Levels of Language Proficiency

For a long time I have believed that there are three levels of language proficiency :

1st level : One is able to read the language;
2nd level : One is able to write in the language;
3rd level : One is able to speak the language,

     until a friend introduced me to a fourth (and highest) level :

4th level : One is able to dream in the language.

He explained that it is only when one reaches the 4th level that one can be assured that the language has already taken deep root in one's mind- the language has already entered the subconscious!

My friend lived in Spain for a couple of years so I asked him if he has ever dreamt in Spanish. He answered 'Several times.'

During my first few months in Cebu (I came from Manila where Tagalog is spoken, different from Cebuano which is spoken in Cebu), I thought I already reached the 4th level of Cebuano proficiency when I dreamt in Cebuano.  The setting was in a street in Cebu City.  I could hear people- vendors, pedestrians, speaking in Cebuano.   When I woke up, I was so happy that I was able to dream in Cebuano. The problem was, I did not understand the conversations in the dream.  Then I realized : I am not even in the first level  of Cebuano proficiency. Way klaro!*

* "Way klaro" which literally means "It's not clear!" can have the following translations depending on the situation: "It's absurd!", "I can't understand it!", "It's not fair!" There's a Tagalog expression that has the same literal and linguistic meaning: "Ang labo!"

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