Those prone to self-criticism like to repeat that they know nothing (although in fact they can speak the language at a level closer to average and continue to regularly enroll in English courses), and those prone to vanity assure during an interview that they speak English perfectly (when in fact, again, they may be “average”).

For the most impatient, who check their level after each cup of coffee, the buttons are located at the top. This is done for your convenience: no tedious text searches, click on health and get your certificates - we don’t mind.

And for the most assiduous, who are not used to guessing from the coffee grounds, we offer you to plunge into multi-level English. With feeling, sense, and arrangement, we will talk about how Elementary differs from Intermediate and whether Advanced is as scary as it is portrayed to be.

Basically it will evaluate the fundamental basis - i.e. grammar. However, the degree of proficiency in foreign speech depends on it. Because you can chat incessantly in English, but at the same time make so many mistakes that the interlocutor will hardly be able to guess what the conversation is all about. Or you can compose sentences slowly in oral speech, weighing each word, without making gross mistakes - and thus create the impression of a person who speaks English well.

Level 0 - Full beginner(or Full...beginner)

Just don’t say now that this is you. If you know the name of the letter “i” or even remember something from school like “teacher”, “book” - feel free to move on. Level zero is only for those who studied another language at school. Or maybe I didn’t study any at all.

Level 1 - Elementary(Elementary)

Holmes would have rejoiced at such a name. And the majority of those who graduated from regular high school do the same. Because this level, unfortunately, is the most common among those who learned English through the cracks and happily received a “C” on the final exam.
What characterizes Elementary: you can read many words quite well (especially without any gh, th, ough), your vocabulary includes mother, father, I am from Russia and other popular phrases, and you can sometimes catch something from a song - something familiar.

Level 2 - Upper-Elementary(Higher Elementary)

A good student at a regular school who studies English can boast of this level. And quite often, for some reason, those who studied the language on their own decide to stop at Upper-Elementary. Why? Because the illusion of knowing English arises: the vocabulary is already decent enough to support some basic topics of conversation (in any case, in a hotel abroad it will already be possible to express oneself without indecent gestures), reading usually goes quite well, and even American films in the original they become more or less understandable (by 25 percent).
However, such conclusions are misleading. Especially if you look at other levels of English.
You can jump from regular Elementary to Upper in about 80 hours if you work hard.

Level 3 - Pre-Intermediate(Lower Intermediate Level)

If you took the English language level test and got this result, congratulations. Because this is a very decent command of English. It occurs among excellent students of a regular school, good students of a specialized school, and the majority of those who combine English language courses with trips abroad.
What characterizes this level: in pronunciation there are no “f” or “t” instead of [θ] and in general the speech of such a student does not have a strong Russian accent, written speech is quite literate and completely understandable, one can communicate even on unfamiliar topics using simple sentences. In general, among the levels of the English language, Pre-Intermediate is most often found among serious learners.

Level 4 - Intermediate(Average level)

A very worthy result. Practically unattainable for schoolchildren in a regular school and quite realistic for those who did not slack in English lessons in a specialized school. Among self-learners of English, not everyone reaches this level. They usually take the previous exam, because you can achieve Intermediate in about six months of residential courses abroad, a year of good courses, or a year of classes with a tutor.
What characterizes this level of English: clear pronunciation, good vocabulary, the ability to communicate on various topics, the ability to compose complex written requests (even official documents), films in English with subtitles go with a bang.
With this level you can already take the international tests TOEFL and IELTS.

Level 5 - Upper-Intermediate(Upper middle level)

If you have passed the English language level test and received this result, then you can almost without cheating write in your resume for a position: “English - fluent.” College graduates in the Faculty of Foreign Languages ​​usually reach this level.
What is characterized by: skillful manipulation of different styles in one’s speech (business, conversational, etc.), almost flawless pronunciation, the ability to act as a simultaneous interpreter in an informal setting, fluent reading, understanding of the most complex style - the language of newspapers and magazines in English, deft composition of even particularly complex sentence structures.

Level 6 - Advanced(Advanced)

This is probably the pinnacle that English language learners can achieve in a country where it is not an official language. Those who manage to speak at the Advanced level are usually perceived by their interlocutors as people who have lived in the USA or another English-speaking country for several years.
In fact, you can achieve Advanced even at the foreign language department in college, not to mention at universities. And this proves that 5 years, during which 1-2 hours a day will be spread out to study English, is enough. And if you choose intensive courses, the result will be achieved even earlier.
What characterizes the Advanced level of English: by right, this is fluency in English. Pronunciation with almost no accent, conducting formal and informal conversations, working as a simultaneous interpreter, full understanding of films/books/songs in the original, absence of grammatical errors in written speech and minimal presence of errors in oral speech, understanding of idioms and colloquial expressions. You can confidently plan a career abroad, as well as study at foreign universities.

Level 7 - Super-Advanced(Super advanced)

Are there any here? If so, then the computer most likely malfunctioned on the English language level test.) Because language proficiency at this level is the lot of aborigines living in a country where English is the official language.
What characterizes the Super-Advanced level? Imagine... yourself speaking Russian. You will understand any speech, even if it is a conversation between two emo teenagers discussing topics unknown to you. You will even understand slang. But with all this, you yourself also master the art of words, deftly using terms and putting them into beautiful sentences, without errors (including stylistic ones). And now - the same thing in English. So how?

Dia friend! Do you already feel itchy fingers? Are your seat belts fastened? And are you still here?
Press the button and go! Don't forget to insert the paper into the printer to print out the certificate and proudly display it to everyone interested.

especially for

Pre-Intermediate – what is this level of 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. According to the definition of the 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 and Continuous tenses;
• 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, at the most basic level - monosyllabic sentences;
• explanation in simple terms of 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 and 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.

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 in the 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 is suitable, 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”:

Intermediate defines the average depth of knowledge. It includes a fairly wide range of skills.

This level is preceded by another, which is called Pre-Intermediate and assumes intermediate language proficiency. They switch to Intermediate when they want to learn how to talk not only about ordinary topics, but also be able to discuss professional situations. The Intermediate level provides an understanding of the normal rate of spoken speech by native speakers. The ability to read both fiction and business literature also contributes to this. There are many other skills that characterize the English Intermediate level.

Perhaps the most important factor is that language proficiency at the Intermediate level is required for admission to language universities. Many employers indicate that they need employees who speak English at an Intermediate level. So mastering this level is very important.

Language levels

Many English textbooks are signed as for intermediate students. This means that they are intended for mastering intermediate levels of English. Students graduating from non-linguistic universities speak this level of language. But where did this name come from?

The General English Language Proficiency Scale was created by the ALTE Association. They identified six possible levels of language acquisition:

1. Beginner - initial. This is the level of those who are just starting to learn English. A person at this level learns the alphabet, phonetics, grammar, vocabulary, starting with the simplest sentences and questions.
2. Pre-Intermediate - below average. A person with this level of knowledge already knows how to construct sentences and can briefly talk about a common topic.
3. Intermediate - average. A level that allows you to travel and learn new things. The vocabulary increases significantly, a person can already carry on a conversation, express his own thoughts, talk with a native speaker, and travel freely around the world.
4. Upper-Intermediate - above average. This level is designed for the practical application of communication skills. It is most in demand in the fields of education and business. With language knowledge at this level, you can even enter a foreign university.
5. Advanced 1 - advanced. It is necessary for specialists. This level is also studied by people who want to speak, read and write fluently in English. With this level you can get a prestigious job in another country.
6. Advanced 2 - super advanced. This is the level of native speakers. It is simply impossible to learn a language better than they themselves.

All exams in Cambridge are tied to this scale. Publishers rely on it when producing dictionaries for English language learners. Each reference book, collection of exercises, book for learning a language must indicate the level of knowledge of which allows you to use this publication.

Proficiency at the Intermediate level allows a person to conduct conversations on everyday topics. He can read and write well in English, speaks well, and knows the grammar of the language well.

Knowledge of English at the Intermediate level allows schoolchildren to enter language universities and even try themselves in Western educational institutions.

Requirements for students at the Intermediate level

What can a student with an average level of language knowledge do? He can ask the opinion of his interlocutor, he can clearly talk about what he feels, and express his own ideas. Such students know how to show that they did not understand their interlocutor and may ask them to repeat what was said.

What does Intermediate level mean? People around you, even foreigners, can understand the pronunciation of a person who speaks this level. A person is able to use correct intonation and place emphasis in words. The vocabulary is quite wide.

Intermediate level also means that a person understands the tasks of the exercises. He can tell by pronunciation whether his interlocutor is native to English.

The Intermediate level is the ability to write letters, both personal and official, and correctly fill out questionnaires and declarations. A person who speaks at the Intermediate level can express his thoughts grammatically and correctly.

How do you know if your language proficiency is intermediate?

Many people study the language, but not everyone knows such a thing as the Intermediate level, what it means and what their own knowledge is. People can evaluate their knowledge by talking to a teacher. But there is also the possibility of independently determining your level.

Conversational skills

How well do you know English? The Intermediate level, which means “average,” makes the following requirements for speaking skills:

• The ability to correctly form familiar words into sentences, use the right intonations, express emotions and determine the emotions of your interlocutor.
• The ability to express one’s thoughts clearly and correctly without having problems with pronunciation.
• If any point in the conversation turns out to be incomprehensible, a person at the Intermediate level can report his problem to the interlocutor and ask him to repeat the last words.
• Easily and quickly select synonyms for words, understand verbiage, and determine their meaning in context.

Reading Skills

The Intermediate level allows a person to understand the main essence of the text, even if individual words remain unknown. He can analyze the text he read and express his own opinion about what he read. The exception is highly specialized texts that are replete with terminology.

A person with an Intermediate level, having read the text, understands the style of its writing. He can understand the meaning of popular phraseological units, as well as stable phrases that are used in the text.

Writing skills

Knowledge of the language at the Intermediate level allows you to write personal and official letters, fill out business papers. A person can present short stories in writing and grammatically correct manner in the style required for storytelling.

These are the basic skills of a person who has an Intermediate level. What does this mean in general? The ability to write texts grammatically correctly, using a large vocabulary, both in written and spoken versions.

Intermediate level courses

Many educational institutions offer to improve language skills to an intermediate level. In this case, the person who has completed the course will be able to:

• Freely communicate on everyday topics.
• Correctly formulate your emotions, explain your attitude to events around you.
• Conduct constructive dialogues with your interlocutor, ask his opinion and even argue in language.
• Correctly place stress and intonation in words, be able to determine in which cases one or another intonation is used. This will allow him to emphasize his emotional state.
• Improve pronunciation.
• Learn to understand speech by ear.
• Understand your interlocutor not only by his words, but also by his intonations.
• Identify native speakers and those who simply speak it well.
• Provide grammatically correct information about yourself, in writing or orally, and support informal conversation.
• The Intermediate level also allows you to come up with fictional stories on your own.

Proficiency in the language at the Intermediate level will allow a person to confidently travel around developed countries without translators and without fear of getting into an awkward situation.

Conclusion

Knowledge of English at the Intermediate level allows a person to feel confident in many situations. He can read books, communicate with native speakers and even write business letters. With this knowledge you can get a good position. Intermediate - average level of language proficiency, which is enough to feel confident when traveling to

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 educational institutions.

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 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 studying a language at a university or school, but you are not confident that you have acquired the necessary knowledge. 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 distinguish between 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 of set expressions, phrasal verbs, and 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 knowledge accumulate from lower to higher levels? 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 point, he will inevitably forget most of what he learned, 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.