Intermediate language level what does it mean. Intermediate level - transition from quantity to quality
| A - Elementary proficiency | B - Self Ownership | C - Fluency | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
| Survival Level | Pre-threshold level | threshold level | Threshold advanced level | Proficiency Level | Ownership at the carrier level |
| , | intermediate | ||||
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 "intermediate" level of language proficiency, which allows you to speak English quite fluently, discuss many professional and everyday topics, 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.
| Skill | your knowledge |
|---|---|
| Grammar (Grammar) | You know all tenses of English: Present, Past and Future Simple; Present, Past and Future Continuous; Present, Past and Future Perfect; Present, Past and Future Perfect Continuous. Do you know what the essence of the sentences I used to play football and I’m used to playing football (constructs used to do and to be used to doing). When you talk about the future tense, you understand the difference between: I'm going to visit John (construct to be going to), I'm visiting John tomorrow at 5 o'clock (Present Continuous for future action) and I'll visit John next month (Future Simple). You understand the difference between You mustn "t do exercises and You don" t have to do exercises (modal verbs). Understand the difference between: I stopped to rest and I stopped resting (use of gerund and infinitive after the verb). You know the comparative degrees of adjectives (hot-hotter-hottest). You understand in what cases the words little/few and a little/a few (words denoting quantity in English) are used. You see the difference between: If you come home, we'll go shopping, If you came home, we would go shopping and If you had come home, we would have gone shopping (first, second and third types of conditionals). Can you correctly paraphrase the direct speech She asked: “What are you doing?” into the indirect She asked what I was doing. You easily create questions to clarify something: You don’t like coffee, do you? (Question tags) |
| Vocabulary (Vocabulary) | Your vocabulary is between 2000 and 3000 words and phrases. You are familiar with some idioms and phrasal verbs. You can communicate with business partners without delving into special business terminology (you know basic business vocabulary). Actively use constructions neither ... nor, in addition to, as well as, apart from, due to, because of. |
| speaking (Speaking) | You speak clearly, have a good pronunciation, others understand your speech. You understand where to make logical pauses in sentences, in which part of the sentence to raise or lower your voice. You speak quite fluently, do not make long pauses during a conversation. You can describe your appearance, talk about your education and work experience, express your opinion on various issues, you can speak on almost any topic. You use phrasal verbs and some idioms in speech. You do not simplify speech, you use quite complex grammatical constructions: different types of conditional sentences, passive voice, different tenses, indirect speech. |
| Reading (Reading) | You have a good understanding of the adapted literature of your level. You understand general articles on the Internet, newspapers and magazines, although you encounter vocabulary that is unfamiliar to you. |
| listening (Listening) | You perfectly understand audio recordings adapted to your level. You understand the meaning of non-adapted audio even if you don't know some of the words and the speaker speaks with an accent. You distinguish the accent of native speakers from the accent of non-English speakers. You watch movies and series in the original language with subtitles. You can listen to simple original or adapted audiobooks for your level. |
| Letter (Writing) | You construct sentences grammatically correctly. You can write an informal or small formal letter. If necessary, you can fill out official papers in English. You can give a written description of any places, events, people, comment on the proposed text. |
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
| Grammar Topics | Conversational Topics |
|---|---|
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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.
Hello, friends. Many of you are probably asking yourself the question: “What is my level of knowledge of English? What level can be considered basic? To what level would you like to improve your English? How is English proficiency measured? We will try to answer these questions in this article.
Conditionally There are 4 levels of English proficiency:
elementary - initial
intermediate - medium
advanced - advanced
proficiency (fluent) - native speaker (fluent)
If you take any foreign textbook, for example, Longman, then either on the cover or on the first pages it will be indicated what level this manual is. Many publishers divide the first 3 levels into several sub-levels:
elementary - beginner (starter) - beginner
- easy - easy
intermediate - low-intermediate - lower middle
- intermediate - medium
- upper-intermediate - high medium
advanced - advanced - advanced
- high-advanced - high
By what parameters is the division into levels?
1. By the number of words learned
2. According to the level of proficiency in grammar and speech structures.
Number of words learned by levels
Different publishers may have different criteria. For example, some elementary have 100 words, others have 500, the same differences are in grammar. When choosing a study guide or book for yourself, look at the first pages with text or tasks. If it's too easy for you, take the book of the next level. If much is not clear, then take the previous level.
According to my observations, for those who learn English from scratch, the beginner level is suitable - it doesn’t get any easier. The easy level requires some kind of foundation. There, they usually use the present simple / continuous, future simple and past simple.
Intermediate is the level at which everyone sits for a very long time. We can say that, knowing English at the intermediate level, you already have a base. This is basic grammar (without the nuances that are important only to the British :), and a few thousand English words. Our school curriculum ideally brings students to the intermediate level.
Advanced is, as they say, the field where you can roam. This is already fairly fluent English. Usually, textbooks at this level take some specialization (for example, business English), and study words / terms / grammatical structures in the chosen direction.
Of course, you need to strive for the advanced level, because with it you can already take international certificates, which, unlike school certificates / university diplomas / shorts of local English courses, are valid throughout the civilized world.
But if you are a beginner and learn English from scratch, do not chase levels. Do not sign up for courses in a group with a more advanced level, you will slip, much will remain incomprehensible. Often adults who want to learn English say something like this: "I have school English, but I need business English / I'm going to get an IELTS / TOEFL certificate." But at the same time, they cannot distinguish the present simple from the present continuous. Be realistic, smoothly and gradually replenish your knowledge, and your level of knowledge of the English language will certainly increase.
Description of each level according to the international system:
A1 Beginner Elementary
The student understands and can use in speech familiar phrases and expressions necessary to perform specific tasks. Can introduce himself, introduce others, ask, answer questions about the place of residence, acquaintances, property. Can engage in simple conversation if the other person speaks slowly and clearly and is willing to help.
A2 Pre-Intermediate
The student understands single sentences and common expressions related to the main areas of life (for example, basic information about himself and his family members, shopping, getting a job, etc.). Can perform tasks related to the simple exchange of information on familiar or everyday topics. In simple terms, he can talk about himself, his family and friends, describe the main aspects of everyday life.
В1 Intermediate
The student understands the main ideas of clear messages delivered in literary language on various topics typically encountered in work, study, leisure, etc. Able to communicate in most situations that may arise during a stay in the country of the language being studied. Can compose a coherent report on topics known or of particular interest to him. Can describe impressions, events, hopes, aspirations, state and justify opinions and plans for the future.
B2 Upper-Intermediate
The student understands the general content of complex texts on abstract and concrete topics, including highly specialized texts. Speaks quickly and spontaneously enough to constantly communicate with native speakers without much difficulty for either party. Able to make clear, detailed reports on a variety of topics and state their view of the main problem, show the advantages and disadvantages of different opinions.
The student understands voluminous complex texts on various topics, recognizes the hidden meaning. Speaks spontaneously at a fast pace, without difficulty in choosing words and expressions. Flexible and effective use of language for communication in scientific and professional activities. Can produce accurate, detailed, well-structured messages on complex topics, demonstrating mastery of text organization patterns, means of communication, and aggregation of text elements.
The student understands almost any oral or written message, can compose a coherent text based on several oral and written sources. Speaks spontaneously at a high pace and with a high degree of accuracy, emphasizing nuances of meaning even in the most complex cases.
In this post you will learn how I myself, without tutors and courses, without spending a penny, learned English in a year from almost full 0 to Upper Intermediate.
So, it's pretty simple: Motivation! It was she who gave impetus to self-development and the thirst for knowledge of English rules, words and letters. Agree, nothing will stop you if you have motivation ...
Everyone may have their own motivation: for some it is to go abroad in search of a better life / work / study, for others to watch films in the original and enjoy the voices of the actors, and not listen to our cool, flawed translations, for others, to understand English-language lectures, thereby killing two birds with one stone: learning English, expanding your vocabulary, and developing in the area that interests you. (Purely for reference, almost every field, whether it's anatomy, programming, drawing or something, is full of different courses and materials, and there are even more of them in English, they are cooler and better. That is, you have more options for what to watch and read.
When everything became clear with motivation, you need to outline a training plan. It can be individual for everyone, because reading is better for one, listening for another, chatting for the third ... You need to find a middle ground for yourself. That is, spend more time on one and less on the other, so that there is no bias such as you read well, but speak poorly or something like that.
It's clear that without knowing the basic set of words, you won't get very far in any of these sections. Therefore, you need to start with the cramming of words, yes, it is with the memorization of words. Services such as Anki and LinguaLeo are very helpful with this. In both of them, this is very convenient: there are spaced repetition functions, there are voiceovers of words, their transcriptions and visual representations. Anki can be downloaded for Android for free, but Apple users will have to pay almost 1000 rubles for it. This can be circumvented by practicing on Anki's own website without downloading the app on an Iphone or iPad. LinguaLeo is free for both Android and Apple, but has some limitations, such as the limit of adding words to the dictionary, truncated grammar, and so on. A full subscription for a year costs 1200r. You can get a free subscription by inviting friends. See Leo's website for details.
Once you have learned a basic set of words, such that you can understand what is required of you in the textbook (English / American textbook in English!) you can move on to grammar. In parallel with cramming the basic set of words, I recommend practicing these words by pronouncing them. It is quite convenient to do this using the method of Dr. Pimsleur, (his lessons can be downloaded, they are free). The essence of this method is that you listen to simple dialogues and repeat them. Very convenient, allows you to fix words. Along with this, you need to read! Reading is very important, do not underestimate it, it is on it that a lot of people who took toefl / ielts got burned. (international exam in English).
Reading should start developing with simple adapted stories for dumb, beginners, like Winnie the Pooh or something like that.
As soon as we push off from complete zero, and we can say / write / read something intelligible, we need to move on, namely, to complicate! In grammar, “Red Murphy or Oxford Grammar (both elementary)” will help you, in listening - BBC podcasts for English learners, conversation - native speaker (English for practice) or at worst, watch adapted videos, write out phrases from dialogues and pronounce them, reading - the same adapted books. We also continue to use Anki and LinguaLeo. Leo, for example, is full of materials that will help you learn grammar, improve reading and listening.
Once this milestone is passed, you can speak clearly (describe yourself, talk about your goals / desires, etc., using simple phrases and sentences), move on. You can start watching normal videos/series/materials for further study... Videos created by natives for natives. Wow! You can start watching Friends!
All the same ones will help you in grammar, but the already blue Murphy (blue) and the yellowed Oxford (yellow), I recommend going through both textbooks, because grammar is well stated in one, practice is well given in the other. In listening - BBC podcasts, Luke's English podcast (I especially liked it), songs, etc. (). Conversation - look for natives, this can be done using the sites interpals and scout (More on this in the next article). Reading - texts for exams like toefl/ielts. We continue to use Anki and LinguaLeo to improve our vocabulary.
After this milestone, you can safely move on to something more serious, namely, read English literature in the original, watch films in the original, talk on various topics with natives, listen to podcasts for natives created by natives and take green Murphy and green Oxford by storm .
Listening and reading can be done on the road, but grammar and conversation will have to be allocated time during the day. The Internet is a very useful thing, it has a lot of textbooks, materials that can be downloaded for free! You can learn English without spending anything but time on it! The main thing is your desire, motivation and faith in yourself. With motivation and a good start, classes will become a habit for you and then it will be easier and more enjoyable for you ...
Below are links to tutorials, podcasts, courses, and more.
(A little tip: determine what you are very interested in, and watch and read about it in English, so learning will be a great pleasure)
Learn and develop and motivate others to do the same! If any of the readers have their own success story, please write in the comments.
Intermediate is the level of English proficiency most often required by employers from candidates. But how to determine if you speak the language at the Intermediate level or not? And what is this scale? According to the European Framework of Reference for Languages, the English Intermediate level is designated as B1 and comes after the Pre-Intermediate level. In general, you can download that Intermediate is a confident "medium" English. People with such skills can speak a foreign language fluently, communicate on business or everyday topics, understand spoken language, and even write letters.
What should a student at the Intermediate level know?
Once a student reaches this level, it can be considered that he has already achieved some success. Your speaking or speaking skills must also be at an acceptable level. To improve your speaking skills, try to talk more in class, talk about topics that are new to you, and don't be afraid to express your point of view. Vocabulary or vocabulary includes expressions of general colloquial vocabulary and some words on a business topic. Moreover, Intermediate is various idioms, common phrases, turns of speech, set expressions, etc. Try to write down and memorize all new words. For many students, it remains difficult to get used to listening or Listening. Audio texts of the Intermediate level are more capacious and complex than at the previous stages. To simplify tasks, divide large sound files into parts and translate them separately. At this level of English, you should be able to understand text related to business, education, household chores, and so on. At the same time, try to get rid of the accent and pay attention to the details in the texts.
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The main topics covered at the Intermediate Level
At the Intermediate level, you should already be able to read complex adapted articles. In addition, you can gradually begin to get acquainted with non-adapted fiction. Remember that simply retelling the text is not enough. You must express your opinion about the read work, describe the positive and negative features of the characters in the book, etc. Written texts at this stage are a good foundation for consolidating your vocabulary and grammar. Quite a lot of attention is paid to writing (Writing). At level B1, you write sentences in both conversational and business style. The level of English intermediate involves such written tasks as.
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 complex 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
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Self-esteem - what is it: concept, structure, types and levels
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