Before you start learning English, you need to determine the starting point. Knowing the degree of language proficiency, a person can build an effective program of further education, as well as follow the deadlines. Knowledge of English consists of knowledge of grammar, the ability to speak, read and write, as well as listening comprehension and vocabulary.
At each level, a certain amount of knowledge is assumed, which the student must master for the program.
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What levels of English are there?
In order to systematize the educational process, the pan-European school created a special classification CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), which has become the world standard. According to this classification, there are the following levels of language proficiency: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2.
To facilitate the work of language schools and the perception of students, each of these levels has a more understandable name.
| № | CEFR level | Common name | In your language |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A1 | Beginner/Elementary/Starter | Elementary |
| 2 | A2 | Pre-Intermediate | Pre-middle |
| 3 | B1 | intermediate | Average |
| 4 | B2 | Upper Intermediate | Above average |
| 5 | A1 | Advanced | Advanced |
| 6 | A2 | Proficiency | Professional |
This system allows you to effectively master new topics from vocabulary and grammar. This motivates students to move towards their goals gradually, otherwise the two-step journey from beginner to advanced would take forever.
A1 - Beginner/Elementary/Starter
Most often, the entry level is in demand by travelers and those who want to understand foreigners on vacation. Knowing the language at this level is simply necessary in order to survive in an English-speaking country. To learn a language before Beginner / Elementary means to learn the basics: alphabet, articles, pronouns, times of the Simple group. In addition, a beginner should know that the verb has three forms (do / did / done), verbs are regular and irregular, and be able to talk about basic needs (I'm thirsty! How to get to the hotel? Can you help me?) However, these are just the basics of basic dialogue, so few people stop their learning at this stage. After all, it is much more important and interesting to understand the interlocutor and maintain a dialogue.
A2 - Pre-Intermediate
Pre-middle level, at which a person uses the times of the Simple, as well as Past Continuous, Present and Past Perfect. The questions asked become more diverse, knowledge allows you to use the constructions to be going to, used to do and to be used to, as well as modal verbs and passive voice (A big red apple was bitten by rabbit). This allows you to clearly and clearly express your opinion on general topics, but errors in grammar and lack of words are inevitable. At the same time, it is still difficult to understand the fast speech of native speakers without leading questions.
B1-Intermediate
The middle stage involves skillful dialogue, however, there are often pauses for the selection of suitable phrases. From this stage, it is necessary to begin careful work on vocabulary. Student B1 understands when to use this or that tense, and less and less often makes mistakes in grammar or immediately corrects them on his own. Knows how to write a proposal
- Present, Past and Future Continuous
- Present, Past and Future Perfect
- Present, Past and Future Perfect Continuous
can compare adjectives and change direct speech to indirect. Due to the lack of phrasal verbs and winged statements, the speaker can repeat the phrases used in one sentence several times.
B2-Upper-Intermediate
A person speaks the language and communicates fluently on any topic, understands and responds in detail, understands the coordination of tenses and the peculiarities of using conditional sentences, confidently conducts formal and informal correspondence in English, including in real time. However, there is still a poor lexical base, mainly manifested in the use of simple words instead of idiomatic expressions. Also, the style lacks introductory words, conjunctions and interjections, due to which the statements look like facts.
C1-Advanced
A person forms his thought in English on any topic, with the exception of highly specialized ones, in which problems with professional vocabulary may arise. Understanding English speech by ear, watching videos and TV shows without translation, reading authentic literature, the ability to joke - these are the main skills that a person who knows English at an advanced level acquires. At this stage, new unknown vocabulary will inevitably be encountered, however, unlike previous levels, it no longer shocks, but is clear from the context.
C2 - Proficiency
The last stage and stage of training. What can a person do when he reaches the top? Independently and quickly compose a monologue, a story in written and oral form without prior preparation on any topic. A person works with original documents, can present a company at a meeting, reads original classical non-adapted literature, can teach English at a prestigious world-class university. It is generally accepted that this level is close to the knowledge of the carriers. A person relies on the feeling of using the language, and not on the learned rules.
English grammar by levels
The table shows the approximate terms of study, but they may differ depending on your initial level, intensity of classes and abilities.
| Level | Grammar | Independent Skills | Scope of application | Training period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Beginner (Initial) | Alphabet, numbers, pronouns, singular and plural, definition of nouns, adjectives, verbs, verb to be, to do, to have | Reading sentences of 5-7 words, writing a name, simple phrases like "I love pizza" | Participation in simple dialogues, a few phrases about yourself, greeting the interlocutor, shopping in a store abroad | 1 – 2 months |
| A1 Elementary (Above Basic) | Prepositions, Simple tenses, irregular verbs, uncountable nouns, WH - questions, articles, use of that, this, these, those | Composing short letters and postcards from several phrases, participating in a dialogue, listening to simple words | Telling about yourself, your hobbies and loved ones, asking simple questions, participating in a dialogue | 2 – 4 months |
| A2 Pre-Intermediate | Continuous tenses, modal verbs, conditional sentences, (type 1/2), use of gerund | Reading and understanding texts up to 500 words, making up your own opinion about what you read, telling about yourself from 10-15 phrases | Drafting letters and messages, participating in typical life situations (shop, transport), understanding advertising | 4 – 6 months |
| B1 Intermediate | Passive voice, Perfect tenses, degrees of comparison of adjectives, conditional sentences (type 3/4), use of gerund and infinitive after the verb, clarifying questions, indirect speech | Understanding the main idea of large texts, retelling using previously studied vocabulary, describing events in 20-30 phrases orally, writing a story of 100-200 words | Spontaneous dialogues on unknown topics, expressing an opinion on any topic, understanding the essence of a film, book, article, writing an essay or article | 6 – 8 months |
| B2 Upper-Intermediate | Mixed conditionals, all English tenses, phrasal verbs, infinitive/gerund | Reading non-adapted materials, understanding and forming one's own point of view on the text, detailed reaction to questions and other people's opinions | Writing articles in different styles and on different topics up to 3000 words, fluency in oral speech | 8 – 10 months |
| C1 Advanced | Stylistic inversion, conditional inversion, casuative form | Communication with native speakers, argumentation of answers, deep analysis of the topic read or heard | Conducting business correspondence, preparing a presentation of your project, scientific research | 10–15 months |
| C2 Proficient / Mastery | Rules for the use of phraseological units, perfect knowledge of tenses | Free expression of one's opinion on any topic with the help of stylistic figures of speech | Communication on even narrow-profile topics (medicine, law, business English), writing scientific and analytical papers | Over 15 months |
English vocabulary by levels
| Level | Vocabulary | Topics for conversation |
|---|---|---|
| A1 Beginner (beginner) | 50-400 | My family, my day, my habits, my friends, my tastes, shopping. |
| A1 Elementary (above elementary) | 400-1200 | My house, my entertainment and plans, recipes, my education, my favorite books and films |
| A2 Pre-Intermediate | 1200-2000 | My profession and work responsibilities, my biography, my views and opinions, a simple life story. |
| B1 Intermediate (medium) | 2000-3000 | Topics related to business and special areas, everyday and work discussions, description of character and personality traits, topics about success, motivation, money, leadership, career growth, friendship, etc. |
| B2 Upper-Intermediate (High Medium) | 3000-4000 | A person can communicate on any topic without difficulty. |
| C1 Advanced | 4000-5000 | |
| C2 Proficient / Mastery (professional) | 5000+ | A person can communicate on any topic without difficulty, including narrow-profile ones. |
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What do levels of English mean for a resume?
A1 Beginner
Level A1 Beginner / Elementary and A2 Pre-Intermediate, marked in the resume means that you know the alphabet, the names of professions, colors, animals, numbers, can ask simple questions and answer them.
Available professions:
- assistant teacher in kindergarten with learning English,
- baby nanny english teacher
- tutor for children from 3 to 7 years old,
- assistant workers on cruise ships (assistant waiters, maids, technical workers),
- animators or assistant animators abroad,
- driver for international transportation,
- secretary or business manager in the office,
- technical support officer
- waiter in a prestigious restaurant,
- mechanic for special equipment, etc.
B1 Intermediate
If you indicate an average level of language proficiency in your resume, then it is assumed that you are able to conduct business correspondence, write texts and presentations, understand documentation and technical terms (possibly with a dictionary), as well as work with clients and answer their questions.
More prestigious and highly paid vacancies begin with knowledge level B1. Having an official document confirming your average level of English, you can apply for the following vacancies:
- regional manager for work with foreign clients,
- marketing specialist for work with foreign markets,
- technical engineer in English-speaking countries,
- copywriter for cooperation with marketing agencies,
- recruiter or HR manager
- content moderator and site administrator,
- vacancies in IT (3D artist, 3D modeler, Fullstack web-developer, SMM, PPC specialist, etc.)
Another good opportunity is to work as an English teacher, which can be found both in the CIS countries and abroad. Having received a TEFL/TESOL certificate of a sufficient level of language proficiency and acquired pedagogical knowledge, you can move to any country you like and receive from $2500 monthly.
B2 Upper-Intermediate
Upper-Intermediate level in your resume indicates that you understand the speech of native speakers, can speak fluently on many topics, have a good and confident understanding of grammar, compose corporate and financial documentation, are able to conduct a dialogue and clearly answer the questions posed.
Management positions open for you:
- marketing director,
- programmer or tester
- journalist working for an international publication,
- project manager,
- accounting officer of large international companies,
- account manager - specialist in relations with clients and partners,
- referent translator,
- business localization director,
- international lawyer,
- flight attendant,
- immigration specialist.
C1 Advanced / C2 Proficient
This level provides all the same opportunities as B2, and also opens up additional employment options:
- auditor,
- investor,
- game developer,
- PR and Brand Manager,
- web analyst,
- employee in the scientific field (foreign postgraduate and doctoral studies).
If you know a language at this level, then you speak, write, understand it like a native speaker, so the employer may assume that they are hiring a native speaker with all the prerogatives and responsibilities.
How to indicate the level of English in the resume?
You can use English A1 or English A2 and so on, depending on your level. In addition, there are other designations:
| Russian | Native | Native |
| English | Fluent | Free |
| Spanish | Good reading and translation ability | Reading and translating with a dictionary |
| Italian | basic knowledge | Basic knowledge |
It is better to write honestly about your knowledge in your resume so as not to experience difficulties if the employer suddenly decides to arrange an interview in English.
Conclusion
It is important to understand your own goals, why you want to study. Motivation will help you to make an effort even when it will be difficult for you to study. The language level must meet the current requirements, you need to know where and how you plan to use your knowledge (for example, you want to become an English teacher ). In any case, such a comprehensive and responsible approach to the educational process with teachers or independently will provide an opportunity to obtain the necessary base.
The main thing before you start learning a foreign language, it is important to consult with a competent specialist who will give comprehensive answers to any questions, as well as give effective recommendations.
As motivation, you can take the salary level, for example, working as an English teacher in China , which starts at $2,500 per month. And to receive such a salary, you need to know English at least at level B1 and get a TEFL / TESOL. In a few months of studying on the course, you will learn the modern principles of teaching English and receive an international certificate for working abroad. Choose a training program with a nice discount.
Get your TEFL TESOL certification
Travel, work online, get a job abroad, or be
an EFL and ESL teacher in your country.
We hope that our article will become a reliable guide for you in learning English. If you have any questions about language levels, write them in the comments below.