Upper Intermediate level of English: what you need to know to achieve it. What does intermediate level of English mean?

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Intermediate is the level of English proficiency that employers most often require from candidates. But how can you determine whether you speak a language at an Intermediate level or not? And what is this scale? According to the European Framework of Reference for Languages, level English Intermediate designated as B1 and comes after the Pre-Intermediate level. In general, you can download that Intermediate is confident “average” English. People with these skills can speak fluently foreign language, communicate on business or everyday topics, understand spoken language and even write letters.

What should a student know at the Intermediate level?

Once a student reaches this level, he can be considered to have already achieved some success. Your speech or Speaking skills must also be at an acceptable level. To improve your speaking skills, try to speak more in class, communicate on 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 a variety of idioms, common phrases, figures of speech, set expressions etc. Try to write down and remember all new words. For many students, it remains difficult to get used to listening or listening. Audio texts at the Intermediate level are more capacious and complex than at previous stages. To simplify tasks, divide large audio files into parts and translate them separately. At this level of English, you must understand text that is related to business activities, learning, everyday affairs, and so on. At the same time, try to get rid of the accent and pay attention to details in the texts.

Main topics covered at Intermediate Level

How long do you need to study to achieve Intermediate Level?

Of course, it all depends on your knowledge and desire to learn. Usually for beginners this period is 8-10 months, for advanced students - 5-6 months. Remember that Intermediate is the final stage of building your vocabulary and grammatical knowledge. In the future, you will deepen and improve your active and passive vocabulary in order to become more immersed in your knowledge of English and become a full-fledged native speaker. And to determine your level of English proficiency, it is not at all necessary to sign up for an exam in training center or university. To do this, simply take a free test, which is provided by many resources on the Internet.

In this post you will learn how I myself, without tutors or courses, without spending a penny, learned English in a year from almost complete 0 to Upper Intermediate.

So, it's quite simple: Motivation! It was she who gave impetus to self-development and thirst for knowledge English rules, words and letters. Agree, little 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/job/study, for others it is to watch films in the original and enjoy the voices of the actors, and not to listen to our cool, flawed translations, for others it is 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. (Just for reference, in almost every area, be it anatomy, programming, drawing or something else, there are a lot of different courses and materials, and there are even more of them in English, they are cooler and of better quality. That is, you have more options for what to watch and read.

When everything has become clear with motivation, you need to outline a training plan. It can be individual for everyone, because one person is better at reading, another at listening, another at chatting... You need to find a middle ground for yourself. That is, spend more time on one thing and less on another, so that there is no imbalance such as, you read well, but speak poorly or something like that.

It's clear that without knowing a basic set of words you won't get far in any of these sections. Therefore, you need to start with cramming words, and precisely with memorizing words. Services such as Anki and LinguaLeo help with this very well. In both of them it is very convenient: there are spaced repetition functions, there are voices of words, their transcriptions and visual representations. Anki can be downloaded for free on Android, but Apple users will have to pay almost 1000 rubles for it. You can get around this by studying on the Anki website itself, without downloading the application on your iPhone or iPad. LinguaLeo is free on both Android and Apple, but it has some limitations, such as a limit on adding words to the dictionary, limited grammar, and so on. A full subscription for a year costs 1200 rubles. 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 a basic set of words, I recommend practicing these words by pronouncing them. This is quite convenient to do using Dr. Pimsleur’s method (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 consolidate words. In parallel with this, you need to read! Reading is very important, don’t underestimate it, it’s where a lot of people who took the Toefl/Ielts got burned. (international English exam).

Reading should begin to be developed with simple adapted stories for stupid people, beginners, like Winnie the Pooh or something like that.

As soon as we start from complete zero, and we can say/write/read something intelligible, we need to move on, namely, complicate it! In grammar, “Red Murphy or the Oxford Grammar Textbook (both elementary)” will help you, in listening - BBC podcasts for learning English, conversation - a native speaker (English for practice) or, at worst, watch adapted videos, write out phrases from dialogues and pronounce them, read – 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 and improve your reading and listening skills.

As soon as this milestone has been passed, you can speak clearly (describe yourself, talk about your goals/desires, etc., using simple phrases and sentences), we move on. You can start watching normal videos/series/materials for further study... Videos created by natives for natives. Wow! You can start watching the series “Friends”!

The same ones will help you with grammar, but the already blue Murphy (blue) and the yellowed Oxford (yellow), I recommend going through both textbooks, because one has a good presentation of the grammar and the other has good practice. In listening – BBC podcasts, Luke’s English podcast (I especially liked), songs, etc. (). Conversation - look for natives, this can be done using the interpals and scout sites (More details on this in the next article). Reading – texts for exams like toefl/ielts. We continue to use Anki and LinguaLeo to expand 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, speak English various topics with natives, listen to podcasts for natives created by natives and take green Murphy and green Oxford by storm.

You can do listening and reading on the go, but you will have to set aside time during the day for grammar and speaking. The Internet is a very useful thing, there are many textbooks and materials that can be downloaded for free! You can learn English without spending anything but time! The main thing is your desire, motivation and self-belief. With motivation and a good start, exercise will become a habit for you and it will be easier and more enjoyable for you in the future...

Below are links to textbooks, podcasts, courses and other materials useful to you.
(A little advice: determine what you are very interested in, and watch and read about it in English, so training will take place with 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.

Since 2001, Europe has moved to fundamentally new language standards, so classic British textbooks are now also being republished in accordance with the new levels. Has anything changed significantly with the introduction of levels? No, but strict classification put an end to heterogeneous self-made divisions into groups in language schools. And the tendency was obvious - firstly, to create more levels than necessary (this is to take more money), and secondly, to inflate your level for self-esteem. This is when the intermediate level of English was given A2, which can only be called intermediate given its position between levels A1 and B1.

In total, the new language knowledge standards are 6 (well, or 7 - if you take into account zero). So, language is not one, but two levels according to the modern classification - B1 and B2. People who possess it to this degree are also called Independent Users, especially those occupying column B2 in the classification deserve this title. And in the new system, it is recommended to move away from the old name “intermediate level of English” and either call B1 and B2 Lower and Upper Intermediate, respectively, or generally use other, very specific terms - Threshold and Vantage levels. In other words, old terms will not help you navigate the modern sea of ​​textbooks.

Knowledge of English at the intermediate level, if the language school did not deceive you, most likely corresponds to level B1. What does this mean practically? A person understands clearly spoken speech well when the vocabulary is frequently used or related to him. professional activity. Can cope with almost any situation that arises when it comes to traveling around the country of the language being studied (hence the term “independent”, as we discussed above). Can deliver coherent speech on topics related to work or personal interests. Briefly justify your opinion, present evidence or plan of action. That is, an intermediate level of English, even at the lowest level, is good

How is someone described as a B2 user? He understands a wider range of texts and is capable of perceiving the main ideas of even complex scientific texts, while B1 is a level for everyday interaction. Speech is fluent, with a large amount of spontaneity, which makes conversations with speakers stress-free for both parties.

Able to create clear and detailed text on large number topics, not only workers and households. Able to clearly communicate advantages and disadvantages various kinds opinions. Such a language user is rightfully called independent. Level B2 allows you to start studying at the university level. It is found among the brightest graduates of the strongest specialized schools or among graduates of good non-linguistic universities.

These two levels are intermediate, there are two more above them - C1 and C2, and everyone who already has an intermediate level of English should strive for them. After all, more high categories provide the opportunity for professional immigration or work in expensive language courses for English teachers. In general, level C1 is average for good and excellent students at language universities. But not all carriers can get C2.

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, as well as 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 series new knowledge. At this stage, students learn to briefly talk about themselves, about their favorite colors, dishes and seasons, about the weather and time, about the daily routine, about 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 are also considered modal verbs(can, must), different types pronouns, adjectives and their degrees of comparison, categories of nouns, forms simple questions. 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 issues, Time 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 firm ownership English at the Pre-Intermediate level, it gives you the opportunity to take part 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 characteristic people, scientific terms, professional vocabulary and even slang. The object of study becomes active and passive voices, direct and indirect speech, participle 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 of expressing the future tense is examined 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. 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 reach this level, it means that they can understand fluent English and communicate easily using the vocabulary 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 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: the 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