualified top managers, then the maintenance of further relationships and the implementation of most everyday work processes falls on the shoulders of ordinary employees. As a result of their service, they need to communicate with foreign partners and, as a rule, they have to speak a foreign language, most often in English, since it is it that is the most widespread in the world, including in the business sphere.
In some cases, employers recruit employees who know less common dialects - German, Italian, Chinese, Swedish. This requirement depends on the country with which the company has established business relations. At the same time, the applicant is more appreciated in the labor market, the better he speaks a foreign language. In a resume, the level of proficiency is usually prescribed in words, without detailing knowledge. But in this matter, on the contrary, it is better not to understate or exaggerate your skills.
How to display this data?
Many people, writing a resume, write that they know a certain foreign language perfectly or have only conversational skills, fluently communicating on everyday topics. However, such information does not carry a special semantic load, it is blurred and is not supported by any data. Knowledge can be confirmed by very specific facts:
- Indicate how, where and during what period the study of a foreign language took place - at school, institute, in classes with a tutor, in courses.
- Indicate the presence of a diploma, certificates and other documents confirming knowledge.
- You can talk about the experience of living abroad (if it really was).
An employer or a recruiter will not be able to evaluate how deep a person’s knowledge is in phrases such as “I know English perfectly” or “I speak Hebrew”. It is much more reasonable to use a special European system of language assessment to demonstrate your skills.
International classification
There are two ways to demonstrate language proficiency for a resume:
- British Council system.
- CERF Method
The first one is simpler and more familiar, according to it you can evaluate a person’s knowledge at three levels: primary, secondary and advanced.
The second system is more advanced, but in many ways it echoes the previous one. As a rule, it is with the CERF method that those who do not know how to write the level of language proficiency in the resume have problems. It can correspond to grades A1 or A2 (entry level), B1 or B2 (intermediate level), C1 or C3 (advanced level).
First level
A person whose foreign knowledge is limited to level A1 (or Beginner), in someone else’s dialect can tell about himself only the most basic information - name, age, answer short monosyllabic questions. He does not own the letter, but he will be able to read short and grammatically simple sentences.
Level A2 may sound differently like Pre-intermediate. It is assigned to schoolchildren of elementary / middle classes or to those people who have passed several classes in learning a foreign language. In practice, a person can more or less freely communicate with a foreign language interlocutor on everyday topics, ask for directions, make purchases, find out the necessary information by signs, write a short story about himself. For a resume, the Pre-intermediate language proficiency is not high enough to indicate it as an advantage.
Middle level
Like the initial, the middle level is divided into two types, namely B1 (Intermediate) and B2 (Upper Intermediate). At the first stage, students can talk rather fluently, read small notes and not overloaded with complex terminology articles, fiction, watch films without translation, but with subtitles. The letter is also not sufficiently developed, but the knowledge at this stage is already enough to conduct personal correspondence or to compose small texts.
Level B2 is even more advanced. Those who have reached him are able to clearly state their thoughts in a foreign language, they can talk on everyday topics, discuss business issues, read not only fiction, but also scientific articles. Also, knowledge at this stage should be enough to conduct business correspondence. This, as well as the following levels of English proficiency, are the most significant for the summary. Those who possess them can safely apply for the positions of employees who are often forced to communicate with foreigners on work issues.
Advanced level
Those who know the foreign language best, but are not native speakers, are credited with level C1 (Advanced). According to the classification, people who possess it can freely speak, read and write in a foreign dialect, using complex lexical and grammatical constructions for this. Those who are at level C2 (Proficiency) cannot be distinguished by speech from native speakers. They talk without an accent, not only read and understand texts of any complexity and orientation, but they themselves can write journalistic articles and fiction.
Knowledge of Russian language
Your level of Russian language proficiency for resumes needs to be described based on the requirements of the employer. In some cases, competent speech and a good vocabulary are sufficient. Applicants can apply for some positions only when they have a philological education (pedagogy, journalism, linguistics). As a rule, the employer puts forward the requirements for this item initially.
