INSTRUCTIONS AND PROPHECIES OF THE Blessed MOTHER ALIPIA GOLOSEEVSKY, Kyiv...
So, what are the levels, what level of language proficiency do you personally need (depending on your goals), and how much time will it take to reach this level? For convenience, we will focus on English as the most demanded language, and in which there is the most developed system of various tests and international exams. We will conditionally assess the level of English proficiency on a twelve-point scale. Many language courses of English language abroad, and even at decent courses in our country, the formation of study groups takes place precisely in accordance with these levels.
0 - "zero level" of English
Full beginner. Many immediately begin to say: “Yes, yes, this is just about me! I learned something at school, but I don’t remember anything at all! Complete zero!" Not! If you learned something at school, then it has nothing to do with you. Zero level for those who have never learned English and do not even know the alphabet. Well, if, for example, he taught at school German or French, but never came across English.
1 elementary. Elementary level of English
There is no experience of using English. Separate simple words and the expressions are clear, something can be guessed with great difficulty. Grammar is the most vague idea. In general, this is a typical level for a graduate of a post-Soviet school who pretended to study some “topics” twice a week, but in fact cheated mathematics under his desk. In case of urgent need, some words still pop up in my head - “passport, taxi, how mach”, but a coherent conversation does not work. To reach this level from scratch, it is enough to study at decent English courses abroad for 3-4 weeks, approximately 80-100 hours of study. By the way, about all the calculations (weeks, hours, etc.) - these are averages for the bulk of students with normal abilities (which are about 80%), ten percent of linguistically gifted students will learn everything much faster, and ten percent will need more time and efforts to achieve the same result. There are no people who are generally incapable of learning languages - I declare this categorically. If you speak Russian, you can speak any other language, you just need to make some effort and spend certain time. So, I wrote it, and I myself became sad: whatever one may say, a month and a half in language courses abroad successfully replace the five-year study of the language in our usual high school... well, this, of course, if it's a three. If you diligently do your homework for all five years, then you can achieve much more significant success and climb more high level.
2 - Upper-Elementary. Highest elementary level
There is knowledge of simple grammatical constructions of the English language. It is possible to maintain a conversation on a familiar topic - but, unfortunately, the number of familiar topics is very limited. There is an understanding of simple sentences and speech constructions - especially if they speak slowly and explain what was said with gestures.
You can call this level the "living wage" for a relatively independent tourist from guides and interpreters. Add 80-100 hours of study to the previous level. By the way, in most decent language courses in Russia, one level is just about 80 hours, that is, if you study twice a week for 4 academic hours, then this is about 10 weeks, two to three months. Abroad, you can meet three weeks of intensive training.
3 - Pre-Intermediate. Lower Intermediate
You can keep up the conversation on a familiar topic. Knowledge of English grammar is quite good, although vocabulary is limited. You can pronounce fairly coherent sentences with virtually no errors if you have studied this topic in class. This sometimes leads to a paradoxical situation if you have to communicate with foreigners - it seems to them that you speak English quite tolerably, and they happily begin to explain something to you at a normal pace, waving their arms excitedly. But you, having laid out everything you knew, realize that you don’t understand a damn thing anymore, and you feel out of place.
At this level, you can already try to pass some language test, although there will be no practical benefit from this. This level roughly corresponds to the result of 3-4 when passing the IELTS exam, 39-56 points when passing the TOEFL iBT, you can try to pass the Cambridge exam PET (Preliminary English Test).
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Level definition is first and very important step in learning English. After all, depending on it, the training program is selected. Despite this, many English tests will not only not help determine your level but they can also be misleading.
This can lead to the fact that you will be trained according to the wrong program, which will negatively affect the result. How to avoid it? How to determine your language level correctly? What tests should be used for this? Now you will know everything.
What tests to determine the level of English are there?
One has only to enter the query "English level test" in a search engine, and you will find many sites that offer you their own online test s. But not all of these tests will help you correctly identify it.
Consider a standard test.
You have seen or taken English tests more than once, where you have to choose one correct answer from several. They are very common, but such tests won't help you at all in definition proficiency level English. Perhaps you will answer all the questions perfectly, thereby showing that you know the theoretical part (grammar) very well.
Checking your level of language proficiency includes not only a test of knowledge, but also a test of skills. And the online test will not determine practical skills: writing, reading, speaking and listening.
I'm not talking about the fact that many people often answer some questions in such tests “with a finger to the sky”, that is, they choose an option at random. Of course it says that you don't know desired material but just trying to guess correct option. That is, there is no question of knowledge here at all.
Two types of tests can be distinguished:
1. Determining your knowledge (theory);
2. Determining the level of language proficiency (theory + practice).
Since option 1 is incomplete and will not help you determine the level of English proficiency, we will consider in detail the second option of the test. First, let's decide what levels of English are.
What are the levels of English proficiency?
There is an international system of levels of English. According to her, there are 6 levels of English proficiency. You know them.
1.Beginner(First level).
This is the level of people who are just starting to learn the language, or have studied it a long time ago and at a low level. At this level, a person knows the alphabet, the basic rules of reading, and can answer simple questions.
2. Elementary(elementary level).
The name speaks for itself. At this level, you can use elementary constructions and phrases, simple tenses ( present simple, past simple, Future Simple, Present Continuous, Past Continuous, Future Continuous), to talk about familiar topics.
3. Pre-Intermediate(below the average).
You can chat, keep up a conversation, build more complex sentences and use more complex tenses (Present Perfect, past perfect, Future Perfect).
4. intermediate(average level).
At this level, you understand English, express yourself fluently, and know all tenses.
5. Upper Intermediate(level above average).
You easily communicate on everyday topics, calmly understand what they say to you, know all the nuances of using tenses.
6. Advanced(advanced level).
You understand English speech, you know grammar, you can think and speak it as if it were your native language.
Important point: absolutely at any level you should be able to read and write, understand speech and speak English, but within the material of these levels. If your level is elementary, then you should be able to speak very basic English. If intermediate, then you should be great at it. The higher the level, the better your skills and more knowledge.
What does the English level test include?
We have determined that the correct tests are those that determine the level of language proficiency (knowledge and skills). Consider what items such a test should include:
1. Knowledge of grammar
Grammar is the rules by which words are linked into sentences. It includes: knowledge of all tenses in English and the ability to coordinate them, all parts of speech and the nuances associated with their use.
2. Vocabulary
This is how many words you have in your "baggage". Vocabulary consists of words that you can understand by listening and reading (passive), and which you yourself use when speaking (active).
4. Listening
This is the ability to understand English. You must be able not only to catch incoherent words, but to be able to understand the whole speech: in the right time and with meaning.
5. Ability to speak
Can you speak English? You may know grammar and vocabulary well, but not be able to use this knowledge in a conversation at all. It is this skill that is tested in this paragraph.
How to choose the right test to determine the level?
To correctly determine the level of English proficiency, the test should contain the following tasks:
1. Translation of Russian sentences into English.
Such a task will show the theoretical knowledge of grammar and knowledge of words. If you know the rules, you can easily translate a sentence.
2. Translation from English to Russian
This task will show how much you understand the meaning of what you read.
3. Small essay
It will let you know how freely you can express your thoughts in writing and how big your vocabulary is.
4. Speaking part
This part is aimed at testing two skills at once: speaking and understanding skills English speech (listening). Of course, this part cannot be completed online, since live communication is required here.
During the dialogue, it is easy to understand at what level your spoken English and listening skills are. At the same time, the teacher (or a person with a high level of English) can ask additional questions, ask to translate sentences from Russian into English and vice versa (as in parts 1 and 2).
Completing these tasks will really reflect your level of knowledge. Therefore, we use just such a test. Of course, such a test is more difficult and longer than the one where you just need to choose the right option. But he will show not only the level of knowledge of English, but also its proficiency (practical part).
I sincerely wish you success in your studies, no matter what stage you are at now. After all, the most important thing is your desire to learn the language and develop the knowledge already gained.
In his blog, advice for those wishing to improve their knowledge of English..
I want to talk about how to build a system self-study English (or any other) language, using modern and not so modern technologies. A system where all elements are connected and support each other.
But before deciding how to learn, let's discuss the reasons why language learning is endlessly delayed.
Reason 1. Lack of resources
Many people believe that a teacher or courses are an integral part of learning. But this is precisely what takes time and money, which is always lacking. As a result, English is transferred to better times that will never come. In my opinion, the number of opportunities for initial language learning is now so great that you can start right today without leaving your home.
Hundreds of applications, sites for learning languages, electronic translators, films, lectures and videos in English - this is a huge and quite affordable arsenal for you. You will need a teacher later, when moving to more difficult levels.
Reason 2. Lack of purpose
Another reason for postponing learning for later is the lack of a learning goal and a way to maintain the achieved level. Many believe that if a language is learned without the prospect of constant use, then it is useless.
I think that there is a very simple way to maintain the achieved level of English for an arbitrarily long time - this is reading. If you constantly read, you will lose only conversational skills, but at the same time you will better understand the structure of the language and build up your vocabulary. An active reader recovers speaking skills very quickly.
Reading in English has never been easier than now, and this is the first component of the plan that I want to talk about.
Reading with Kindle (or LinguaLeo Plugin)
With this magic machine for 4000 rubles with delivery to Russia in two weeks, you can immediately read entry-level books and articles (articles can be sent to Kindle from a computer). Any word is translated simply by tapping on it, provided you've purchased the correct Kindle Paperwhite with a touch screen. When you buy, choose the version with advertising - Amazon has it very cool and will delight you on winter evenings. The Russian-language dictionary is installed on the Kindle as easily as any book is uploaded. I use the NBARS dictionary, found in a couple of minutes on the Internet. You just need to specify it in the device settings as the default dictionary.
Kindle is not the only solution, many other readers have similar functionality.
If you don't want to buy a Kindle, you can easily get by with even more a simple means. The LinguaLeo service provides its users with a useful plug-in for the Chrome browser, which translates words in English texts by double-clicking on them. To read any articles on the Internet, a regular computer will be enough for you.
Collection of new words
All words and even whole phrases that were new to you in the book can be marked in Kindle. When you finish the book, you will receive a ready-made dictionary for study. The first books give a huge stream of unfamiliar words, but with each subsequent one their number decreases and comes to 70-80 per edition. The LinguaLeo plugin also carefully saves all the words that you translated, though it does it itself and without much analysis.
By the way, I cannot call the LinguaLeo service itself and other similar systems effective. The learning mechanics that they offer are too playful and do not provide a significant load. I don't believe in easy learning.
Interval word learning
What to do with the revealed words? Learn! But only without writing them out in a notebook. There are many interval learning systems where you load your words and run them around in circles. Over time, the system itself removes everything that you have learned and leaves what you do not yet know. The most popular system is Anki.
Most often, we start learning a language when we already need it. Therefore, many want to learn it for short term. For example, you:
- Are you planning to change jobs and have an interview soon?
- in a couple of weeks you are leaving for the USA on vacation;
- you have an exhibition abroad in a month, where you need to represent your company;
- want to travel in summer Work program and Travel
Under these conditions, you want to minimize the training time as much as possible.
How long will it take for me to level up?
Your progress depends on several factors: methodology, regularity of classes, your desire to learn, etc.
In this article, I have collected 5 tips that will help you improve your level of English in a short time.
Important : If you really want to learn English quickly, then these tips must be followed!
So, let's begin.
Tip #1: Set a goal and start moving towards it
Your desire to learn English is the engine of your learning. If you do not have the motivation to study, then it will stretch for a long time.
Important: No teacher can force you to learn a language if you yourself do not want to do this or do not know why you need to learn it.
Therefore, the first thing to do when learning English is to set yourself a goal for which you need the language.
For example:
- You study at the university and want to go on an exchange to study in Italy for a year. For this you need a level - Intermediate and above.
- You want to work in tourism, go on business trips abroad and communicate with foreigners. You need a level for this - Upper-intermediate and above.
- You travel a lot and want to make new friends, learn more about the culture of countries. For such purposes, you need a level - Pre-intermediate and above.
However, simply presenting your goal is not enough. You need to start taking action in order to achieve it in a short time.
This requires motivation. Imagine in detail all the benefits of learning English.
How would your life be different if you could speak English right now? Where would you be? Who did you communicate with? What have you read? Where would you go?
Start learning English right now, don't put it off until Monday, next month or next year.
After all, I am sure that if you had gathered last year and started studying, now you would easily speak English.
Your progress directly depends on the regularity of your classes.
For example, if you study twice a week, then due to the large gaps between classes, you will forget the material covered. Therefore, you will have to spend a lot of time repeating the material.
If you want to shorten the time of learning English as much as possible, you need to study every day. At the same time, to immerse yourself in the language environment, study at least 2 hours a day.
You can alternate classes as follows.
1. On Monday you pass:
- New word list
- Learn a few grammar rules
All this you work out orally, making up sentences and pronouncing them.
2. The next day, you work through all the material covered in writing, making sentences and writing them down.
Thus, you train your writing skill and reinforce the material you have learned.
This is exactly what our students do, practicing orally all the material in the classroom and reinforcing it with written homework assignments.
Tip #3: Talk Most of the Time
Learning any language consists of 2 parts:
- Theoretical (learning words and rules)
- Practical (use of learned words and rules in your speech)
If you study only theory, you will not be able to use your knowledge in life. That is, you will not be able to speak freely.
Without practice, the rules you learn get mixed up in your head and forgotten. And we forget very quickly what we do not use.
How much time to spend "talking"?
For this, each piece of theory you need to practice speaking.
For example:
If you are studying Present Simple time, then you must verbally compose sentences in this tense and pronounce them.
Speak each sentence as you work through it. 4th steps:
1. Grammar correctness
2. Correct pronunciation
3. Intonation
4. Fluency
Only when you speak sentences correctly, beautifully and quickly, move on to the next workout.
I told you in detail about how to train spoken English correctly.
What if I am self-employed?
In this case, you need to do conversational exercises, but by yourself. You should speak sentences as if you were talking to someone.
Of course, in this case there will be a big minus: you will not listen to the foreign speech of another person. That is, listening (listening comprehension) will not develop for you.
Everyone who learns foreign languages has a problem: forgetting words. Many people crammed 100 words a day, but this is of no use.
To remember a word, you need to use it and make sentences with it. How to do it right, I told in this article.
To make it easier for you to learn words, combine them into small lists of words. To do this, combine the necessary words by topic.
For example, take 20 words on the topic "family".
Don't study everything!
To save time, only learn lists of words that you will actually use. For example, if you are not related to business, you do not need to learn business vocabulary.
Better take the topics that you really need: daily duties, a restaurant, a store, etc.
Reinforce learned words short stories. For example, to review the word list “family,” tell about your family members.
You can combine topics. For example, by combining lists of the words "appearance and character" and "family", you will get a detailed story about your family members.
So you will gradually "build up" your vocabulary.
Don't wait until you learn English perfectly. Start using English in your life right now.
Replace those actions that you did in Russian with English. This way you can use your English and improve it at the same time.
Right now, think about where you can use English and start doing it.
Here are some tips for you:
- Write to-do lists in English
- Start reading foreign blogs in English
- Search for information in a search engine in English
- Listen to podcasts in English.
Tip: Download itunes to your computer. In it you will find great amount podcasts on various topics: business, family, goals, development, etc.
How long does it take to improve your level of English?
To improve your level of English, you need to:
1. Set a goal and move towards it
2. Study English every day, at least 2 hours
3. 80% of classes are devoted to practice
4. Learn only desired lists words to expand vocabulary
5. Use your English in life
Based on the experience of our students, by doing this, you will be able to improve your English level in 1.5 - 3 months.
What does it mean - speak a foreign language? Everyone has their own ideas about this: someone is content with a level that allows them to freely travel around Europe, and someone is not enough to read Shakespeare in the original. Subjective Criteria in this case vary greatly - from knowledge necessary phrases to an intuitive sense of the language (which sometimes lacks even those who speak it from childhood). However, we teach foreign language with some purpose - moving to another country, studying at a foreign university, the need to speak English for work.
Needless to say, "just like that", the language itself will never be learned. Accordingly, no one can do without external criteria, that is, those parameters by which knowledge of the language will be tested in practice. Therefore, below we will consider the gradation of the levels of proficiency in the most common foreign language - English - according to the CEFR scale developed by the Council of Europe, compare it with the results of popular exams (IELTS / TOEFL / Cambridge / PTE) and give some tips for the gradual mastering of the language from elementary to higher level.
Comparison table of levels and scores for exams
How to find out your level yourself?
Today, the level of English proficiency can be determined even without leaving home, thanks to numerous online tests. Below is a selection of several of these tests. It should be borne in mind that such tests will not allow you to absolutely accurately reflect the level of language proficiency, since the resources on which they are placed are most often associated with language schools that have paid or offline resources for an accurate assessment of the level. Therefore, even after receiving the result on the CEFR scale, one should take into account the possible errors of online tests. In addition, some tests, by their content, cannot at all objectively assess knowledge of the language at an advanced level (C1–C2).Some of the tests below require registration before testing, but there are many tests on the network that allow you to get a result only after registering on the site or contacting language school, which is very annoying and leads to additional time costs, therefore, such tests are not taken into account in the tables.
Complex tests
Tests of this kind include tasks on various areas language skills: listening (listening), understanding the text (reading), grammar (grammar) and knowledge of the dictionary (vocabulary). Comprehensive online tests do not include only one important parameter - a test of oral speech (speaking). Such tests can be considered the most objective.| Resource | Questions | Time | Level | Answers | Grade | Timer | Registration | listening | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 50 min | A2–C2 | 4-5 var. | 9.7 | + | + | + | + | |
| 50 | 20 minutes. | B1–C2 | 5 var. | 7.4 | - | + | + | + | |
| 50 | 20 minutes. | A2–C1 | 3–4 var. | 7.4 | - | + | + | + | |
| 140 | 70 min. | A1–C1 | 4 var. | 7.2 | - | - | + | + | |
| 30 | 20 minutes. | A2–C1 | 4 var. | 7.0 | - | - | + | - | |
| 40 | 15 minutes. | A1–B2 | 4 var. | 7.0 | - | + | + | - | |
| 50 | 20 minutes. | A2–C1 | 4 var. | 6.8 | - | - | - | + | |
| 20 | 15 minutes. | A2–C2 | 4 var. | 6.5 | + | - | + | - | |
| 60 | 30 minutes. | A2–C1 | 4 var. | 6.5 | + | + | - | + | |
| 40 | 15 minutes. | A1–B2 | 3–4 var. | 6.2 | - | - | + | + |
Vocabulary and grammar tests
A good option for those who want to quickly determine their approximate level of language proficiency. The level of knowledge of grammar will allow you to quickly navigate your level, because good knowledge in this area constitutes an important “skeleton” on which you can successfully build up other language knowledge.| Resource | Time | Questions | Level | Answers | Grammar | Verbs | Dictionary | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 min. | 83 | A2–C2 | 6 var. | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8.0 | |
| 25 min. | 40 | A1–B2 | Writing | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7.3 | |
| 10 min. | 10 | B2–C1 | 4 var. | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6.7 | |
| 35 min. | 68 | A2–B2 | 4 var | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6.7 | |
| 10 min. | 25 | A1–B2 | 4 var. | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6.7 | |
| 20 minutes. | 50 | A1–B2 | 4 var. | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6.3 | |
| 20 minutes. | 50 | A1–B2 | 4 var. | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6.3 | |
| 20 minutes. | 40 | A1–B2 | 4 var. | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6.3 | |
| 20 minutes. | 50 | A1–B2 | 4 var. | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6.3 | |
| 15 minutes. | 40 | A1–B2 | 4 var. | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6.0 | |
| 15 minutes. | 40 | A1–B1 | 3 var. | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5.7 | |
| 10 min. | 25 | A1–B1 | 3 var. | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4.3 |
The assessment is made on a ten-point scale based on five main criteria:
- Grammar - how deeply the knowledge of English grammar is checked, including knowledge of tenses, conditional sentences, subordinate clauses, agreement of tenses, passive voice.
- Verbs - it is separately assessed how detailed the test checks for knowledge of English verbs: irregular, modal, phrasal. The same parameter includes the presence in the test of tasks on the knowledge of the use of prepositions with verbs, the infinitive and the gerund.
- Dictionary - assessment of the diversity of testing vocabulary, as well as the availability of tasks for its use.
- Listening - if the test contains this part, then the level of its complexity, the speed of listening, the presence of different voice timbres, artificial noise, accents, etc. are evaluated.
- Reading - assessment of tasks for the perception and understanding of the text, if any, in the test. The complexity of the texts is mainly evaluated.
Why is it important to know your language level?
- To correctly determine your goals - only knowing your level of knowledge of a foreign language, you can adequately assess your capabilities, as well as determine short-term and long term goals, which will allow you to choose the right training program and find a competent mentor.
- The need to indicate in when applying for a job - many modern companies ask applicants to indicate in their resume the level of foreign language proficiency, confirmed by the appropriate certificate. To get a good position in an international company, you need to know the language at a high level.
- To study abroad - it is impossible to enter a prestigious college or university without a good knowledge of a foreign language. And again, members of the selection committee need confirmation - a language certificate.
Foreign language in practice: what is important?
The first thing you need to know: the level of language proficiency is checked only in practice. It is almost impossible to independently determine real language skills, even with the help of Internet tests, since they only determine knowledge of grammar and a very limited vocabulary. Therefore, you should not rely too much on such results, since in reality everything will be completely different.When determining the level of proficiency in any foreign language, including English, experts pay attention to 4 basic skills: listening, reading, speech and letter. It is these skills that are usually tested on various international tests. Obviously, Internet tests will only evaluate the first two criteria, although in practice it is much more important to be able to express yourself in speech and writing.
The difficulty of self-determining the level of a foreign language lies not only in the fact that it is difficult to evaluate oneself, but also in the fact that the second language as a whole is rarely kept at any particular level. That is, you can be able to understand the most complex texts in a foreign language that correspond to an advanced level, but with great difficulty speak on your own. It turns out that, on the one hand, a person knows the language at the level of a professional, and on the other hand, his communication skills are almost not developed. How then to determine your level of English? Professional linguists and experts define foreign language proficiency according to several levels that apply not only to English, but also to most of the world's languages.
A0 - English Proficiency Zero
| IELTS | TOEFL | Cambridge | PTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | - | 0 |
In truth, such a level does not exist at all, but it is certainly worth mentioning, since 80% of self-critical beginners confidently attribute to themselves complete ignorance of the language. Attention: if a person knows how the word is translated dog or house, then this is already some level. Whatever the source of knowledge: two years of studying English at school, once read an English phrase book or two weeks of classes with a tutor 15 years ago - this knowledge remains in a person’s head forever. This is important because even a minimal base will serve as an excellent basis for further study.
If we talk about the zero level, then this means total ignorance English (this will be true if the person knows English as well as Filipino). In this case, you can enroll in English courses in your home country. In about 3 months, the level of the language will rise to conversational B1. If a person is still visually familiar with the English alphabet and knows what "Hello! How are you?" means, this indicates language proficiency at the A1 level.
start with lessons for absolute beginners, where you can learn the alphabet, reading rules, key words for understanding simple English, learn 300 new words (it will take no more than two weeks).
A1 - initial level of English proficiency - Beginner
| IELTS | TOEFL | Cambridge | PTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 15 | - |
This level is also called the "survival level". This means that once in one of the cities of England or America, a person with the help of local residents will be able to get at least to the Russian embassy. In no case can this level be called conversational, since, of course, a coherent conversation will not work. But if we put the jokes aside, then with this level you can go to language courses abroad.
Even minimal skills already allow at the very least to convey some information to the interlocutor, albeit not without the help of gestures. Usually, those who studied English once upon a time and without much pleasure own this level. Of course, there are absolutely no practical skills, but there is knowledge deposited deep in memory that will serve as a good basis for further learning the language.
The student speaks the language at level A1 if:
- answers basic questions: name, age, home country, profession;
- understands familiar phrases provided that the narrator speaks slowly and clearly;
- understands in English text some single words.
A2 - Basic English - Elementary
| IELTS | TOEFL | Cambridge | PTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 | 31 | KET pass | 30 |
If you can live with the initial level and not guess about it, then the basic level Elementary suggests some awareness, or at least a memory, that "I once taught something like this." Again, it is still far from the conversational level, but unlike A1, some kind of dialogue can already turn out.
If we return to the hypothetical situation of being in one of the cities of England, then here the situation is a little more rosy: with base level you can not only get to the embassy, but also chat with a foreigner (for example, tell a little about your profession or make an order in a cafe).
In practice, A2 differs little from A1, and the main advantage of the first lies rather in greater self-confidence and a slightly richer vocabulary. However, the possibilities of communication are still limited, so the A2 level is only suitable as a base for study, since there is nowhere to apply it in practice.
The student speaks the language at level A2 if:
- talks about everyday topics: can tell you or ask for directions, tell about yourself and about things around you;
- understands the speech of the interlocutor in the dialogue, provided that he speaks clearly and on a familiar topic;
- can read and understand elementary sentences ( I have..., You are..., He goes...);
- compose a simple sentence in text form or fill out a questionnaire in English.
Very often, an intermediate level is distinguished between the initial and conversational levels, which implies that a person can already use English to solve some vital tasks, but does not yet speak spoken English. If we correlate it with the A0-C2 scale, then this level can be characterized as A2+ or B1-.
You can define it like this:
- partially falling under the B1 level characteristic, but the lack of practice in some aspects (for example, writing) indicates knowledge of the language at the level Pre-Intermediate;
- Completely falling under the description of level A2 and partially under level B1 (for example, the skill of speaking is more developed) indicates knowledge of the language at the level Upper elementary.
B1 - Intermediate English - Intermediate
| IELTS | TOEFL | Cambridge | PTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 60 | PET pass | 43 |
When the competence of language proficiency goes beyond the confused speech about the location of museums and restaurants, and English speech and text become more understandable, these facts indicate that the student is at the first stage of spoken English. But in addition to speaking, this level also implies good reading skills of adapted texts, as well as an understanding of basic English grammar. Statistically, most tourists know the language at this level, which allows them to easily communicate with an interlocutor on everyday topics. Typically, today's graduates graduate from school with at least a B1 level (at a maximum of B2). However, there is still a lot of work to be done before becoming fluent in the language.
The student speaks the language at level B1 if:
- confidently maintains a conversation on any everyday topic with good pronunciation, although still with some hesitations and errors;
- understands the interlocutor, and also partially captures the meaning of a complex speech (lecture) or a conversation between English speakers (film);
- reads literature adapted to the average level with a dictionary and understands the meaning of simple texts;
- can write a short essay about himself or the world around him, using common semantic constructions and words.
B2 - Upper Intermediate - Upper-Intermediate
| IELTS | TOEFL | Cambridge | PTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 90 | FCE grade C | 59 |
If the student has good conversational skills (a level above average), can maintain a detailed conversation with a foreigner, understands speech by ear, watches English-language films and TV shows without translation and subtitles, this means that he speaks a foreign language at level B2. It should be noted that people who are completely unfamiliar with the English language are sure that they are facing a real foreigner. However, don't be deceived. Upper Intermediate- this is really a great achievement, but even it is sometimes not enough for professional activities. Also, the disadvantages include the fact that it will be much more difficult to move higher on your own. However, for admission to a foreign university with average requirements for applicants, this level is quite enough, so you can not worry and feel free to sign up for TOEFL or IELTS exams.
A student speaks the language at level B2 if:
- speaks measuredly on almost any topic, expresses his own attitude or spaciously describes his thoughts (however, at this level, some errors in verb conjugation, tenses and the use of complex words are still acceptable);
- understands oral speech on everyday topics and about 80% of complex speech (lectures, films, interviews);
- understands the meaning of informational texts in English well, draws information from English-language resources without significant loss of meaning (at the same time, it is allowed to use a dictionary to read texts on an unfamiliar topic);
- argues his thoughts in writing, using common constructions (albeit with minor errors).
C1 - advanced level of English proficiency - Advanced
| IELTS | TOEFL | Cambridge | PTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 | 100 | CAE grade C | 76 |
Perhaps, only a professional or an anglophone and, of course, the speaker himself can understand the difference between an advanced level and a higher average one, but only if he has the so-called "sense of language": when it becomes clear when speaking that the words are used correctly, but the sentence can be built a little differently by choosing more elegant words or suitable terms. This is a sign that the problem of language proficiency has slowly shifted to the problem of its competent use, which, in turn, indicates an extremely high level of knowledge of English as a foreign language. Of course, there is no question of any misunderstanding of the language. A student with level C1 perfectly perceives information by ear and is able to express his thoughts on paper. The only thing that he still cannot quite do is Shakespeare and Nabokov's Lolita in the original without a dictionary. This level is recommended for employment in a foreign company, it opens the doors to almost all foreign universities (including the top ones - Yale University, University College London,).
The student speaks the language at level C1 if:
- speaks without problems on any topic, expresses shades of emotions and relationships in the language;
- understands any spoken language;
- fluently reads texts in English, both informational (articles, newspapers, interviews) and scientific (articles in scientific journals, textbooks, works of philosophers, journalists, critics), occasionally encountering unfamiliar words;
- knows how to write letters to the employer, motivational letters, clearly understands the difference between the formal writing style and the informal one.
C2 - professional level - Proficient
| IELTS | TOEFL | Cambridge | PTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5 | 118 | CPE grade C | 85 |
The highest level in the gradation of English language levels is level C2. It should be noted that this is still a step, not a final stop. In fact, the C2 level corresponds to an excellent knowledge of English as a foreign language, its competent use for any professional and everyday situation, the ability to freely (well, or almost fluently) read fiction and professional literature in English. However, knowing English at C2 level does not mean knowing it, as they like to say, in excellence.
Any linguist or philologist will attest that mastering a language is the preserve of a very few, and those few usually become brilliant writers or wordsmiths. But if we take the most obvious example, let's say, an educated resident of London, then this also goes beyond the C2 level (usually those who speak English since childhood are called native speakers, and, of course, this is not included in the gradation of knowledge of English as a foreign language).
It should always be remembered that there is no limit to perfection, although proficiency in the language at the C2 level is an excellent result that few achieve. With this level, one can enter any postgraduate program, publish papers in English, conduct conferences and lectures, i.e. for almost any professional activity this level will be more than enough.
A student speaks the language at level C2 if:
How to improve your English: spend a few years in an English-speaking country, such as at a university or on an internship. And, of course, read.
What should you know about learning foreign languages?
Independent study of a foreign language is quite possible, but this undertaking requires a lot of effort, time, and such qualities as perseverance, diligence and determination from the student. At first, the classes seem interesting, but the lack of a clear program, correctly set goals, time frames and a teacher who controls the learning process and motivates the student leads to another breakdown and lack of desire to continue learning the language.That is why it is desirable to learn new language together with the teacher on individual or group lessons. When the basic material is completed, you can go abroad to improve your communication skills and increase your vocabulary. Without studying in a country where the language being studied is the main one, it is impossible to master it perfectly, even studying according to the most advanced manuals.
The thing is, it's alive. modern language changes daily, and special educational publications simply do not have time to track these metamorphoses. We are talking about modern slang, foreign borrowings, a variety of dialects, etc., which change the language every day. It is possible to know English at the native level, but for this you need to be in the appropriate language environment, where the student will have to join a foreign-speaking society, be aware of the news that is covered in the press or on the Internet.
How long does it take to learn a foreign language?
The answer to this question depends on several factors: the goals of the student, his perseverance and diligence, as well as solvency. It is quite logical that you can learn a foreign language faster only with the help of a qualified teacher (perhaps even a native speaker). This is a real investment in the future, which will definitely pay off, but it will also require quite a lot of capital investment.The faster the student wants to learn a foreign language, the more he will have to pay. Theoretically, it can take about 2.5 - 3 years to complete all levels (without living abroad), for this you will have to attend special courses several times a week. If you study on your own, it will take much more time to learn the language. When studying abroad, the student receives the same amount of knowledge much faster.
Miracles do not happen!
Beginners to learn a foreign language should clearly understand that the learning process requires a lot of time from the student, as well as certain efforts on himself, since there is always a reason to reschedule the lesson or postpone the implementation homework for later. Teaching is a lot of work! Therefore, it is impossible to learn a language in a month using a new "unique author's technique" or the 25th frame. Miracles do not happen! Only work on the mistakes and consistent analysis of new material will help to achieve the desired level.Time spent to level up
The table shows the number of weeks of intensive English for language improvement in schools
