Pre-Intermediate – what level is it and how to achieve it. Details for dummies. What does intermediate-level of English mean? Pre-intermediate level of language knowledge

Pre-Intermediate – what is this level? in English? - you ask. – What exactly do you need to know and be able to do to fully master it?

Today we will try to understand this issue.

First of all, it should be clarified that this stage of training is not the longest or most difficult. capable of frightening much more: here, according to statistics, most students get stuck, or even “perish” completely.

The Pre-Intermediate level is important because this is where the condescension ends and preparation for the real, big and frightening world of the diverse and endless English language begins. For the last time, enjoy the indulgences: adapted texts, “sleepy” conversations and easy grammar; Prepare yourself mentally and physically for the end of your English childhood.

True, we still need to grow to this point. In the meantime, waiting for you...

Pre-Intermediate – what is this level of English? Description

Pre-Intermediate– This is still a basic (also known as “pre-threshold”) level of English. By the time students start learning it, they already know something:

They are able to even use the acquired knowledge a little:

• read an easy adapted text;
• listen to educational podcast , specially designed for the needs of beginners;
• try to speak (it’s hard to believe, but who knows).

But that's where the fun ends; Gray, harsh everyday life and hundreds of hours of hard, painstaking work begin. Do you still want to know what's coming to you?

Formally. As defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Proficiency foreign languages(Common European Framework of Reference, CEFR), level A2 (in common parlance – Pre-Intermediate) includes:

The ability to deal with simple, direct information (without linguistic frills in the form of phrasal verbs, idioms and other delights of English literature) and to express oneself on well-known topics.

Translating from harsh European into Russian: you will finally gain the wonderful ability, by opening your mouth, to produce something other than a meaningful “Mmmm!” and “Ah-ah!”

Pre-Intermediate – what is this level? What you need to know and be able to do at this stage

Grammar

At the Pre-Intermediate level you need to understand the following topics:

• infinitive;
• imperative mood of the verb;
• Simple tenses and Continuous;
• present perfect time;
• questions;
• gerund;
• modal verbs;
• degrees of comparison of adjectives;
• passive voice;
• grammatical construction of the future tense – be going to;
• subordinate clauses of time;
• difference between – a little, a few, little, few.

I will supplement the list with a link to the topics that need to be studied to pass the KET (Key English Test) - an English exam at level A2 (Pre-Intermediate) from the University of Cambridge - Grammar topics (A2).

Lexicon

In the process of studying grammar, reading and writing of appropriate complexity, you should develop a stock of words and phrases in the amount of - 1 .500 -2 .000 (a selection of sites from the article will help you check your current vocabulary). The list includes various forms of words. For example:

2nd form of the verb, used to form the simple past tense ( Past Simple):

• regular verbs are formed by adding the suffix - “- ed»;
• , have an individual spelling (for example: “see-saw-seen” - three forms of the verb “see”); they just need to be memorized.

Verb with -ing:

• participates in the formation of continuous tenses;
• forms a “gerund” – a verbal noun: teaching – teaching; speaking - speaking.

I will also add a link to a set of tasks that will allow you to feel the vastness or lack of vocabulary: they will allow you to understand Pre-Intermediate and understand what kind of level this is in terms of vocabulary - Vocabulary topics (A2).

Reading

Includes the ability:

• understand sentences and frequently used expressions on general topics related to basic information about yourself and your family, shopping and daily responsibilities;
• read a short text with a small amount of unfamiliar vocabulary.

Example of text of appropriate complexity:

“Remember, my friend, the gold was not taken – it was still there, on the floor. So what kind of thief is that? A very, very stupid one, a thief who murders two women and then he leaves, forgets to take the gold with him!”The Murders in the Rue Morgue

Listening

Includes listening comprehension of clear, medium-paced speech:

• in short dialogues with familiar vocabulary;
• in small entries with a minimal set of grammatical structures and unfamiliar words.

Test your listening skills with audio recordings about house hunting, weekend plans, shopping and discussing the weather (the most immortal and endless topic in the history of human civilization) - Listening practice (A2).

Letter

Here you must learn:

• write simple messages: a reminder on the refrigerator, a note to a family member or friend;
• using a dictionary, compose short texts (10-15 sentences), including a studied set of grammatical structures.

Self-testing in terms of active skills (writing and speaking) will be more difficult. Required:

Speech

For many, this is the most difficult aspect of any foreign language. But, fortunately for you, all that is required at the Pre-Intermediate stage is:

• communication and exchange of information on familiar topics, in fact basic level– monosyllabic sentences;
• explanation in simple terms important issues concerning the environment and immediate needs.

True, in order to test your knowledge, you will have to (as in the case of “Letter”) either work hard to record your voice and find places to post the recording, or find a course/tutor.

Duration of mastering Pre-Intermediate

Depends on several factors:

Varies from 4 months (with a good base and a busy study schedule) up to of the year(when learning practically from scratch).

If you refer to the European rating system, then keep in mind the figure in 200 hours.

Of course, the period can be extended indefinitely: treats learning carelessly, does not make an effort, or constantly skips classes, citing being busy, headaches, etc. Bad mood. If you feel inclined to be lazy when it comes to English, then quit right away and don’t suffer. There will be no sense in doing such activities anyway, but you will waste your time and energy.

Why won't it make any sense? Yes, because the basis for successfully learning any language is not newfangled methods or a “cool” tutor, but consistency. Taking small steps and practicing every day is the key to success.

Development of skills at the Pre-Intermediate level

The few links given above clearly cannot be considered as full-fledged assistance in developing English language skills. Therefore, I decided to separately point out materials that will allow you to practice all the way to the Intermediate level.

Let's concentrate on the basic aspects (the most important ones in initial stages) – “Reading” and “Listening”.

Reading adapted literature

Here I will express my personal opinion. My little IMO is In My Opinion (in my opinion) about literature at the Beginner, Elementary and Pre-Intermediate stages.

Focus on Adapted Books!

The best site with adapted texts that I discovered a few years ago is English-e-books(this resource is described in detail). I used the literature from there, slowly climbing the “steps,” for more than six months.

Why adapted books and this site? There are several reasons for this:

• Reading: without stopping for long searches for texts that are suitable in complexity. Because the best thing a beginner can do to develop reading skills is to read. Read a lot!
• Clear distribution of difficulty will allow you to move in the right direction: you will not only know that this book fits, but also which one will be next.
• Of course, this site is not the only one with adapted books and, perhaps, not even the most extensive in the catalogue, but his collection is definitely enough for a person from the level of the “Forgotten School Curriculum” to be able to get to reading books in the original.(about myself) I’m not talking about children’s books with pictures and “horse” font, but about quite “serious” teenage literature: “The Pottery Games”, “The Hungry in Games”, “Twilight Hidden in the Darkness”.

On the way from Beginner to Intermediate, more than 75% can be works from this resource. The remaining 25% (for variety and respite) are easily collected along the “Path of the Network Wanderer”:

Sooner or later, any person learning English wonders what his level of proficiency in this language is. Knowing why such a division is generally accepted and how the different groups are designated is quite important - with their help it will be much easier to understand whether the result intended in the study has been achieved or not.

English levels

We know of only six levels of English proficiency. With their help, you can easily divide students into different groups and categories, taking into account knowledge and skills in different areas of the language: speaking, reading, listening and writing. There is also a list of international exams that use this grading system; people take them to prepare for travel, immigration, business trips and admission to college educational establishments.

If you want to independently determine which level of English knowledge you are at, then try to correctly assess the volume of your skills and acquired information in several aspects. Below you will find a list of features of each of the six levels, based on which it will be easier for you to make your choice.

Elementary

This level is the very first in training and is otherwise designated as A1. Here, at this level of “survival,” your vocabulary does not exceed 1,500 words, and short phrases and sentences about simple things, for example, everyday needs, are easy to understand. You speak a little English: you can introduce yourself and others, ask the simplest questions and give basic answers. Speaking about listening, it is worth noting that by ear you understand only slow and clearly spoken speech, in which the interlocutor will, as it were, help you understand the meaning of what you heard.

Pre-Intermediate

The so-called pre-threshold level designated A2. This is the transition to professional language proficiency. Here you are able to form coherent sentences, express simple judgments and thoughts, and know the very basics of grammar. This level of language can be called the lower bar before preparing to take international tests and exams.

Intermediate

The intermediate level of proficiency in English is considered to be Intermediate. It is designated as B1 and is suitable for you if you can talk about various topics, watch videos in English, read simple texts like brochures and advertisements, and are also able to write a basic short letter or essay. Here you will need a larger vocabulary - already at the level of 2750-3250 words.

Upper-Intermediate

This is an advanced intermediate level, abbreviated B2. Requires serious knowledge and a fairly wide vocabulary - about 3250-3750 words. Here you must reason and express your opinion on various topics, including complex ones. For example, your skills should allow you to easily describe your field of activity. You need to communicate freely and without difficulty, raising a wide variety of topics and problems in dialogues, and finding ways to solve them. You also need to be able to write at a more serious level: composing a letter or essay on an unfamiliar or unfamiliar topic is also included in the B2 preparation level. Speech is perceived much easier by ear: you are already watching English-language television, for example, TV shows.

Advanced

This level of proficiency in the language is designated as C1 and implies that you are fluent in using it in Everyday life. It is necessary to have a large vocabulary of words - at least four thousand - this will help to perceive and understand large texts of any complexity. The owner of C1 speaks confidently, freely and without using pauses in his speech to select the right words. The areas of life and activity in which you can use an advanced level are very different: science, culture, work, everyday issues. You can easily write texts of any type and conduct correspondence on a wide range of topics.

Proficiency

If you speak English at the level of a native speaker, then you are assigned this level called C2. Here it is necessary to demonstrate perfect mastery of all facets of this foreign language. You spontaneously speak out on any of the proposed topics, speak and argue your opinion freely, perfectly perceive speech by ear and are able to understand any text read.

This classification by level of knowledge was proposed back in 1989-1996, and has the full name of the Common European Scale of Language Competence. The purpose of the CEFR is simple - to provide educational recommendations for everyone who studies foreign languages ​​(this also includes Russian).

How do you understand that you need to start learning a language with Pre-Intermediate?

If you studied English at the previous level and graduated from it, then you should move on to Pre-Intermediate. Perhaps you once started learning a language at a university or school, but you were not sure that necessary knowledge received, do not have. A2 is also suitable for people who remember something from foreign language lessons, but have not used it in practice for a very long time.

We list some of the skills that you must have to secure your Pre-Intermediate level of English:

• you know a little about the basics of grammar, but you confuse tenses and can only speak using the simplest sentence structures;
• you have a good vocabulary (about 1500 words);
• you practically cannot perceive the speech of an English-speaking interlocutor by ear, or you understand, but very poorly. Especially when it comes to native speakers.

A variety of students can have this level: some do not have well-developed grammar, some do not listen to the speech of their interlocutor, and some do not have enough vocabulary to express their thoughts more broadly.

What material do you need to master?

Knowledge of any foreign language should not be viewed from one side - there is a whole list of categories for study that are worth paying attention to. You must have adequate knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, speaking, reading, listening and writing. Each category has its own material, mastering which will bring you closer to achieving level A2.

Grammar

One of the most difficult parts of learning English involves knowledge of the following topics:

• Basic English tenses:Present, Past And Future Simple , Present And Past Continuous, Present And Past Perfect;
• ability to work with structuresto be going to, used to do And to be used to;
• interrogative sentences of different types, where the word order may be different);
• all degrees of comparison of adjectives;
• are you familiar with the concept ofQuantifier(sentences usinga little And a few);
• you understand the principles of using the infinitive and gerund, you know in what cases the ending is used after verbs -ing, and in which ones - the infinitive withto;
• understanding various modal verbs likehave to/don’t have to, must/musn’t, can/could, may/might, should/shouldn’t is also an important indicator;
• you know what conditional sentences are and what types they are;
• understanding the principles of passive voice;
• the ability to correctly paraphrase direct speech into indirect speech.

Lexicon

As mentioned earlier, you cannot do without a good vocabulary at this level of English. Have 1,500 to 2,000 words and phrases that you can easily use in everyday life.

You should have an idea of ​​what idioms and phrasal verbs are - some of them are necessary to know, as well as the different forms of words.

In oral and written speech at the A2 level of language proficiency, words such asso, either, neither, no more, no longer, too, enough, no longer, whenever, if, when, as, like.

Speaking

What does speaking at level A2 involve? First of all, you must correctly and clearly pronounce all the words you know.

You will be able to talk in a few sentences (about 15) about a topic, for example, about your family, profession, hobbies or outlook on life.

It is also important to use phrasal phrases in speech and to know that a preposition in combination with a verb does not have to be translated literally, but can have another, unusual meaning.

You are well versed in stories about simple everyday topics and are able to grasp their main idea, even if not all the words and phrases are known to you.

Conversing with a native speaker, using all the words you know in your speech, will also not be difficult.

Some words that you cannot pronounce in English, you are able to describe in other, easier and more appropriate phrases.

Reading

Reading also has its own standards, with the help of which language proficiency at the Pre-intermediate level is achieved:

You know that you can read literature adapted to this level, as well as brochures, advertising messages, and simple articles from newspapers and magazines.

In texts that are not level-adapted, you can also navigate, albeit not so well: even among unfamiliar words, you manage to catch the main idea of ​​what is written.

Listening

Conversational speech that has an average pace and includes words from your vocabulary is easily understood by you.

Watching all kinds of videos in English, such as TV shows, films or series, is done using subtitles in the original language.

You know the role of intonation in speech and recognize the stress and pronunciation of different sounds.

Audiobooks adapted for A2 will also be within your power.

Letter

This level of language proficiency presupposes the ability to write short stories on elementary topics: a story about yourself, your place of birth, your family, a description of what you saw or an opinion on any issue.

You will also be able to write short letters on general simple topics or postcards with congratulations.

What does the A2 Pre-Intermediate level provide?

Firstly, yourVocabulary . You will learn a lot set expressions, phrasal verbs, new vocabulary that is widely used by native speakers in speech. You will have access to a much larger number of topics for conversation and free discussion.

Working on skillsReading It will also take a long time. You will significantly improve your skills in understanding complex texts: articles from magazines and newspapers, correspondence, guidebooks, texts adapted to level A2. By understanding what you read, you will be able to discuss it with others and express your opinions more fully.

At this level, the tasks onListening . This is where many people begin to have difficulties that can be overcome with a lot of training. As a result, you will be able to understand a fairly fast pace of speech, large texts and extensive lexical content.

Skill trainingWriting will let you know how good your knowledge of the grammatical basics of the language is. You will place great emphasis on this part of the program, deepen your understanding of the structure of the text, clichéd phrases, the use of conjunctions, etc. You will learn to write informal letters and essays on a variety of topics.

At this level you will begin to use skills much betterSpeaking , but so far only on topics familiar to you, such as stories about family, yourself, hobbies, preferences. You will be able to talk about your trip without hesitation or communicate in cafes and shops with English-speaking staff. It will not be too difficult for you to express your thoughts and opinions on a number of issues.

If you master the A2 level of English, a world of confident and high-quality use of this language in everyday life will open up to you. You will be able to successfully prepare for international exams, communicate abroad, express your opinions and much more.

Pre-Intermediate is the level to which all those who have already left Beginner courses behind them go, but cannot yet say that they speak English at a solid intermediate level. And you need to know the peculiarities of this intermediate level, at least in order to control the process of your learning, to be able to choose the most suitable textbooks, manuals, and courses. In fact, the line between Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate is quite thin; some courses skip intermediate levels altogether, offering groups only for beginners, intermediates and advanced. However, if you need to pass any exam, this difference will be very noticeable indeed.

For example, in order to successfully pass the Unified State Exam in English, you must have an Intermediate or Upper-Intermediate level. This exam does not require anything too complex, only very basic grammar and vocabulary, but the knowledge must be reliable. The level of English Pre-Intermediate in this case will be clearly insufficient, because it is characterized by some instability. There is knowledge, but it is still too fragmentary. There is no freedom or confidence in answering grammar questions, or in reading or listening, although everything seems very familiar.

To understand the difficulty of dividing a language into levels, try to answer the question: how does the accumulation of knowledge from lower levels to higher ones? Getting acquainted with phonetics and pronunciation, we inevitably must master some set of words, at least the simplest grammatical structures, etc. In fact, when studying a language, we do not move up the steps, stepping from one to another, but plunge into a body of water, going deeper and lower, and seeing in front of you everything the same as it was at the beginning, but in a broader perspective.

Pre-Intermediate compared to Beginner and Intermediate levels

At the previous level, Beginner or Elementary, we are introduced to a wide variety of topics, such as greetings, talking about yourself, characteristics of people; everyday vocabulary is acquired (clothing, furniture, food, etc.) The student learns the rules of reading; at the end of the initial course, he can actually read, but only fairly simple texts; reading the rest can hardly be called such; it is more likely to be an analysis of texts with a dictionary, rather than reading. A newbie can fill out a form or write a birthday greeting to a friend via email, but writing a detailed letter recounting all the local news will require intense effort. His reading style is reminiscent of the reading of a child who has just learned how syllables form words, and still spends quite a lot of effort on the actual reading process, and not on understanding. And even if he reads fluently, he comes across many passages that seem to have been read, but are completely incomprehensible. Beginner's knowledge is enough to communicate using gestures and words at the airport, in a store, on the street. Any interlocutor will understand you, but he will also understand that your knowledge is very shallow and will try to speak more slowly and simply.

At the Pre-Intermediate level, the same knowledge is deepened, emphasis is placed on grammar and further expansion of vocabulary. The main thing at the end of this level is to master the structure of the language, since at the next level an active movement “in breadth” begins; it is not for nothing that Intermediate in the West is sometimes called functional, because it represents a reliable knowledge base that provides a lot of opportunities, including for work or studying at a university. You need to be prepared for this, so at the Pre-Intermediate level, basic ideas about grammar are gained, which are finally consolidated at the Intermediate level. All other skills, such as reading and speaking, develop, but it is at this level that different students clearly reveal their inclinations and abilities. Someone understands that he has excellent hearing and a certain artistry - he perfectly recognizes the nuances of pronunciation and reproduces them, someone, on the contrary, has a strong logical mind and cracks grammatical problems like nuts, but cannot connect two words in any case. , it is felt that the student has not yet reached the “fireproof sum”. If he stops studying at this moment, he will inevitably forget most what he taught, and subsequently he will have to start all over again.

If at the elementary level the student understands only clear and slow speech on familiar topics, at the intermediate level he can listen to and understand any popular television programs, then the Pre-Intermediate level, which is intermediate between them, is very difficult to characterize unambiguously. Yes, you can already understand fluent speech, but selectively. You can talk about your musical tastes, but find it difficult to justify your preferences. You can read not only fairy tales, but also adult literary works. Although it would be difficult to call it a pleasure, because you will have to do some work translating incomprehensible words and parsing complex structures, since even the most fascinating detective stories of Agatha Christie, written in a fairly simple and clear language, cause difficulties for students with the Pre-Intermediate level.

Vocabulary at different levels is approximately:

• Beginner - 1000 words;
• Pre-Intermediate - 1200 words;
• Intermediate - 1500 words.

Of course, these figures are very arbitrary. Some courses offer such a Pre-Intermediate, at the end of which you will know about 1800 words. In any case, in order to communicate freely or read as native speakers do, you need to know about 8 thousand words. If you know more, then we are talking about special knowledge or erudition. 1500 words is enough for everyday communication or confident, but not yet fluent reading.

Pre-Intermediate - the level at which you can:

1. Pronounce familiar words clearly and understandably.
2. Build sentences grammatically correctly in oral and
3. Talk about yourself, describe a situation or person, express an opinion.
4. Ask your interlocutor to explain an unclear place.
5. Feel confident in everyday life and on tourist trips.
6. Capture the main meaning of any text, including scientific articles.
7. Read literary works written in simple language with a dictionary.
8. Distinguish all sounds, it is good to hear familiar words in fluent speech. It is good to understand clear, not too fast speech.
9. Write a fairly meaningful letter to a friend using simple grammatical structures.
10. Fill out the form, questionnaire, questionnaire.

Pre-Intermediate - a level at which you cannot:

1. Freely read literary works “that you have long dreamed of.”
2. Understand the nuances of a particular author’s style.
3. Talk with friends about complex philosophical topics.
4. Understand people who have some peculiarities of pronunciation, for example, with fluent, distorted speech.
5. Maintain a simple conversation on a topic that you “haven’t studied”, for example, discuss with a car enthusiast neighbor his new car if you learned your vocabulary from travel texts.
6. Confidently give a scientific report, make a presentation and answer questions from the audience.

Of course, as mentioned above, all these skills depend on the course, purpose and focus of training. For example, people with a general Pre-Intermediate level can successfully communicate on work topics, for example, in the IT field. Of course, this is possible provided that specific vocabulary is studied. And although everything else, like watching popular movies, will cause difficulties, in certain situations a person with a Pre-Intermediate level of English will feel confident.

Before you start talking about the levels of the English language, you need to immediately agree that they cannot be driven into a strictly defined framework. No one can tell you that if you learn 15 more words, your level will no longer be beginner, but intermediate. And in general, no one judges the level of language proficiency only by the volume of vocabulary. Therefore, if you were told that you successfully passed the exam at the Intermediate level, then you can boast with full confidence to your friends that you have the Upper-Intermediate level, that is, its initial part.

To a person inexperienced in teaching methods, it may seem that there is absolute confusion in the classification of language proficiency levels. So, for example, if you take the famous grammar book "English Grammar In Use" by Murphy (blue bound version), on the cover of which it is written "for intermediate students" (for intermediate students), you will notice that this textbook covers material which is quite enough to pass the FCE exam, for which the courses prepare Advanced level students. This begs a logical question: aren’t there several classifications of English language levels? Let's look at their classification and lift the veil a little over the mysticism that hovers over determining the level of the English language.

There is an organization accredited by the European Commission for Education ALTE(The Association of Language Testers in Europe), which has developed a general scale of levels of proficiency in foreign languages. This scale divides all students into six levels: A1 (Breakthrough level), A2 (Level 1), B1 (Level 2), B2 (Level 3), C1 (Level 4) and C2 (Level 5), covering the range from basic to almost perfect level of language proficiency.

The Cambridge exams are tied to this scale. British publishers of dictionaries for learners of English, reference books and collections of grammar exercises, vocabulary, etc. also rely on this scale. In general, it is used for almost all types of teaching aids, except for one large group: basic courses in English.

In simple terms, basic training courses English - these are the well-known Top Notch, True Colors, Headway, Cutting Edge, Streamline English, True to Life, Reward, etc. These textbook series use their own English language level scale. It consists of six levels: Beginner or Basic, Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate And Advanced. Almost all English courses that use a communicative approach are guided by this scale.

Is it possible to find out the correspondence between this scale and the one proposed? ALTE? Yes, the approximate ratio is presented in the table below.

Comparison table of English levels

ALTE levels	Levels by textbooks Headway, Cutting Edge, etc.	Exams
A1 Breakthrough	Beginner (Basic)	-
	Elementary
A2 Level 1	Pre-Intermediate
B1 Level 2	Intermediate
	Upper-Intermediate
B2 Level 3	Advanced	FCE(First Certificate in English) IELTS 5.0-5.5 TOEFL 570-610 (PBT), 230-255 (CBT)
C1 Level 4	-	CAE(Certificate in Advanced English) IELTS 6.0-7.0 TOEFL 630-677 (PBT), 270-300 (CBT)
C2 Level 5		CPE(Certificate of Proficiency in English) IELTS 7.5-9.0

As can be seen from the table, the Advanced level, which is offered by almost all language courses, corresponds to only the average level on the scale ALTE.
Let’s say right away that you shouldn’t be upset, dear English language learners, since all organizations and educational institutions that work with people for whom English is not their native language are familiar with the scale below and are aware of these differences in levels. And if you are going to study at a university in an English-speaking country or get a prestigious job directly related to the use of language knowledge, then they won’t ask you much about your language level - they will need results TOEFL, IELTS etc.

All these exams have their own gradation and correspond to the last levels on the scale ALTE. In the case of preparation for TOEFL or IELTS, we usually talk about passing the exam to a certain score. Preparation courses for Cambridge exams - FCE, CAE, CPE - last at least an academic year each, and it is understood that each of these levels takes you to a qualitatively new level of language proficiency. Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) is a document confirming that you speak English almost as fluently as your native one.

The last level that can be achieved is Post-Proficiency. It describes people who know English almost perfectly, at the level of an educated native speaker. At this level, when communicating in English, difficulties may arise only on a cultural level: for example, the meaning of a joke may slip away if it plays on a quote from a TV show, film or book. A Post-Proficiency student rarely makes mistakes when using English, but he practices a lot so as not to lose his skills. There is no further gradation of levels; you will simply be called a “native English speaker”.

Below is a description of English language proficiency levels as recommended by the British Council:

• Beginner
• Elementary
• Pre Intermediate
• Intermediate
• Upper Intermediate
• Advanced

Beginner level

Conversation

• say your name and personal details
• answer basic questions (what’s your name, how old are you, etc.)
• count to one hundred

Understanding

• Know the alphabet and be able to spell words
• Understand basic sentences and questions

Level Elementary

Conversation

• Learn and provide brief information about yourself and others
• Find out and provide brief information of a non-personal nature
• Express your thoughts so that you are understood and ask for clarification of this or that situation so that it becomes clear to you what is being said
• Express simple ideas and feelings
• Speak with a pronunciation that everyone can understand
• Use the language to communicate and solve problems in any English-speaking country

Understanding

• Capture the main meaning of listening in class
• Understand the main key points of listening
• Read short texts and grasp main ideas.

Letter

• Compose sentences correctly
• Write a postcard, e-mail, small request or notification
• Compose brief description About Me
• Start a phone conversation wisely

Pre Intermediate level

Conversation

• Speak with clear pronunciation
• Provide personal and abstract information
• Clearly explain that you don’t understand something
• Understand the explanation of certain issues in situations of misunderstanding
• Express your thoughts and feelings clearly
• Operate with basic communication situations

Understanding

• Understand the main idea of ​​the text
• Clearly distinguish between stress, sounds and intonation
• Read simple texts and understand main ideas

Letter

• Describe a situation, place or person
• Formulate your attitude towards objects, problems and people
• Write a postcard, formal/informal letter, e-mail, request, apology or petition
• Write about yourself
• Construct a sentence clearly and grammatically by coordinating words with each other

Upon completion of this level, students can prepare to take the international Cambridge exam PET(Preliminary English Test).

Intermediate level

Conversation

• Find out other people's opinions, attitudes and emotions and express your own
• Express misunderstanding of the situation and ask for clarification
• Express your ideas in a simple way
• Speak with clear and understandable pronunciation for others
• Express emotions and feelings using stress and intonation
• Correctly combine words in a sentence in spoken and written English

Understanding

• Understand the main ideas in listening exercises in class
• Understand main points and general meaning from context and recognize content
• Recognize and distinguish the pronunciation of a person speaking English
• Improve the ability to understand and distinguish between informal and formal written and spoken language in a variety of situations

Letter

• Fill out various papers: declarations, questionnaires, etc.
• Write letters, postcards
• Write informational formal and informal letters
• Write down the sequence of events, write stories
• Describe people, places and situations
• Supplement the presentation of a particular situation with personal comments
• Express thoughts and attitudes simply and grammatically correctly

Upper Intermediate level

Conversation

• Record and provide information under various circumstances
• Use formal and informal language in different situations
• Discuss with two or more people and be able to carry on a conversation
• Catch your own shortcomings and mistakes in pronunciation
• Speak with a small number of grammatical and lexical errors and be able to correct them during a conversation (with explanation)

Understanding

• Understand the main ideas of the text the first time
• Understand by ear the relationships and emotions expressed in the text
• Pick up different regional accents
• Perceive and conduct a telephone conversation
• Read newspapers and magazines and understand basic key points
• Distinguish between styles: conversational, formal, street, etc.
• Draw conclusions from what you read

Letter

• Writing formal and informal letters
• Write basic instructions and instructions
• Compose short review film or story
• Operate with simple and complex syntactic structures
• enjoy different styles in writing letters, stories
• Express thoughts clearly and grammatically correctly so that the listener can easily understand what is said

Upon completion of this level, students can prepare and take international Cambridge exams IELTS(International English Language Testing System), FCE(First Certificate in English) and American exam TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language).

Advanced level

Conversation

• Use formal and informal styles to suit the place and time
• Speak with a limited number of grammatical and lexical errors
• Speak fluently on various topics
• Know and be able to put into practice idiomatic expressions and established phrases or phrases
• Operate with the phonological features of the language, be able to highlight with intonation or place logical stress in accordance with the laws of the language at the place in the sentence to which you want to draw the interlocutor’s attention.

Understanding

• Understand key points the first time and recognize the speaker’s attitude and opinion on the issue
• Evaluate intonation and draw conclusions about the speaker’s feelings and emotions

Letter

• Write official and informal letters, e-mail and convey your own feelings and emotions in accordance with the canons of etiquette
• Write a story
• Write discursive essays, e.g. by logical conclusions
• Compile reports, write articles and reviews of books, films, events

Upon completion of this level, students can take the Cambridge exam CAE(Certificate in Advanced English), and also prepare for the exam CPE(Certificate of Proficiency in English).

Let's say you have already crossed the Elementary level and are one step closer to your goal - to communicate fluently in English. What level are you at? Right! This is level A2 Pre-Intermediate or preparatory intermediate level. It ranks a respectable third in the CEFR table and takes you closer to perfection. Well, let's get started, ladies and gentlemen!

CEFR English Level Chart

LEVEL	Description	CEFR level
Beginner	You don't speak English	;)
Elementary	You can say and understand some words and phrases in English	A1
Pre-Intermediate	You can communicate in “plain” English and understand the other person in a familiar situation, but have difficulty	A2
Intermediate	You can speak quite well and understand speech by ear. Express your thoughts using simple sentences but have difficulty with more complex grammatical structures and vocabulary	B1
Upper-Intermediate	You speak and understand English well by ear, but you can still make mistakes	B2
Advanced	You speak English fluently and have full listening comprehension	C1
Proficiency	You speak English at the level of a native speaker	C2

PreIntermediate language level - what does it mean?

Pre-Intermediate level (A2) is the level at which you are no longer so afraid of communicating with a foreigner who addresses you in English. Ask him to repeat the question and you will not only understand, but also be able to explain how to find the nearest hotel. It is at this level that you gradually learn to communicate in English and practice your speech, and the time of silence comes to an end.

At this level, you repeat and consolidate the knowledge that you received at “Elementary”. You could say you start all over again, with “Present Simple”, but at the same time you delve into the nuances of the language that you were not familiar with before.

At this level, you can already try to pass some kind of language test, although there will be no practical benefit from this. This level approximately corresponds to the result of 3-4 when passing the IELTS exam, 39-56 points when passing the TOEFL iBT, you can try to pass the Cambridge PET exam (Preliminary English Test) and get a good score. By the way, if you want to work abroad, then non-specialized employers are looking for people with exactly this level of language.

• understand the general meaning of the interlocutor’s statements, you can maintain a simple dialogue and ask questions, but speak in short, fragmentary sentences;
• passed our level determination test and he told you so :) ;
• you know basic grammar well, but it is difficult for you to use it in spontaneous conversation, you get confused in constructions or construct phrases using only simple tenses;
• studied English at school or university and have good basic knowledge;
• Recently completed a course of studying English at the “Elementary” level.

The Pre-Intermediate level program includes the study of the following topics.

Topics to be studied in the Pre-Intermediate level program

Grammar topics

Lexical topics

Group tenses Present (Simple, Continuous, Perfect) Times of the group Past (Simple, Continuous, Perfect) Constructions Used to do and be used to do something Future Simple tense + be going to construction Word order in questions Types of questions Comparative and superlative degrees of adjectives Too, enough, a little, a few Gerund and infinitive Modal verbs(have to, must, can, may, might, should) Prepositions of time and place Conditional sentences (0, 1, 2 type) Passive voice Indirect (Indirect) speech Phrasal verbs

Family and friends Technologies Holidays Events Communication Vacation and day off Trips Ecological problems Lifestyle Relationship Circle of life Cinema and films Media Best work Our future Health Love and trust Music Modern society Shopping and shopping Fame and success Perfect world

How long to study for Pre-Intermediate

The duration of studying English at the Pre-Intermediate level may vary depending on the starting knowledge and individual characteristics student. Our Pre-Intermediate course lasts on average 4-8 months.

Set a goal. Your desire to learn English is the driver of your learning. If you don't have the motivation to study, it will take a long time. long term. Therefore, the first thing you need to do when learning English on Skype is to set yourself a goal for which you need the language. You travel a lot and want to make new friends and learn more about the culture of countries. For such purposes, you need a “Pre-Intermediate” level and higher.

Exercise every day. If you want to compress the time it takes to learn English as much as possible, then you need to study every day. At the same time, to immerse yourself in the language environment, study for at least 2 hours a day.

Use English in your life. Don't wait until you master the language perfectly. Start using it in your life right now! Try to replace Russian with English as much as possible. This way you can use it and improve it at the same time. Right now, think about where you can use it. There are so many ways!

Conclusion

After reading the article, you may think that Pre-Intermediate and Elementary are similar in grammar or conversation topics. We can assure you, this level is more difficult. At Pre-Intermediate, old grammar acquires new nuances, and a similar topic like “Food” or “Daily Routines” becomes richer in new words and stable constructions. Go ahead and don't stop there!

Big and friendly EnglishDom family