I study Swedish, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, and French on my own. I put that on my common app, but I’m wondering if I should explain each level… will college admissions officers know what A1, A2, B1, B2 etc. levels are? Swedish I’m A2, Korean A1, Chinese B1, Spanish B2 and French C1. It’s called the CEFR scale. Or should I just put beginner, intermediate, advanced…
FYI, CEFR is the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, so it would not apply to Korean or Chinese. But yes, AO’s know was the levels mean.
However, the Common App asks you to list the languages in which you are “proficient.” My advice has always been: if you would be comfortable having you admissions interview in the foreign language, list it. Otherwise, don’t. So, IMO, that knocks Swedish, Korean, and Chinese off the list, at least.
You can always talk about your love for language learning in your essays. And, of course, you can take Subject Tests or AP tests were available.