I Am Improving; All Of A Sudden.
All of a sudden I have realised that I can listen to the radio or television and generally I can tell what the subject matter is and I understand 80% to 90% of what they are saying. I won't get all the words all the time and it goes higher and lower, sometimes down to 60% if there are some words I just don't know and maybe the speaker isn't too clear.
In your opinion where does that put me on the 'ability scale' - have I perhaps hit low intermediate ?
Thank you.
3 Answers
Hi Irma,
Welcome to SpanishDict, and congratulations. It is a wonderful thing to have put so much work into your Spanish that you are seeing tangible results. In my opinion, it is very hard to assign a 'level" on the ability scale, because it is a very nebulous thing. On some topics, or in some pat situations with appropriate physical or visual cues you may do just fine, but in other situations you may still be totally lost. Also, you will do better understanding one accent over others, or do great with formal conversations but be out to sea if folks are talking "street" talk.
I suggest that you don't spend much time thinking about where you are on a theoretical scale and use that time furthering the success that you have already attained.
We have an entire course of free lessons here (they are excellent) with quizzes that cover the same material so that you can measure your progress in that way. We also have flashcards; you can use others' or make your own, and the folks here at the Forum are really friendly and will answer any questions.
Keep up the good work!
Congratulations on your progress, Irma 
Welcome to our Spanishdict community forum
In my view, based on many years of experience learning different foreign languages, it is very difficult to accurately assess your own level of competence in learning a foeign language as most people do not have any clear guidelines or any idea how to apply them to their lives ....you need to draw on the experience of other oompetent, professional native Spanish-speaking teachers.
My native Spanish teacher who comes from Spain assessed my ability about two years ago as being about high intermediate and I have recently completed a placement test at the don Quijote school of languages in Madrid which gives you a rough guide to your level! It was a written test and spoken sssessment by a native teacher! I gained a C1 level (Advanced).I am halfway through my 2 week course. I am making progress of course, but there are days when I practice my Spanish and sometimes make silly mistakes!
All I am saying, in a roundabout kind of way is that we have some days when can sometimes seem to take two steps forward and one back...assessment is not an exact science! As human beings we are fallible creatures and do not consistently perform (practise what de know is correct) at the same level all the time across all the areas (spheres) of learning: speaking, understaning, reading and writing! If we did perform consistently, people's assessments of our proficency would be a lot more accurate!
I agree with echoline, please do not spend/waste time analysing your progress on a spectrum (range) just relax and focus on enjoying the language ...and the learning will follow! 
I hope this helps you!
I agree with Echoline and Feliz that there's not much value in labeling oneself "low intermediate" or anything of the sort. But since you want to do so:
Here is a description of language skill levels. For Level 4 - Intermediate Low, it says "When listening, you need to hear the language spoken slowly. You need much repetition and rephrasing." You are certainly more advanced than that. Perhaps you are at or even beyond Level 7 - Advanced Low: "When listening, you can grasp overall meanings in a variety of routine situations and practical discussions. With some repetition and rephrasing, you can understand normal native speech."
