Decided to learn English "from scratch" in adulthood? Great idea! Doubt about own forces Oh? In vain. We will tell you what features of training to pay attention to and save you from psychological restrictions. Believe in yourself, English is up to you!

Believe in yourself, otherwise others will not have a reason to believe in you. English is becoming more and more a part of our lives. If earlier it was used only by travelers and translators, now the situation has changed. Without knowledge of the language, it is difficult not only to get a highly paid position, but also to learn how to work on a computer, read the instructions for household appliances, etc.

Pupils and students, as a rule, are forced to study English in courses or in educational institution. But those who have reached the age of 25 and have not mastered English are difficult to convince to take up their studies. We find a million excuses, remembering how stupidly we spent 10 years at school learning English! Are you in a hurry to enroll yourself in the "non-humanities"? Of course, giving up is the easiest thing to do. But we offer an effective approach to solving this problem.

First we need to bust the myths and get rid of the imaginary barriers that prevent us from starting to learn English. You can read about some of them in the article "". Change destructive thoughts to constructive ones! Let's find out what attitudes prevent us from learning English as adults.

Negative attitudes that prevent an adult from learning English

1. Languages ​​are easier to learn as children.

A common misconception that early age hitting us in the head. Some English teachers intimidate schoolchildren: “If you don’t learn the language at school, you will never learn it at all. Try as long as you can understand something. You don't want to be a janitor, do you?" Agree, not at all inspiring motivation. But, nevertheless, it sticks in my head: you need to study while you are young, nothing will work out in adulthood.

Actually: Everything will work out! And at 20, and at 30, and at 80. Forget what you heard at school. People around the world are proving that it's never too late to learn. We would like to give an example from our practice: about 80% of students are adults aged 25 to 50 years. And the oldest student is 86 (!) years old, he wanted to improve his English in order to communicate with his grandchildren living in the USA. The children did not know Russian, so grandfather had to hastily learn English. And he achieved his goal! Of course, our student did not pass exams, did not master the language perfectly, but learned to speak common topics without much difficulty.

Adults do a great job of learning English, communicate freely with native speakers and pass international exams perfectly well. What is their secret? They are ordinary people, simply it is easier for an adult to concentrate on the lesson, to understand complex rules. Modern techniques learning takes into account all the features of our memory and allows you to master the English language at any age. As long as there is a desire, there is a possibility.

2. What will others say about me?

People who think something is impossible should not get in the way of people who make it possible. (Chinese proverb) Unfortunately, friends and loved ones do not always support our pursuit of knowledge. Some begin to talk about wasted time, others - about a waste of money, the most harmful - that we will not succeed. Someone else's opinion sometimes plays a decisive role for us, we give up our desires for the sake of someone's whims.

Actually A: In order for you and an adult to make your own decisions. It is not always worth listening to loved ones and going with the flow. Explain to family that knowledge of English will allow you to earn more, will make you feel like a different person. Anything is possible as long as you want it!

3. I will be the oldest/oldest in the course

It sounds ridiculous, but this is how people aged 25-30 think. Such thoughts often arise among those who have to start learning English from the first stage. They think that they will come to the class, and their classmates will be 8-9-year-old schoolchildren, young and active.

Actually: Pupils are recruited into groups according to age and level of knowledge. Believe me beginners are full of your peers. If you experience some embarrassment from comparison with other students, we recommend learning English with a personal teacher. Studying alone with the teacher is comfortable and effective.

4. I have no aptitude for languages

We never tire of reminding: there are no people unable to learn English, there are those who do not want to do it for some reason. For some reason, some believe that a person needs to have a special mindset, have linguistic abilities, be a philologist by education in order to know the language well.

Actually: Both "techies" and humanists do an excellent job of studying in English. Moreover, among polyglots there are many people with a mathematical mindset, they are able to analyze information, they are able to absorb large amounts of material. You need to choose the right approach, use interesting methods learning.

5. I work, I don't have time to study

This is one of the most popular setups. We are used to living in a hurry, being late for something, scolding the fast flowing time. Yes, work takes a lot of energy from us, but there are also days off. You can allocate some time for training on Saturday and Sunday. Of course, we want to relax on the weekend, but we do not think that, having reached the required level of knowledge of the language, we will get the opportunity to take a more promising position, change the field of activity, and improve working conditions.

Actually: Each person can devote 3-4 hours a week to English. We advise you to do time management, you can find many articles and books on this topic on the Internet. To get started, read interesting article on our blog "Time Management, or Trying to find time for ... time", she will briefly tell you about the basics of time management. You can try a simple method: during the week, write down everything in your diary. After seven days, see where the precious minutes are flowing. You may be unproductive free time and your schedule needs tweaking? We think that everyone has their own “time absorbers” that can be got rid of. Replace useless activities with learning English.

6. Learning is boring

At the word “study”, many people remember how they fell asleep at lectures at the university. We cannot even admit the thought that studying can be not only useful and necessary, but also exciting. Our stereotypes are often completely unfounded, you can see for yourself.

Actually: Indeed, cramming a dictionary and sitting for hours on grammar is very boring. Uninteresting textbooks, dry formulations, learning dialogues and texts cut off from reality - all this is left in the distant past. Modern approach teaching involves the use of a variety of materials. In English classes, students speak on topics of interest to them, watch videos, listen to songs, study fascinating texts. Motto modern teacher English: learning is a joy, not a burden.

7. I don't know where to start, all of a sudden it doesn't work out

Let go of your prejudices and be open to new knowledge. Success awaits you! Neophobia (fear of everything new) lives in every person. We are afraid to learn a language, to travel, to change jobs. Think about it, how much will you lose if you try? And if you do not translate your thought into action, you risk losing the ability to dream and believe in a dream.

Actually: There is nothing difficult in learning English. Millions of people around the world are teaching and will continue to teach it. Don't know what to do first? For you, we have compiled detailed step-by-step instructions "" and wrote an article "". And if you want a competent teacher to help you achieve your goal faster, we offer it at our school. Don't be afraid to turn your dreams into reality.

The Undeniable Benefits of Learning English for Adults

1. Good motivation

An adult understands what and why he wants. You do not need to be persuaded to do homework (read the articles "" and "" about why this is so important), explain why you should learn English, how it will help you in life, you already know everything. Unlikely Bad mood or rain outside the window will make you not come to class. You will not give up classes “just like that”, because you perfectly understand why you went down this road and why it is worth going to the end.

Motivated students ALWAYS succeed in learning English.

2. Self-discipline

In youth, it is difficult to seat a person at a desk and make him listen, because of this, gaps in knowledge arise. Nobody distracts an adult, in the lesson you are engaged in English, and not extraneous matters. You can easily concentrate on your studies, know how to plan your time, understand the need for independent work.

3. Ability to learn

The opinion that the language is easily given before the age of 13-15 is erroneous. Scientists have found that with age, a person begins to form neurons responsible for higher-level linguistic abilities. That is, it is easier for you to generalize information, to establish semantic links understand grammar. In addition, adults in the learning process work long-term memory, and in children short-term. Your knowledge is well acquired and fixed for a long time.

4. Work on the bugs

Children are not particularly upset by strong accents or grammatical errors and rarely work on correcting them. Adults treat this responsibly, with enviable zeal. strive to write and speak correctly. But do not go to extremes: everyone makes mistakes, there is nothing wrong with that, the main thing is to correct all the shortcomings in time.

5. Good analytical skills, life experience

Are you good at analyzing information? know your weaknesses and strengths . Life experience allows you to clearly articulate the requirements for the teacher and the learning process.

6. Learning right from the start

Fortunately, over the past 20 years, English teaching methods have undergone significant changes for the better. Therefore, today you can study with experienced teachers (including native speakers) in a way that suits you. You yourself choose the time of the lessons, the teacher selects interesting materials, good teaching aid. You improve your speaking, listening, reading and writing skills at the same time.

7. Financial opportunities

You can study at the best language courses or with a personal English teacher. You are not limited school curriculum, old textbooks or the financial capabilities of parents. Every year, English is becoming more accessible both in terms of teaching methods and price.

You can afford to immerse yourself in the language environment. Take a trip abroad, pleasant impressions and the use of English in practice will inspire you. You can go study english abroad according to a special program, it is quite expensive, but effective.

8. Understanding your own strengths and capabilities

In adulthood, you already know everything about yourself, you understand what workload suits you, you can accurately explain to the teacher what you want to get as a result of training. You no fear of the teacher's personality. You are not afraid that he will call you incapable, tear your notebook, will scold you for mistakes (as happens at school), so you can study calmly and fruitfully.

Useful tips for those who are learning English from scratch in adulthood

• Try to manage your time, then you will have free hours not only for language classes, but also for recreation, sports, and self-improvement.
• Independent study of English "from scratch" is undesirable. Find a mentor, he will help you create a training program according to your inclinations, preferences and rhythm of life.
• Use different teaching methods: study with a teacher, listen to music, read authentic literature, watch movies and videos with English subtitles.
• Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Even the natives of America and Great Britain do not always speak and write correctly. Don't be put off by minor oversights, they are easy to fix and you gain valuable experience.
• The main secret of success is to love what you do. Learn to enjoy learning English.

Summing up, we can confidently say that learning English as an adult effectively. This is a chance to feel like an energetic student again, train your memory and get vivid impressions. English will open the door for you new world, where interesting acquaintances and travels, self-improvement and self-realization are waiting for you. Take the first step!

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 are designed so that language learners can be divided into groups with approximately similar knowledge and skills in reading, writing, speaking and writing, as well as to simplify testing procedures, examinations, 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.

Basically it's just two different names for the same. 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 others, ask simple questions 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 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.
• Speak in simple everyday topics, to put it simple phrases.
• Tell simple expressions about yourself, describe simple situations.

If at school you had 4 or 5 in English, but after some time did not use English, then most likely you speak the language at the Elementary level. TV shows in English will not be understood, except perhaps individual words, but the interlocutor, if he 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 the general meaning of distinct speech on general, familiar topics related to everyday life(work, study, etc.)
• deal 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 written speech, 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.
• Write clear, detailed text different topics explain a point of view, give arguments for and against various points 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 colloquial speech? Of course, an online English proficiency test will not test your speech as a person, but the test developers came up with 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 full list questions with 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. Firstly, there may be a language school in your city that offers free language testing 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.

“I heard about conversation clubs for a long time, but it seemed to me a rather strange activity. I didn't know what to talk about strangers Yes, even in broken English. Nevertheless, the first session involved me from the very first minutes. In such conversations, a forming center is needed, bright and perky. Sean, a native speaker, turned out to be just that. In a matter of seconds, he involved all the participants in a single game. Thanks a lot to Sean for the pleasure of communication. Thanks to Irina for another push from my comfort zone into a pleasant floundering in an unfamiliar environment. I study individually with an Australian teacher, but group experience is important and necessary on a par with other types of practice. I will gladly continue. Thanks to the organizers"

Ekaterina from Moscow, 33 years old

Milana Bogdanova

Mikhail Chukanov

Onlinewell: "Learning to read English with pleasure": « Thanks to all the creators of the course for this opportunity!!! What happened is a very significant event for me - I really started reading (and continue to enjoy it) in English ke! This is amazing, because I was afraid to get close not only to books in English, even viewing small information, English-language sites caused me significant difficulties.

Natasha Kalinina

Milana Bogdanova

“I have always had the belief that reading books in a foreign language is an impossible task for me, but thanks to experienced teachers and my wonderful support group (participants of the training with whom I was in the group), I discovered a unique the opportunity to read and still get great pleasure from reading.»

Elya Aliyeva

Online course "ENGLISH THROUGH SELF DEVELOPMENT": "I began to use English more for practical tasks. For example, recently he himself chose an offer to sell a guitar on a London classifieds site, he himself corresponded with sellers and bought a legendary guitar from an English musical family in London. We even sat and talked with them for life. For me, this is a small victory! »

Mikhail Chukanov

Online course "Learning to read in English with pleasure":“Seriously, if someone told me a couple of months ago that I would devote every evening to reading in English, I would be very surprised. Before, for me it was more torture than pleasure, more a necessity than a choice.

Olga Pashkevich

English levels

The English World English Center offers a variety of programs to meet the needs of students of all ages and levels of knowledge. It is very important for us that you feel comfortable and easy to study according to the chosen program in our courses! In this regard, when determining your level of language proficiency, we focus on the system language competencies European Council"Common European Framework of Reference" (CEFR). The corresponding directive was developed by the Council of Europe as the main part of the project "Language Learning for European Citizenship" between 1989 and 1996. The main goal of the CEFR system is to provide an assessment and learning method applicable to all European languages. In November 2001, an EU Council resolution recommended the use of CEFR to create national systems assessment of language competence.

All English courses at our school are based on CEFR levels. Additionally, the methodologists of the center singled out the level “Beginner 0”, which corresponds to the zero level of language proficiency (A0).

Multilevel system of teaching English

English World is a progressive and modern educational center. In this regard, training in the programs of our center takes place in accordance with the latest methodological developments of leading philologists, linguists and teachers of foreign study centers foreign languages.

The General English program includes the following levels:

• - A0. Zero level. Without communication skills in English, knowledge of grammar and vocabulary is at the very initial level.
• - A1. Starting level. Basic communication skills in English, grammar, phonetics and vocabulary are at the initial level.
• - A2. A basic level of. Knowledge of English in the field of phonetics, grammar and vocabulary is limited to basic, pre-threshold skills.
• — A2/B1. threshold level. Proficiency in English at a good, intermediate level. Progressive communication skill.
• - IN 1. Middle level. The most important step in learning English is Intermediate. The level implies a threshold state, turning into a confident knowledge of a foreign language. Knowledge of grammar and vocabulary is noticeably progressing, communication skills are honed and as detailed as possible.
• - IN 2. English is above average. The Upper Intermediate stage allows students to completely get rid of the language barrier and communicate fluently in English in almost all household, business and everyday situations.
• - C1. Advanced level. At this level, learning becomes more in the nature of honing skills in the field of phonetics, grammar, communication and vocabulary. Listeners begin to think in English and completely get rid of reliance on their native language.
• - C2. Professional English. This level can be reached by students of philological and linguistic faculties, teachers of foreign languages, translators, etc.

(((Exams What does it mean - speak a foreign language? Everyone has their own ideas about this: someone is content with a level that allows them to freely travel around Europe, and someone is not enough to read Shakespeare in the original. Subjective criteria in this case vary greatly - from knowledge of the necessary phrases to an intuitive sense of the language (which sometimes even those who speak it from childhood lack). However, we learn a foreign language for some reason - moving to another country, studying at a foreign university, the need to speak English for work.
Needless to say, "just like that", the language itself will never be learned. Accordingly, no one can do without external criteria, that is, those parameters by which knowledge of the language will be tested in practice. Therefore, below we will consider the gradation of the levels of proficiency in the most common foreign language - English - according to the CEFR scale developed by the Council of Europe, compare it with the results of popular exams (IELTS / TOEFL / Cambridge / PTE) and give some tips for the gradual mastering of the language from elementary to higher level.

Comparison table of levels and scores for exams

How to find out your level yourself?

Today, the level of English proficiency can be determined even without leaving home, thanks to numerous online tests. Below is a selection of several of these tests. It should be borne in mind that such tests will not allow you to absolutely accurately reflect the level of language proficiency, since the resources on which they are placed are most often associated with language schools that have paid or offline resources for accurate assessment level. Therefore, even after receiving the result on the CEFR scale, one should take into account the possible errors of online tests. In addition, some tests, by their content, cannot at all objectively assess knowledge of the language at an advanced level (C1–C2).
Some of the tests below require registration before testing, but there are many tests on the network that allow you to get a result only after registering on the site or contacting language school, which is very annoying and leads to additional time costs, therefore, such tests are not taken into account in the tables.

Complex tests

Tests of this kind include tasks on various areas language skills: listening (listening), understanding the text (reading), grammar (grammar) and knowledge of the dictionary (vocabulary). Comprehensive online tests do not include only one important parameter - a test of oral speech (speaking). Such tests can be considered the most objective.

Resource	Questions	Time	Level	Answers	Grade	Timer	Registration	listening	Reading
	42	50 min	A2–C2	4-5 var.	9.7	+	+	+	+
	50	20 minutes.	B1–C2	5 var.	7.4	-	+	+	+
	50	20 minutes.	A2–C1	3–4 var.	7.4	-	+	+	+
	140	70 min.	A1–C1	4 var.	7.2	-	-	+	+
	30	20 minutes.	A2–C1	4 var.	7.0	-	-	+	-
	40	15 minutes.	A1-B2	4 var.	7.0	-	+	+	-
	50	20 minutes.	A2–C1	4 var.	6.8	-	-	-	+
	20	15 minutes.	A2–C2	4 var.	6.5	+	-	+	-
	60	30 min.	A2–C1	4 var.	6.5	+	+	-	+
	40	15 minutes.	A1-B2	3–4 var.	6.2	-	-	+	+

Vocabulary and grammar tests

A good option for those who want to quickly determine their approximate level of language proficiency. The level of knowledge of grammar will allow you to quickly navigate your level, because good knowledge in this area constitutes an important “skeleton” on which you can successfully build up other language knowledge.

Resource	Time	Questions	Level	Answers	Grammar	Verbs	Vocabulary	Grade
	35 min.	83	A2–C2	6 var.	9	8	7	8.0
	25 min.	40	A1-B2	Writing	7	8	7	7.3
	10 minutes.	10	B2–C1	4 var.	8	6	6	6.7
	35 min.	68	A2–B2	4 var	7	7	6	6.7
	10 minutes.	25	A1-B2	4 var.	7	8	5	6.7
	20 minutes.	50	A1-B2	4 var.	7	6	6	6.3
	20 minutes.	50	A1-B2	4 var.	7	6	6	6.3
	20 minutes.	40	A1-B2	4 var.	7	6	6	6.3
	20 minutes.	50	A1-B2	4 var.	6	7	6	6.3
	15 minutes.	40	A1-B2	4 var.	8	5	5	6.0
	15 minutes.	40	A1–B1	3 var.	6	6	5	5.7
	10 minutes.	25	A1–B1	3 var.	6	3	4	4.3

The assessment is made on a ten-point scale based on five main criteria:

• Grammar - how deeply the knowledge of English grammar is checked, including knowledge of tenses, conditional sentences, subordinate clauses, agreement of tenses, passive voice.
• Verbs - it is separately assessed how detailed the test checks for knowledge of English verbs: irregular, modal, phrasal. The same parameter includes the presence in the test of tasks on the knowledge of the use of prepositions with verbs, the infinitive and the gerund.
• Dictionary - assessment of the diversity of testing vocabulary, as well as the availability of tasks for its use.
• Listening - if the test contains this part, then the level of its complexity, the speed of listening, the presence of different voice timbres, artificial noise, accents, etc. are evaluated.
• Reading - assessment of tasks for the perception and understanding of the text, if any, in the test. The complexity of the texts is mainly evaluated.

A large role is played by the number of tasks in a particular section, the component of knowledge of the language and the complexity of the tasks.

Why is it important to know your language level?

• To correctly determine your goals - only knowing your level of proficiency in a foreign language, you can adequately assess your capabilities, as well as determine short-term and long-term goals, which will allow you to choose the right training program and find a competent mentor.
• The need to indicate when applying for a job - many modern companies ask applicants to indicate in their resume the level of foreign language proficiency, confirmed by the appropriate certificate. To get a good position in an international company, you need to know the language at a high level.
• To study abroad - enroll in prestigious college or the university is impossible without good knowledge foreign language. And again, members admission committee confirmation is required - a language certificate.

Foreign language in practice: what is important?

The first thing you need to know: the level of language proficiency is checked only in practice. It is almost impossible to independently determine real language skills, even with the help of Internet tests, since they only determine knowledge of grammar and a very limited vocabulary. Therefore, you should not rely too much on such results, since in reality everything will be completely different.

When determining the level of proficiency in any foreign language, including English, experts pay attention to 4 basic skills: listening, reading, speech and letter. It is these skills that are usually tested on various international tests. Obviously, Internet tests will only evaluate the first two criteria, although in practice it is much more important to be able to express yourself in speech and writing.
The difficulty of self-determining the level of a foreign language lies not only in the fact that it is difficult to evaluate oneself, but also in the fact that the second language as a whole is rarely kept at any particular level. That is, you can be able to understand the most complex texts in a foreign language that correspond to an advanced level, but with great difficulty speak on your own. It turns out that, on the one hand, a person knows the language at the level of a professional, and on the other hand, his communication skills are almost not developed. How then to determine your level of English? Professional linguists and experts define foreign language proficiency according to several levels that apply not only to English, but also to most of the world's languages.

A0 - English Proficiency Zero

IELTS	TOEFL	Cambridge	PTE
0	0	-	0

In truth, such a level does not exist at all, but it is certainly worth mentioning, since 80% of self-critical beginners confidently attribute to themselves complete ignorance of the language. Attention: if a person knows how the word is translated dog or house, then this is already some level. Whatever the source of knowledge: two years of studying English at school, once read an English phrase book or two weeks of classes with a tutor 15 years ago - this knowledge remains in a person’s head forever. This is important because even a minimal base will serve as an excellent basis for further study.
If we talk about the zero level, then this means total ignorance English (this will be true if the person knows English as well as Filipino). In this case, you can enroll in English courses in your home country. In about 3 months, the level of the language will rise to conversational B1. If a person is still visually familiar with English alphabet and knows what "Hello! How are you?" means, this indicates language proficiency at the A1 level.
start with lessons for absolute beginners, where you can learn the alphabet, reading rules, keywords to understand simple English, learn 300 new words (it will take no more than two weeks).

A1 - initial level of English proficiency - Beginner

IELTS	TOEFL	Cambridge	PTE
2	15	-

This level is also called the "survival level". This means that once in one of the cities of England or America, a person with the help local residents will be able to get at least to the Russian embassy. This level in no case can be called colloquial, since a coherent conversation, of course, will not work. But if we put the jokes aside, then with this level you can go to language courses abroad.
Even minimal skills already allow at the very least to convey some information to the interlocutor, albeit not without the help of gestures. Usually, those who studied English once upon a time and without much pleasure own this level. Of course, there are absolutely no practical skills, but there is knowledge deposited deep in memory that will serve as a good basis for further learning the language.
The student speaks the language at level A1 if:

• answers basic questions: name, age, home country, profession;
• understands familiar phrases provided that the narrator speaks slowly and clearly;
• understands in English text some single words.

How to move to the next level: learn the rules of reading and pronunciation, get acquainted with the rules of English grammar, learn about 300 new words.

A2 - Basic English - Elementary

IELTS	TOEFL	Cambridge	PTE
3.5	31	KET pass	30

If you can live with the initial level and not guess about it, then the basic level Elementary suggests some awareness, or at least a memory, that "I once taught something like this." Again, it is still far from the conversational level, but unlike A1, some kind of dialogue can already turn out.
If we return to the hypothetical situation of staying in one of the cities in England, then here the situation is a little more rosy: with the basic level, you can not only get to the embassy, ​​but also communicate with a foreigner (for example, tell a little about your profession or place an order in a cafe).
In practice, A2 differs little from A1, and the main advantage of the first lies rather in greater self-confidence and a slightly richer vocabulary. However, the possibilities of communication are still limited, so the A2 level is only suitable as a base for study, since there is nowhere to apply it in practice.
The student speaks the language at level A2 if:

• talks about everyday topics: can tell you or ask for directions, tell about yourself and about things around you;
• understands the speech of the interlocutor in the dialogue, provided that he speaks clearly and on a familiar topic;
• can read and understand elementary sentences (I have..., You are..., He goes...);
• compose a simple sentence in text form or fill out a questionnaire in English.

How to move to the next level: continue to study grammar, practice writing short texts, learn Irregular Verbs and their temporary forms, practice speaking skills (you can do this via Skype or in conversation clubs), watch movies and TV shows in English with Russian subtitles, learn about 500 new words.

Very often between initial and conversational level distinguish an intermediate level, which implies that a person can already use English to solve some vital important tasks but does not speak English yet. If we correlate it with the A0-C2 scale, then this level can be characterized as A2+ or B1-.
You can define it like this:

• partially falling under the B1 level characteristic, but the lack of practice in some aspects (for example, writing) indicates knowledge of the language at the level Pre-Intermediate;
• Completely falling under the description of level A2 and partially under level B1 (for example, the skill of speaking is more developed) indicates knowledge of the language at the level Upper elementary.

How to go to next level : pay attention to those skills that are missing to the next level and work on them, based on the tips for moving to the next level in the paragraph about A2.

B1 - Intermediate English - Intermediate

IELTS	TOEFL	Cambridge	PTE
4	60	PET pass	43

When the competence of language proficiency goes beyond the confused speech about the location of museums and restaurants, and English speech and text become more understandable, these facts indicate that the student is at the first stage of spoken English. But besides speaking, this level also implies good reading skills. adapted texts as well as an understanding of basic English grammar. Statistically, most tourists know the language at this level, which allows them to easily communicate with an interlocutor on everyday topics. Usually modern graduates graduate from school with at least a B1 level (maximum with a B2). However, there is still a lot of work to be done before becoming fluent in the language.
The student speaks the language at level B1 if:

• confidently maintains a conversation on any everyday topic with good pronunciation, although still with some hesitations and errors;
• understands the interlocutor, and also partially captures the meaning of a complex speech (lecture) or a conversation between English speakers (film);
• reads adapted to middle level literature with a dictionary and understands the meaning of simple texts;
• can write a short essay about himself or the world around him, using common semantic constructions and words.

How to move to the next level: learn advanced vocabulary and grammar, practice more written English (a tutor or sites for self-learning English will help with this, for example Polyglotclub ), you need to communicate more in English with native speakers or advanced users, regularly monitor English-language sources of information (news publications, entertainment articles, interest sites), watch movies and TV shows with English subtitles (at first it may seem quite difficult, but with over time it will bear fruit). It is equally important to replenish your vocabulary, so you should learn at least 1000 new words.

B2 - Upper Intermediate - Upper-Intermediate

IELTS	TOEFL	Cambridge	PTE
6	90	FCE grade C	59

If the student has good conversational skills (a level above average), can maintain a detailed conversation with a foreigner, understands speech by ear, watches English-language films and TV shows without translation and subtitles, this means that he speaks a foreign language at level B2. It should be noted that people who are completely unfamiliar with the English language are sure that they are facing a real foreigner. However, don't be deceived. Upper Intermediate- this is really a great achievement, but even it is sometimes not enough for professional activity. Also, the disadvantages include the fact that it will be much more difficult to move higher on your own. However, for admission to foreign university with average requirements for applicants, this level is quite enough, so you don’t have to worry and feel free to sign up for the TOEFL or IELTS exams.
A student speaks the language at level B2 if:

• speaks measuredly on almost any topic, expresses own attitude or spaciously describes his thoughts (however, at this level, some errors in verb conjugation, tenses and the use of compound words are still acceptable);
• understands oral speech on everyday topics and about 80% of complex speech (lectures, films, interviews);
• understands the meaning of informational texts in English well, draws information from English-language resources without significant loss of meaning (it is allowed to use a dictionary to read texts on an unfamiliar topic);
• argues his thoughts in writing, using common constructions (albeit with minor errors).

How to move to the next level: learn advanced English grammar, practice writing texts in various styles (formal, academic, professional), accustom yourself most draw information from English-language sources (for example, read news only in English for several weeks), learn phrasal verbs, listen to lectures and watch educational films in English, replenish vocabulary (it is desirable to learn 600 new words.

C1 - advanced level of English proficiency - Advanced

IELTS	TOEFL	Cambridge	PTE
7.5	100	CAE grade C	76

Perhaps, only a professional or an Anglophone and, of course, the speaker himself can understand the difference between an advanced level and a higher average one, but only if he has the so-called "sense of language": when it becomes clear when speaking that the words are used correctly, but the sentence can be built a little differently by choosing more elegant words or suitable terms. This is a sign that the problem of knowing the language has slowly shifted to the problem of its competent use, which, in turn, indicates an extremely high level knowledge of English as a foreign language. Of course, there is no question of any misunderstanding of the language. A student with level C1 perfectly perceives information by ear and is able to express his thoughts on paper. The only thing that he still cannot quite do is Shakespeare and Nabokov's Lolita in the original without a dictionary. This level is recommended for employment in a foreign company, it opens the door to almost all foreign universities(including the top ones - Yale University, University College London,).
The student speaks the language at level C1 if:

• speaks without problems on any topic, expresses shades of emotions and relationships in the language;
• understands any spoken language;
• fluently reads texts in English, both informational (articles, newspapers, interviews) and scientific (articles in scientific journals, textbooks, works of philosophers, journalists, critics), occasionally encountering unfamiliar words;
• knows how to write letters to the employer, motivational letters, clearly understands the difference between the formal writing style and the informal one.

How to move to the next level: continue working with complex texts in English, read works of art by American and British authors in the original, listen to professional lectures on the topic English Literature, get acquainted with idioms and figures of speech in English, communicate as much as possible with native speakers.

C2 - professional level - Proficient

IELTS	TOEFL	Cambridge	PTE
8.5	118	CPE grade C	85

The highest level in the gradation of English language levels is level C2. It should be noted that this is still a step, not a final stop. In fact, the C2 level corresponds to an excellent knowledge of English as a foreign language, its competent use for any professional and everyday situation, the ability to freely (well, or almost fluently) read fiction and professional literature in English. However, knowing English at C2 level does not mean knowing it, as they like to say, perfectly.
Any linguist or philologist will attest that mastering a language is the preserve of a very few, and those few usually become brilliant writers or wordsmiths. But if we take the most obvious example, let's say, an educated resident of London, then this also goes beyond the C2 level (usually those who speak English since childhood are called native speakers, and, of course, this is not included in the gradation of knowledge of English as a foreign language).
It should always be remembered that there is no limit to perfection, although proficiency in the language at the C2 level is an excellent result that few achieve. With this level, one can enter any postgraduate program, publish papers in English, conduct conferences and lectures, i.e. for almost any professional activity this level will be more than enough.
A student speaks the language at level C2 if:
How to improve your English: spend a few years in an English-speaking country, such as at a university or on an internship. And, of course, read.

What should you know about learning foreign languages?

Independent study of a foreign language is quite possible, but this undertaking requires a lot of effort, time, and such qualities as perseverance, diligence and determination from the student. At first, the classes seem interesting, but the lack of a clear program, correctly set goals, time frames and a teacher who controls the learning process and motivates the student leads to another breakdown and lack of desire to continue learning the language.
That is why it is desirable to learn new language together with the teacher on individual or group lessons. When the basic material is completed, you can go abroad to improve your communication skills and increase your vocabulary. Without studying in a country where the language being studied is the main one, it is impossible to master it perfectly, even studying according to the most advanced manuals.
The fact is that a living modern language changes daily, and special educational publications they simply do not have time to track these metamorphoses. It's about about modern slang, foreign borrowings, variety of dialects, etc., which change the language every day. It is possible to know English at the level of a native speaker, but for this it is necessary to be in an appropriate language environment, where the student will have to join a foreign-speaking society, be aware of the news that is covered in the press or on the Internet.

How long does it take to learn a foreign language?

The answer to this question depends on several factors: the goals of the student, his perseverance and diligence, as well as solvency. It is quite logical that you can learn a foreign language faster only with the help of a qualified teacher (perhaps even a native speaker). This is a real investment in the future, which will definitely pay off, but it will also require quite a lot of capital investment.
The faster the student wants to learn a foreign language, the more he will have to pay. Theoretically, it can take about 2.5 - 3 years to complete all levels (without living abroad), for this you will have to attend special courses several times a week. If you study on your own, it will take much more time to learn the language. When studying abroad, the student receives the same amount of knowledge much faster.

Miracles do not happen!

Beginners to learn a foreign language should clearly understand that the learning process requires a lot of time from the student, as well as some effort on himself, since there is always a reason to reschedule the lesson or postpone the implementation homework for later. Teaching is a lot of work! Therefore, it is impossible to learn a language in a month using a new "unique author's technique" or the 25th frame. Miracles do not happen! Only work on the mistakes and consistent analysis of new material will help to achieve the desired level.

Time spent to level up

The table shows the number of weeks of intensive English for language improvement in Kaplan International schools