The ability to communicate science effectively is a key attribute for science graduates, and considerable work has been done to establish the techniques and skills associated with effective communication. What is less clear however, is the learning progression students traverse as they develop proficiency in science communication. In this study we evaluated aspects of university-level student science communication capabilities pre- and post- explicit teaching of core science communication capabilities. We used this data to identify the characteristics of early science communication learners and synthesise a robust learning progression Framework for Communication Capabilities (FCC). The FCC was created to support educators in identifying the characteristics of their learners to facilitate the constructive alignment of learning objectives, curriculum, and assessment rubrics for learners of science communication through early phases of their development.