The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is an international system that classifies levels of proficiency in foreign languages and divides language levels into six categories: A1 (beginner), A2 (upper beginner), B1 (intermediate), B2 (upper intermediate), C1 (advanced) and C2 (near-native).
Here’s a description of Finnish at B1 (intermediate) level according to the University of Helsinki:
Speaking
You can deal with most situations likely to arise in familiar situations related to work and social life. You have enough vocabulary to manage in familiar everyday situations.
Listening
You can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters. You can catch the main points in TV programmes provided that the speech is relatively slow and clear and the topics are familiar. You may have difficulties in understanding normal speech at length if the topic is unfamiliar.
Reading
You can understand texts that contain everyday or job-related language and that do not require expertise in the subject matter. You can recognise significant points and arguments in a text.
Writing
You can write simple texts on topics that are familiar and answer enquiries briefly. You can write personal letters describing experiences and impressions. You have a sufficient command of the basic structures of the language.
According to Chris Elliott (The International Language Institute of Massachusetts), reaching B1-B2 level in a difficult language like Finnish takes 1100 hours of study on average. Finnish is classified as ‘difficult’ due to the significant linguistic differences from English. Of course, if your native language is Estonian, Finnish might not be so difficult for you! But for the majority of learners, Finnish probably feels harder than many other European languages.
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