What is Intermediate in English? Intermediate level - what is it? What does the Intermediate level mean?

Site arrangement 11.10.2019
Site arrangement

Learning English is like oil painting: initial stage you do underpainting, then with rough strokes you set chiaroscuro, and then you move on to drawing shapes and details.

Upper level-Intermediate or English level B2 is just the level at which, on the one hand, you can already complete the full picture, and on the other hand, you can agree that there is still room for growth and development in order to work on the details in the future. Down with allegory! Let's figure it out!

Table of English CEFR levels
LEVELDescriptionCEFR level
beginner You don't speak English ;)
Elementary You can say and understand some words and phrases in English A1
Pre-Intermediate You can communicate in "plain" English and understand the interlocutor in a familiar situation, but with difficulty A2
intermediate You can speak and understand speech quite well. Express your thoughts in simple sentences but have difficulty with more complex grammar and vocabulary B1
Upper Intermediate You speak and understand English well by ear, but still make mistakes B2
Advanced You speak English fluently and have a complete listening comprehension C1
Proficiency You speak English at the level of a native speaker C2

It is at this level that training in the official style of communication begins, and at the same time a large number of idioms, phraseological units, phrases and set phrases. The grammar here is repeated and mostly honed in colloquial speech. Speaking takes most the entire course. So get ready to talk. A lot.

What does Upper-Intermediate mean?

Probably, for many, the important question is the following: “Is it possible to live in an English-speaking country with such a level of English?” We answer (drumroll): “Yes, you can!”, Since this is the level of English at which communication and understanding of English-language information does not cause any particular problems, with the exception of figurative phrases and language phrases that you will soon feel and understand, constantly being in an English-speaking environment.

Moreover, it is with the Upper-Intermediate level that you can safely go to take the test in order to receive an international certificate of knowledge of the language. If you are purposefully preparing to enter an educational institution or move and look for work abroad, we recommend that you pay attention to which exam is recognized by a particular country. For example, if the goal is the USA/Canada, then you should take the TOEFL; if Britain / Australia / New Zealand, — IELTS .

Knowledge of English at the level of Upper-Intermediate

First, imagine one of your favorite topics (or ask someone to come up with one for you). Done? Now, in theory, it will not be so difficult for you to talk about this for a short time (about 3 minutes). Easy! However, your speech should be rich in introductory expressions, such as, for example: in my opinion, to my mind, if you don’t mind me asking, it goes without saying, etc. You must be able to build artsy and complex sentences with mixed grammatical constructions and, of course, to issue a complete absence of errors in the grammar of the Elementary and Pre-Intermediate levels. Think you can do that?

At the Upper-Intermediate level, you already need to start watching foreign news channels. You most likely won’t understand everything, but don’t fall into despair - this skill will come to you soon (before Advanced is within easy reach), but you "ve got to understand some part of fast English. Keep that in mind!

Knowledge that you need to have at the Upper-Intermediate level
Skill your knowledge
Reading You understand the main idea of ​​complex text on both concrete and abstract topics.
You can read non-adapted modern literature in English, sometimes referring to a dictionary.
Letter You can create clear, detailed, and logically structured essay or essay writing on a wide range of topics (including familiar and unfamiliar topics) and explain points of view on topical issue highlight the advantages and disadvantages of different options.
You can write formal and informal letters.
Listening You understand most of the conversation of native speakers.
speaking You can use the language fluently and spontaneously in speech, which makes regular interaction with native speakers possible without restrictions for either party.
Vocabulary Your vocabulary is 2800-4000 English words.

The Upper-Intermediate level program includes the study of the following topics.

Topics to study in the Upper-Intermediate level program
Grammar Topics Lexical Topics
- Repeat temporary forms of active and passive voice.
- Present Perfect Continuous «have been doing» vs. past perfect Continuous "had been doing".
- Temporal forms of the present active and passive voice.
- Temporary forms of the past tense.
- Turnovers: "used to" / "get used to" / "be used to" / "would".
- Difference of indicators of the future tense: "will" / "may" / "might" / "to be going to" / "Present Continuous" / " present simple.
- Future Perfect "will have done" vs. Future Perfect Continuous "will have been doing".
- Conditional sentences different types: 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / mixed.
- Turnovers: "I wish" / "If only" / "I prefer" / "I "d prefer" / "I" d rather".
- The nuances of using the gerund vs. infinitive.
- Present participle (Participle I) and past (Participle II) tense.
- Complex Object Speech: "I want you to do ...".
- Modal verbs and their equivalents: "can" / "could" / "should" / "must" / "may" / "might" / "will" / "shall" / "be able to" / "dare do" / "ought to » / «have to» / «be allowed to».
- Modal verbs to convey the past tense.
- Definite, indefinite and zero articles.
- The use of nouns with defining words.
- Variations of shapes with a touch of comparison.
- Coordination of times.
- Indirect speech "he said that ...".
- Word formation: suffixes and prefixes.
- Forms of questions.
- Impressions and emotions.
- Communication and its types.
- Cherished dreams and how to make them come true.
- Cycle of life, ups and downs.
- amazing people.
- Friendship forever and best friends.
- Work.
- Ambition and achievement of goals.
- Adrenaline junkie or homebody.
- Money and business.
- Rules of conduct and manners.
- healthy image life and addiction.
- Stories and funny stories.
- Accidents and troubles.
- Beauty is a terrible force.
- Methods and approaches.
- Secrets and mysteries.
- Progress and development.
- A gastronomic paradise.
- Home sweet home or thirst for adventure.
- Memories.
- A winner in life or a loser.
- Self-expression.
- Movement is life.
- Truth or fiction.

Components of the course at Upper-Intermediate

The main directions of the course English Upper-Intermediate are: reading English-language texts and literature, listening to English speech, correspondence in English language, the use of acquired knowledge in live speech. Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:

  • take part in long and varied conversations on various topics;
  • fluently write in the language and understand most of the information presented in the text;
  • use and navigate freely in a large amount of advanced grammar;
  • watch TV programs, video presentations and discussions with the exception of technical and theoretical topics.

Term of study for Upper-Intermediate

As mentioned earlier, the pace of learning English is set by you. If you pay attention to the duration on average, then usually it takes about two years. This refers to the time period that a student must go from Beginner to Upper-Intermediate level. If you are at a higher level, then, accordingly, the period will be less. One way or another, about half a year is conditionally allotted for the full and successful completion of the course on the level of the English language.

If the Upper-Intermediate level is not enough for you, and you want to get to the very top, then the tips below will suit your taste:

  • As with English grammar, most English learners understand many more words than they actually use. However, there is no reason to put aside in the passive memory box those words that you spent a lot of time studying. Therefore, it is necessary to get out of the comfort zone for using simple and lean phrases, and use this vocabulary in practice.
  • An advanced English course where natives use idioms and emotional expressions in their everyday speech. One way to get to the next level is to learn the top frequently used phrases for all occasions. Special attention pay attention to the nuances of using them in speech (ideally practice with a native English speaker), otherwise, due to verbal swordsmanship, you can easily fall into the dirt on your face.
  • One of the reasons why English learners fail to progress to the next stage is literature, which is read only because it comes easily. To continue improving your reading skills, choose a newspaper or magazine that you have never read before. Find a new literary genre. By meeting a wider range of authors, you are exposed to a more diverse language.

Conclusion

Well, now the masterpiece is finished, whether to stop at this stage or work on the details depends entirely on future goals and motivation. We hope that thanks to this article you have drawn a complete picture of what Upper-Intermediate (B2) is and what lexical and grammar topics a student should be able to do so at that level.

Achieve your goals and do not stop there, because the potential of the English language is inexhaustible!

Big and friendly family EnglishDom

Self-critical people like to repeat that they don't know anything (although in fact they can speak the language at a level closer to the average and continue to regularly enroll in English courses), and conceited people claim in an interview that they speak English perfectly (when in fact, again, they can be “average”).

For the most impatient, who check their level after each cup of coffee, the buttons are displayed at the top. This is done for your convenience: no tedious text searches, click on health and get your certificates - we don't mind.

And for the most assiduous who are not used to guessing on coffee grounds, we offer to plunge into multi-level English. With feeling, plainly, and arrangement, we will talk about how Elementary differs from Intermediate and whether Advanced is as scary as it is painted.

Basically, he will evaluate the fundamental base - i.e. grammar. However, the degree of proficiency in foreign speech depends on it. Because you can chat incessantly in English, but at the same time make so many mistakes that the interlocutor can hardly guess what the conversation is about. Or you can make sentences slowly in oral speech, weighing each word without making gross mistakes - and thus create the impression of a person who speaks English well.

Level 0 - Complete beginner(or Complete...beginner)

Just don't say now that it's you. If you know the name of the letter "i" or even remember something from the school like "teacher", "book" - feel free to move on. Zero level - only for those who studied another language at school. Or not studied at all.

Level 1 - Elementary(Elementary)

Holmes would be happy with such a name. Yes, and the majority of those who graduated from the ordinary high school- too. Because this level, unfortunately, is the most common among those who learned English through a stump-deck and happily got a “three” at the final exam.
What characterizes Elementary: you can quite tolerably read many words (especially without any gh, th, ough), there are mother, father, I am from Russia and other most common phrases in the vocabulary, and you can sometimes catch something from the song that familiar.

Level 2 - Upper-Elementary(Higher Elementary)

A good student of an ordinary school with the study of English can boast of such a level. And also quite often it is on Upper-Elementary for some reason that those who studied the language on their own decide to stop. Why? Because there is an illusion of knowing English: the vocabulary is already decent enough to support some basic topics of conversation (in any case, in a hotel abroad it will already be possible to express oneself without obscene gestures), reading usually goes quite well, and even American films in the original become more or less clear (25 percent).
However, such conclusions are misleading. Especially if you look at other levels of English.
You can jump from the usual Elementary to Upper in 80 hours if you work hard.

Level 3 - Pre-Intermediate(Lower Intermediate)

If you passed the English level test and got such a result - our congratulations. Because it's a very decent command of English. It occurs in ordinary school excellent students, specialized school students and the bulk of those who combine English courses with trips abroad.
What characterizes this level: in pronunciation there are no “f” or “t” instead of [θ] and in general the speech of such a student does not have a strong Russian accent, written speech is quite literate and completely understandable, you can even communicate on unfamiliar topics using simple sentences. In general - among the levels of English, Pre-Intermediate is most often found among serious students.

Level 4 - Intermediate(Average level)

A very worthy result. Practically unattainable for schoolchildren in a regular school and quite real for those who did not mess around in English lessons in a specialized school. Among self-learners of English, not everyone reaches this level. They usually give up at the previous one, because you can reach Intermediate in about half a year of foreign courses with accommodation, a year of good courses or a year of classes with a tutor.
What characterizes this level of English: clear pronunciation, good vocabulary, ability to communicate on various topics, the ability to compose complex written appeals (up to official documents), films in English with subtitles go with a bang.
With this level, you can already take international tests TOEFL, IELTS.

Level 5 - Upper Intermediate(Upper middle level)

If you passed the test for the level of English and received such a result, then you can almost without deception write in your resume for a position: "English is fluent." College graduates at the Faculty of Foreign Languages ​​usually reach this level.
Characteristics: skillful manipulation different styles in his speech (business, colloquial, etc.), almost flawless pronunciation, the ability to act as a simultaneous interpreter in an informal setting, fluent reading, understanding the most difficult style - the language of newspapers and magazines in English, deftly compiling even especially complex sentence structures .

Level 6 - Advanced(Advanced)

This is probably the pinnacle that learners of English can reach in a country where it is not official. Those who manage to speak at the Advanced level are usually perceived by interlocutors as people who have lived in the United States or another English-speaking country for several years.
In fact, you can achieve Advanced even at the Faculty of Foreign Languages ​​in a college, not to mention universities. And this proves that 5 years, during which it will be spread out for 1-2 hours a day to study English, is enough. And if you choose intensive courses, the result will be achieved even earlier.
What characterizes the level of English Advanced: by right it is fluency in English. Pronunciation with almost no accent, conducting formal and informal conversations, working as a simultaneous interpreter, fully understanding films / books / songs in the original, no grammatical errors in written speech and minimal presence of errors in oral speech, understanding of idioms and colloquial expressions. You can confidently plan a career abroad, as well as studying in foreign universities.

Level 7 - Super-Advanced(Super Advanced)

Are there any here? If so, then the computer most likely failed on the English level test.) For language proficiency at this level is the lot of natives living in a country where official language accepted English.
What characterizes the Super-Advanced level? Imagine… yourself speaking Russian. You will understand any speech, even if it is a conversation between two emo teenagers discussing topics unknown to you. You will understand even jargon. But with all this, you yourself also own the art of the word, deftly operating with terms and folding them into beautiful sentences, without mistakes (including stylistic ones). And now - the same in English. Well, how?

Dia friend! Are you already feeling itchy in your fingers? Are the belts fastened? And are you still here?
Click on the button - and go! Do not forget to insert paper into the printer to print the certificate and proudly show it to everyone interested.

especially for

Make your choice and get a certificate

If you only know the Terminator phrase in English or decide to test the theory of probability “what if you answer at random” - do not bother, get a novice certificate (“Full Beginner”) and rejoice.

And for all those who suffer to test their knowledge and get documentary evidence of their success - click the "determine your level of English" button and take the test. Be honest with yourself!

And may English be with you. Advanced.

SkypeTeach

Intermediate is the level of English proficiency most often required by employers from candidates. But how to determine if you speak the language at the Intermediate level or not? And what is this scale? According to the European Framework of Reference for Languages, the English Intermediate level is designated as B1 and comes after the Pre-Intermediate level. In general, you can download that Intermediate is a confident "medium" English. People with these skills can speak fluently foreign language, communicate on business or everyday topics, understand spoken language and even write letters.

What should a student at the Intermediate level know?

Once a student reaches this level, it can be considered that he has already achieved some success. Your speaking or speaking skills must also be at an acceptable level. To improve your speaking skills, try to talk more in class, talk about topics that are new to you, and don't be afraid to express your point of view. Vocabulary or vocabulary includes expressions of general colloquial vocabulary and some words on a business topic. Moreover, Intermediate is various idioms, common phrases, turns of speech, set expressions, etc. Try to write down and memorize all new words. For many students, it remains difficult to get used to listening or Listening. Audio texts of the Intermediate level are more capacious and complex than at the previous stages. To simplify tasks, divide large sound files into parts and translate them separately. At this level of English, you should be able to understand text related to business, education, household chores, and so on. At the same time, try to get rid of the accent and pay attention to the details in the texts.

The main topics covered at the Intermediate Level

How much do you need to study to reach the Intermediate Level?

Of course, it all depends on your knowledge and desire to learn. Usually for beginners this period is 8-10 months, for advanced students - 5-6 months. Remember that Intermediate is the final stage in the formation of your vocabulary and grammatical knowledge. In the future, you will deepen and improve your active and passive vocabulary in order to immerse yourself in your knowledge of English and become a full-fledged native speaker. And in order to determine your level of English proficiency, it is not at all necessary to sign up for an exam at a training center or university. To do this, just go through the free testing, which is provided by many resources on the Internet.

In contact with

Over the course of many years of practical training, you have been training your English, during which you have delved into work on vocabulary, mastering the basics of oral and written speech. And now you want to check if your English is up to par.

What is the Upper-Intermediate level

In general, the result of your training should have been an adequate perception of the original, including spontaneous, emotionally colored, dialogic and monologue oral speech of an English speaker, teacher or interlocutor in a recording or direct communication. We list in more detail the skills that testify to the level of Upper-Intermediate, below:

Possession of dialogical and in situations of official and informal communication of various topics (will be indicated below);

Expressive speaking, evidence-based presentation of thoughts using a variety of grammar and vocabulary;

Ability to compose an oral report, report, conduct interviews;

Discussion of read and listened to original texts (including journalistic ones);

Conducting a conversation or dialogue of a problematic nature using adequate speech formulas;

Active participation in the discussion, conversation, confidently defending one's point of view;

Evaluation of the statements of other people in terms of the correctness and content of the language form.

The above skills can be achieved by studying, for example, according to the textbook “New English File Upper-Intermediate”.

As for reading, your skills and abilities should be manifested in the improvement of all (introductory, studying, searching and viewing). And on their basis, you must extract from the material the emotional, ideological, aesthetic and semantic information contained in it on the basis of meaningful and linguistic analysis.

You must also punctuate, spell, and graphically write various written works; express their ideas and thoughts in written speech of various kinds (essay, letter, summary, annotation, literary review); explain and correct lexical, spelling, stylistic and grammatical errors in the written text presented to you.

When studying well-known publications, for example, "Opportunities Upper-Intermediate", your vocabulary should be at least 3000 units, close to the list below with situational-thematic characteristics of topics. The above includes the subject content of acceptable communication, various situations social nature, speech metalinguistic means and tasks for adequate speech, presented in the form of a monologue or dialogue.

List of topics studied

An exemplary subject-thematic list, mastered when studying the most famous methodological complexes, for example, "Headway Upper-Intermediate".

Sphere of personal and social communication:

1. Appearance of a person.

2. The character of a person, mood, manners, behavior. Psychological types people, human character traits (positive and negative), types emotional state person, manners, norms of good behavior.

3. Relationships. Love. Family life.

4. Phobias and manias. Faith and superstition. Ways to overcome fears.

5. Crime and punishment. Types of crimes. Reasons for the increase in crime. Prison as a form of punishment. Juvenile delinquency.

The sphere of domestic and social communication:

1. Our house. Home repairs. Buying a house. Homeless.

2. Health. Diseases. Health care.

Sphere of social and cognitive communication:

1. The world of animals. Problems of conservation of endangered species of animals. Environment and civilization, sources of pollution environment. Problems of preservation of the environment.

Sphere professional communication. Sphere of work:

1. Work. Right choice professions. Representatives of atypical professions. The personality of the teacher, his human and professional qualities.

Sphere of political and public life:

1. News.

2. Politics. Pros and cons of a political career. Political parties. Politician personality.

3. Developing countries and their problems. Need, poverty. Charity organisations.

The sphere of socio-cognitive and socio-cultural communication:

Sphere of social and cultural communication:

1. Music. Music in our life: classical, popular, folk, jazz. Youth and pop music.

English Upper-Intermediate, in turn, has its own classification. Consider various stages related to this level.

About speaking. Characteristics of Superb Skills

Let's start with the highest requirements, which are mastered by the student in the course of studying any high-quality textbook of this level (for example, New English File Upper-Intermediate).

Full and adequate implementation of communicative intentions within a wide range of various situations is mandatory. Fluent, well-organized speech. No pronounced accent. Appropriate and correct usage vocabulary and grammatical structures.

Excellent level characteristic

The next level of Upper-Intermediate is the full implementation of communicative intentions. Fluent speech with small hesitation pauses and compositional deviations. Rich vocabulary. The correct use of various grammatical formulas. Rare and minor reservations and errors that do not reduce the effectiveness of speech. Emphasis on a minor level.

Above average performance

Confident implementation of communicative intentions in the above situations. Good fluent speech with very few hesitation pauses and compositional deviations that are caused by difficulty correct formation the content of speech and / or the choice of means of expression. The presence of reservations, errors in the use of grammatical structures and / or in word usage, which in general do not interfere with the achievement of communicative goals. Noticeable accent.

Characteristics of the Upper-Intermediate level: what is it

Quite adequate implementation of the communicative process in the above situations. Satisfactory fluent speech. Minor violations of the compositional structure of the text. The presence of hesitation pauses. The presence of noticeable reservations and errors in the use of grammatical structures and words. Violation of the rules of pronunciation, which can make it difficult to understand.

Performance below average

Inability to fully realize the communicative intention. Limitation of the scope of the statement. Quite frequent compositional and logical breaks in the narrative. Insufficient fluent speech and the presence of a large number of hesitation pauses. Common mistakes and reservations in the use of grammatical structures and vocabulary. Violation of pronunciation rules that make it difficult to understand.

About the letter. Excellent writing skills

Let's start with the highest Upper-Intermediate skills. What this level includes, its features and characteristics will be discussed below.

Rich idiomatic and phraseological vocabulary, corresponding to the norms of modern English. There are no spelling errors. Absolutely appropriate and correct use of grammatical formulas. Exact correspondence to the delivered Absolutely reasoned and complete narrative, description of events, objects or presentation of ideas, points of view. Consistent and logical development of the plot and ideas. Full compliance with the style and genre of the written work. Accurate and appropriate use of various artistic means expressiveness.

This can only be provided by high-quality educational materials (for example, "English File Upper-Intermediate").

Excellent writing skills

Rich idiomatic vocabulary, reasonably compliant modern language. Less than one spelling, grammar, or one hundred word forms. Some deviations in the use of grammatical constructions. Correspondence to the set communicative task. A reasoned and complete narrative, a description of events, objects, or a statement of one's vision of an object. Logical development of the plot and ideas. Compliance with the style and genre of the written work. Expressive means are used correctly.

Good writing skills

Good vocabulary, used appropriately, generally literate English. Upper-Intermediate of a good level does not allow more than one spelling, grammatical or lexical error per 100 word forms. Some deviations are observed in the use of grammatical constructions. Correspondence to communicative tasks is quite accurate. In general, a convincing and complete narrative, a description of events, objects, and an easy-to-understand presentation of one's own thoughts and ideas. Some logical deviations and lack of sequence in the development of the plot. Separate moments of inconsistency with style and genre.

Intermediate level of written language

In general, the vocabulary set is satisfactory. However, the vocabulary is limited, there are errors in the selection the right word. No more than two grammatical, spelling or lexical errors per 100 word forms. Some cases of using grammatical constructions make it difficult to understand the meaning of what is written. The letter corresponds to the communicative task. There are deviations from the sequence and the plot and ideas. Limited choice Genre and style are not up to standard.

Written language below average

This Upper-Intermediate level has limited vocabulary. There are significant errors in the use and choice of words. No more than three spelling, grammatical or lexical errors per 100 word forms. Quite serious violations observed in the use of grammatical constructions. The idea presented in the communicative task is reflected, but not fully implemented, due to the lack of clarity of presentation and convincing arguments in favor of one or another point of view. There are inconsistencies in the sequence and logic of presentation, genres and styles are mixed.

Having reached your goal, set yourself new, even more challenging tasks. Advanced level- the next peak, which can only be conquered by those who are able to overcome themselves and embark on endless linguistic expanses.

Or in courses, you will definitely come across the concept of “English language levels” or “English language proficiency levels”, as well as such incomprehensible designations as A1, B2, and more understandable Beginner, Intermediate and so on. From this article, you will learn what these formulations mean and what levels of knowledge of the language distinguish, as well as how to determine your level of english.

The levels of English were invented so that language learners could be divided into groups with approximately similar knowledge and skills in reading, writing, speaking and writing, as well as to simplify testing procedures, exams, for various purposes related to emigration, study abroad and employment. This classification helps in recruiting students into a group and preparing teaching aids, methods, language teaching programs.

Of course, there is no clear boundary between the levels, this division is rather conditional, necessary not so much for students as for teachers. In total, there are 6 levels of language proficiency, there are two types of division:

  • Levels A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2,
  • Beginner, Elementary, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, Advanced, Proficiency levels.

In fact, these are just two different names for the same thing. These 6 levels are divided into three groups.

Table: English language proficiency levels

The classification was developed in the late eighties - early nineties of the last century, it is fully called the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (abbr. CERF).

English levels: detailed description

Beginner level (A1)

At this level you can:

  • Understand and use familiar everyday expressions and simple phrases aimed at solving specific problems.
  • Introduce yourself, introduce other people, ask simple questions of a personal nature, such as “Where do you live?”, “Where are you from?”, be able to answer such questions.
  • Maintain a simple conversation if the other person speaks slowly, clearly, and helps you.

Many who studied English at school speak the language at about the Beginner level. From the vocabulary only elementary mother, father, help me, my name is, London is the capital. You can understand well-known words and expressions by ear if they speak very clearly and without an accent, as in audio lessons for a textbook. You understand texts like the “Exit” sign, and in a conversation with the help of gestures, using individual words, you can express the simplest thoughts.

Elementary level (A2)

At this level you can:

  • Understand common expressions on general topics such as: family, shopping, work, etc.
  • Talk about simple everyday topics, using simple phrases.
  • Tell in simple terms about yourself, describe simple situations.

If at school you had 4 or 5 in English, but after that you didn’t use English for some time, then most likely you speak the language at the Elementary level. TV shows in English will not be understood, except for individual words, but if the interlocutor speaks clearly, in simple phrases of 2-3 words, you will generally understand. You can also incoherently and with long pauses for reflection tell the simplest information about yourself, say that the sky is blue and the weather is clear, express a simple wish, make an order at McDonald's.

Beginner - Elementary levels can be called "survival level", Survival English. It is enough to "survive" during a trip to a country where the main language is English.

Intermediate level (B1)

At this level you can:

  • Understand common sense intelligible speech on general, familiar topics related to everyday life(work, study, etc.)
  • Cope with the most typical situations on a trip, travel (at the airport, in a hotel, etc.)
  • Write simple connected text on topics that are common or familiar to you personally.
  • Retell events, describe hopes, dreams, ambitions, be able to briefly talk about plans and explain your point of view.

Vocabulary and knowledge of grammar is enough to write simple essays about yourself, describe cases from life, write a letter to a friend. But in most cases oral speech lags behind writing, you confuse tenses, think over a phrase, pause to pick up a preposition (to or for?), but you can more or less communicate, especially if there is no shyness or fear of making a mistake.

It is much more difficult to understand the interlocutor, and if it is a native speaker, and even with fast speech and a bizarre accent, then it is almost impossible. However, simple, clear speech is understood well, provided that the words and expressions are familiar. You generally understand if the text is not very complex, and with some difficulty understand the general meaning without subtitles.

Level Upper Intermediate (B2)

At this level you can:

  • Understand the general meaning of complex text on concrete and abstract topics, including technical (specialized) topics in your profile.
  • Speak quickly enough so that communication with a native speaker occurs without long pauses.
  • Compose clear, detailed text on various topics, explain the point of view, give arguments for and against various points of view on the topic.

Upper Intermediate is already a good, sound, confident command of the language. If you are talking on a well-known topic with a person whose pronunciation you understand well, then the conversation will go quickly, easily, naturally. An outside observer will say that you are fluent in English. However, you can be confused by words and expressions related to topics that are poorly understood by you, all sorts of jokes, sarcasm, allusions, slang.

You are asked to answer 36 questions to test listening, writing, speaking and grammar.

It is noteworthy that to test listening comprehension, phrases such as “London is the capital” recorded by the speaker are not used, but short excerpts from films (Puzzle English specializes in learning English from films and TV shows). In English-language films, the speech of the characters is close to how people speak in real life, so the test may seem harsh.

Chandler from Friends doesn't have the best pronunciation.

To check the letter, you need to translate several phrases from English into Russian and from Russian into English. The program provides several translation options for each phrase. To test knowledge of grammar, a completely ordinary test is used, where you need to choose one option from several proposed ones.

But you are probably wondering how the program can test the skill of speaking? Of course, an online English proficiency test will not test your speech as a person, but the test developers came up with an original solution. In the task, you need to listen to a phrase from the movie and choose a cue that is suitable for continuing the dialogue.

Talking is not enough, you also need to understand the interlocutor!

The ability to speak English consists of two skills: to understand the speech of the interlocutor by ear and to express one's thoughts. This task, albeit in a simplified form, tests how you cope with both tasks.

At the end of the test, you will be shown a complete list of questions with the correct answers, you will find out where you made mistakes. And of course, you will see a chart showing your level on a scale from Beginner to Upper Intermediate.

2. Test to determine the level of English with a teacher

To get a professional, “live” (not automated, as in tests) assessment of the level of English, you need English teacher who will test you with assignments and an interview in English.

This consultation is free of charge. First, your city may have Language school, which offers free testing for knowledge of the language and even a trial lesson. Now this is a common practice.

In short, I signed up for a trial test lesson, got in touch on Skype at the appointed time, and the teacher Alexandra and I held a lesson, during which she “tortured” me in every possible way with various tasks. All communication was in English.

My trial lesson on SkyEng. Checking grammar knowledge.

At the end of the lesson, the teacher explained to me in detail in which direction I should develop my English, what problems I have, and a little later she sent a letter with detailed description level of language skills (with marks on a 5-point scale) and methodological recommendations.

This method took some time: three days passed from the application to the lesson, and the lesson itself lasted about 40 minutes. But it is much more interesting than any online test.

We recommend reading

Top