Proficiency level of English vocabulary. How to study English to move from B2 to C1
Surely many have heard about the international system of English language levels, but not everyone knows what it means and how to classify it. The need to find out 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 kind of 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 purposes.
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 practically nothing in English and begins to study the subject from scratch, including the alphabet, basic reading rules, standard greeting phrases and other tasks of this stage. At 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. They can also count to one hundred and spell out their name and personal information. The latter in English is called spelling (pronouncing words by letter).
2. Elementary. This level immediately follows zero and implies knowledge of some basics of the English language. The Elementary level allows students 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 introduction to next times: Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple, Future Simple(will, to be going to) and Present Perfect. Some modal verbs (can, must), different types of pronouns, adjectives and their degrees of comparison, categories of nouns, and forms of simple questions are also considered. Having firmly mastered the Elementary level, you can already take part in the KET (Key English test).
3. Pre-Intermediate – Below average. The level following 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 constructed and can speak briefly on many topics. The Pre-Intermediate level adds confidence and expands learning potential. Longer texts appear, more practical exercises, new grammar topics and more complex sentence structures. Topics encountered at this level may include complex questions, Past Continuous, different shapes future tense, conditional sentences, modal verbs, infinitives and gerunds, repetition and fixation of Past Simple tenses (regular and irregular verbs) and Present Perfect, and some others. In terms of oral skills, having completed the Pre-Intermediate level, you can safely go on a journey and look for every opportunity to use your knowledge in practice. Also, a solid command 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 - Average. At the Intermediate level, the knowledge acquired at the previous stage is consolidated, and a lot of new vocabulary, including complex ones, is added. For example, personal characteristics of people, scientific terms, professional vocabulary and even slang. The object of study is the active and passive voices, direct and indirect speech, participial and participial phrases, phrasal verbs and prepositions, word order in complex sentences, varieties of articles, etc. From 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 future tense expressions. 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. This level is also ideal for avid travelers, as it makes it possible to freely understand the interlocutor and express himself in response. Among the international exams, after successfully passing the intermediate level, you can take the following exams and tests: FCE (First Certificate in English) grade 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) for 4.5-5.5 points and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) for 80-85 points.
5. Upper Intermediate - Above average. If students move to this level, this means that they can freely understand fluent English speech and communicate easily using the vocabulary which you have already purchased. 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 mostly repeats and consolidates Intermediate level. Among the innovations, we can note Narrative Tenses, which includes such difficult times as Past Continuous, Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous. The future tenses Future Continuous and Future Perfect, the use of articles, modal verbs of assumptions, verbs are also considered indirect speech, hypothetical sentences, abstract nouns, causative voice and much more. The Upper-Intermediate level is one of the most in demand both in business and in the educational sphere. People who are fluent in English 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 A/B, BEC (Business English Certificate) Vantage or Higher, TOEFL 100 points and IELTS 5.5-6.5 points.
6. Advanced 1 – Advanced. Advanced 1 level is required for professionals and students who want to achieve high fluency in English. Unlike the Upper-Intermediate level, many interesting phrases appear here, including idioms. Knowledge of tenses and other grammatical aspects previously studied only deepens and is viewed from other unexpected angles. Topics of discussion become more specific and professional, for example: environment And natural disasters, legal processes, literary genres, computer terms etc. After the Advanced level, you can take the special academic exam CAE (Cambridge Advanced English), as well as IELTS with 7 and TOEFL with 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 higher 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 academic exam CPE (Cambridge Proficiency Exam), and as for the IELTS test, with this level you can pass it with the highest score of 8.5-9.
This gradation is called the ESL (English as a Second Language) or EFL (English as a Foreign Language) level classification and is used by the ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) association. The level system may vary depending on the country, school or organization. For example, some organizations reduce the 7 levels presented to 5 and call them a little differently: Beginner (Elementary), Lower Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, Lower Advanced, Upper Advanced. However, this does not change the meaning and content of the levels.
Another similar system of international examinations under the acronym 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 average
3. B1 (Threshold)=Intermediate – Average
4. B2 (Vantage)=Upper-Intermediate – Above average
5. C1 (Proficiency)=Advanced 1 – Advanced
6. C2 (Mastery)=Advanced 2 – Super advanced
Friends, if you want to learn more about levels A1 and A2 in learning English, we suggest you read this material carefully; Perhaps you will learn a lot of interesting and useful things for yourself.
As you already know, learning English is divided into stages or levels, each level has a certain degree of difficulty, specific tasks and exercises, reading, grammar, etc. Today we are taking a closer look at the initial or survival levels, that is, Beginner and Elementary , as well as the Pre-Intermediate threshold level.
It would seem that the Beginner and Elementary stages of English proficiency are in many ways similar. However, significant differences can be observed here. You cannot proceed to the Elementary level without preliminary preparation Beginner.
Everything starts with the basics, and learning a language even more so. The Beginner level is perfect for those who have never studied English before and don’t have the slightest idea about it. This stage of English language proficiency allows you to construct several simple sentences, master the basics of grammar and reading rules, and acquire a small vocabulary. Also, it makes it possible to move on to the next level - Elementary.
The knowledge that the initial level provides is very extensive for this stage of learning English: mastering three simple tenses of verbs (present, past, future), the concept of articles, the ability to compose several simple sentences, the ability to characterize a subject in simple words; vocabulary ranges from 500 to 700 words, ability to get acquainted, answer simple questions, write short text from simple sentences.
The Elementary level is a more serious level of knowledge and proficiency in English. And the range of opportunities and skills it provides is much wider. When approaching this level, a person learning English must have basic knowledge initial stage Beginner.
The knowledge acquired at this stage is sufficient to communicate in English at an everyday level. For example, while abroad, you can ask for directions, rent a hotel room, do some shopping, etc.
Your knowledge of grammar, speaking, reading, your vocabulary at this level is much wider and deeper. Of course, such knowledge of English cannot be called professional, but you are no longer a beginner in mastering the language.
What skills does this stage of training provide? Here they are: a clear understanding of the verb to be, mastering the tenses of verbs, including continuous and perfect ones; use of articles and modal verbs, pronouns and possessive case; expansion of vocabulary from 1000 to 1500, the ability to communicate on simple everyday topics, the ability to write a short story about yourself, family, hobbies, work, etc.
As we have already said, these levels belong to the category of Survival Levels or survival levels. This means that these levels of knowledge of the English language will help you navigate various everyday situations where English is needed.
We believe that in modern life It is not only useful, but also very important to speak English at least at these two levels, because such proficiency in English is also required modern technologies, and the Internet, and trips, etc.
Category A2 or pre-threshold level
Pre-threshold or intermediate level (Pre-Intermediate) is like a bridge between the basic stages and more advanced levels of English language proficiency. Why is this so? The fact is that this English language course begins with simple constructions learned during training at the two previous levels. The Pre-Intermediate stage is an excellent opportunity to repeat, consolidate and systematize previous levels and acquired skills, as well as move on to a more complex stage of learning English Language.
By studying English at the Pre-Intermediate level, you gain even greater skills in the language: a clear understanding of verb tenses and the ability to distinguish them, understanding the conditional mood, replenishing your vocabulary with modal verbs that were not previously known; understanding passive verb, the ability to transform direct speech into indirect speech, understanding of pronouns and degrees of comparison of adjectives; vocabulary ranges from 1500 to 2000 words; ability to speak English various topics and tell about yourself; understanding main idea text; ability to write essays, essays, letters.
All this suggests that at this level you are ready to perceive and master a more complex English language than at the previous two.
This stage of training allows you to work on the gaps and weak points in your English, improve it, and move on to a more complex level.
Friends, we want to wish you good luck in learning English Language. Don't give up, boldly move forward, and, step by step, level by level, you will not notice how English will become your second native language! See you again!
| A - Basic Proficiency | B - Self-ownership | C - Fluency | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
| Survival level | Pre-threshold level | Threshold level | Threshold advanced level | Proficiency level | Native level proficiency |
| , | Intermediate | ||||
Do you want to know if your knowledge corresponds to the Intermediate level? Take ours and get recommendations that will help you improve your English language skills.
Intermediate is the level required by most employers
Intermediate - what level is this? How to determine whether your knowledge corresponds to this level?
The Intermediate level of English, which is designated B1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, comes next after Pre-Intermediate. The name of this stage comes from the word intermediate, the translation of which is “middle”. Thus, Intermediate is the so-called “average” level of language proficiency, which allows you to speak English quite fluently, discuss many professional and everyday topics, and understand by ear almost everything said in English at a normal pace. Language proficiency level 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 at least Intermediate English.
We recommend starting to study English at the Intermediate level if you:
- speak fluently, able to carry on a conversation, but choose your words, so you want to “talk”;
- you have a good vocabulary, but you can’t always use it easily; you often have to consult a 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;
- understand basic English grammar and operate at different times English, but feel unsure of more complex grammar;
- have studied English at this level for a long time, remember a lot and now want to brush up on your knowledge;
- recently completed a course of studying English 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 indicates what knowledge a person with an Intermediate level should have.
| Skill | Your knowledge |
|---|---|
| Grammar (Grammar) | You know all the 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 is (the constructions used to do and to be used to do). When you talk about the future tense, you understand the difference between: I'm going to visit John (construction 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). Do you understand the difference between You mustn"t do exercises and You don"t have to do exercises (modal verbs). Do you understand the difference between: I stopped to rest and I stopped resting (using the gerund and infinitive after the verb). You know comparative degrees adjectives (hot-hotter-hottest). Do 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 conditional sentences). Can you correctly paraphrase the direct speech She asked: “What are you doing?” indirect She asked what I was doing. You easily create questions in order to clarify something: You don’t like coffee, do you? (Question tags) |
| Vocabulary (Vocabulary) | Your vocabulary ranges from 2000 to 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 the constructions neither... nor, in addition to, as well as, apart from, due to, because of. |
| Speaking (Speaking) | You speak clearly, have good pronunciation, and 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 and do not take long pauses during a conversation. You can describe your appearance, talk about your education and work experience, express your opinion on various issues, and can talk about almost any topic. You use phrasal verbs and some idioms in your speech. You do not simplify your speech, you use rather complex grammatical structures: different types of conditional sentences, passive voice, different tenses, indirect speech. |
| Reading (Reading) | You have a good understanding of adapted literature at 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 for your level. You understand the meaning of unadapted audio, even if you don’t know some words, and the announcer speaks with an accent. You distinguish the accent of native speakers from the accent of non-English speakers. You watch films and TV series in the original language with subtitles. You can listen to simple original or adapted audiobooks for your level. |
| Letter (Writing) | You construct your sentences grammatically correctly. You can write an informal letter or a short formal letter. If necessary, you will be able to fill out official papers in English. You can give a written description of any places, events, people, or comment on the proposed text. |
If you are not sure that you have all the knowledge required at this level, we recommend checking to see if your knowledge of the English language is at level .
The Intermediate level program involves studying such topics in the training course
| Grammar topics | Conversational topics |
|---|---|
|
|
How will your speaking skills develop during the Intermediate course?
The Intermediate level is a kind of key stage at which the student really begins to “get off the ground” in speaking skills (Speaking skills). At this stage you become a “talking” student. If you want to speak fluently, try to speak as much as possible in class. Don’t be afraid to reason and express your point of view, try to use complex colloquial clichés.
Regarding vocabulary (Vocabulary), in addition to general spoken vocabulary, at the Intermediate level you study 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, figures of speech and set expressions. You remember not just words, but entire phrases in context, learn to construct new words using prefixes and suffixes. Much attention is paid to the ability to explain the meaning of a word in English, name its synonyms and antonyms.
Listening(Listening) is still a problem for many students starting at the Intermediate level. Audio texts at this level are much longer than texts for the Pre-Intermediate level, however, long tracks are divided into parts for which different types of tasks are offered. An Intermediate student can understand factual information related to work, study and everyday life, distinguishing both the general meaning and individual details; in this case, speech may be with a slight accent.
Regarding reading(Reading), the Intermediate level allows you to understand fairly complex, although still adapted, texts, but you can try to read non-adapted literature. At level B1, a simple retelling of the text read is no longer enough; you need to be able to give your assessment, express an opinion for or against, imagine yourself in the shoes of the characters, etc. All texts for reading at the Intermediate level are a kind of “context” for consolidating and automating the use of the vocabulary being studied and grammar.
Another aspect that receives a lot of attention is letter (Writing). You will learn how to compose English sentences not only colloquial, but also formal style. Level B1 usually includes the following written tasks:
- 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
At the end of the Intermediate level, the student will be able to successfully use English in a variety of standard situations and clearly express his opinion. In addition, he will learn to write letters, fill out declarations, questionnaires and other documents that require providing basic information about himself, take part in negotiations, make presentations and correspond with native speakers. Knowledge of English at the Intermediate level is good achievement and provides a variety of opportunities, such as an advantage in hiring. From this level you can begin to prepare for exams and.
Duration of training at the Intermediate level
The duration of studying English at the Intermediate level may vary, it depends on basic 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 active and passive vocabulary, immersion in the subtleties and nuances of the language.
To make sure that this course of study is right for you, we recommend taking ours, which tests basic English skills. And if you want not only to accurately find out your level of knowledge of the English language, but also to improve it, we suggest enrolling in our school. The teacher will determine your level, weaknesses and strong points and will help improve your knowledge.
Any experienced teacher will tell you that before you start learning a foreign language, you need to determine your level.
This is necessary, first of all, in order not to waste extra time on already familiar material, but to immediately move on in mastering the language. Everyone knows that there is no “final” level of English proficiency unless you live in a language environment.
Any language is a living organism that constantly changes over time, new words are added to it, and some words, on the contrary, become obsolete. Even grammatical rules change. What was considered indisputable 15-20 years ago may no longer be relevant in modern grammar.
That is why knowledge of a foreign language is never absolutely complete. Any knowledge requires constant practice. Otherwise, the level you have achieved is quickly lost.
What is "level of English language proficiency"?
But what is it, and what are the levels of knowledge of English? Let's figure it out.
The level of knowledge is understood as the degree of proficiency in four aspects of languages: speaking, reading and understanding texts, listening and writing. In addition, this includes knowledge of grammar and vocabulary and the ability to correctly use lexical and grammatical units in speech.
Testing for the level of knowledge of the English language is usually carried out in one form or another, wherever you go to study the language. On any training site, in courses, in private lessons with a teacher - everywhere, before determining further actions and select the necessary training materials, you will be tested on your level of knowledge. Moreover, these levels are very arbitrary, their boundaries are blurred, the names and number of levels vary different sources, But common features, of course, exists in all types of classifications.
In this article we will present the levels of English according to international scale, comparing it with the British version of the classification.
English proficiency levels
There are two main classifications of English language proficiency levels.
The first belongs British Council- This international organization, providing assistance in language learning and in establishing intercultural communication. Most often one could find this distribution of language competencies in textbooks published in Cambridge and Oxford.
The second and main one is called CEFR or The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Translated into Russian as “Common European Scale of Language Competence”. It was created by the Council of Europe in the second half of the 90s.
Below is CEFR:
The gradation of English language levels in the table differs from the British version as follows:
- The British Council does not have a designation for Pre-Intermediate as such, it is located at the A2/B1 junction;
- there is only 6 levels of English: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2;
- The first two levels are considered elementary, the second two are considered sufficient, and the last two are considered levels of fluency in the language.
Table of correspondence between levels according to different assessment systems
International exams
To get a place in foreign university, to work abroad or successfully find employment in Russia, the presentation of certain certificates is required. Let's look at the two most popular and well-known of them.
TOEFL exam
If you pass it successfully, you can enter the educational institutions United States and Canada. The certificate of completion is valid in 150 countries for 2 years. There are several versions of the test - paper, computer, Internet version. All types of skills are tested - written and oral speech, reading and listening.
The main feature is that it is impossible not to pass it; a student who completes the tasks still receives a score that corresponds to a certain level:
- 0-39 in the Internet version and 310-434 in the paper version shows the degree of knowledge of the English language at the A1 or “Beginner” level.
- When receiving a result in the range of 40-56 (433-486) you can be sure that you have Elementary (A2), that is, basic English.
- Intermediate (translated as “intermediate, transitional”) - TOEFL scores in the region of 57-86 (487-566). Do you want to know what level this is, “Intermediate”? It corresponds to B1. You can speak on familiar topics and grasp the essence of the monologue/dialogue; you can even watch films in the original, but the material is not always fully grasped (sometimes the meaning is guessed from the plot and individual phrases). You are already capable of writing short letters and essays in the language.
- Upper, preintermediate will require the following points: 87-109 (567-636). Translated it means “intermediately advanced”. What level is this, Upper intermediate? The owner has access to a relaxed, detailed conversation on a specific or abstract topic, including with a native speaker. Films are watched in their original form, and talk shows and news are also well received.
- An order of magnitude higher, namely 110-120 for the Internet version and 637-677 for the paper version, required if Advanced English is required.
IELTS exam
The certificate is quite popular in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Also relevant in case of professional migration to these countries. The test is valid for 2 years. The range of marks that can be obtained for the test is from 0.0 to 9.0. IN A1 scores from 2.0 to 2.5 are included. IN A2- from 3.0 to 3.5. stage B assumes scores from 4.0 to 6.5, and for the level C1- 7.0 - 8.0. Language in perfection is grades 8.5 - 9.0.
What level of proficiency should I include on my resume?
When writing a resume, you must correctly indicate at what stage in language learning you are currently at. The main thing is to choose the correct English level designation. The following are usually used: Basic(basic knowledge), Intermediate(middle stage), Advanced(proficiency at an advanced level), Fluent (fluent proficiency).
If there was an exam, be sure to indicate its name and the number of points received.
Advice: There is no need to overestimate your level, because any inaccuracy can be revealed quickly enough.
Why is it important to determine your language level?
Why does a non-specialist need information about the level of language proficiency, and is it needed at all? If you are planning to start or resume learning a foreign language, then determining your level of knowledge is simply necessary, of course, if you are not an absolute beginner and have previously studied English. This is the only way you can understand at what stage you stopped and where to move next.
When choosing a course of study, you will need to focus on your level. So, for example, on the site you can take various courses: from a course for beginners - Beginner, to a course for students with an Intermediate level.
In order to find out which course to choose for training, the site provides. The system will accurately determine your level of language proficiency and offer the appropriate course so that your learning is most effective.
English level C2 is the sixth and final level of English in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), a system for defining different language levels drawn up by the Council of Europe. In everyday speech, this level can be called “bilingual,” as in “I speak two languages: English and French.” In theory, a well-educated native English speaker speaks English at level C2. This level reaches relatively small quantity non-native English language learners because professional or academic goals generally do not require it.
How to find out if you know English at level C2
The best way to determine whether your English language skills are at a C2 level is to take a high-quality standardized test. Below is a list of the main internationally recognized tests and their corresponding C2 indicators:
What can you do if you know English at level C2?
Level of English C2 corresponds to the level of a native speaker. It allows you to read and write texts of any type on any topic, taking into account the nuances of expressing emotions and opinions, as well as actively participating in any academic or professional discussion.
According to official instructions CEFR, person proficient in English at level C2:
- Can easily understand almost everything he hears or reads.
- Can analyze information from a variety of oral and written sources, producing reasoning and creating a coherent presentation.
- Can spontaneously express his thoughts, smoothly and very accurately, differentiating shades of meaning even in the most difficult situations.
Read more about knowledge of English at level C2
Formal statements of student knowledge are broken down into smaller sub-items for instructional purposes. Such a detailed classification will help you assess your own level of English, or help the teacher assess the level of students. For example, a student who knows English at the C2 level will be able to do everything that a student at the C1 level can do, and also the following:
- discuss issues related to science and technology, including robotics and new inventions.
- talk about celebrities, their lives and gossip columns about celebrities.
- use different application methods creative approach in oral and written speech.
- discuss financial planning, give and ask advice about personal finance.
- talk about the role of stress in your life and the lives of friends and colleagues.
- discuss research methods on a wide range of topics.
Of course, progress will depend on the type of course and the individual student, but it can be predicted that a student will achieve a C2 level of English proficiency after 1000 hours of study (cumulative).
