A symbol-level adaptation method to adapt at least one coefficient of an equalizer, wherein the method includes a) determining if there exists a shortened pilot channelization code which has a spreading factor shorter than the spreading factor of a full pilot channelization code and which is, at the same time, still orthogonal to any other simultaneously active channelization codes, and, b) if there exists a shortened pilot channelization code, despreading the pilot channel using the shortened pilot channelization code to obtain a pilot symbol estimation, and c) adapting the value of the equalizer coefficient according to the error between the pilot symbol estimation obtained from step b) and a corresponding expected pilot symbol.