Everything you wanted to know about levels A1, A2 in English. English language proficiency levels. Determination of the level of English

Do you want to know if your knowledge corresponds to the Intermediate level? Take our course and get recommendations to help you improve your English.

Intermediate is the level required by most employers

Intermediate - what level is it? How to determine if your knowledge is appropriate for this level?

The level of English Intermediate, which is marked B1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, comes next after Pre-Intermediate. The name of this step comes from the word intermediate, the translation of which is “medium”. So, Intermediate is the so-called "average" level of language proficiency, which allows you to speak English quite fluently, discuss many professional and everyday topics, and understand by ear almost everything said in English at a normal pace. The level of language proficiency B1 allows you to take entrance exams to Russian universities and preparatory courses abroad. However, the most important thing is that virtually all employers require that their potential or actual employees know English at a level not lower than Intermediate.

We recommend that you start learning English at the Intermediate level if you:

• speak fluently, able to keep up the conversation, but choose your words, so you want to “talk”;
• you have a good vocabulary, but it is not always easy to operate with it, you often have to check the dictionary;
• correctly understand the questions of a foreign interlocutor and the English speech in the recording, but only if the speaker speaks clearly and measuredly;
• you understand the basic grammar of the English language and operate with different tenses of English, but you feel insecure in more complex grammar;
• studied English at this level for a long time, remember a lot and now you want to refresh your knowledge;
• recently completed an English course at the Pre-Intermediate level.

Material that people with knowledge of English at the Intermediate level should know

How to determine that you know English at level B1? The table shows what knowledge a person with the Intermediate level should have.

If you are not sure that you have all the knowledge required at this level, we recommend that you check if you have knowledge of the English language at the level.

The Intermediate level program involves the study of such topics in the curriculum

How will your speaking skills develop in the Intermediate course?

The Intermediate level is a kind of key stage where the student really starts to "take off" in speaking skills (Speaking skills). At this stage, you become a "speaking" student. If you want to speak fluently, try to talk as much as possible in class. Do not be afraid to argue and express your point of view, try to use complex colloquial clichés.

Concerning vocabulary (Vocabulary), in addition to general vocabulary, at the Intermediate level you learn the so-called "general business" English - widely used words that are associated with communication in the business sphere. In addition, the "intermediate" level is rich in various phrases, idioms, turns of speech and set expressions. You memorize not just words, but whole phrases in context, learn to build new words using prefixes and suffixes. Much attention is paid to the ability to explain the meaning of a word in English, to name its synonyms and antonyms.

listening(listening) is still a problem for many students starting at the Intermediate level. The audio texts of this level are much longer than the texts for the Pre-Intermediate level, however, long tracks are divided into parts, to which different types of tasks are offered. An Intermediate student can understand factual information related to work, study and everyday life, distinguishing both general meaning and individual details; while speech can be with a slight accent.

Concerning reading(Reading), the Intermediate level allows you to understand rather complex, although still adapted texts, but you can try to read non-adapted literature. At level B1, a simple retelling of the read text is no longer enough, you need to be able to give your assessment, express an opinion for or against, imagine yourself in the place of heroes, etc. All texts for reading the Intermediate level are a kind of “context” for consolidating and automating the use of the studied vocabulary and grammar.

Another aspect that receives a lot of attention is letter (Writing). You will learn how to write English sentences not only in colloquial but also in formal style. Level B1 usually includes the following writing assignments:

• Describing a person
• Telling a story
• An informal letter
• Describing a house or flat
• Formal letter and CV
• A film review
• An article for a magazine

Upon completion of the Intermediate level, the student will be able to use English quite successfully in a variety of standard situations, to clearly express his opinion. In addition, he will learn how to write letters, fill out declarations, questionnaires and other documents that require the provision of basic information about himself, take part in negotiations, make presentations and correspond with native speakers. Knowledge of English at the Intermediate level is a good achievement and provides a variety of opportunities, such as an advantage in employment. From this level, you can start preparing for exams and.

The term of study at the Intermediate level

The term for studying English at the Intermediate level may vary, it depends on the initial knowledge and personal characteristics of the student. On average, the training period is 6-9 months. It is the Intermediate level that is considered a strong base, the final stage in the formation of vocabulary and grammatical knowledge. Further levels are the deepening and expansion of the active and passive vocabulary, immersion in the subtleties and shades of the language.

To finally make sure that this course of study is right for you, we recommend that you take our course, which tests basic English skills. And if you want to not only accurately know your level of knowledge of the English language, but also improve it, we suggest enrolling in our school. The teacher will determine your level, weaknesses and strengths and help you improve your knowledge.

Surely many have heard about the international system of levels of the English language, but not everyone knows what it means and how to classify it. The need to know your level of English proficiency may arise in some life situations. For example, if you need to pass an interview at work or at the embassy, ​​if you need to pass some international exam (IELTS, TOEFL, FCE, CPE, BEC, etc.), when entering a foreign educational institution, when getting a job in another country, and also for personal use.

The international system for determining knowledge of the English language can be divided into 7 levels:

1. Beginner - Initial (zero). At this level, the student knows almost nothing in English and begins to study the subject from scratch, including the alphabet, basic reading rules, on-duty greeting phrases and other tasks of this stage. By the end of the Beginner level, students can usually answer questions easily when meeting new people. For example: What is your name? How old are you? Do you have brothers and sisters? Where are you from and where do you live? etc. And they can also count up to a hundred, spell their name and personal data. The latter in English is called spelling.

2. Elementary - Elementary. This level follows immediately after zero and implies knowledge of some basics of the English language. The Elementary level gives students the opportunity to use previously learned phrases in a more free form, and also instills a whole range of new knowledge. At this stage, students learn to briefly talk about themselves, their favorite colors, dishes and seasons, weather and time, daily routine, countries and customs, etc. In terms of grammar, at this level there is an initial acquaintance with the following tenses: Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple, Future Simple (will, to be going to) and Present Perfect. And also some modal verbs (can, must), different types of pronouns, adjectives and their degrees of comparison, categories of nouns, forms of simple questions are considered. Having firmly mastered the Elementary level, you can already take part in the KET (Key English test) testing.

3. Pre-Intermediate - Below Intermediate. The level following the Elementary is called Pre-Intermediate, literally translated as Pre-Intermediate. Having reached this level, students already have an idea of ​​how many sentences and phrases are built, they can speak briefly on many topics. The Pre-Intermediate level adds confidence and expands the learning potential. There are longer texts, more practice exercises, new grammatical topics, and more complex sentence structures. Topics encountered at this level may include compound questions, the Past Continuous, different forms of the future tense, conditional sentences, modal verbs, infinitives and gerunds, repetition and reinforcement of the Past Simple tenses (regular and irregular verbs) and Present Perfect, and some others. In terms of oral skills, after passing the Pre-Intermediate level, you can safely go on a journey and look for any opportunity to use your knowledge in practice. Also, a solid knowledge of English at the Pre-Intermediate level makes it possible to participate in the PET (Preliminary English Test) test and the BEC (Business English Certificate) Preliminary exam.

4. intermediate. At the Intermediate level, the knowledge gained at the previous stage is consolidated, and a lot of new vocabulary is added, including complex ones. For example, personal characteristics of people, scientific terms, professional vocabulary and even slang. The object of study is active and passive voices, direct and indirect speech, participial and participle phrases, phrasal verbs and prepositions, word order in complex sentences, varieties of articles, etc. Of the grammatical tenses, the difference between Present Simple and Present Continuous, Past Simple and Present Perfect, Past Simple and Past Continuous, as well as between various forms of expression of the future tense, is considered in more detail. Texts at the Intermediate level become longer and more meaningful, and communication becomes easier and freer. The advantage of this stage is that in many modern companies, employees with knowledge of the Intermediate level are highly valued. Also, this level is ideal for avid travelers, as it allows you to freely understand the interlocutor and express yourself in response. From international exams, after successfully passing the middle level, you can take the following exams and tests: FCE (First Certificate in English) for B / C, PET Level 3, BULATS (Business Language Testing Service), BEC Vantage, TOEIC (Test of English) for International Communication), IELTS (International English Language Testing System) by 4.5-5.5 points and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) by 80-85 points.

5. Upper Intermediate - Above average. If students progress to this level, it means that they are able to understand fluent English fluently and communicate easily using the vocabulary that they have already acquired. At the Upper-Intermediate level, it becomes possible to use English much more in practice, since there is a little less theory, and if there is, it basically repeats and reinforces the Intermediate level. Of the innovations, Narrative Tenses (Narrative tenses) can be noted, which includes such difficult times as Past Continuous, Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous. It also covers the Future Continuous and Future Perfect, the use of articles, modal conjectural verbs, indirect speech verbs, hypothetical sentences, abstract nouns, causal voice, and more. The Upper-Intermediate level is one of the most popular in both business and education. People who are fluent in English at this level can easily pass any interviews and even enter foreign universities. At the end of the Upper-Intermediate course, you can take exams such as FCE for A / B, BEC (Business English Certificate) Vantage or Higher, TOEFL for 100 points and IELTS for 5.5-6.5 points.

6. Advanced 1 - Advanced. The Advanced 1 level is required for professionals and students who want to achieve high fluency in English. Unlike the Upper-Intermediate level, a lot of interesting turns appear here, including idioms. Knowledge of tenses and other grammatical aspects studied earlier is only deepened and considered from other unexpected angles. Discussion topics become more specific and professional, for example: the environment and natural disasters, legal processes, genres of literature, computer terms, etc. After the Advanced level, you can take a special academic exam CAE (Cambridge Advanced English), as well as IELTS for 7 and TOEFL for 110 points, and you can apply for a prestigious job in foreign companies or a place in Western universities.

7. Advanced 2 - Super advanced (native speaker level). The name speaks for itself. We can say that there is nothing more than Advanced 2, because this is the level of a native speaker, i.e. a person born and raised in an English-speaking environment. With this level, you can pass any interviews, including highly specialized ones, and pass any exams. In particular, the highest test of English proficiency is the CPE (Cambridge Proficiency Exam) academic exam, and as for the IELTS test, it can be passed to the highest score of 8.5-9 with this level.
This gradation is called ESL (English as a Second Language) or EFL (English as a Foreign Language) level classification and is used by ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe). The level system may vary, move around depending on the country, school or organization. For example, some organizations reduce the presented 7 levels to 5 and call them a little differently: Beginner (Elementary), Lower Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, Lower Advanced, Upper Advanced. However, the meaning and content of the levels does not change from this.

Another similar system of international exams under the abbreviation CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) divides the levels into 6 and has other names:

1. A1 (Breakthrough)=Beginner
2. A2 (Waystage)=Pre-Intermediate - Below Intermediate
3. B1 (Threshold)=Intermediate
4. B2 (Vantage)=Upper-Intermediate
5. C1 (Proficiency)=Advanced 1 - Advanced
6. C2 (Mastery)=Advanced 2 - Super Advanced

English level C2 is the sixth and last level of English in the Common European CEFR system, a system for identifying different language levels compiled by the Council of Europe. In everyday speech, this level can be called "bilingual", for example in "I speak two languages: English and French." Theoretically, a well-educated native speaker of English speaks it at C2 level. Relatively few non-native English learners reach this level, because professional or academic goals usually do not require it.

How to know if you know English at C2 level

The best way to determine if your English language skills are C2 level is to take a quality standardized test. Below is a list of the main globally recognized tests and their respective C2 scores:

What can you do with English at C2 level

The level of English C2 corresponds to the level of a native speaker. It allows you to read and write texts of any type on any topic, taking into account the nuances of expressing emotions and opinions, as well as actively participating in any academic or professional discussion.

According to official CEFR guidelines, a person who speaks English at C2 level:

1. Can easily understand almost everything he hears or reads.
2. Can analyze information from a variety of oral and written sources, reproducing arguments and making coherent presentations.
3. Can spontaneously express his thoughts, fluently and very accurately, differentiating shades of meaning even in the most difficult situations.

More about knowledge of English at level C2

The formal conclusions about student knowledge are broken down into smaller sub-points for educational purposes. Such detailed classifications will help you evaluate your own level of English proficiency, or help the teacher assess the level of students. For example, a student who speaks English at the C2 level will be able to do everything that a student at the C1 level can do, plus the following:

• discuss issues related to science and technology, including robotics and new inventions.
• talk about celebrities, their lives and gossip dedicated to celebrities.
• use various methods of applying a creative approach in oral and written speech.
• discuss financial planning, give and ask for personal finance advice.
• Talk about the role of stress in your life and the lives of friends and colleagues.
• discuss research methods on a wide range of topics.

Of course, progress will depend on the type of course and the individual student, but it can be predicted that a student will achieve a C2 level of English proficiency over 1,000 hours of instruction (cumulatively).

The article was prepared on the basis of the monograph "Common European Competences in Foreign Language Proficiency: Learning, Teaching, Assessment", the Russian translation of which was published by the Moscow State Linguistic University (http://www.linguanet.ru/) in 2003.

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment

The document of the Council of Europe entitled "Common European Framework of Reference: Learning, Teaching, Assessment" reflects the result of the work begun in 1971 by experts from the countries of the Council of Europe, including representatives of Russia, on the systematization of approaches to teaching a foreign language and the standardization of assessments of language proficiency levels. "Competencies" in an understandable form define what a language learner needs to master in order to use it for communication purposes, as well as what knowledge and skills he needs to master in order for communication to be successful.

What is the main content of this project carried out within the framework of the Council of Europe? The participants of this project tried to create a standard terminology, a system of units, or a common language to describe what constitutes the subject of study, as well as to describe the levels of language proficiency, regardless of what language is being studied, in what educational context - which country, institute, school , in courses, or privately, and what methods are used. As a result, it was developed a system of language proficiency levels and a system for describing these levels using standard categories. These two complexes create a unified network of concepts that can be used to describe any certification system, and, consequently, any training program, in the standard language, from setting goals - learning goals to the competencies achieved as a result of training.

The system of language proficiency levels

When developing the European Level System, extensive research was carried out in different countries ah, evaluation methods were tested in practice. As a result, an agreement was reached on the issue of the number of levels allocated for organizing the process of learning the language and assessing the degree of proficiency in it. There are 6 major levels, which represent lower and higher sub-levels in the classic three-level system, which includes basic, intermediate and advanced levels. The level scheme is built on the principle of sequential branching. It begins with the division of the level system into three major levels - A, B and C:

The introduction of a pan-European system of language proficiency levels does not limit the ability of various pedagogical teams to develop and describe their own system of levels and modules of education. However, the use of standardized categories in the description of one's own programs contributes to the transparency of courses, and the development of objective criteria for assessing the level of language proficiency will ensure recognition of the qualifications obtained by students in examinations. It can also be expected that over time the system of levels and the wording of the descriptors will change as experience accumulates in the countries participating in the project.

In a generalized form, the levels of language proficiency are presented in the following table:

Table 1

When interpreting the level scale, one must keep in mind that the divisions on such a scale are not the same. Even if the levels appear to be equidistant on the scale, they take different times to reach. So, even if Waystage is halfway to Threshold Level, and Threshold is on the level scale halfway to Vantage Level, experience with this scale shows that that it takes twice as long to progress from "Threshold" to "Threshold Advanced" as it takes to reach "Threshold". This is due to the fact that at higher levels the range of activities is expanding and an increasing amount of knowledge, skills and abilities are required.

A more detailed description may be required to select specific learning objectives. It can be presented as a separate table showing the main aspects of language proficiency at six levels. For example, table 2 is designed as a self-assessment tool to identify your knowledge and skills in terms of:

table 2

A1 (Survival level):

A2 (Pre-threshold level):

B1 (Threshold level):

B2 (Threshold Advanced):

C2 (Proficiency Level):

In practice, one can focus on a certain set of levels and a certain set of categories, depending on specific goals. Such detailing makes it possible to compare training modules with each other and with the system of common European competencies.

Instead of identifying the categories that underlie speech activity, it may be necessary to evaluate language behavior on the basis of individual aspects of communicative competence. For example, table 3 is designed to assess speaking, so it focuses on qualitatively different aspects of language use:

Table 3

A1 (Survival level):

A2 (Pre-threshold level):

B1 (Threshold level):

B2 (Threshold Advanced):

C1 (Professional Level):

C2 (Proficiency Level):

The tables for assessing the levels discussed above are based on the bank "illustrative descriptors", developed and tested in practice, and subsequently graduated by levels during the research project. Descriptor scales are based on a detailed category system to describe what language proficiency/use means and who can be called a language proficient/user.

The description is based activity approach. It establishes the relationship between language use and language learning. Users and language learners are seen as subjects social activities , that is, members of society who decide tasks, (not necessarily language related) in certain conditions , in a certain situations , in a certain field of activity . Speech activity is carried out in a wider social context, which determines the true meaning of the statement. The activity approach makes it possible to take into account the entire range of personal characteristics of a person as a subject of social activity, primarily cognitive, emotional and volitional resources. In this way, any form of language use and its study can be described in the following terms:

• Competencies represent the sum of knowledge, skills and personal qualities that allow a person to perform various actions.
• General competencies are not linguistic, they provide any activity, including communicative.
• Communicative language competencies allow to carry out activities using language tools.
• Context- this is a spectrum of events and situational factors against which communicative actions are carried out.
• Speech activity- this is practical use communicative competence in a certain area of ​​communication in the process of perception and / or generation of oral and written texts, aimed at performing a specific communicative task.
• Types of communication activities involve the implementation of communicative competence in the process of semantic processing / creation (perception or generation) of one or more texts in order to solve the communicative task of communication in a certain field of activity.
• Text - it is a coherent sequence of oral and / or written statements (discourse), the generation and understanding of which occurs in a specific area of ​​communication and is aimed at solving a specific problem.
• Under sphere of communication refers to the broad spectrum of social life in which social interaction takes place. In relation to language learning, educational, professional, social and personal spheres are distinguished here.
• Strategy is a course of action chosen by a person to solve a problem.
• A task- this is a purposeful action necessary to obtain a specific result (solution of a problem, fulfillment of obligations or achievement of a goal).

Multilingualism concept

The concept of multilingualism is decisive in the approach of the Council of Europe to the problem of language learning. Multilingualism arises as a person's linguistic experience expands in the cultural aspect from the language used in the family to mastering the languages ​​of other peoples (learned at school, college or directly in the language environment). A person “does not store” these languages ​​separately from each other, but forms communicative competence on the basis of all knowledge and all language experience, where languages ​​are interconnected and interact. According to the situation, the individual freely uses any part of this competence to ensure successful communication with a particular interlocutor. For example, partners can move freely from one language or dialect to another, demonstrating the ability of each to express an idea in one language and understand in another. A person can use multilingualism to understand text, written or spoken, in a language they did not previously know, recognizing words that sound and are spelled similarly in multiple languages ​​in a "new form".

From this point of view, the purpose of language education is changing. Now the perfect (at the level of a native speaker) mastery of one or two, or even three languages, taken separately from each other, is not the goal. The goal is to develop such a linguistic repertoire, where there is a place for all linguistic skills. The latest developments in the language program of the Council of Europe are aimed at developing a tool with which language teachers will contribute to the development of a multilingual personality. In particular, the European Language Portfolio is a document in which the most varied experiences of language learning and intercultural communication can be recorded and formally recognized.

LINKS

Full text of the monograph in English on the website of the Council of Europe

Gemeinsamer europaischer Referenzrahmen fur Sprachen: Lernen, lehren, beurteilen
German text of the monograph on the website of the Goethe German Cultural Center