<p>From what I understand, there are a few levels of language comprehension: basic, elementary, intermediate, proficient, fluent, and native.</p>
<p>If I read something in French, I can say it all without a problem. I can translate about 80% of the words in a short story. I can have a decent conversation with someone, and put together fairly complex sentences using different tenses in such.</p>
<p>Would I say my language experience is ‘elementary’?</p>
<p>What you’ve described is beyond “elementary” and probably falls somewhere between “intermediate” and “proficient.” How many years of formal study did you have? Usually 4 semesters of a foreign language in college is considered “proficient” (assuming you got good grades and really understood the material being presented).</p>
<p>You might also be at different levels for reading, writing, listening, and speaking.</p>
<p>As a high school student, I put my grades on AP language exams for the languages I took APs in, and then used those as my guide for the others (I put fluent for the ones I got a 5 in, proficient for 4’s, etc.) Hope that helps!</p>
<p>DOD has a test that they use. You can see the score descriptions here: [Defense</a> Language Proficiency Test (DLPT)](<a href=“http://www.uscg.mil/hq/capemay/education/dlpt.asp]Defense”>http://www.uscg.mil/hq/capemay/education/dlpt.asp) Your description sounds kind of like “1+” to me, but obviously you would know better.</p>
<p>I disagree that 4 semesters makes someone proficient, at least by DOD standards.</p>
<p><em>just editing to say that I am aware that USCG is not a DOD component. It falls under DHS, but it is the military.</em></p>
<p>soccerguy, certainly different agencies will have their own definitions of foreign language “proficiency” and it’s not unreasonable to believe that DOD would have higher standards than most.</p>
<p>Since this is a college-oriented discussion board, however, I used the definition that is most commonly used by colleges that have a foreign language requirement, and that is: 4 semesters of college-level instruction. It’s even used by your own alma mater, W&M. :)</p>
<p>yea, you are correct worried_mom. I suppose also that “proficient” can mean different things to different people. Proficient enough to complete a college requirement is not the same as proficient enough to carry on your job responsibilities in the language, though both are happily ‘proficient’ in their own way.</p>
<p>I, personally, also have a worry about overstating things on my resume, but I realize not all people have this fear, and I acknowledge that I might be selling my own skills short as a result of this.</p>
<p>With regard to proficient, I think that it is fair to put your own definition of proficient (realistically, if you can finish the fourth level of a university language course with a B average or better, you are probably proficient). Another question is, if you were to be dropped in the middle of Paris, how would you get by? If you would rely on the locals who spoke English to get anywhere, you are probably no better than basic or low elementary. If you can ask where basic places are and know how to, say, find directions, you are probably elementary or intermediate. If you can carry on a legitimate conversation with a French person, you are probably proficient. If you no longer need to really think about how to say French phrases, you are fluent, and if the French person doesn’t realize that you are not from France, you are native.</p>
<p>It also depends on the kind of job you are looking for. For jobs which have no possibility of international travel, you could use the space where you include your language proficiency to highlight another aspect of your resume. Other jobs are looking for people who speak languages, in which case you would need to be very careful about how you declare your language proficiency (everyone hears about the person who says they are fluent in Spanish and whose interview takes place entirely in Spanish). Still other jobs are looking for people but don’t necessarily need foreign language speakers – it could be nice, however, to be able to speak at least pleasantries in German when you visit clients in Frankfurt.</p>