Reach A2 in a New Language

Proof required

Submit a 3-minute recording of yourself speaking the target language UNSCRIPTED — describing your day, your home, or your family, using only what you've learned so far. This is not a test of fluency; it is a checkpoint showing your foundation is real, spoken vocabulary, not passive recognition. Write 100 words (in English) listing your study method and approximate hours per week so far.

What gets checked

• Recording is genuinely unscripted — speaking extemporaneously about a real topic, not reciting a memorized paragraph; a verifier should hear natural hesitation and self-correction, not a polished monologue
• Vocabulary used is appropriately basic for this stage — present tense, simple sentence structures; a recording using complex grammar suggests reliance on translation tools, not real learning
• Study method and hours are honestly reported — this becomes useful context for the verifier and for the learner's own later reflection on what actually worked

Resources

Foundation: start here · Depth: go deeper · Mastery: for the dedicated

What a verifier looks for

• Listen for unscripted speech patterns — natural pauses, self-correction, restarting a sentence. A recording with no hesitation at all on a topic this open-ended likely means it was scripted or memorized.
• Check that the vocabulary level matches the stage — present tense, common topics. If the recording uses unusually advanced grammar for someone at this stage, ask the learner to explain a specific grammar point used, live, to confirm genuine understanding rather than translated text.
• Ask the submitter to describe one part of their day that did NOT appear in the recording, live and unscripted, as a quick verification check.

Proof required

Submit the recording (10 minutes minimum, both sides clearly audible). Write 200 words on: one topic where you felt genuinely comfortable, one moment where you broke down (couldn't find a word or grammar structure) and how you recovered, and at least 3 specific questions you asked the native speaker during the conversation (quote them, in the target language).

What gets checked

• You ask at least 3 genuine questions during the recorded conversation — not just answering the native speaker's questions; this is the specific marker that distinguishes A2 from A1, where conversation tends to be one-directional
• The breakdown-and-recovery account is specific — names the exact word or structure that failed, not a vague 'I got confused sometimes'
• Both sides of the conversation are clearly audible and the native speaker is responding naturally — not reading from a script or deliberately slowing their speech to childlike simplicity throughout

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Count the questions the learner asks in the recording. If fewer than 3, or if they're all simple yes/no questions rather than genuine open questions, the conversation has not met the back-and-forth bar this milestone requires.
• Listen for whether the native speaker is responding naturally or performing exaggerated slow, simplified speech throughout the entire recording — some accommodation is normal and fine, but the conversation should not sound like a children's language lesson the whole way through.
• Ask the learner to recall, live, what the native speaker said in response to one specific question they asked. If they cannot recall or explain it, this suggests the question was asked from a memorized list without real listening comprehension of the response.
• Check the breakdown-and-recovery account against the recording — can you actually hear the moment described? A written account of a breakdown that doesn't correspond to an audible moment in the recording is a red flag.

Proof required

Submit a recording or, if recording a stranger isn't appropriate or possible (e.g. a phone call), a detailed written account immediately afterward plus any receipt, confirmation message, or other artifact from the interaction. Write 200 words describing exactly what happened: what you said, what confusion arose if any, and how you resolved it without switching to your native language.

What gets checked

• The interaction is with a genuine stranger in a real-world context, not a tutor or language exchange partner who already expects to accommodate a learner — this tests whether A2 skills transfer outside the practice environment
• The interaction was completed entirely in the target language — if you switched to your native language or to English at any point to resolve confusion, the milestone has not been met; the account must be honest about whether this happened
• Supporting evidence (receipt, confirmation, recording if available) corroborates the written account — the proof should not rest solely on the learner's self-report of how it went

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Check whether the supporting evidence (receipt, confirmation, recording) is consistent with the written account — does the detail in the account match what the artifact shows?
• Ask the learner: 'Did the other person know you were a language learner before the interaction started?' If yes, ask how that became apparent — if it was obvious from the start, the stranger may have unconsciously simplified their speech, which weakens the real-world-transfer test this milestone is designed for.
• Ask the learner directly: 'Did you switch to English or your native language at any point?' A learner who answers this honestly, even if the answer is 'briefly, once,' should be evaluated based on how they recovered afterward — partial success honestly reported is more valuable than a too-perfect account.

Proof required

Submit the recording (15 minutes minimum). Identify, in your written submission (150 words), three specific moments in the recording where you used past tense and two where you used future or near-future tense, with timestamps. Write 100 words on which tense felt more natural and why.

What gets checked

• Recording contains genuine, identifiable use of both past and future tense in natural conversation — not isolated example sentences recited out of context
• The timestamps provided actually correspond to the tense usage claimed — a verifier should be able to find each moment described
• The reflection on which tense felt more natural shows real self-awareness about a specific gap — not a generic 'both were hard'

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Verify the timestamps given actually correspond to past or future tense usage in the recording — listen to each moment claimed.
• Listen for variety in verb forms used, not just repetition of one memorized past-tense phrase throughout the conversation.
• Ask the learner to narrate, live and unscripted, one additional past event not covered in the recording, to confirm the tense ability is genuinely usable rather than rehearsed for this specific recording.

Proof required

Submit the recording (20 minutes minimum). Before the conversation, have the native speaker (or yourself, documented in advance) write down 3–4 topics they plan to bring up — submit this list alongside the recording as evidence the topics weren't chosen by you. Write 300 words reflecting on the whole A2 journey: which milestone was hardest, what you'd tell someone starting A2 today, and an honest assessment of what you can and cannot yet do in the language.

What gets checked

• Topics were genuinely not pre-selected by the learner — the advance topic list, dated and shared before the recording, corroborates this
• The conversation sustains for the full 20 minutes without the native speaker carrying most of the talking — this should sound like a real exchange, not a monologue with occasional learner responses
• The final reflection is honest about limitations — a learner who claims they can 'basically speak fluently now' has likely overestimated their level; A2 self-awareness about what's still hard is itself part of the proof

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Check the dated topic list against the recording — were the topics in the list actually the ones discussed? A mismatch, or a list that looks written after the fact, undermines the 'unpredictable topics' requirement.
• Listen for conversational balance — roughly how much of the 20 minutes is the learner speaking versus the native speaker? A2 capstone should show the learner contributing substantially, not just nodding along to a native speaker who carries the conversation.
• Read the final reflection for honest self-assessment. A learner who describes specific, believable limitations (e.g. 'I still struggle with verb forms' or 'I can't follow fast native-to-native conversation between two other people') is showing genuine A2-level self-awareness. Vague overconfidence is a flag worth probing with a follow-up question.
• If you speak the target language, listen for circumlocution under pressure — when the learner doesn't know a word, do they describe around it rather than switching languages or going silent? This recovery skill is one of the strongest markers of genuine A2-and-beyond ability.