1.) Genuinely, do you seriously argue that someone who took French for a year two classes a week would wrote something much better then that? Because from what I see, this is actually pretty motivating and good result after a year of painless causual learning.

2.) I really don't understand why your benchmark would be formal B1 test after a year. That is too high of an expectation. Most people do not reach it with the usual "a lesson with tutor a week or two classes a week in a year either.