Knowledge of English will vary from person to person. So, native speakers are fluent in it, foreigners who study the language for a sufficient amount of time can freely explain themselves in it on everyday topics, and those who have just started learning or have been learning English for a very long time know the language at an elementary level. Understanding at what level a person speaks a language is not so simple. For this, there are numerous tests on the Internet, they really help to determine language proficiency. But they check mainly the vocabulary and grammar of the student, but knowledge of the language is not only vocabulary and the ability to understand the rules. Therefore, in a foreign language course, you will be offered not only a written test, but also a little talk with each potential student in a foreign language, they will ask him various questions and invite him to speak. Only after the student has shown his knowledge in oral and written speech, in grammar and vocabulary, it is possible to declare his level of language proficiency.
What levels of language proficiency are there?
Intermediate is an intermediate level of English proficiency. There are 6 or 7 such levels in total, depending on different approaches to determining the level of language competence: Beginner, Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate, Advanced, Proficiency. Sometimes in foreign language courses, some of these levels are divided into sublevels in order to more accurately determine which group to enroll the student in.
What do you need to know at the Intermediate level?
At the Intermediate level, it is expected that he knows the basic tenses of the English language well, knows how to use them in writing and speaking. The volume of his vocabulary is about 3-5 thousand words, which allows the student to speak quite well on everyday topics, understand English speech, compose written texts of normal complexity. At the same time, such a student may make mistakes in speech, speak not too fluently, stutter a little, or choose words for a long time. He understands quite complex texts well - stories, novels written in literary language, popular science articles, he can read the news, but does not always perceive them well by ear. A person with an Intermediate level is unlikely to be able to correctly maintain a conversation on specific and complex topics; he does not speak business vocabulary if he has not been specially trained in words and expressions with a certain specificity.
In general, the Intermediate level is a fairly good level of knowledge of the English language. It can also include those who are not fluent enough in oral speech, but read books well in English, and those who speak well, but are not very well versed in the written features of the language. This level is sufficient for employment with the requirement of compulsory knowledge of the English language. This level of proficiency is shown by good graduates of ordinary schools or students of grades 8-9 of specialized schools and gymnasiums with in-depth study of the English language.
Often, when applying for a job, the employer is interested in the applicant's knowledge of a foreign language and requires his knowledge at the B1 level. Having an Intermediate level will make it easier to pass exams and enter a university abroad. How to speak English at the Intermediate level?
What levels of English are there?
Division into levels when teaching a language:
- facilitates the recruitment of a student group whose representatives have similar competencies;
- publication of textbooks;
- development of curricula and methods;
- organization of testing and entrance examinations.
Separation is required more by teachers than by students.
Allocate:
| Level group | Levels | ||
| A
Novice user (basic ownership) |
A1 | beginner | Elementary |
| A2 | Elementary | Elementary | |
| B
Independent user (confident possession) |
IN 1 | Pre Intermediate | Below the average |
| IN 1 | intermediate | Average | |
| IN 2 | Upper Intermediate | Above average | |
| C Advanced user (fluency, high level) |
C1 | Advanced | Professional |
| C2 | Proficiency | In excellence | |
Intermediate - what level is it?
The main requirement of employers is English proficiency at the Intermediate level. Allows you to travel, explore the unknown, keep in touch with the indigenous people, describe the surrounding space.
Voicing one's position, discussing general everyday and industrial topics, understanding what was said by ear are essential features of the middle stage.
Pre Intermediate
Students apply grammar rules at this level with confidence, but active vocabulary is limited.
Upon completion of the level, they master the necessary communication skills and maintain a conversation on general topics.
Upper Intermediate
At this level, students communicate easily, know in-depth grammar. The vocabulary is diverse, the transition to reading books in the original is carried out.
There is an opportunity to get an education in the West or find a job: work without close contact with clients.
Material that people with knowledge of English at the Intermediate level should know
Grammar
Students understand:
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Vocabulary
It ranges from 2000 to 3000 lexical units. Along with general colloquial vocabulary, they study common words that are associated with communication in the business sphere. The Intermediate level is enriched with phraseological units.
Students operate phrases in context. The vocabulary is expanded due to word formation with the help of prefixes and suffixes, addition of stems and conversion. They show attention to the interpretation of semantics, bringing close and opposite words in meaning.
speaking
You can at the Intermediate level:
Reading
It is typical for you at the Intermediate level:
- understanding of adapted literature;
- unfamiliar vocabulary does not make it difficult to read articles from the World Wide Web and the media;
- there is a transition to reading books in the original.
listening
Differs at the Intermediate level:
- relatively complete understanding with direct contact and in the sound recording of what was heard;
- instant comprehension of non-adapted audio recordings, despite the ignorance of individual words, the accent of the speaker;
- the ability to distinguish the pronunciation of a native speaker from the pronunciation of a non-native speaker;
- watching TV series and films with subtitles;
- listening adapted or not very difficult original audiobooks.
Letter
You can:
- construct a sentence grammatically correct;
- sign a greeting card, invitation, letter, advertisement, request;
- fill out a questionnaire, if necessary;
- describe phenomena, people and incidents, give a comment.
How do you know that you have an intermediate level of language proficiency?
A grade check means a lot in language acquisition and mainly influences the selection of a training program at the Intermediate level.
How to correctly determine the level of training so that testing determines the true state of affairs? There are many sites on the Internet that offer online tests to check the level. However, not everyone copes with the task of determining the language level.
The standard test involves choosing one correct answer from the proposed set. Accurate answers indicate excellent theoretical knowledge of grammar, but are silent about your skills: writing and speaking, listening, reading. Many answer randomly.
There are tests that establish:
The first variation is considered as inferior, therefore, they turn to the second type of test.
Popular English proficiency tests:
- British
- American
The IELTS exam is suitable for:
- study in New Zealand and Great Britain, Ireland and Canada, Australia;
- move to these countries.
There are two main types of IELTS:
- It is used to control the level of Intermediate in the professional field. Looking to work or study abroad
- general training. Assesses language proficiency in everyday situations. Enough for immigration. Consists of:
- Interviews with the examiner. When an appeal is filed, a recording is made on a dictaphone. Topics are varied. It is important for the inspector to hear your thoughts on this or that matter. It is important to sound and look natural. Express your ideas, use the accumulated experience or caused associations. When you find it difficult to say something about museums, think about which one you want to visit. Tell us about your attitude to art, even if it does not arouse interest.
- Letters or essays. 2 tasks are given, where you need to describe the table or write a mini-essay on the specified topic. For General Training: writing (informal or formal), Academic - composition. When passing the written part, they clearly formulate thoughts, avoid repetitions and tautologies, consistently cover the topic. If you have problems with the first task, do not get hung up and move on to the next exercise. Competently completed task number 2 is rated higher: concentrate on its implementation. Keep in mind the required length of the task: #1 - 150 words, #2 - 100 words more. Achieving this mark will save the number of points.
- Listening. Listen to 4 passages and answer questions. Entries are on general topics or are associated with studies. They are presented in the form of a monologue or dialogue and are the same for everyone. To pass successfully, a worksheet with tasks will help: there is a chance to quickly view and pay attention to the necessary information. In case of poor hearing, be sure to warn the staff. The control is built in such a way that points are awarded for a correct answer, however, they are not reduced for an incorrect one.
- Readings. Tasks are given: to answer questions, to choose an unmistakable version and title of the text, to insert the necessary word forms instead of gaps.
When performing, follow the instructions exactly. Do not disregard font changes, accents, headings - they may contain important information. Don't focus on every token - the questions are only relevant to certain factors. The final grade is derived from the scores of all sections: minimum - 1, maximum - 9. Usually 6-7 points is the minimum result that foreign institutions require from applicants.
Courses by Intermediate level
An acceptable and simple way to improve the level of the language is online learning. Self-study of the language is just right for those who do not have the opportunity to attend courses. The disadvantage of studying is the lack of speech practice for the Intermediate level. The way out is to improve the knowledge of the language with the help of interactive courses via Skype. The optimal solution to the problem is face-to-face courses.
English courses:
- English on Skype. EnTouch lessons are the acquisition of knowledge with comfort and passion.
- Business English online. Entrepreneurship is growing rapidly. Hence the demand for this service.
- Accelerated English. It is undeniable, but true: English is a means of international interaction and constructive agreements.
- English with a certificate. Most of the functions of English clear the way for climbing the corporate ladder.
- English for schoolchildren. Classes for students will be cognitive and interesting.
- Spoken English. To have a sense of decisiveness in any verbal situation, it does not hurt to speak fluently in online lessons.
- English for students. A foreign language is an obligatory component of the curriculum of many specialties. Sometimes students find the subject difficult.
- English for adults. It doesn't matter how old you are. The price is the desire to speak English. EnTouch will help you turn your dreams into reality.
- Corporate English. In the variety of EnTouch courses, there was a place for corporate consumers.
- School of Daria Dziuba. Business English: Intermediate (B1).
- Online courses at "Ischool of English".
- Global Link. Courses for adults and children.
Intermediate level program
Grammar Topics
- plural nouns (special cases), agreement of subject and predicate;
- article and pronouns;
- degrees of comparison of adjectives and adverbs;
- Present Indefinite and Present Progressive;
- Present Progressive with stative verbs;
- Past Indefinite and Present Perfect;
- Present Perfect and Present Perfect Progressive;
- Past Indefinite and Used+ Infinitive;
- Ways of Referring to the Future;
- Reported Speech;
- Indirect Questions and Imperatives (Suggestions/Requests/Commands);
- passive voice and the formation of species-temporal forms;
- Modal Verbs and their equivalents;
- prepositions;
- The Gerund and the Infinitive;
- The Complex Sentences;
- Different Types of Questions.
Conversational Topics
- applying for a job;
- At the cafe;
- At the kitchen;
- Books are our friends;
- challenge and approving the goals;
- family affairs;
- fashion and new trends;
- holidays abroad;
- mass media and newspaper;
- modern society;
- my career;
- my personality;
- my point of view;
- natural d;
- old people;
- social problems;
- sport and health;
- The place where I live;
- the world around us;
- The way I spend my pastime/ Parties/Hobbies/Music;
- We are interested in our past;
- We learn to communicate.
How will your speaking skills develop in the Intermediate course?
Intermediate-level - the pivotal period when the development of the listener progresses.
Acquired skills have distinctive features:
The term of study at the Intermediate level
In practice, the duration of training depends on the student's enthusiasm and motivation, as well as the knowledge base.
Teaching takes place systematically and is based on previously acquired skills and abilities. The educational process is characterized by intensity and speed, when the student actively owns vocabulary and grammar. When you realize gaps in certain topics, you should not be upset.
It is advisable to try to assimilate the required material in full in order to reach the required level, and then fearlessly move to a new level. In the second case, it will take more effort and time to study, but in the end, the student will have a full understanding of all the language components.
The next levels are a deepening and expansion of the active vocabulary and a concentration on linguistic micro-details and nuances.
Books to read at the Intermediate level
The best assistants and friends for learners of the language of international communication.
List of books that are used in the educational process:
- Nevil Shute. On the Beach / On the shore. Novel. (1957);
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button / The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Story (1922);
- Mark Twain. The Prince and the Pauper / The Prince and the Pauper. historical novel;
- Live and Let Die / Live and let die. Thriller. (2010);
- Lewis Carroll. Alice Through the Looking Glass / Alice Through the Looking Glass. Books for children. (2013);
- Dal road. Matilda / Matilda. Books for children;
- Mario Puzo / The Godfather / The Godfather. Fiction (1999);
- Arthur Conan Doyle. Short stories / Short stories (2012);
- Alexandre Duma. The Three Musketeers / Three Musketeers. Fiction;
- Seven-Day Magic / Seven days of magic. Books for children (2004);
- English Fairy Tales / Fairy Tales of Britain (2008);
- Henry. The Gift of the Magi / Gifts of the Magi. story;
- Romeo and Juliet / Romeo and Juliet. Tragedy (2010);
- Treasure Island / Treasure Island. adventure novel. (2008);
- Wilkie Collins. The Woman in White / Woman in white. Fiction.
Tutorials for the Intermediate level
- English: service and tourism (N.E. Koroleva, E.Z. Barsetyan, A.M. Serbinovskaya);
- A Frequency Dictionary of Russian: core vocabulary for learners. Sharoff S., Umanskaya E., Wilson J. (2013. - 400 p.). Directory;
- Business Grammar Builder Macmillan;
- Business Resource Book Oxford;
- Essential English for Foreign Students (C.E. Eckersley, 2002);
- Communicating in Business Cambridge;
- English Result Intermediate Workbook with Key + MultiROM-E;
- Headway Business English;
- Language to go. Araminta Crace, Robin Wileman;
- market leader. David Cotton, David Falvey, Simon Kent;
- New Opportunities;
- New Cutting Edge. Sarah Cunningham, Peter Moor;
- Teach Business English Cambridge;
- Textbooks "Practical course of the English language" linguist, Doctor of Philology V. D. Arakin in 5 volumes;
- I want and will know English. T.I. Arbekova, N.N. Vlasova, G.A. Makarova.
Movies and series for the Intermediate level
English-language films are suitable for training and practicing audiotive skills.
- Desperate Housewives / Desperate Housewives (2006). USA. Comedy, detective, romance, drama;
- Restless / Restless (2012). Great Britain, Germany. Romance, drama;
- Come Sunday / Heretic (2018). USA. drama;
- The White Princess / White Princess (2017). USA. drama;
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel / The Amazing Mrs Maisel (2017). USA. Drama, comedy
- White Collar / White Collar (2009). USA. Drama, crime, comedy
- Paterno / Paterno (2018). USA. Drama, biography;
- War & Peace / War and Peace (2016). Great Britain. War, romance, drama;
- The 15:17 to Paris / Train to Paris (2018). USA. historical;
- The Kennedys After Camelot / The Kennedys: After Camelot (2017). Canada, USA. historical, drama;
- Peter Rabbit / Rabbit Peter (2018). Australia, USA. Cartoon, family;
- Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell / Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (2015). Great Britain. Fantasy;
- Kickboxer: Retaliation / Kickboxer returns (2018). USA. Drama, thriller
- The Lost Room / Lost room (2006). USA. science fiction, fantasy, thriller;
- Lost / Stay alive (2006). USA. science fiction, thriller, adventure;
- American Gods / American Gods (2017). USA. Detective, fantasy;
- Happy! / Happy (2017). USA. Fantasy, crime, thriller, comedy, detective;
- McMafia / McMafia (2018). USA, Great Britain. Thriller, drama, crime;
- Game Night / Night games (2018). USA. Thriller, comedy, detective, crime;
- Bent / Addiction / (2018). USA, Spain. Thriller, crime.
Grammar Tutorials for Intermediate Level
- Goldenkov M.A. street english. For the lazy, for the restless, for those who don't know English, for those who think they know. (2003. - 224 p.);
- Ivantsov English Grammar Untangled. (2012. - 123 p.);
- Litvinov P.P. 2000 English expressions. Memory technique. (2010. - 320 p.);
- Matveev S.A. English for the intermediate level. Level B1. (2016.– 160 pp.);
- Tretyakov Yu.P. American English. Teaching aid for adults. Advanced course. (2005. - 327 p.) + mp3;
- Khidekel S.S., Kaul M.R., Ginzburg E.L. Difficulties in English vocabulary. (2002. - 175 s);
- Chernikhovskaya N.O. 200 dialogues in English for all occasions. (2014. - 336 p. + mp3);
- Chernikhovskaya N.O. Modern English words and expressions + Slang. (2013. - 496 p.) + mp3;
- Collins Cobuild Basic Grammar / Fundamentals of English Grammar (2004. - 240 p.);
- Elaine Walker, Steve Elsworth. New edition Grammar Practice for Upper Intermediate;
- Grammar Games Oxford;
- Gina Caro. English Grammar from A to Z. / English for ours in 2 volumes (1998. - 265 p.);
- Macmillan English in Context;
- Raymond Murphy. English Grammar in Use;
- Reward Resource Pack Macmillan.
How to level up Intermediate?
The main task when studying at the Intermediate level is to immerse yourself entirely in the English language. In addition, they pay attention to topics that are of interest and are directly related to work.
These strategies will allow you to raise the level of a foreign language in the future:
- Apply language skills in everyday life. Change language settings in devices, gadgets, email correspondence, social media account. Make a list of cases and queries for a search engine in a foreign language, do not use translation. Sign up for a conversation club.
- Reading in English is the best teaching. It is preferable to read publications from popular magazines or newspaper news. Studying or busy in the field of international relations, entrepreneurship and commerce - it's time to switch to English-language publications: The Week, or The Washington Post - can be downloaded for free on the Internet. Remember about notes, especially try to learn idioms.
- Regularly listen to audio podcasts and watch video files, listen to audio books. Highlight the variety of English you want: Australian, British, or American.
- Expand your vocabulary. However, not by cramming and not in large volume. Use the context to remember, group the vocabulary by thematic principle, this will allow you to learn words. Develop your imagination by making up stories with new vocabulary.
- Improving speech skills is impossible without speaking practice, which is 80%. lesson at the Intermediate level, for this you will need either an English-speaking friend or a teacher.
- If you love pop music, there is a reason to go with a girlfriend or friend to karaoke. You can find your favorite songs online and sing at home. Don't be modest!
We continue our acquaintance with the levels of knowledge of English. When you are already in the process of learning a language, you want to have a clear idea at what stage you are, what you already know and what you should strive for in the future. Therefore, we continue to get acquainted with the levels of knowledge of English and offer you the next level of language proficiency (according to the CEFR system). Perhaps this is just your level! So, the hero of the occasion today is the B1 Intermediate level. Let's see what it's made of!
| 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 interlocutor in a familiar situation, but with difficulty | A2 |
| intermediate | You can speak and understand speech quite well. Express your thoughts in simple sentences but have difficulty with more complex grammar and vocabulary | B1 |
| Upper Intermediate | You speak and understand English well by ear, but still make mistakes | B2 |
| Advanced | You speak English fluently and have a complete listening comprehension | C1 |
| Proficiency | You speak English at the level of a native speaker | C2 |
Intermediate level - what does it mean?
Today, this level of English proficiency is considered fairly confident. In fact, this is a kind of golden mean. On the one hand, there is no longer any fear to use the language in speech, as there is an established vocabulary and a good grammar base, and on the other hand, there is no limit to perfection, and, of course, there is something to strive for in the future (Profeciency?). But still, what does it mean English is not lower than Intermediate?
Students at the Intermediate level can take part in everyday conversation on familiar topics and exchange information. Often, it is from this level that fruitful preparation for the subsequent passing of international exams begins: FCE (test for English language proficiency at an upper-intermediate level), IELTS (international English language proficiency assessment system), TOEFL (test for knowledge of English as a foreign language); if there is such a need.
| Skill | your knowledge |
| Reading | You understand the key information of articles and letters. You can read adapted English-language literature. |
| Letter | You can write a logically related essay or essay on a known topic. You can write an informal letter to a friend. You can write a simple formal business letter. |
| Listening | You understand the main topics of conversation of native speakers. You fully understand Adapted Listening. |
| speaking | You can carry on a conversation in most situations that may arise while traveling in countries where English is spoken. You can express your own opinion on familiar or personal interests and briefly argue why you hold this point of view. You can describe your experiences, events, dreams, hopes and ambitions. |
| Vocabulary | Your vocabulary is 1500-2000 English words. |
The Intermediate level program includes the study of the following topics.
What does the course at the Intermediate level include?
The Intermediate English course is based on four elements: listening comprehension, speaking, reading and, finally, writing skills. This approach allows you to learn how to quickly formulate thoughts, improve phonetic skills, and also gain a sense of language. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to:
- discuss personal and professional plans for the future;
- pass an interview in English for a job in a foreign company;
- talk about your attitude to television and your favorite television series;
- justify your preferences in music;
- talk about a healthy lifestyle and healthy habits;
- visit restaurants, order food, take part in conversation at dinner and pay for the order;
- Discuss rules of etiquette and advice on how to respond to inappropriate behavior.
The term of study to reach the Intermediate level
In fact, the duration of training depends entirely on the motivation and interest of the student, as well as the already existing foundation of knowledge. On average, the course takes about six months, based on two full lessons per week with a private English teacher. It should be understood that learning a language is a systematic process, which is based on the knowledge that you have received earlier. For this reason, if the student already has a thorough understanding of the lexico-grammatical aspects of the language, then learning will be much faster. If you realize that there are gaps in some topics, then, firstly, in no case be upset, and, secondly, try to fully master the necessary material and then boldly move on to the next level. With the second option, training may take a little longer, but as a result, the student will have a complete picture of the level of the language in all its manifestations.
Your goal as an Intermediate student is to surround yourself with the English language completely and completely. In this case, special attention can be paid to those topics and aspects that are of interest to you or are directly related to your professional activities. Below are a few strategies that will improve your English language skills in the future:
- change the language settings of devices, email, social media accounts to English. This way you will constantly use English in everyday life;
- read as much as you can in English. For starters, you can give preference to modern magazines or articles from news newspapers. If you study or work in the field of international relations, business and finance, gradually switch to the English version of the Financial Times or Wall Street Journal. Remember to take notes and pay attention to word combinations and turns of speech;
- listen to audiobooks and podcasts. Focus on the version of English that you need: British, American or, for example, Australian;
- if you listen to modern music, you can safely go to karaoke with friends or find the lyrics of your favorite English songs and sing them at home. Don't be shy!
Conclusion
So we discussed the English level B1. We found out what lexical and grammatical topics the student of "medium roast" owns. We also got acquainted with life hacks, learned how to maintain knowledge of the English language, and what should be done next. The Intermediate level is a great option for those who are going to travel frequently and stay up to date with the events of the modern world. Sign up for our English courses via Skype and achieve your goals with pleasure. You can do that!
Big and friendly family EnglishDom
According to the CEFR pan-European scale of language competence, Intermediate refers to the average language proficiency and corresponds to level B1. The intermediate level opens up great opportunities for the student - from educational to professional. Intermediate level will allow you to enter a university and pass an interview with an employer. This is an important threshold step that brings the student closer to confident knowledge of the English language.
Intermediate level - what is it?
So, what gives the owner of the Intermediate level. Translation into Russian sounds like "Intermediate level". This level allows the student to speak fluently on a variety of topics, from professional to everyday. The fluent speech of native speakers no longer confuses the student; at a normal pace, he understands almost everything. Employers often require employees to speak at least Intermediate English, which means they expect employees to have a good level of language proficiency. So the coveted average level indicated in the resume will certainly add to the applicant's chances of working in the company.
With this knowledge, you can pass international exams, for example, when applying to study in English-speaking countries. Proficiency in English at the Intermediate level and a special preparation course for the exam will allow the student to score from 4.0 to 5.0 on IELTS, from 57 to 86 on TOEFL iBT and get good scores on PET. Such results will allow you to enter a university, including a foreign one. However, most often in a foreign university you will have to study for another year at the preparatory courses, the so-called Foundation, before starting training in a specialized area.
Willingness to learn at the Intermediate level
Before proceeding to study at this level, you need to make sure that you have completed the previous levels of English. Intermediate is a serious step forward, so there should be as few spaces as possible. Some signs that will help you understand that the student is ready to learn at the threshold level:
- completed the Pre-Intermediate study and the level determination test confirmed the required language proficiency;
- speaks fluently and maintains a conversation on personal and abstract topics, clearly expresses his thoughts and feelings;
- understands the speech of a native speaker, if the pace of speech is measured, and the interlocutor speaks clearly;
- knows basic English grammar and uses different tenses in speech;
- watching movies and series with subtitles;
- has a good vocabulary and can always immediately remember the necessary word;
- studied Intermediate English in the past but forgot.
The course of study lasts an average of 6 to 9 months, but largely depends on the motivation and abilities of the student. Basic knowledge is very important, it ensures that the course time in the lesson will be spent only on materials at the level, not below. Knowledge of English Intermediate is the final stage in the study of new materials. Further training will mainly be based on the deepening of existing knowledge.
Intermediate Topics
Since Intermediate is the final stage in the formation of a grammatical base, there will be not only many familiar topics among the materials, but also new grammatical constructions. The practice of skills will take place on the following grammar topics:
- four aspects of the present: Present Simple, Present Continuous, Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous;
- four aspects of the past tense: Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous;
- state verbs and action verbs (Action and state verbs);
- types of future tense: Future Simple, to be going to, Present Continuous;
- constructions used to do and to be/get used to;
- turnover to have something done (Cauzative);
- modal verbs: must, have to, should, may, might, can, could, to be able to;
- impersonal forms of the verb: gerund and infinitive (Gerund and Infinitive);
- degrees of comparison of adjectives (Degrees of Comparison);
- Articles: a/an, the, no article
- any, some, few, a lot of, a piece of (Quantifiers)
- conditional sentences of three types and subordinate clauses of time (Conditionals, Future time clauses);
- proliferation and restrictive relative clauses;
- indirect speech with statements, questions and orders (Reported Speech);
- passive voice (Passive Voice); dividing question (Tag question);
- phrasal verbs.
Intermediate expands vocabulary topics with new areas of interest. If the classes are held in a group, there will be plenty of topics for discussion:
- Family and Personality (Family and Personality);
- Appearance and character (Appearance and character);
- Professions, money and success (Jobs, Money and Success);
- Business (Business);
- Education (Education);
- Modern manners (Modern manners);
- Morality and Morality (Moral Or Ethical Standards);
- Transport and travel (Transport and Traveling);
- Places to live;
- Nature and Environment (Nature and Environment);
- Climate and natural disasters (Climate and Natural disasters);
- Communication (Communication);
- Television and media (Television and Media);
- Film industry and films (Cinema and Movies);
- Advanced technologies of the modern world (Cutting-Edge Technology);
- Art (Art);
- Shop and shopping (Shopping);
- Food and restaurants (Food and Restaurants);
- Lifestyle;
- Sports and training (Sport);
- Friendship;
- Dates and romantic relationships (Dates and Romance);
- Problem and success (Challenges and Success);
- Luck and bad luck (Good and Bad Luck);
- Social Issues;
- Crime and Punishment.
Intermediate English is an opportunity to communicate with native speakers on a wide range of topics - from your favorite movie to pressing social problems.
Learning outcomes by Intermediate level
After a few months of training, the student will significantly increase their knowledge. Progress will be visible in all four skills - Listening (listening comprehension), Reading (reading), Writing (writing), Speaking (oral speech). To fully reflect the results, two more criteria can be distinguished - Vocabulary (vocabulary) and Grammar (grammar).
listening
This level involves more complex tasks and texts for listening, so at first they may have problems. But as a result, the student will be able to listen to long recordings without pauses, understand not only the general meaning, but also the details. Adapted recordings will be easily given to the student, so watching TV shows in English will be a good workout, the student will be able to watch TV shows with simple vocabulary without subtitles. Knowledge of English at the Intermediate level includes various accents, so that the student will be able to understand people for whom English is not their native language.
The complexity of reading texts is already much higher, although it is still adapted to the level of Intermediate literature. The student will be able to express his opinion about the text, analyze it, talk about the characters. Some works in the original will already be within the student's power, so you can arm yourself with a dictionary and study the works of the classics. The student will also be able to read magazines or articles online.
In this step, the different types of letters will be explored in detail. The student will be able to write not only informal, but also official letters. It will not be a problem to fill out a questionnaire, a declaration, a postcard, a review. He will be able to compose his resume, write an article or tell in writing some story from life - a strong grammatical foundation and an extensive vocabulary guarantee this. Having mastered the level of English Intermediate, the student will easily be able to correspond with native speakers.
Speaking
This is a turning point in language learning, which involves self-mastery of the language. In other words, the student really speaks, quite fluently and competently. The student correctly combines sentences, phrases, uses phrasal verbs and idioms. He will be able to conduct a conversation in almost any situation, to argue his point of view.
Vocabulary
The level of English intermedia increases the vocabulary to 2000-3000 words. These are not only common phrases and expressions that the student remembers right in the context, but also basic business vocabulary, the knowledge of which will certainly affect the conversation with the future employer.
Grammar is perhaps the broadest spectrum for defining a threshold level. Grammar at the Intermediate level assumes that the student:
- Knows all tenses of the English language: Present, Past and Future Simple; Present, Past and Future Continuous; Present, Past and Future Perfect; Present, Past and Future Perfect Continuous.
- Knows how to understand used to and to be used to sentences, for example: I used to eat much and I’m used to getting up late.
- Understands the difference between future tenses: I’m going to meet Sarah; I'm meeting Sarah tomorrow at 7 p.m.; I'll meet Sarah next week.
- Knows the difference between modal verbs and their equivalents: He mustn "t go away and He doesn't have to go away.
- Understands the difference between words that denote quantity. For example, little and few.
- Understands the difference between a gerund and an infinitive: I stopped to eat fast food and I stopped eating fast food.
- Knows how to use degrees of adjectives: easy - easier - the easiest.
- Knows how the types of conditionals differ: If you stay there, we wouldn’t go either, If you stayed there, we wouldn’t go either and If you had stayed there, we wouldn’t have gone either.
- Knows in what situations a causative turn can be applied: I want to have my hair cut.
- Knows how to ask a clarifying question: She has never been there, has she?
- Can translate different types of direct speech sentences into indirect speech: He asked Sarah: “Where are you going?” – He asked Sarah where she was going.
We continue to introduce you to the levels of learning English. We hope you are already well aware of what the beginner stage and the elementary base stage are. Today we will talk about the intermediate level and what it is.
The word "intermediate" itself is translated as "intermediate, average." But if we are talking about English proficiency, then in this context it is translated as “threshold level”. If a person speaks English at the intermediate level, then this is a huge advantage for him.
This intermediate stage has several branches, so to speak. Each of these branches has its own nuances. This category includes the following levels: level or lower intermediate, which means "pre-threshold level", (threshold) and upper intermediate(threshold advanced level).
All these levels have several common features, but also many significant differences. We will discuss each stage below.
So, knowledge of English at the level of pre intermediate or lower intermediate allows you to:
- Speak with clear pronunciation
- Provide information about yourself and about abstract things
- Explain what you don't understand
- Express your thoughts and feelings clearly
- Understand the main theme, thought and idea of the text
- Describe a situation or person
- Formulate an attitude to a situation or person
- Write a letter, email, postcard
- Be able to coordinate words in a sentence
- Write about yourself
The pre-intermediate level has much in common with the elementary level, they have many common requirements and competencies.
The next step, as you remember, is the intermediate level. We will talk about it in more detail below, but for now, in a nutshell, its description. Knowledge of English at this level allows:
- Express your opinion, attitude and emotions, as well as learn them from the interlocutor
- Ask for clarification if you don't understand something
- Explain your statements with clear and understandable pronunciation
- Correct use of stress and intonation in speech
- Correctly build sentences and written texts
- Understand the main idea of the audio exercises
- Recognize content and main idea
- Understand and distinguish between formal and non-formal written/oral speech
- Distinguish between the English pronunciation of an Englishman and a foreigner
- Fill out forms, declarations and other papers
- write letters
- Write stories, describe people, situations and places
- Be able to comment on the situation, express your opinion
- Express thoughts grammatically
As you can see, friends, this level is already significantly different from the pre-intermediate level, there are more requirements, therefore, the result is more effective.
And finally, the third branch is the upper intermediate. Knowledge of English at this level is much deeper and more detailed. Those who study English at this stage can safely assure others that the upper level offers a much wider range of knowledge, skills and abilities in English. So let's take a look at what the upper intermediate level has to offer for English learners:
- Provide information in different situations
- Use official and unofficial language
- Be able to hold a conversation and talk to two or more people at the same time
- Catch your mistakes in pronunciation
- Speak with a small number of lexical and grammatical errors and be able to correct them during a conversation
- Understand the main ideas of the text from the first time
- Capture different regional accents
- Carry on a telephone conversation
- Read newspapers and magazines
- Distinguish styles of speech
- Draw conclusions from what you read
- Write formal and informal letters
- Write simple instructions and directions
- Write a synopsis of a movie or story
- Use simple and complex syntactic constructions
- Express thoughts clearly and grammatically so that the interlocutor can easily understand what was said
As you can see, friends, upper intermediate is really an advanced level of English. If your English is at the upper level, then you can safely boast of an excellent knowledge of the language.
Now let's take a closer look at what the intermediate stage itself is.
What does the intermediate level give in learning English?
Friends, if your English has reached the intermediate level, then we congratulate you from the bottom of our hearts! This is an excellent result. After all, knowledge of English at this stage is the main requirement of employers.
Intermediate is the so-called "middle, intermediate" level of English proficiency, which allows you to speak English quite fluently, discuss most professional and everyday topics, and understand virtually everything said in English by ear in a normal rhythm.
How do you know that you are ready to start learning English at this stage? Very simple! If you:
- You speak fluently, you can keep up the conversation, but you choose your words mentally
- You have a good vocabulary, you operate with it, but sometimes you turn to a dictionary for help
- Understand the questions and speech of a foreign interlocutor, audio materials, but only if the speaker speaks clearly and distinctly
- You are good at basic grammar, use different tenses of verbs, but feel insecure in more complex grammar
- You have recently finished studying English at the pre-intermediate level and want to move to the next level.
If you have acquired all these skills at the previous levels, and already have a fairly good command of English, then now you can study English at the intermediate level. And now let's look at what skills this stage of learning English gives us:
- In grammar: you know all tenses of verbs, including continuous and perfect, degrees of comparison of adjectives, conditional mood; understand the construction usedto,tobeusedto understand modal verbs; you understand the difference between countable and uncountable nouns, you can correctly paraphrase direct speech into indirect speech, you understand the passive voice.
- In vocabulary: your vocabulary is between 2000 and 3000 words; you know the basic phraseological units and idioms, you are familiar with phrasal verbs, you know the basic business vocabulary; use constructions in speech . nor, in addition to, as well as, apart from, due to, because of.
- In speech: you speak correctly and clearly, with good pronunciation, your speech is understandable to others; you are good at maneuvering intonation, you know where to make logical pauses, raise or lower your voice; you speak fluently, without long pauses; you do not simplify speech, but use complex structures.
- In reading: you understand the adapted literature of this level well, read simple works in the original; understand the general meaning of articles in newspapers, magazines and the Internet.
- In listening: you listen to audiobooks and audio recordings of your level; you can watch movies in english with subtitles.
- In a letter: you build sentences correctly in terms of grammar; you are able to write a letter; you can describe places, events, people in writing, comment on the text; You can fill out official papers in English if necessary.
This is what this level of education offers us. Agree, this is a very extensive material to be confident enough to speak English.
Intermediate topics
So, what topics for mastering the English language does this level offer us?
From the grammar, you will go through all the main tenses of verbs, including Perfect and Continuous, degrees of comparison of adjectives, modal verbs, conditional, articles, gerunds and infinitives, direct/indirect speech, passive voice, question types, phrasal verbs, etc.
From conversational topics, you will master the sections of food and restaurant, sports, family and personality, description of a person, work, behavior, education, places of residence, friendship, lifestyle, shopping, cinema, television and others.
Mastering English at this stage of education depends on the previously acquired knowledge and personal abilities of the student, and can take from 6 to 9 months. Further levels are a more in-depth and extended mastery of vocabulary and immersion in the details and subtleties of the language.
Well, friends, we hope you learned a lot of useful and interesting things for yourself and learned more about the pre or lower intermediate, upper and intermediate levels. We wish you good luck and further progress!
