Of English language. What levels are there, what is the difference between them and why does this division exist at all.
Today we will discuss the Beginner level in detail - First level of English language . Those who are just about to start learning English will learn:
Who are the "false beginners"
What awaits you and what happens at the Beginner level
What will you know and be able to do initial course
How to choose an English textbook for beginners
LevelBeginner orstarter?
Beginner level- is the very first elementary level of English. English from scratch. It is also called Starter, but the essence of this does not change.
Beginner, or starter, is someone who did not learn the language either at school or at the institute, did not go to courses and to tutors. This is someone who does not speak English, the maximum is yes, no, hello. This is someone who knows a couple of words, but nothing more. Clean board! Innocent creature!
It is clear that these days you almost never see them. Everyone comes across English in one way or another - someone travels, someone at work. Yes, and in our Russian-speaking environment constantly flicker English words. And if you want - you can't hide from English))
Even those who have never studied English for anything know a couple of phrases, for example:
ubiquitous
Do you speak English?
Moscow is the capital of Russia.
phrases from favorite songs and movies
international words - sandwich, football
travel related words – check-in, gate, passport control
Who itfalsebeginner (false beginner)
False beginner - it's like a false Dmitry)) Dmitry Beginner pretends to be, but Dmitry is not a beginner.
Such false beginners usually say:
I studied English at school, but it was a long time ago and not true, I forgot everything. I would like to be in a beginner group
I send such false Dmitrievs straight to the Elementary level group. And all because after a month or two of classes they sharply recall English and restore what they knew. They get bored with real beginners, and the latter cannot keep up with them.
So, if you have ever studied English, welcome to the Elementary level.
Beginner is still English from scratch.
I must say that Starter is the rarest beast. For 15 years of teaching real beginners, I had 5 people. And this is not only my statistics.
English textbook for beginners
There are many tutorials for beginners. Any reputable publishing house (Oxford, Cambridge, Macmillan, Pearson) produces several lines of manuals, among which there is always an English textbook for beginners. In this case, the textbook can be called either Beginner or Starter.
Choose any that you and your teacher like:
- New English File
- Speakout
- new headway
- Cutting Edge and others
Scroll through and choose the one that is more pleasant to hold in your hands)) For, as you will see, any English textbook for beginners offers similar content.
What's on the levelbeginner
However, no matter what English textbook for beginners you take, they learn about the same thing everywhere. I will show on the example of my favorite communicative textbooks and.
What happens at the Beginner / Starter level
| Grammar | Vocabulary | Pronunciation | (communicative) situations, Practical skills |
- verb to be:
- possessive pronouns and possessive "s - adjectives -Present Simple
- can and can "t - past simple, statements, denials and questions:
- There was/there were - Object pronouns me, him, her, etc. - Like verb+ -ing - Going to:
| - numbers from 0 to 100 Countries and nationalities everyday items family members Colors and commonly used Frequently used verbs Food and drink Professions Daily activities and routines Prepositions of time and place | - individual sounds stress in words Stress and rhythm in sentences Pronunciation of word endings
| - get to know, introduce yourself, tell about yourself, introduce someone - exchange contacts - describe the item - find out and say what time and day / date - talk about your typical day - find out how much the goods cost - learn the rules: what is possible and what is not - talk about the past: where you were and what you did yesterday / last week - to express an opinion, to ask someone's opinion - to tell and learn about plans for the future - express a forecast for the future - at the airport: hear the information you need - in hotel:
- in the city: ask for directions |
And now a little more and with examples of what they learn at the Beginner level.
What do you learn at the Beginner level?
Grammar:
- basic, basic, simple designs for everyday communication
Or in courses, you will definitely come across the concept of “English language levels” or “English language proficiency levels”, as well as such incomprehensible designations as A1, B2, and more understandable Beginner, Intermediate and so on. From this article, you will learn what these formulations mean and what levels of knowledge of the language distinguish, as well as how to determine your level of english.
The levels of English are designed so that language learners can be divided into groups with approximately similar knowledge and skills in reading, writing, speaking and writing, as well as to simplify testing procedures, examinations, for various purposes related to emigration, study abroad and employment. This classification helps in recruiting students into a group and preparing teaching aids, methods, language teaching programs.
Of course, there is no clear boundary between the levels, this division is rather conditional, necessary not so much for students as for teachers. In total, there are 6 levels of language proficiency, there are two types of division:
- Levels A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2,
- Beginner, Elementary, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, Advanced, Proficiency levels.
Basically it's just two different names for the same. These 6 levels are divided into three groups.
Table: English language proficiency levels
The classification was developed in the late eighties - early nineties of the last century, it is fully called the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (abbr. CERF).
English levels: detailed description
Beginner level (A1)
At this level you can:
- Understand and use familiar everyday expressions and simple problem solving phrases specific tasks.
- Introduce yourself, introduce others, ask simple questions personal nature, such as “Where do you live?”, “Where are you from?”, be able to answer such questions.
- Maintain a simple conversation if the other person speaks slowly, clearly, and helps you.
Many who studied English at school speak the language at about the Beginner level. From the vocabulary only elementary mother, father, help me, my name is, London is the capital. You can understand well-known words and expressions by ear if they speak very clearly and without an accent, as in audio lessons for a textbook. You understand texts like the “Exit” sign, and in a conversation with the help of gestures, using individual words, you can express the simplest thoughts.
Elementary level (A2)
At this level you can:
- Understand common expressions on the common topics, such as: family, shopping, work, etc.
- Talk about simple everyday topics, expressing yourself simple phrases.
- Tell simple expressions about yourself, describe simple situations.
If at school you had 4 or 5 in English, but after some time did not use English, then most likely you speak the language in Elementary level. TV shows in English will not be understood, except perhaps individual words, but the interlocutor, if he speaks clearly, in simple phrases of 2-3 words, you will generally understand. You can also incoherently and with long pauses for reflection tell the simplest information about yourself, say that the sky is blue and the weather is clear, express a simple wish, make an order at McDonald's.
Beginner - Elementary levels can be called "survival level", Survival English. It is enough to "survive" during a trip to a country where the main language is English.
Intermediate level (B1)
At this level you can:
- Understand the general meaning of distinct speech on general, familiar topics related to everyday life(work, study, etc.)
- Cope with the most typical situations on a trip, travel (at the airport, in a hotel, etc.)
- Write simple connected text on topics that are common or familiar to you personally.
- Retell events, describe hopes, dreams, ambitions, be able to briefly talk about plans and explain your point of view.
Vocabulary and knowledge of grammar is enough to write simple essays about yourself, describe cases from life, write a letter to a friend. But in most cases oral speech lags behind writing, you confuse tenses, think over a phrase, pause to pick up a preposition (to or for?), but you can more or less communicate, especially if there is no shyness or fear of making a mistake.
It is much more difficult to understand the interlocutor, and if it is a native speaker, and even with fast speech and a bizarre accent, then it is almost impossible. However, simple, clear speech is understood well, provided that the words and expressions are familiar. You generally understand if the text is not very complex, and with some difficulty understand the general meaning without subtitles.
Level Upper Intermediate (B2)
At this level you can:
- Understand the general meaning of complex text on concrete and abstract topics, including technical (specialized) topics in your profile.
- Speak quickly enough so that communication with a native speaker occurs without long pauses.
- Write clear, detailed text different topics explain a point of view, give arguments for and against various points view on the topic.
Upper Intermediate is already a good, sound, confident command of the language. If you are talking on a well-known topic with a person whose pronunciation you understand well, then the conversation will go quickly, easily, naturally. An outside observer will say that you are fluent in English. However, you can be confused by words and expressions related to topics that are poorly understood by you, all sorts of jokes, sarcasm, allusions, slang.
You are asked to answer 36 questions to test listening, writing, speaking and grammar.
It is noteworthy that to test listening comprehension, phrases like “London is the capital” recorded by the speaker are not used, but short excerpts from films (Puzzle English specializes in learning English from films and TV shows). In English-language films, the speech of the characters is close to how people speak in real life so the test may seem harsh.
Chandler from Friends doesn't have the best pronunciation.
To check the letter, you need to translate several phrases from English into Russian and from Russian into English. The program provides several translation options for each phrase. To test knowledge of grammar, it is used quite regular test, where you need to choose one option from several offered.
But you are probably wondering how the program can test the skill colloquial speech? Of course, an online English proficiency test will not test your speech as a person, but the test developers came up with original solution. In the task, you need to listen to a phrase from the movie and choose a cue that is suitable for continuing the dialogue.
Talking is not enough, you also need to understand the interlocutor!
The ability to speak English consists of two skills: to understand the speech of the interlocutor by ear and to express one's thoughts. This task, albeit in a simplified form, tests how you cope with both tasks.
At the end of the test you will be shown full list questions with correct answers, you will find out where you made mistakes. And of course, you will see a chart showing your level on a scale from Beginner to Upper Intermediate. 
2. Test to determine the level of English with a teacher
To get a professional, “live” (not automated, as in tests) assessment of the level of English, you need English teacher who will test you with assignments and an interview in English.
This consultation is free of charge. First, your city may have Language school in which they offer to pass free testing for knowledge of the language and even a trial lesson. Now this is a common practice.
In short, I signed up for a trial test lesson, got in touch on Skype at the appointed time, and the teacher Alexandra and I held a lesson, during which she “tortured” me in every possible way different tasks. All communication was in English.
My trial lesson on SkyEng. Checking grammar knowledge.
At the end of the lesson, the teacher explained to me in detail in which direction I should develop my English, what problems I have, and a little later she sent a letter with detailed description level of language skills (with marks on a 5-point scale) and methodological recommendations.
This method took some time: three days passed from the application to the lesson, and the lesson itself lasted about 40 minutes. But it is much more interesting than any online test.
Beginner level (beginner)- this is First level of English language. If English is unfamiliar to you, or you have thoroughly forgotten it, then beginner course(beginer) - for you. Beginner level has the same letter designation, which is the next level of learning - Elementary - A1. And, if you are able to speak in simple, one-syllable sentences in English, remember the basics of grammar and reading rules and have at least a small vocabulary then you can proceed to the next level - Elementary. In any case, our teachers will always suggest the right solution.
Want to find out now if your knowledge matches Beginner steps?
and receive recommendations to help you decide on further education.
Sometimes it can be difficult to decide whether to start learning English from this level or go straight to the next one - Elementary.
Start at the Beginner level if you:
- have never studied foreign languages before;
- previously studied a foreign language, but not English;
- learned English at school/university/courses many years ago and don't remember anything;
- have studied English before, have elementary disparate knowledge, but want to start from scratch in order to systematize them;
- think that you do not have the ability to learn languages and English will never obey you.
If any of the above points concerns you, start learning a language with elementary school. Learning English from scratch will help you properly “immerse yourself” in the language: simple themes, interesting tasks and clear explanations of the teacher quickly give a positive result.
Beginner level knowledge
How to determine at what level you should start learning: Beginner or Elementary? The table will show what knowledge a person with a Beginner level should have.
| Skill | your knowledge |
|---|---|
| Grammar (Grammar) |
You are familiar with three simple tenses: Present, Past and Future Simple. You understand why in the sentences I see a book. The book is good before the word book in the first sentence is a, and in the second the (articles in English), although you can use articles incorrectly in your speech. You know that verbs have three forms, for example: go-went-gone (irregular verbs). You understand what There is no chocolate in my bag means (there is/are constructs). You are able to ask simple questions to the interlocutor, for example: What do you usually eat for lunch? (word order in questions). You know how to ask the interlocutor to do something, for example: Sit down and listen to me (imperative mood). You know how to talk about your plans, for example: I’m going to the cinema tomorrow (be going to construction). You can talk about your likes and dislikes, for example: I love reading but I don’t like watching TV (like doing construction). You can make some simple sentences about what you can and can't do, for example: I can swim ( modal verb can). You can several in simple terms characterize the subject, for example: good, bad, easy, etc. (English adjectives). |
| Vocabulary (Vocabulary) |
Your vocabulary ranges from 500 to 700 words and phrases. |
| speaking (Speaking) |
You know the alphabet, you can count in English. You can report the time and date in English. You can say a few simple sentences about yourself. You can answer elementary questions about yourself, your hobby. You know the names of some professions, countries of the world, nationalities. You can get to know people using a few simple phrases. You can keep up the conversation and talk about the weather. You can do basic shopping at the store and order a meal at the restaurant. |
| Reading (Reading) |
You know the rules for reading English words. |
| listening (listening) |
You understand audio recordings adapted to your level. You can understand the primitive speech of foreigners if they speak clearly and slowly and use only the words and phrases you know. |
| Letter (Writing) |
You spell the letters of the English alphabet correctly. You can write short text from a few simple sentences. |
Even if you know only half of the above material, previously studied English at school or university, but had a solid “troika” in this subject, we recommend starting from the Elementary level.
Beginner level topics covered
| Grammar Topics | Conversational Topics |
|---|---|
|
|
What You Will Learn in the Beginner Course
At every stage of learning foreign language You improve four basic skills: speaking, reading, listening and writing. Chief among these will be speaking, and the whole curriculum will be subordinated to the goal of learning to speak fluently and correctly.
At the level English Beginner You will get to know English alphabet and features of the pronunciation of sounds that have no analogues in our native language, learn to understand English speech and talk about simple topics using commonly used words and phrases.
Speaking Skill starts to develop from the first lesson. The teacher explains the materials to you in Russian so that everything is clear to you, but by the end of the first lesson you will know a few elementary phrases in English. Upon completion of the course, you will be able to build your own simple sentences, answer questions, you will know the basic phrases for everyday communication. Your speech will be simple and rather slow for now, but on next levels You will be able to systematically develop your conversational skills, because you will already know the principle of the "work" of the language. The Beginner level helps to lay a certain foundation that will allow you to improve your skills in the next stage of learning English.
In Russian, not all sounds are similar to English, and intonation is radically different, so you will learn to pronounce sounds correctly and get used to unusual mother tongue intonation. To understand how English "sounds" correctly, you will listen simple audio recordings recorded by native speakers. The topics of the audio materials will correspond to the topic of the lesson, in which you will hear the words and phrases learned in the lesson.
Also Special attention given writing. At the Beginner level, you learn the basics of writing in English. It is very important to understand initial stage, what in English principle“What we hear is what we write” does not work: one sound in a letter can be indicated by several letters and vice versa. Therefore, you will practice writing in English simple texts from several sentences, using the learned words and based on the acquired knowledge of grammar.
At the end of the Beginner course, your vocabulary (Vocabulary) will be approximately 500-700 words. To make it easy and interesting for you to memorize new expressions and words, visual material is used that activates visual and long-term memory. Various interactive tasks allow you to learn the language while playing.
The training course is structured in such a way that several aspects of the language are fixed simultaneously in one exercise. For example, to consolidate grammar, sentences are compiled on the basis of previously learned words and phrases that are directly related to the topic of the current lesson. Thus, grammar and vocabulary are trained in one task.
Term of study at Beginner level
The duration of the period of studying English at the Beginner level depends on individual characteristics student and regularity of classes. Average term Beginner course is 2-4 months. It is at this level that the first acquaintance with the English language takes place, which means that your attitude towards it is laid down. How you will be presented with English, how interesting it will be for you to take the first steps in learning it, will generally depend on your desire to learn it.
01.10.2015
I taught, taught this English, but the level remained the same ... Familiar?
According to the international scale, there are the following levels of language proficiency: beginner, elementary, pre— intermediate, intermediate, upper— intermediate, advanced, proficiency, respectively in ascending order. AT European scale these levels have an alphanumeric designation: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2.
In this article, you will learn how one level of proficiency differs from another and how to independently determine your level of English.
Beginner (starter) / Elementary
According to the European scale, they correspond to the level A1. Beginner is the initial level of knowledge of the language, that is, you start learning the language almost from scratch.
The Elementary level already implies some knowledge of the language. If you understand slow and clear speech, you can express your thoughts using the simplest and most familiar English phrases to solve specific problems and issues in the field of everyday communication, you can tell about yourself, you can read and translate simple texts, as well as write simple letters, you can fill out forms - your English level is A1 (survival level).
By the way, the vocabulary at this level should be about 1200 words.
Pre-intermediate
The level is below average or A2 on the European scale. It is also called the pre-threshold level (waystage). At this stage, you should be able to speak English more or less confidently, have a vocabulary of about 1500 words or more. You also need to know the basics of English grammar, be able to read simple texts and understand their main ideas.
With regard to writing skills, at this level you should be able to competently compose formal and informal letters, e-mail , sign a postcard, tell about yourself in writing, describe events, places or people, and express your attitude to people, objects or situations.
intermediate
This level is considered average and corresponds to B1. At this level, all the knowledge gained at the previous levels is consolidated, and a lot of new, often complex vocabulary is added. You should already know about 2500 lexical units, correctly combine words in a sentence in written and spoken English.
You need to be able to grammatically correctly express your thoughts, fill out various papers, read fiction, journalism, to correspond with native speakers without much difficulty.
In general, quite a decent level of language proficiency for travelers and those who want to work in a foreign company.
Upper-intermediate
The level of language proficiency is above average, corresponds to the B2 scale. If you catch different regional accents of English, use formal and informal speech styles, you can notice your own mistakes in pronunciation and grammatical flaws, you know how to operate with simple and complex syntactic constructions, speaking with a small number of errors, expressing your thoughts clearly and correctly - your level is Upper-intermediate.
Vocabulary should be from 3000 to 4000 lexical units.
At this level, you should be able to speak fluently and understand English without difficulty.
Advanced / Proficiency
The so-called advanced level of language proficiency. On the this stage you should be able to use almost as much English as your native language, i.e. fluent in various themes with a limited number of errors, change the style of communication depending on the situation, know and apply in practice English idioms, set phrases and phrases. You also need to be able to write narratives, write reports, write articles and reviews of films, books or events. Vocabulary at this level ranges from 4,000 to 6,000 words.
There is also a super advanced level Advanced 2 (Mastery) is the level of a native speaker, i.e. a person born and raised in English speaking country, whose native language is English.
So, compare your skills and knowledge with these descriptions and you will get a rough idea of what level of English you have. The Internet has great amount tests to determine the level of English, but they can not fully assess your knowledge. For the full picture, you need to test all aspects of the language: speaking and listening, reading and writing skills, not just grammar.
That's all. Good luck in learning English!
| A - Elementary proficiency | B - Self Ownership | C - Fluency | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
| Survival Level | Pre-threshold level | threshold level | Threshold advanced level | Proficiency level | Ownership at the carrier level |
| beginner, | |||||
Do you want to know if your knowledge is suitable for the Beginner stage? Take our course and get recommendations to help you improve your English.
Beginner level is the basics of the English language
The Beginner level is the initial level of the English language, the first stage of knowledge. If you have never studied English before, then the Beginner course is exactly what you need. The Beginner level has the same letter designation as Elementary - A1. This is no coincidence. If you can build a few simple sentences in English, know the basics of grammar and reading rules, you have a small vocabulary, then you can safely step over the Beginner level and immediately proceed to Elementary.
Sometimes it can be difficult to decide whether to start learning English from this level or go straight to the next one - Elementary. Let's shed some light on this question.
We recommend that you start learning English from the Beginner level if you:
- have never studied foreign languages before;
- previously studied a foreign language, but not English;
- learned English at school/university/courses many years ago and don't remember anything;
- have studied English before, have elementary disparate knowledge, but want to start from scratch in order to systematize them;
- think that you do not have the ability to learn languages and English will never obey you.
If any of the above points concerns you, start learning the language from the initial stage. Learning English "from scratch" will help you "immerse yourself" in the language correctly: simple topics, interesting tasks and clear explanations from the teacher quickly give a positive result.
Knowledge that a person with a Beginner level should have
How to determine at what level you should start learning: Beginner or Elementary? The table will show what knowledge a person with a Beginner level should have.
| Skill | your knowledge |
|---|---|
| Grammar (Grammar) | You are familiar with three simple tenses: Present, Past and Future Simple. You understand why in the sentences I see a book. The book is good before the word book in the first sentence is a, and in the second the (articles in English), although you can use articles incorrectly in your speech. You know that verbs have three forms, for example: go-went-gone (irregular verbs). You understand what There is no chocolate in my bag means (there is/are constructs). You are able to ask simple questions to the interlocutor, for example: What do you usually eat for lunch? (word order in questions). You know how to ask the interlocutor to do something, for example: Sit down and listen to me (imperative mood). You know how to talk about your plans, for example: I’m going to the cinema tomorrow (be going to construction). You can talk about your likes and dislikes, for example: I love reading but I don’t like watching TV (like doing construction). You can make some simple sentences about what you can or can't do, for example: I can swim (modal verb can). You can describe the subject in a few simple words, for example: good, bad, easy, etc. (English adjectives). |
| Vocabulary (Vocabulary) | Your vocabulary ranges from 500 to 700 words and phrases. |
| speaking (Speaking) | You know the alphabet, you can count in English. You can report the time and date in English. You can say a few simple sentences about yourself. You can answer elementary questions about yourself, your hobby. You know the names of some professions, countries of the world, nationalities. You can get to know people using a few simple phrases. You can keep up the conversation and talk about the weather. You can do basic shopping at the store and order a meal at the restaurant. |
| Reading (Reading) | You know the rules for reading English words. |
| listening (Listening) | You understand audio recordings adapted to your level. You can understand the primitive speech of foreigners if they speak clearly and slowly and use only the words and phrases you know. |
| Letter (Writing) | You spell the letters of the English alphabet correctly. You can write a short text in a few simple sentences. |
Even if you own only half of the above material, previously studied English at school or university, but had a solid “troika” in this subject, we recommend starting from the level.
The Beginner level program involves the study of the following topics in the curriculum
| Grammar Topics | Conversational Topics |
|---|---|
|
|
How will your knowledge improve in the Beginner course?
At each level of learning a foreign language, you improve four basic skills: speaking, reading, listening and writing. Chief among these will be speaking, and the whole curriculum will be subordinated to the goal of learning to speak fluently and correctly.
At the English Beginner level, you will get acquainted with the English alphabet and the pronunciation of sounds that have no analogues in our native language, learn to understand English speech and speak on simple topics using commonly used words and phrases.
Speaking Skill starts to develop from the first lesson. The teacher explains the materials to you in Russian so that everything is clear to you, but by the end of the first lesson you will know a few elementary phrases in English. Upon completion of the course, you will be able to independently build simple sentences, answer questions, and you will know the basic phrases for everyday communication. Your speech will be simple and rather slow for now, but at the next levels you will be able to systematically develop your speaking skills, since you will already know the principle of the "work" of the language. The Beginner level helps to lay a certain foundation that will allow you to improve your skills in the next stage of learning English.
In Russian, not all sounds are similar to English, and intonation is radically different, so you will learn to pronounce sounds correctly and get used to intonation that is unusual for your native language. To understand how English "sounds" correctly, you will listen simple audio recordings recorded by native speakers. The topics of the audio materials will correspond to the topic of the lesson, in which you will hear the words and phrases learned in the lesson.
Also, special attention is paid to writing. At the Beginner level, you learn the basics of writing in English. It is very important to understand at the initial stage that in English the principle “what we hear is what we write” does not work: one sound in a letter can be indicated by several letters and vice versa. Therefore, you will practice writing simple texts in English of a few sentences, using the learned words and relying on your knowledge of grammar.
At the end of the Beginner course, your vocabulary (Vocabulary) will be approximately 500-700 words. To make it easy and interesting for you to memorize new expressions and words, visual material is used that activates visual and long-term memory. Various interactive tasks allow you to learn the language while playing.
The training course is structured in such a way that several aspects of the language are fixed simultaneously in one exercise. For example, to consolidate grammar, sentences are compiled on the basis of previously learned words and phrases that are directly related to the topic of the current lesson. Thus, grammar and vocabulary are trained in one task.
Term of study at Beginner level
The duration of the period of learning English at the Beginner level depends on the individual characteristics of the student and the regularity of classes. The average training period for the Beginner course is 2-4 months. It is at this level that the first acquaintance with the English language takes place, which means that your attitude towards it is laid down. How you will be presented with English, how interesting it will be for you to take the first steps in learning it, will generally depend on your desire to learn it.
If you want to learn a language with an experienced teacher try in our school. The teacher will help you take the first confident steps in learning English.
