1. Whats B1?

Its a certificate that point out that the user have a medium level in a language. That
document is supported by Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
that also specify the requirements for reach that level in several skills like: Speaking,
Writing, Listening, Reading and Interaction.

What are those requirements?

Skill Requirement
I have the B1 level if:
- I can understand the main points of a clear standard
speech (if its clear and slow) about a familiar matter I
Listening
can found in school, work, etc.
- I can understand the main points of a TV or radio show
about something of my interest or familiar to me.
- I can understand texts about usual situations or using a
Reading job-related language
- I can understand the description of events, feelings and
wishes in a personal letter.
We can differentiate between spoken production and
spoken interaction.
About Spoken production:
- I can connect phrases to describe experiences and
events also about hopes, feeling and ambitions.
Speaking - I can give reasons or defend opinions and plans also
narrate a short story or the plot of a movie.
About Spoken interaction:
- I can deal with most situations in a travel using if
people in the area use that language too.
- I can join unprepared into conversations of topics
familiar to me or related to my personal interests.
- I can write a simple connected text of topics about
Writing personal interest
- I can write a simple letter describing an experience and
impressions.

In a sentence, you have the B1 level if you can deal most of daily situations living in a
country that use that language.
2. The Research
Our research has been based on a questionnaire developed by Google Forms; this
questionnaire consists in 17 questions aimed at collecting the data about the level in
English of the students in theFacultad de Educacin, Economa y Tecnologa de
Ceuta.
The sample, consisting of 21 students, has offered us the following answers.
2.1. Gender and age
About the gender of the student and his age, we can see that 81% of the respondents are
women, and 19% men, being the predominant age between 20 and 24 years.
2.2. Chosen language
Regarding the language they study, the data show a preference for English because an
85.7% of the respondents selected English while only a 9.5% take French; that left a
4.8 % that prefer other languages.
2.3. Study, work or both?
The research shows that 25 % of our respondents combine studies with work while
75% only study.
2.4. Voluntary or forced choice
Its interesting that 76.2% in total has voluntarily decided to learn the language, while
only 23.8% have been forced to learn it for different reasons.
2.5. Levels (Focused in English language)
About the level they have or think they have on 47.6% have or believe to have a level
corresponding to A (introduction to language and culture) while 33.4% think their level
allow them to handle most situations with only few troubles (a basic command of the
language, B) and only 19% think they have a complete command of the language.
So less than 50% of the respondents think their level isnt nearly enough for the B1
exam.
2.6. Our skills fit with the B1 requirements?
About the Listening skill an important part of the respondents admit that they cant
follow the main points of a radio or TV show about their interest even if the speech is
slow and clear.
Also about the Writing skill near 50% of the surveyed show they cant make simple
connected texts about familiar topics or write a personal letter that describe an
experience.
Talking about the Reading skill we notice that a high percent think that they cant
understand text they can find easy in school or job in a lower percent they cant handle
text about descriptions of events, feelings or wishes in a personal letter.
The scary facts come with the Spoken production where a higher percent admit they
absolutely cant make a speech about dreams, experience or hopes and in a lower
percent they find a lot of trouble for make a speech including reasons and explanations
for defend an opinion or resume the plot of a movie.
Finally if we see the results about the Spoken Interaction skill we notice that the level
is pretty low, with troubles in usual travel situations and unprepared conversations.
Respondents choose as the hardest skill for them the Spoken Production with a 52,4%
manifesting the difficult pronunciation as the main reason, followed by the Listening
skill with a 19,1 % and finally the Writing and Reading skills with 14,3% each one.
2.7. Motivations
Even more interesting is the things that encourage them to learn that language, data
show that 61.9% see it as requirement for get the university degree while 33.3% think
that its a fundamental tool for relating and traveling and only a 14.3% think is just an
interesting thing to learn.
2.8. Ways to learn and time spent at week.

We also asked about the way they have learnt English and results show that a 66.7%
did it along their academy life, only a 9.5% take classes in institutions out educative
system and a 33.3% learnt by themselves.
When we ask about how much time at week they spend learning English 52.4% said
they spend between 1 -2 hours a week followed by 33.3 % that admit they only spend 1
hour or less, 9.5 % spend between 3-4 hours and only 4.8 % spend more than 5 hours.
2.9. Conclusions
Our research let us know something about the university students community;
unfortunately the results show in a general view a really low level of English and really
bad perspective about the B1.
Mostly the main motivation for learn English is reach the B1 because its a requirement
for get the degree. Maybe the main reason of that is the way we have learnt English and
the shortage of chances for real practice that make us think that English is not really
useful, and just another thing for learn and forget.
In my opinion we can offer in school, high school and university also activities for
understand and use the language like what it is: a tool for communication and learning.