Basic conversational level of English. English language levels
There are several approaches to determining the level of foreign language proficiency. The ability to correctly determine your level allows you to set reasonable goals, select the right teaching aids, and objectively assess your capabilities when looking for a job or entering an educational institution.
When talking about the English language, the following classification is most often used:
0.Basic. This is not yet a level, it is still the absence of even an elementary level. The definition applies to those who have begun to learn a language, but it is too early to talk about the practical use of the language for any purpose.
1.Elementary. If the remnants of school knowledge allow you to understand simple inscriptions and exchange some information with a foreigner with a sin, it means that you speak English at this level. Sometimes they also distinguish the Upper-Elementary level - a minimum for simple communication on a limited set of topics.
2. Pre-Intermediate. Approximately this level of language proficiency is provided by the average Russian school, provided that you at least sometimes learned the rules and did your homework. It means the ability to explain on simple topics, knowledge of the basics of grammar and vocabulary for everyday communication.
3. Intermediate. The level implies the ability to correctly express yourself in a foreign language, read books and watch films with an understanding of the meaning, write texts on various topics with almost no errors. That's about the same vocabulary plus good grammar and conversational practice.
4. Upper Intermediate. Good knowledge of the language: a large vocabulary, a thorough knowledge of grammar (except for nuances), and the ability to communicate fluently, although not perfectly.
5.Advanced. Language proficiency is almost native-like. Achieving this level requires not only persistent study of the language, but also its continuous use.
This scale, although it is the most common in Russia, has a significant drawback - everyone understands it differently. That level of English, which is considered Advanced by one teacher, can be perceived by another only as Upper Intermediate. Even the number of levels in this classification in different sources varies from three to eight (in the most detailed version, Native Speaker, a native speaker, is added to the six levels considered, and the Elementary level, as previously mentioned, is subdivided into two more).
More specific and clear is the modern European classification, which is used to determine the level of proficiency in English (and not only English). It was developed in 1991 at an international symposium in Switzerland with the aim of achieving mutual understanding and facilitating cooperation between language teachers. Now this scale is widely used in Europe when conducting exams and tests, compiling dictionaries and textbooks. It includes three levels, each of which contains two sublevels.
A: Basic Speaker
A1: Breakthrough
A2: Waystage
B: Independent Speaker
B1: Threshold
B2: Vantage
C: Proficient Speaker
C1: Effective Operational Proficiency
C2: Mastery
A1. Can understand and use everyday expressions and general phrases to meet specific needs. Can introduce himself and others, ask and answer simple questions about his place of residence, people he knows, and things that belong to him. Can communicate a little provided the other person speaks slowly and clearly and is willing to help.
A2. Can understand and use common expressions to communicate about commonly encountered topics such as personal information, family, shopping, local geography, work. Communication is simply a direct exchange of information on these topics.
IN 1. Understands the meaning of messages related to regularly occurring situations at work, school, leisure, and so on. Can be explained in most situations that may arise when traveling in the area where the language is spoken. Can compose simple, coherent text on a familiar topic. Can describe events, dreams, hopes, etc., justify his opinions and plans.
AT 2. Understands the meaning of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics, including in his professional field. Communicates quite fluently and naturally with native speakers without significant effort on either side. Can write clear, detailed text on a wide range of topics, express his point of view, indicating the disadvantages and advantages of other opinions.
C1. Understands a variety of complex texts, recognizing implicit information. He speaks so fluently that the search and selection of words is invisible to the interlocutor. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, scientific and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, and detailed text on complex topics using organizational patterns and cohesive language.
C2. He understands almost everything he hears and reads. Speaks fluently, conveying various shades of meaning even in the most difficult cases.
Those prone to self-criticism like to repeat that they don’t know anything (although in fact they can speak the language at a level closer to average and continue to regularly enroll in English courses), and those prone to vanity assure during 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 located 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 from the coffee grounds, we offer you to plunge into multi-level English. With feeling, sense, and arrangement, we will talk about how Elementary differs from Intermediate and whether Advanced is as scary as it is portrayed to be.
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 will hardly be able to guess what the conversation is all about. Or you can compose 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 - Full beginner(or Full...beginner)
Just don't say now that it's you. If you know the name of the letter “i” or even remember something from 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. And the majority of those who graduated from regular high school - too. Because this level, unfortunately, is the most common among those who learned English through the cracks and happily received a “C” on the final exam.
What characterizes Elementary: you can read many words quite well (especially without any gh, th, ough), your vocabulary includes mother, father, I am from Russia and other popular phrases, and you can sometimes catch something from a song - something familiar.
Level 2 - Upper-Elementary(Higher Elementary)
A good student at a regular school who studies English can boast of this level. And quite often, for some reason, those who studied the language on their own decide to stop at Upper-Elementary. Why? Because the illusion of knowing English arises: 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 indecent 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 Level)
If you took the English language level test and got this result, congratulations. Because it's a very decent command of English. It occurs among excellent students of a regular school, good students of a specialized school, and the majority of those who combine English language 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, one can communicate even on unfamiliar topics using simple sentences. In general, among the levels of the English language, Pre-Intermediate is most often found among serious learners.
Level 4 - Intermediate(Average level)
A very worthy result. Practically unattainable for schoolchildren in a regular school and quite realistic for those who did not slack in English lessons in a specialized school. Among self-learners of English, not everyone reaches this level. They usually take the previous exam, because you can achieve Intermediate in about six months of residential courses abroad, a year of good courses, or a year of classes with a tutor.
What characterizes this level of English: clear pronunciation, good vocabulary, the ability to communicate on various topics, the ability to compose complex written requests (even official documents), films in English with subtitles go with a bang.
With this level you can already take the international tests TOEFL and IELTS.
Level 5 - Upper-Intermediate(Upper middle level)
If you have passed the English language level test and received this result, then you can almost without cheating write in your resume for a position: “English - fluent.” College graduates in the Faculty of Foreign Languages usually reach this level.
What is characterized by: skillful manipulation of different styles in one’s speech (business, conversational, etc.), almost flawless pronunciation, the ability to act as a simultaneous interpreter in an informal setting, fluent reading, understanding of the most complex style - the language of newspapers and magazines in English, deft composition of even particularly complex sentence structures.
Level 6 - Advanced(Advanced)
This is probably the pinnacle that English language learners can achieve in a country where it is not an official language. Those who manage to speak at the Advanced level are usually perceived by their interlocutors as people who have lived in the USA or another English-speaking country for several years.
In fact, you can achieve Advanced even at the foreign language department in college, not to mention at universities. And this proves that 5 years, during which 1-2 hours a day will be spread out to study English, is enough. And if you choose intensive courses, the result will be achieved even earlier.
What characterizes the Advanced level of English: by right, this is fluency in English. Pronunciation with almost no accent, conducting formal and informal conversations, working as a simultaneous interpreter, full understanding of films/books/songs in the original, absence of 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 study at foreign universities.
Level 7 - Super-Advanced(Super advanced)
Are there any here? If so, then the computer most likely malfunctioned on the English language level test.) Because language proficiency at this level is the lot of aborigines living in a country where English is the official language.
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 even understand slang. But with all this, you yourself also master the art of words, deftly using terms and putting them into beautiful sentences, without errors (including stylistic ones). And now - the same thing in English. So how?
Dia friend! Do you already feel itchy fingers? Are your seat belts fastened? And are you still here?
Press the button and go! Don't forget to insert the paper into the printer to print out the certificate and proudly display it to everyone interested.
especially for
| Make your choice and receive a certificate | ||||
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If you only know the Terminator phrase in English or decide to test the theory of probability “what if you answer at random” - don’t bother, get a “Full Beginner” certificate and rejoice. |
And for all those who suffer, to test their knowledge and obtain documentary evidence of their successes - click the “determine your English level” button and take the test. Be honest with yourself! And may English be with you. Advanced. |
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We continue our acquaintance with levels of English proficiency. When you are already in the process of learning a language, you want to have a clear idea of exactly what stage you are at, what you already know and what you should strive for in the future. Therefore, we continue to get acquainted with the levels of English proficiency and bring to your attention the next level of language proficiency (according to the CEFR system). Perhaps this is just your level! So, the hero of the occasion today is the B1 Intermediate level. Let's see what it's made of!
| LEVEL | Description | CEFR 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 other person in a familiar situation, but have difficulty | A2 |
| Intermediate | You can speak quite well and understand speech by ear. Express yourself using simple sentences, but have difficulty with more complex grammatical structures and vocabulary | B1 |
| Upper-Intermediate | You speak and understand English well by ear, but you can still make mistakes | B2 |
| Advanced | You speak English fluently and have full listening comprehension | C1 |
| Proficiency | You speak English at the level of a native speaker | C2 |
Intermediate level - what does it mean?
Today, this level of English proficiency is considered quite confident. Essentially, this is a kind of golden mean. On the one hand, there is no longer a fear of using the language in speech, since there is an established vocabulary and a good grammatical base, and on the other hand, there is no limit to perfection, and, of course, there is something to strive for in the future (Profeciency?). But still, what does it mean English language is at least Intermediate?
Intermediate students can engage in everyday conversation on familiar topics and exchange information. Often, it is from this level that fruitful preparation for subsequent international exams begins: FCE (test of English at an upper-intermediate level), IELTS (International English Language Assessment System), TOEFL (test of English as a foreign language); if there is such a need.
| Skill | Your knowledge |
| Reading | You understand the key information of articles and letters. You can read adapted English-language literature. |
| Letter (writing) | You can write a logically connected essay or essay on a well-known topic. You can write an informal letter to a friend. You can write a simple formal business letter. |
| Listening | You understand the main topics of conversation of native speakers. You fully understand Adapted Listening. |
| Speaking | You can carry on a conversation in most situations that may arise while traveling in countries where English is spoken. You can express your own opinion on familiar or personal interests and briefly argue why you hold this particular point of view. You can describe your experiences, events, dreams, hopes and ambitions. |
| Vocabulary | Your vocabulary is 1500-2000 English words. |
The Intermediate level program includes the study of the following topics.
What does the course include at the Intermediate level?
The Intermediate English course is based on four elements: listening comprehension, speaking, reading and finally writing skills. This approach allows you to learn to quickly formulate thoughts, improve phonetic skills, and also gain a sense of language. Upon successful completion of the course you will be able to:
- discuss personal and professional plans for the future;
- undergo an interview in English for a job in a foreign company;
- talk about your attitude to television and your favorite television series;
- argue your preference in music;
- talk about a healthy lifestyle and healthy habits;
- visit restaurants, order food, take part in a conversation over lunch and pay for the order;
- Discuss etiquette rules and tips for responding to inappropriate behavior from others.
Duration of study to achieve Intermediate level
In fact, the duration of training depends entirely on the motivation and interest of the student, as well as the existing foundation of knowledge. On average, the course takes about six months, based on two full-time lessons per week with a private English teacher. It is worth understanding that learning a language is a systematic process that is based on the knowledge that you have previously acquired. For this reason, if the student already has a thorough understanding of the lexical and grammatical aspects of the language, then learning will proceed much faster. If you realize that there are gaps in some topics, then, firstly, do not be discouraged in any way, and, secondly, try to fully master the necessary material and then safely move on to the next level. With the second option, learning may take a little longer, but as a result the student will have a complete picture of the level of the language in all its manifestations.
Your goal as an Intermediate student is to surround yourself with English fully and thoroughly. In this case, special attention can be paid to those topics and aspects that are interesting to you or directly related to your professional activity. Below are a few strategies to improve your English language skills in the future:
- change the language settings of your devices, email, and social media accounts to English. This way you will constantly use English in everyday life;
- read as much as possible in English. To begin with, you can give preference to modern magazines or articles from news newspapers. If you study or work in the field of international relations, business and finance, gradually switch to the English version of the Financial Times or Wall Street Journal. Remember to take notes and pay attention to phrases and figures of speech;
- listen to audiobooks and podcasts. Focus on the version of English that you need: British, American or, for example, Australian;
- If you listen to modern music, then you can safely go to karaoke with friends or find the lyrics of your favorite English-language songs and sing them at home. Don't be shy!
Conclusion
So we discussed the English level B1. We found out what lexical and grammatical topics the “medium-roast” student knows. We also got acquainted with life hacks, learned how to maintain English language skills, and what to do next. The Intermediate level is an excellent option for those who plan to travel frequently and stay up to date with the events of the modern world. Sign up for our English courses via Skype and achieve your goals with pleasure. You can do that!
Big and friendly EnglishDom family
| A - Basic Proficiency | B - Self-ownership | C - Fluency | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
| Survival level | Pre-threshold level | Threshold level | Threshold advanced level | Proficiency level | Native level proficiency |
| , | Advanced | ||||
Do you want to know if your knowledge corresponds to the Advanced level? Take ours and get recommendations that will help you improve your English language skills.
Advanced is the level of fluency in English
Advanced is an advanced level of English proficiency, which is labeled C1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Advanced is the penultimate level of knowledge of English, above which only proficiency in English at the native level is Proficiency.
This is a serious level, because graduates of philological faculties of higher educational institutions in our country must speak English at the Advanced level. That is, most teachers who teach you English as a foreign language speak it at an advanced level.
It would seem that at the previous Upper-Intermediate level you have already learned to speak on almost any topic, understand English well by ear, read literature in the original, watch films and TV series in English. So what will they teach you at the Advanced level if you already know everything?
If at the previous levels you were taught to speak on the most common topics, now you will be taught to speak about everything, even if you do not understand the subject of the conversation. That is, you will be taught live, spontaneous, fluent and literate speech.
Upon completion of the Advanced course, you can take the CAE exam (Certificate in Advanced English). The certificate of this exam is necessary for people who want to prove that they are able to use spoken and written English in everyday life (at work or study) at an advanced level. Also, upon reaching the Advanced level, you can take the IELTS exam for 7-7.5 points or TOEFL for 96-109 points.
We recommend starting to study English at the Advanced level if you:
- speak competently and fluently on almost any topic, but “stumble” when you need to go into detail, clearly express your point of view, correctly use a variety of synonyms and, if necessary, paraphrase your speech;
- you know English grammar well, but would like to study more complex aspects so that your speech is lively, similar to the speech of native speakers;
- understand the speech of native speakers well by ear, watch films and TV series, but periodically resort to subtitles;
- We already studied English at this level once, but managed to forget the material;
- studied at a language university, achieved a high level of English proficiency and want to maintain and improve your knowledge;
- are going to take an exam to get a CAE, IELTS or TOEFL certificate;
- recently graduated from Upper-Intermediate level.
Material you should know at Advanced level
The following table shows what knowledge a person should have at level C1.
| Skill | Your knowledge |
|---|---|
| Grammar (Grammar) | You understand all aspects of English tenses: Present, Past and Future Simple; Present, Past and Future Continuous; Present, Past and Future Perfect; Present, Past and Future Perfect Continuous. You understand well and use modal verbs with a perfect infinitive (all groups of modal verbs) in your speech: must have done, should have done, for example: You must have lost my book. You should have read this amazing book. You understand how word formation works and can understand the meaning of a word by breaking it down into its components: on-look-er/eyewitness (compound nouns). You know what inversion is and use it in your speech, for example: Never have I read such a wonderful book. You know how and why to use inversion in conditional sentences, for example: If he weren’t so boring, I would go there with him paraphrase in Were he not so boring, I would go there with him; If I had bought that computer, I would have been happy paraphrase in Had I bought that computer, I would have been happy. You know about mixed types of conditional sentences, for example: If he had bought that book, he would be amused; If he were more careful, he would not have made so many mistakes in his life; If he bought a cake, he won’t bake cookies. You use complex linking words in your speech, such as with a view to, in fear of, supposing, admittedly, henceforth, etc. You know introductory constructions such as What I like about this film is ...; Why I went there was because... etc. Do you understand the difference between the constructions he was to do smth, he was about to do smth, he happened to do smth, he was set to do smth. Knowing the rules of classical grammar, you understand when and in what sentence you can omit certain words in colloquial speech so that this is not considered an error (ellipsis): – Are you ready yet? – Yes. Ready now. |
| Lexicon (Vocabulary) | Your vocabulary ranges from 4,000 to 6,000 words and phrases. You know and use idioms, set expressions, abbreviations, and phrasal verbs of the English language. You are well versed in the combination of words and choose them correctly to each other. You can communicate freely with business partners (formal style of communication in English). |
| Speaking (Speaking) | You can carry on a conversation in English on any topic. You speak coherently, in long, complex sentences with introductory words and complex conjunctions. You can express the same idea in several different ways. In a conversation, you use complex grammatical structures, operate with all tenses, conditional sentences, phrases in passive and active voice, and inversion. You are not at a loss when your interlocutor asks you diverse questions; you can maintain a conversation even on a topic unknown to you. |
| Reading (Reading) | You read literature of any genre in the original. You read and understand academic and technical texts of average difficulty level, articles in popular English-language publications such as the BBC, The Times, The Guardian, and other Internet sources. |
| Listening (Listening) | You understand everything your interlocutor says in English, regardless of his rate of speech, accent, pronunciation, etc. You watch films and TV series of any genre in English without subtitles, although you may not understand 10-15% of the words the first time. You listen to audiobooks in English, although you may not catch 10-15% of the information after the first listen. |
| Letter (Writing) | You construct sentences competently, use different tenses and constructions, complex expressions and serious vocabulary. You can perform various types of written work, including composing business letters, reports, etc. You can write an essay of the required length on any topic, supporting any of your arguments with clear arguments. |
If you are not sure that you have a good command of the above material, we advise you to check, perhaps your knowledge corresponds to the level.
The Advanced level program includes the study of such topics in the training course
| Grammar Topics | Conversational Topics |
|---|---|
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How your speaking skills will improve in the Advanced course
At the English Advanced level, you can already spontaneously (that is, without prior preparation) and freely verbally express one's opinion (Speaking) on any topic, including narrowly focused ones. At the same time, you actively use complex grammatical structures, synonyms of words, phrasal verbs and idioms in your speech. You can clearly justify any of your thoughts and easily provide examples to confirm your point of view. You can speak for at least 4-6 minutes on any topic, from global warming and the US education system to the positive and negative effects of the Internet on the psyche of children.
Despite the fact that you have previously received a substantial lexicon (Vocabulary), the Advanced course will give a new round to the process of improving the English language. The most significant difference from the previous levels that you will really feel will be the choice of topics for learning new words. The lesson materials will be rich in words, expressions and idioms that you need to know to communicate freely and in order to make your speech natural.
Concerning listening comprehension (Listening), then at the Advanced level of English you will be able to freely understand the speech of native speakers, even if they speak with an accent and at a fairly fast pace. A world of various television programs, films and series in English will be open to you. If there are unfamiliar words, their number will be insignificant, and in any case this will not interfere with the general understanding of English speech.
At an advanced level of English you will easily read(Reading) unadapted literature, you will not have to constantly look in the dictionary to look up a new word. Moreover, you can read both literary and journalistic texts. You will also be able to analyze the material you read, that is, draw conclusions, compare different ideas, highlight the main thing, etc.
Writing(Writing) essays will also not cause difficulties, because at this level you will receive all the necessary knowledge for successfully writing an essay, article, report, letter (formal and informal), review, etc. You will know how to correctly compose and format the text, you will be able write confidently on various topics, using neutral and special stylistically colored vocabulary (metaphors, comparisons, colorful epithets, idioms, etc.).
At the advanced level grammar(Grammar) is basically a consolidation of all the topics studied at previous levels. The difference is that the examples will be complex and all grammatical structures will be used “mixed up”. That is, in fact, the grammar of all previous levels is repeated over the course of 9-12 months in a condensed form using complex examples. As a rule, at this stage of learning there is a complete comprehension and ordering of all the grammar studied earlier. In addition, the Advanced course will teach you how to express yourself in more sophisticated ways, which will require you to use a variety of complex grammatical structures that you have not encountered before. Examples of phrases that you will study at this level can be seen in the first table in the “Grammar” section.
Duration of training at the Advanced level
The duration of studying English at the C1 Advanced level depends on the individual characteristics of the student and the regularity of classes. The average duration of training for the Advanced course is 6-9 months.
The advanced level is the result that everyone who learns English should strive for. It will be required not only for admission to foreign universities or to get a job, but in general will serve as the basis for self-development and successful self-realization professionally. If you think that you have already reached the Advanced level, take ours to make sure of this.
If the Advanced level is a dream for you, then we invite you to make it come true with our teachers at. An experienced teacher will help you achieve fluency in English.
