What levels of English are there? Determining your English level

If we understood how to significantly improve our English level in a week, we would solve many problems in life. Because almost every one of us needs to know English. But no one wants to spend a lot of time and effort on knowing the language. Learning English via Skype is confidently becoming the most popular and in an accessible way both in terms of time and material costs. Many people understand that learning a language is a long and labor-intensive process. But understanding is half the battle. Therefore, only a few are able to organize their lives in such a way,

that English becomes an integral part of their every day, every week and month. And the result is not long in coming. Teacher English language tells readers of the English Voyage blog how to significantly improve your English level in a week, how to intensify your efforts to learn English, rearrange your workday to benefit your language skills, and experience real progress in learning English. Of course, you can’t learn English in a week, just like any other language. But you need to rationally organize your training, correctly distributing resources and opportunities.

“We all encounter barriers to language learning. Sometimes you want to take everything and quit. And this is true for any field. But tell me, has the idea never occurred to you to stop speaking Russian and listening to it? Of course not. This is all because the Russian language for us is just a tool. So English is also a tool. Forget about sitting at the dictionary. Start fantasizing and thinking out things. You won't break anything. But you will get to know the whole world. Remove barriers, remove fear. Just take it and plunge into it headlong. From now on and forever, you study the language only for pleasure, only when you want. Only at the moment when natural curiosity awakens in you. The rest of the time, language is a tool for doing something truly worthwhile. Something that you like. I really like to say this to my student Alexey: “Have a blast, Lekha, just have a blast!”

Now it's time for real action. It is always very interesting to read other stories, but it is often not clear where to start. Below I will describe the actions that I want you to take on the path to your cherished dream of mastering English. Right now! Get ready for the one week challenge!

To significantly improve your English level in a week, do the following:

Now it's time to try. Forward! Go for it! Just for one week, plunge into a new world - the Internet, podcasts, television, stand-up comedy that you listen to on the way to work, etc. Try this in English. Just relax and have fun. Let your consciousness do the work for you. At the same time, constantly monitor:

- your thoughts, your internal dialogue. Try to think in English. But without violence. When you realize that you are thinking in Russian, then simply translate the above phrase into English and continue living)))

- what are you googling? At first you don’t really want to do this in English, but believe me, you are intermediate. You will understand 80% of existing information. Some of us will never look at the remaining 20 in our lives. And is it necessary? So no excuses, just action, action. Not “How to use a toothbrush?”, but “How to use a toothbrush?”, not “How to find a handsome guy in Berlin?”, but “How to find a handsome guy in Berlin?” That's it. Very simple.

At the end of the week, just look back and look back. You spent a whole week completely immersed in the language. Fifteen years ago, someone could only dream of this. There simply were no such opportunities. You and I have this. It helps me. During this time, I overcame the Upper-Intermediate barrier and am calmly moving forward. I learn words, improve my grammar when I’m in the mood. How long do I plan to master the language? Hah, I mastered it, reaching the Intermediate level. For me, language has become what it should be - a tool for achieving other goals, for communication. At this rate, God willing, in 20 years, maybe sooner, I will be indistinguishable from a native speaker. I'm more than happy with this. Now the choice is yours. Join us!

That's probably all. In conclusion, I want to say that all of the above is not intended to entertain or even to make you think about something. No. The purpose of this article is a specific call to action. A call to get up and change your approach, to understand in practice what it’s like to learn something in English in a week. You can read hundreds of posts, you can learn something from them, or you can take it and do it once and for all. Stop discussing, stop looking for the ideal method - there is none, and there never will be. Benny Lewis said: “There are 7 days in a week and “someday” is not one of them.” And now you, yes you, who have mastered 1500+ words of this fascinating material, tell me, what will you do to get things moving? Which of your hobbies can you make into English today? What do you think might be difficult? What do you think - how to significantly improve your English level in a week? Write your answers in the comments. We continue the discussion there.”

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 practical use It’s too early to talk about 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 allocate the Upper-Elementary level - the minimum for simple communication on a limited set of topics.

2. Pre-Intemediate. The average Russian school provides approximately this level of language proficiency, provided that you at least sometimes learned the rules and did your homework. It means the ability to explain simple topics, knowledge of basic grammar and vocabulary for everyday communication.

3.Intermediate. The level implies the ability to speak competently in a foreign language, read books and watch films with an understanding of the meaning, and write texts on various topics almost without errors. This is approximately this vocabulary plus good grammar and conversation 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. To achieve this level, it is necessary not only to study the language persistently, but also to use it for a long time.

This scale, although it is the most common in Russia, has a significant drawback - everyone understands it differently. The level of English that is considered Advanced by one teacher may be perceived as Upper Intermediate by another. 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 said, is divided 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 collaboration between teachers foreign languages. Now this scale is widely used in Europe when conducting exams and tests, compiling dictionaries and teaching aids. 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 language to communicate about common topics such as personal information, family, shopping, local geography, work. Communication is simply a direct exchange of information on these topics.

B1. 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.

B2. Understands the meaning complex texts both on concrete and abstract topics, including in their 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. Understands almost everything he hears and reads. Speaks fluently, conveying various shades of meaning even in the most difficult cases.

How to improve your English level

1. Continue studying with the teacher

“I don’t know what to grab first” is one of the main reasons why a student finds it difficult to overcome the plateau effect. At the intermediate level, many paths are open to you: you can listen to podcasts, read books, watch movies, etc. Therefore, many English learners from this level quit classes with a teacher and start studying on their own. However, choosing the right path to learning English yourself is difficult, because this is the first time you have found yourself at such a fork in the road. Therefore, in order to quickly improve your English level, we advise you to continue studying with your teacher, who has experienced the effect of the plateau effect on himself and his students and knows how to cope with it. In addition, lessons with a teacher discipline you: you will be less tempted to skip class or put something off “for later.”

2. Try lessons with a native speaker

Speaking is a skill that continuing students need to work hard on. And at the middle stage in an effective way This skill will be developed through classes with a native English speaker. He will teach you to communicate naturally, to use idioms, phrasal verbs, slang in your speech - those “highlights” of the language that distinguish the speech of a person with a high level of English proficiency from a person at an average level of knowledge. This is how you can move to the next level of foreign language proficiency. If you wish, you can combine lessons with a native speaker and lessons with a Russian-speaking teacher, this will also be effective.

3. Don't slow down

It would seem that upon reaching an intermediate level, the pace of learning can be slowed down: you seem to know quite a lot, and all that remains is to improve your knowledge. In fact, this is not so: the material is on average and high levels training is more complex and extensive than at previous levels. This is why we recommend not slowing down, or even better, speeding it up. Moreover, it is best to increase the intensity through independent study, and if you study in a group or with a teacher, you can also increase the duration of classes. During lessons with a teacher, devote maximum time to speaking practice so that you can be taught to speak competently and fluently.

4. Find people to talk to in English

This is the most difficult and at the same time the most important task, because we learn English primarily in order to speak it. Take every opportunity to communicate in the language you are learning: go to English language discussion clubs, attend group lessons and talk with classmates, find yourself a friend on a language exchange site, etc.

5. Prepare for the exam

Most the right way To find out whether you have reached the next level of English, take an international exam, in which case you will receive an independent assessment of your knowledge. For example, if your knowledge is at the Intermediate level, set yourself a goal to pass the FCE. In this case, during preparation you will solve various tasks corresponding to the next level - Upper-Intermediate, and you will be able to see what you should know at this new level. And after you are given a certificate of successful completion exam, there will be no trace of the plateau.

6. Learn English grammar for intermediate students

It would seem that at the Intermediate level you have already become familiar with all tenses of English, but there are important grammatical structures that are required to move to the next level of knowledge.

Sources of knowledge:

• Without good textbook It will be difficult to study grammar, because everything in the book is systematized. We recommend those continuing the “blue Murphy” textbook “English Grammar in Use” at the Intermediate level (it is also suitable for Upper-Intermediate). You can also take Oxford Practice Grammar at Intermediate level. These books present the theory briefly and clearly and provide many practical exercises.
• To get acquainted with the theory and practice it with practical exercises, take a look at our blog, where it is presented, select the “Intermediate” tab.
• As you learn grammar test yourself to see how the plateau effect is gradually replaced by the effect of rising to the next level of knowledge. In the article "" you will find resources for checking your achievements

7. Keep learning new words

Your vocabulary is already quite large, but the more you expand it, the faster you can improve your English level.

What words should beginners learn:

• Vocabulary from special textbooks. Study Guides English vocabulary — best helpers for those who continue. Their value is that they give you thematic selections of words presented in texts, dialogues and practical exercises. Such manuals teach you not just new words, but the rules for using them. We recommend the following textbooks for those continuing: “English Vocabulary in Use” at Pre-Intermediate - Intermediate or Upper-Intermediate - Advanced levels, “Oxford Word Skills” at Intermediate or Advanced levels, and the “4000 Essential English Words” series of manuals. These books have answers to all tasks, so you can even study from them on your own.
• Unfamiliar words from texts. Books or articles in English are a valuable source of new vocabulary. Write down unfamiliar words that are often found in the text or play an important role in understanding the meaning of what you read, and learn them. At the same time, give preference to modern literature, books and articles on the Internet in English adapted to your level of knowledge.
• Synonyms and antonyms of words you already know. The words good and bad are good to use in entry levels. At the middle stage, you need to expand your vocabulary with synonyms and antonyms of similar words. Fortunately, you don’t even have to look for them yourself; you can always find this information in electronic dictionaries. For example, enter the word good into the search bar on the website, and under the heading “Related to GOOD” you will see a fairly extensive list of synonyms and antonyms for it.
• Phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs are just as widely used and just as difficult to learn as idioms. We recommend studying such vocabulary using a special textbook “Phrasal Verbs in Use”, and also take note of the application “The Phrasal Verbs Machine” (,).
• Collocations. Collocations - stable phrases. They need to be taught to make it easier for you to correctly select words for each other and make sentences. In addition, phrases are easier to remember than individual words. It is best to learn such phrases using the textbook “English Collocations in Use Intermediate”. In addition, you can use a special dictionary “”.
• Idioms. This vocabulary will embellish your speech, make it more natural and expressive. Native speakers use idioms everywhere, even in formal speech. We recommend using the special textbook “English Idioms in Use Intermediate”, it presents various practical exercises to help you remember set expressions and the rules for their use. Learning proverbs and idioms is not always easy, so we have written several useful articles: “”, “”. In addition, you can install applications for learning idioms “English Idioms and Phrases” () and “English Idioms Illustrated” () on your gadget.
• Slang. Slang words and expressions will be found in almost all books, films and TV series. Therefore, it is important to take time to memorize such vocabulary to improve your English proficiency. The meaning of slang expressions can be found in a specialized dictionary.
• Lists of words from learning blogs. Pay attention to the articles in the “ ” series on the Macmillan online dictionary website. Each of these small notes provides examples of sentences with useful vocabulary on a specific topic.
• Words on special electronic resources. Special sites for learning words for intermediate students will help you learn new vocabulary using various tests. We recommend using or, they are specifically aimed at people with an average level of English.

8. Listen to audio and watch video

It is important for those continuing to develop perception skills English speech by ear. Moreover, if earlier you needed to understand at least something of what was said on a simple recording, now you need to complicate your task - try to understand 70-80% of what you heard. Also, listen to more complex audio recordings and watch videos of people speaking with different accents, and then try to explain the idea of ​​​​the video in your own words, at the same time practicing your speaking.

• Podcasts- an excellent “trainer” for English language learners. In addition, it is also a portable exercise machine: you can save files to your smartphone or tablet and exercise whenever it is convenient for you. We recommend where you will find a lot of free educational materials. Also pay attention to the resource, where you will find fascinating video lectures on any topic that interests you.
• Watching movies and TV series- the most pleasant and exciting technique that helps improve your listening comprehension of English speech. You can just watch them in free time for your own pleasure, but it is better to use the techniques from the article “”.
• Online dictations will help you develop both listening and spelling skills. We suggest you visit, where you will find short tasks of different difficulty levels. Such training will not take much time and will be beneficial.

9. Read in English

Reading texts in English is a great opportunity to see how the grammar and vocabulary being studied “works” in practice, and to learn new words, and it’s also just a fun activity.

• Adapted books convenient because you won’t need to consult the dictionary often. The text contains no more than 3-10 unfamiliar words per page, and at the end of each publication there is a dictionary. Adapted literature can be found on the website and.
• Literature in the original is a good challenge for an average level of knowledge. Reading the book may be difficult at first, but you will learn many new words and enjoy reading the work as the author created it. You can find many books in English on the website.
• Modern articles on the Internet are a convenient alternative for those who do not have the time or desire to read long piece. Small articles on various topics can be found on. And you can read more serious and complex material in the online newspapers “The Guardian”, “The Washington Post”, “The Daily Telegraph”.

10. Write in English

When you write something in English, you learn to formulate your thoughts in the target language, you can use the words you just learned and consolidate them in your memory. If you later need to say a similar phrase in a conversation, it will be easier for you to formulate it, so writing skills also need to be improved for those who want to cross the plateau and improve their level of English.

How to improve your writing skill:

• Translation exercises will teach you how to correctly construct sentences in English. And this is useful for both written and oral speech. Read our article “”, from it you will learn why and how to perform such exercises. And read about 2 the best benefits with translation exercises.
• Online dictations. We have already written about them in the previous paragraph, so we can say that this is a universal exercise that will kill two birds with one stone.
• Essay. By writing essays on different topics, you will achieve two goals: learn to express your thoughts in English and learn new words. Replenishing your vocabulary occurs if you do not limit yourself to using vocabulary you already know, but look for new words in the dictionary and use them in your essay. Thus, you immediately use the new word in context, and when writing you also use mechanical memory, which also makes memorization easier. However, one should take into account the fact that such work makes sense when it is checked by a person who knows English well. So for maximum benefit, try to find a teacher or someone else to proofread your essays.
• Groups in social networks . On Facebook and Vkontakte you can count hundreds of groups for learning English. In such public pages, correspondence in English is welcome: you can comment on posts you like or communicate in one of the open topics. Take a look at our English learning groups

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 may 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 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 it will evaluate the fundamental basis - 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 this is 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 maybe I didn’t study any at all.

Level 1 - Elementary(Elementary)

Holmes would have rejoiced at such a name. And most of those who graduated from regular high school- Same. 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 they become more or less understandable (by 25 percent).
However, such conclusions are misleading. Especially if you look at other levels of English.
You can jump from regular Elementary to Upper in about 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 this is 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, you 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(Mid level)

A very worthy result. Practically unattainable for schoolchildren in regular school and quite realistic for those who did not slack in English lessons at 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.
Characteristics: skillful manipulation different styles in your speech (business, conversational, etc.), almost perfect 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, dexterous 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 spoken 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 crashed on the English language level test.) Because language proficiency at this level is the lot of aborigines living in a country where state language English is accepted.
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.

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