From Zero to Conversational in 6 Months
A CEFR-aligned framework built around your goals, tested with thousands of learners, and flexible enough to accelerate when you are ready for it.
The CEFR Framework
Six levels. Each with a clear definition of what you can do — not just what you have studied.
| Level | Study Hours | Can-Do Summary | Unox Modules |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | 60–80 hrs | Introduce yourself, ask basic questions, handle very simple transactions | Pronunciation Foundations, Core Vocabulary 150, Survival Phrases |
| A2 | 120–160 hrs | Discuss routine topics, describe your environment, manage simple social exchanges | Daily Life Conversations, Essential Grammar Patterns, Numbers & Time |
| B1 | 200–300 hrs | Handle most travel situations, express opinions on familiar topics, follow clear speech | Opinion & Debate Starters, Tense Mastery, Listening Strategy |
| B2 | 350–500 hrs | Interact fluently with native speakers, argue a position, understand most media | Complex Grammar Refinement, Media & Current Events, Idiom Library |
| C1 | 500–700 hrs | Produce well-structured, detailed text; understand implicit meaning; speak spontaneously | Academic & Professional Register, Discourse Coherence, Cultural Subtext |
| C2 | 700+ hrs | Understand virtually everything; express with precision and nuance; distinguish fine shades of meaning | Native-Speed Listening, Stylistic Variation, Specialized Domain Topics |
How the Curriculum Adapts to You
The framework is structured, but your learning path is personal.
Placement Test
Before your first lesson, a 15-minute adaptive placement test evaluates your reading, listening, and speaking in the target language. The result maps you to a CEFR level and flags your specific weak points.
Custom Roadmap
Your teacher reviews your placement results and goal — exam prep, travel, career, heritage fluency — and builds a lesson roadmap specifically for you. No generic syllabus.
Weekly Check-ins
Every four lessons, your teacher completes a progress checkpoint. If you are moving faster than expected, the roadmap accelerates. If a specific area needs more depth, the plan adjusts automatically.
Level-Up Assessment
When you approach the upper threshold of your current level, a formal assessment confirms readiness for the next stage. You move up with evidence — not just a feeling.
Sample Lesson Structure
A standard 60-minute lesson. Every component has a purpose — nothing is filler.
Warm-Up
A short speaking or listening prompt connected to the previous lesson. Activates recall and eases into the target language naturally.
Vocabulary Introduction
8–12 new vocabulary items presented in context — phrases, example sentences, and the teacher's explanation of usage nuance. Never a plain word list.
Grammar Focus
One target grammar point introduced, demonstrated, and drilled. The teacher adapts the complexity and number of examples to the learner's pace.
Conversation Practice
Free or guided speaking using the lesson's vocabulary and grammar in context. The teacher provides real-time feedback on errors that affect comprehension.
Review + Homework
A brief summary of what was covered, spaced-repetition flashcard assignments, and one focused homework task to be completed before the next session.
Total: 60 minutes — 35 min teacher-led, 25 min learner-produced output.
Language-Specific Tracks
Each language has its own challenges. Our tracks are designed around what makes each one unique.
Chinese
- ✓Master all four tones and neutral tone by A1 week 4
- ✓Read 300 high-frequency characters by A2 completion
- ✓Conduct a 5-minute business introduction by B1
- ✓Pass HSK 4 equivalent assessment at B2
Unique character system requires a dedicated reading/writing track running parallel to speaking.
Japanese
- ✓Complete hiragana and katakana in first 2 weeks
- ✓Master polite verb forms before casual equivalents
- ✓Handle a full restaurant or shopping conversation by A2
- ✓Read JLPT N4-level texts fluently by B1
Three writing systems are introduced progressively: hiragana first, then katakana, then kanji alongside spoken lessons.
Korean
- ✓Read Hangul accurately within the first 10 hours
- ✓Command both formal and informal speech levels by A2
- ✓Discuss K-drama plot summaries confidently at B1
- ✓Pass TOPIK II Level 4 equivalent at B2
Hangul phonetics are covered in full before vocabulary acquisition begins — the writing system unlocks everything else.
Spanish
- ✓Conjugate present tense for all regular verbs by A1
- ✓Handle ser vs estar with confidence by A2
- ✓Navigate past tense (preterite + imperfect) by B1
- ✓Argue a nuanced position using subjunctive by B2
Regional variants (Latin American vs Iberian) are flagged from A2. Learners choose their primary dialect in the roadmap.
French
- ✓Achieve accurate nasal vowel pronunciation by A1
- ✓Handle liaison rules naturally in conversation by A2
- ✓Use passé composé vs imparfait accurately by B1
- ✓Read authentic literary prose by B2
French pronunciation is treated as a curriculum pillar from day one — accurate sound production unlocks listening comprehension faster.
German
- ✓Assign der/die/das correctly for 200 core nouns by A2
- ✓Produce accurate nominative/accusative/dative by B1
- ✓Form subordinate clauses with correct verb-final order by B1
- ✓Pass Goethe B2 equivalent assessment at upper intermediate
Case system is front-loaded in the curriculum — learners who master it early progress significantly faster at B1 and beyond.
How We Train Our Teachers
A curriculum is only as good as the teachers delivering it.
Curriculum Workshop
All Unox teachers complete a structured onboarding on CEFR level descriptors, lesson pacing, and the platform's curriculum framework before teaching their first lesson. Knowledge of the framework is tested, not assumed.
Lesson Plan Templates
Teachers access a library of 500+ lesson templates organized by language, level, and topic. Templates are starting points — teachers adapt them to the individual learner. No lesson on Unox is purely off-the-shelf.
Student Progress Tools
After every lesson, teachers log vocabulary covered, grammar points addressed, errors observed, and homework assigned. Learners see this data in their progress dashboard. Progress is visible, not just felt.
Common Questions
How is a curriculum-based approach different from self-study?
Self-study is topic-driven: you learn what interests you when you feel like it. A curriculum is outcome-driven: each lesson builds on the last toward a defined competency level. The difference shows up at B1 and above — learners with structured curriculum progress through grammar complexity and spontaneous speaking significantly faster than those who studied from apps or individual vocabulary lists.
Can I skip levels if I already know some of the language?
Yes, and the placement test is designed to do exactly that. If your test results place you at B1, your roadmap starts at B1 — you do not pay for lessons covering content you already know. For learners with very uneven skills (strong reading, weak speaking), the roadmap is designed to address gaps while maintaining momentum in stronger areas.
Is the curriculum designed for adults or children?
Unox's core curriculum is designed for adult learners aged 16 and above. The topics, vocabulary domains, and conversation scenarios are calibrated for adult contexts: work, travel, relationships, culture, and current events. Unox does offer a separate curriculum track for learners aged 6–15, with different content domains and lesson pacing.
Does the curriculum align with official exams like JLPT, TOPIK, or DELF?
The CEFR framework on which Unox's curriculum is built maps directly onto the levels tested by JLPT, TOPIK, DELF, and HSK. Learners who reach a given CEFR level through Unox lessons are typically well-prepared for the corresponding exam. Teachers with specific exam-prep expertise can add targeted test-strategy modules on top of the standard curriculum.
Start with a Clear Plan
Take the free placement test, get your level, and start your first lesson with a teacher who already knows where to take you next.
Get Your Personalized Roadmap →