UN Language Framework

The United Nations Language Framework, unique to the specific context of the United Nations, breaks down language skills into four levels. The Framework standardizes the way languages are learnt, taught and assessed, regardless of location or language.

Unique to our diverse, international organization, the United Nations Language Framework - the UNLF - leverages multilingualism in all dimensions, including:

communication among Member States
communication with the public that the UN serves
communication among UN staff members

One of the main components of this Framework is the definition of four levels of language competence. The Framework and UN levels aim to build consistency on how language skills are described.

The adoption of this Framework allows for more consistency among language programmes, while remaining flexible and adaptable to local realities, for stronger recognition of language skills and smoother transitions in career mobility and development.

The UN Levels of Language Competence

UN Level I or Basic Language Competence
UN Level II or Intermediate Language Competence
UN Level III or Advanced Language Competence, baseline for the Language Proficiency Examination
UN Level IV or Expert Language Competence

Each of the four UN Levels is defined by one overall descriptor and four specific descriptors.

The overall descriptor indicates what staff members do and how at every level of language competence. It includes the conditions required to facilitate and promote successful communication and cooperation.

The four specific descriptors delve into the four skill areas:

Reading

A line icon of ear with emitting sound waves.

Listening

A line icon depicting a person's head with a sound wave emanating from it.

Speaking

A line icon depicting a pen next to a sheet of paper.

Writing

The UN Levels of Language Competence refer to using the language in three domains: The personal, public and professional domains. The domain defines the area in which the interaction or communication takes place.

Personal Domain

For interpersonal relationships and individual social practices

A blue line icon representing four buildings.

Public Domain

For the transactions of various kinds of citizens within a community, such as administrative tasks, that deal with public services

Two rectangulars stacked featuring a prominent UN emblem on its cover.

Professional Domain

For an individual’s activities in the exercise of their occupation

The UN Levels of Language Competence build upon each other. Language users can have an overview of the four skills at each UN level or can check the progression in each skill at the different levels. The video, audio and text samples in different languages illustrate how language users write and speak at different levels.

The UN Language Framework Components

The UN Language Framework includes two more components, the Core Curriculum and the Language-specific Curriculum, to elaborate on the UN levels descriptors.

The Core Curriculum directly connects to the UN-level specific descriptors and expands on them with a set of objectives for the language users that are described in the form of tasks. These objectives are related to the personal, public or professional areas.

The Language-specific Curriculum is tailored to each of the six UN official languages, forming the most detailed layer of the UN Language Framework structure. The Language-specific Curriculum presents an inventory of the minimum language content necessary to attain each UN level.