The Levels of Comprehension model provides a straightforward system for evaluating comprehension in a foreign language. We created it to provide clear and specific instruction regarding the language learning process, as well as to give learners a robust framework for thinking and talking about their progress.
About the Model
The model splits the spectrum of comprehension into six levels, ranging from complete beginner to effortless mastery. The model applies equally to both listening and reading.
The model doesnât describe your understanding of an entire language as a whole, but rather how much you understand when consuming a specific piece of content.
When using the model, base your evaluation on how much you understand without looking up definitions or reading translations.
Most immersion learners rely on a percentage-based system when evaluating comprehension. We actively decided against defining levels in terms of percentages. Itâs extremely difficult to define exactly what understanding a given percentage means. Does â30% comprehensionâ mean understanding 30% of the words, 30% of the general meaning, or 30% of the full nuance that a native would grasp? Everyone has a different interpretation. Instead, we based the model around the amount of meaning you understood.
Comprehension Isnât Static
In general, comprehension tends to be domain-specific. For example, you might generally have around level 5 comprehension when reading mystery novels, but around level 3 comprehension when watching the news. Further, even within a single domain, your comprehension will likely vary depending on the specific piece of content.
Itâs completely normal for your comprehension to vary greatly from day-to-day or even hour-to-hour. It can even vary from episode to episode within the same TV show. Comprehension is affected by many factors, including your mood, energy level, and engagement in the content youâre consuming.
Itâs also normal to occasionally feel like your comprehension has suddenly gotten worse. This is an illusion. As your comprehension increases, you become more aware of what you still donât understand. This increased awareness of your ignorance is what causes the subjective experience of losing comprehension. Itâs actually a good sign, not a bad one!
The Model
Level 0: Nothing
Youâve just started immersing and the language is complete gibberish.
Level 1: Something
The language is still mostly gibberish, but it has started to look/sound familiar. Youâve gained the ability to pick out occasional words.
You still have no idea what is being talked about.
Level 2: Bits and Pieces
You can recognize one or two words in most sentences, and every once in a while you understand an entire sentence.
You have an extremely vague sense of what sorts of things are being talked about.
Level 3: Gist
You can recognize at least half of the words being used, and itâs not uncommon for you to fully understand entire sentences.
Youâre able to follow along with most of the main ideas that are expressed, but many smaller details are lost.
Level 4: Story
You can follow along with the majority of the ideas being expressed, but some details are lost here and there.
You rely heavily on contextual inference to determine what was said when you canât make out all of the words. When youâre not able to understand something, you often canât tell why you werenât able to understand.
Level 5: Comfortable
You can understand close to everything, but some subtle nuance is lost. You have no trouble following along with everything thatâs said, but some of the cleverness or craftsmanship of a speaker or writer may go unnoticed.
When you donât understand something, you can usually identify the cause and clarify your understanding by looking up what you missed.
At this level, there is still significant effort associated with the act of comprehending the language.
Level 6: Automatic
You can effortlessly understand virtually everything. Virtually no details are lost. Can fully pick up on the subtlest levels of nuance.
This is the experience that native speakers have when consuming content theyâre familiar with.
Example: Harry Potter
Here is the first paragraph of Harry Potter and the Sorcererâs Stone:
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people youâd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didnât hold with such nonsense.
Below, we demonstrate what each level would feel like if you were an English learner trying to read Harry Potter.
Unknown words have been replaced with gibberish. Other words and phrases have been swapped out with similar English words to represent when the learner knows the word but isnât able to grasp its usage in the specific context. We’ve marked these with a “*”.
Level 1: Something
Pe and Per Dursley, of camer embe, Privet Unfax, were preth to say that quiga were counges kepter, *gratitude very slamy. Quiga were the pilso olical themic novatial to be vitimese in theoloney unittlem or writuence, because quiga atter inson voler rotes evere disgushese.
You recognize some individual words such as âandâ, âtoâ, âwereâ, and âthank youâ, but you donât have the slightest idea what the paragraph is about.
Level 2: Bits and Pieces
Pe and Per Dursley, of camer four, Privet Unfax, were preth to say that they were counges kepter, *gratitude very slamy. They were the pilso people themic novatial to be vitimese in theoloney unittlem or writuence, because they just didnât voler with such disgushese.
You understand around half of the individual words. This allows you to glean that the paragraph seems to be talking about a group of people.
Level 3: Gist
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of letter four, Privet Move, were preth to say that they were counges normal, *I show you gratitude. They were the *final people youâd expect to be vitimese in anything strange or writuence, because they just didnât *carry with such disgushese.
You understand that the paragraph is talking about two people named âMr. and Mrs. Dursleyâ. Youâre pretty sure the point of the paragraph is to describe them as “normal”.
You know most of the words, but there are several youâve never seen before. You donât understand what ânumber four, Privet Driveâ is because you think that âdriveâ means âto move a carâ. You know what âthank you very muchâ means but youâve interpreted it as âI show you gratitudeâ, so youâre confused as to why itâs being used in this context. You know the word âlastâ means âfinalâ, but you canât make sense of this particular usage. Same with âholdâ and “carry”. Nevertheless, youâre able to infer from context that the sentence is likely saying that the Dursleys are not strange.
Level 4: Story
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, *I show you gratitude. They were the last people youâd expect to be involved in anything strange or writuence, because they just didnât *carry with such nonsense.
There is only one word you donât know. You understand that the paragraph is talking about two people named âMr. and Mrs. Dursleyâ, who feel strongly about being ânormalâ, and perhaps even have a dislike for people who are ânot normalâ.
Youâre still confused about what âthank you very muchâ is doing at the end of the first sentence. You arenât familiar with the particular usage of âholdâ in the second sentence, but you can infer from context that it probably means something along the lines of, âthey donât put up with such nonsenseâ.
Level 5: Comfortable
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people youâd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didnât hold with such nonsense.
There are no unknown words and you understand exactly what the core meaning of the paragraph is.
By this point, you are only missing out on nuance. You have a general sense of what âthank you very muchâ means in this context, but you donât fully grasp that the tone conveys that the Dursleys are proud and obstinate people. You understand that âyouâdâ means âyou wouldâ, but youâre unable to perceive how this use of a contraction subtly changes the feel of the sentence. You also donât pick up on the subtle way that âjustâ adds emphasis in the last sentence.
You need to think about these subtleties and nuances, but native speakers perceive them automatically and instinctively.
Level 6: Automatic
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people youâd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didnât hold with such nonsense.
You effortlessly understand the paragraph and automatically perceive all of its nuances and subtleties. You are effectively understanding at a native level.