The courses offered by the IUZ/Languages are based on the language levels as defined by the Council of Europe in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) 2001 as a recommendation for language teaching and updated in 2020 by the companion volume to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

The CEFR categorises language competence, i.e. productive language skills and abilities (speaking, writing) and receptive language skills and abilities (listening, reading) into three levels:

Level A = elementary language use

Level B = independent language use

Level C = competent language use.