How to learn English to B2 Upper-Intermediate level?

Motivation for promotion to level B2

If a person speaks English at a wonderful Upper-Intermediate, cool prospects open up before him:

• The ability to watch any lectures and courses in your specialty in English. Do you study programming, art, nutrition, neonatology, forensics, international law? Study cutting-edge research in any field from the first mouth of Western scientists and combine the promising with the useful.
• The chance of getting a salary is several times higher than those who don't speak English and only know that London is the capital of Great Britain. Any IT specialty requires knowledge of English, be it software development, data-science, content marketing, PR or international economics.
• The ability to watch world premieres first and not spoil the impression with poor-quality translation and dubbing.
• A chance to immigrate abroad and meet a comfortable old age somewhere in California or Vancouver.
• The opportunity to receive a salary in dollars simply for knowing the language is not a myth, but the profession of an English teacher, which has remained in the top of the most sought-after specialties for the past ten years. By the way, here we wrote about how much English teachers all over the world earn.
• The chance to meet new friends or build a family with an English-speaking citizen can lead you to happiness too.
• The opportunity to pass international exams such as BEC, IELTS, TOEFL with good scores and receive a certificate that, like a magnet, will attract solvent employers.

What peaks will the student have to take?

A person speaks well and understands English even better, operates on 3000-4000 words, is good at grammar and is ready to participate in dialogues, interviews and other verbal battles without nervous trembling and vocabulary. Mistakes are made in complex grammatical constructions, but speech should become more elegant and stylistically rich.

A1, A2 and B1 words should be logical, consistent and interesting. Yes, at this stage speech is already assessed qualitatively. If the goal of studying level B1 could be considered simply the ability to speak within 20 phrases, then Upper-Intermediate involves the use of speech chips: phraseological units, idioms, jokes, figurative expressions.

To feel at ease in an English-speaking society is the B2 level. If you can talk about any topic for about 5 minutes without pauses or hesitation, then your cherished “above average” is already very close. And if at the same time your speech plays I must admit, In my opinion, to tell the truth, by the way, and you can tell your interlocutor with a clear conscience: break a leg! hang in there! A penny for your thoughts! Hit the nail on the head, then we have good news for you.

Of course, you should not memorize several dozen expressions and insert them into each phrase - the naturalness and intuitively correct definition of the context for the idiom should be more important than the desire to show off knowledge.

Above Intermediate English means that you can watch and understand news, non-adapted media and live speech. At first, the pace will shock you, but with practice, you will learn to cope with pronunciation, and with an accent, and with the speed of speech.

How to raise the level of English to B2 online?

Let's look at the main areas with which you will have to work. To increase the level, you will need to devote a significant amount of time and preferably every day. The more diligently you will find time and make efforts, the sooner you will get to your goals.

If we represent training as 100%, then:

• 40% of the time you will have to devote to Grammar Learning.
• 40% should go to reading and speaking (retelling, listening, talking about what was read).
• 20% work with authentic materials and integration into culture.

Plan of the education

Schedule your classes for each week so that you have time to cover reading, speaking, grammar, and listening comprehension. You will need attentiveness and the ability to think critically, because most likely each of the areas is developed in different ways, and this should be taken into account. Make more time for what is lame and fill in the gaps.

It is important not to lose your passion for self-study, so be sure to leave the days when you do what you like most: read comics in English, correspond with foreign friends or watch films in the original. Let's look at the chips that will help you in your wonderful desire to master B2.

Study tools

There are a lot of useful things available today. For example, mobile applications:

• Hello English - more than 400 lessons, smart vocabulary, news, fresh media materials.
• Innovative Language - audio and video lessons from professional teachers with the possibility of offline classes.
• ABA English is a decent tool with assignments from 0 to advanced. Learn words in it and check your current level.
• Beelinguapp - bilingual books will help you learn from your favorite materials.
• Andy is a cool chatbot that will take into account all your wishes.
• bbc.co.uk is a great Towards advanced where you can fill in all the gaps in your knowledge.
• busuu.com is a world famous portal where you can learn 6 different languages ​​for free. The exercises are formed by linguists and cover all the necessary areas.
• goethe-verlag.com is an audio course of 100 lessons that you can listen to on your phone or player.
• stepik.org is a course to hone your writing skills. An unusual approach will surprise and interest you.
• mylanguages.org - Fundamental grammar, broken down by topic, will also help you in your studies.
• study.ru is a mini-course for those who value time: 22 lessons in the Upper-Intermediate section will take you 3 hours.
• hosgeldi.com is a practice based learning method for adults.
• audiorazgovornik.ru is a course for those who want to perceive English as their native language. There is only one rule - go through the article every day.
• udemy.com is a native speaker course to restart all language skills. Confident knowledge and willingness to understand the native speaker are required. In general, on this site you can find various courses on various topics: writing letters, talking on the phone in English, etc.
• coursera.org is a grammar booster course for those who are B1 and want to go further.
• prometheus.org.ua is a free business English course from Ukrainian linguists.
• bbc.co.uk is a good resource for those who already know the language and want to improve it.

Free online platforms

On the Internet, you can not only view the feed and write funny comments - you can also learn. We have selected 16 great sites with which you can improve your English. Some of them are collections of lessons, some are full-fledged courses, the complexity of the materials can also be different. On one site it will be easier for you, on the other it may be more difficult. We advise you to choose the site that you understand and enjoy.

• mooec.com - the site provides a list of lessons with an indication of the feature (for example, Academic English ) and level. Lessons will please with a variety and several tests during the passage.
• dailywritingtips.com is a useful resource for learning the finer points of English punctuation, the context in which a word is used, clear pronunciation, and more.
• engvid.com is a mega popular site where you can enjoy lessons from native speakers. Choose your difficulty level and immerse yourself in the true language.
• oxfordonlineenglish.com is a strong paid site that has a solid section with free lessons on a large number of aspects: learning mistakes, phonetics, grammar.

Paid resources

If doing it yourself is not an option at all, then in this article you can find paid courses with prices per lesson. We have collected for you 10 paid resources worth the money that will definitely help you achieve your educational goals:

• Ororo.tv - movies and series in HD quality that can be watched in the original. A subscription for 2 months will cost 540 rubles, for a year - 4,300.
• Llingualeo.com - a paid subscription is good with an unlimited opportunity to fill in a personal dictionary, 30+ courses and 1,000,000+ units of useful content of various types. From 730 rubles per month or 22,000 forever.
• PuzzleEnglish - payment guarantees unlimited access to video, audio, all lessons, translations, podcasts, etc. From 800 for a course to 10,000 rubles for a subscription for a year.
• Preply is a platform for finding a tutor from any country for any purpose. Price range: from 50 to 2400 rubles per hour.
• Puzzle - this simulator is suitable for those who want to strengthen grammar, writing, understanding of English speech, there may be problems with speaking practice. At the beginning, you pass a test, as a result of which a personal training program is created for you. The simplest tariff costs 160 rubles per month, premium - from 600 rubles. You can buy permanent access for 9000 (registered) and 12,999 (unregistered).
• Yes Online - personal lessons with tutors from 530 rubles. You can buy packages - it will turn out cheaper (from 400 rubles).
• Linguatrip is a service for choosing courses around the world and learning a language with 100% immersion. The site shows prices for accommodation and study. There are different options - on average, from 60,000 rubles per trip.
• Cambly - study with native speakers from 300 rubles for half an hour. The maximum price is about 1000 rubles.
• English Show - "our" school from 374 rubles per month at the rate "English by ear". Individual lessons from 640 rubles.
• Language Life - a lesson from 760 rubles, the process of which is fully controlled by the student and the teacher.

We will not recommend a specific course to you, because this is a matter of taste, financial capabilities and goals. We are convinced that you can study at home yourself, if you know why you need it and have the Internet and a good textbook at hand.

Textbooks and tutorials

Even with self-study, we recommend choosing and purchasing a book with exercises and theory. Today there is a large selection of educational literature that is intended for use without a tutor. Advantages of the tutorial:

• You will learn the correct grammatical constructions - there are errors on online sites.
• You can take notes and then come back to them - it is not always possible to find material on the Internet with which you have problems.
• You will be dealing with well-structured information and a predetermined learning plan - you won't have to prescribe an English improvement plan yourself.
• Each textbook contains checkpoints that you can use to track progress - checkpoint chapters are designed specifically with the individual in control of himself.

In fact, a good book is a framework that we supplement and strengthen with communication with native speakers, films in the original, writings and other activities. We have selected 10 books that you should pay attention to:

• Destination (Level B2) by Malcolm Mann, Steve Taylore-Knowles (Macmillan) is a versatile option for both adults and high school students. The material is arranged and visualized clearly and logically. Detailed explanations, tables, exercises, a lexical section with the given word formation rules, lists of idioms. In general, this is a well-equipped textbook, after passing which you will become an order of magnitude better at understanding each direction. About $60.
• FCE Use of English (2) by Virginia Evans (Express Publishing) - The book features a wide range of topics covered and really huge lists of new words that are immediately given in the right context. A strong grammar section, a section with phrasal verbs, a lot of useful lists - improving your English is simply inevitable. The price is about $35.
• Activate B2 by Elaine Boyd, Mary Stephens (Pearson Longman) - youth format, interesting presentation with video in each unit. The texts are filled with fresh vocabulary that will be relevant for a long time and will bring you a charge of pleasant emotions from your studies. Cost within $40.
• Global Upper Intermediate Coursebook by Amanda Leigh, Jonathan Carrol, Julie Moore, Mike Hogan (Macmillan) - The book is based on modern topics and immersion in English-speaking culture, but the texts also affect global world events. The content consists of 10 sections of 2 topics each, there are units about academic and business language, a reference book and audio materials. From $50.
• Evolve 5 Student's Book by Leslie Anne Hendra, Mark Ibbotson, Kathryn O'Dell (Cambridge University Press) - 12 lessons covering all required areas of the B2 General English course. This book collects positive reviews and is rightfully considered one of the most interesting. About $60.
• Full Blast! B2 by HQ Mitchell (MM Publications) is an extraordinary textbook designed for those who are bored with the usual classic tasks. English in real life situations with a balanced coverage of all language skills, supported by interdisciplinary articles and intriguing dialogues. The tutorial is built in the style of a step-by-step guide, which is ideal for those who teach on their own. Cost within $50.
• Grammar and Beyond Level 4 by Randi Reppen, John D. Bunting, Luciana Diniz (Cambridge University Press) - based on the authors' own linguistic experience, reinforced by numerous pedagogical studies. Realistic and accurate topics, immediate application of theory to assignments, explanation of common mistakes and a key focus on grammar. Authentic articles will help you improve your reading, speaking, and listening skills. The price is about $75.
• Impact 4 by Katherine Stannett, Lesley Koustaff, Diane Pinkley, Thomas Fast (National Geographic Learning) is ideal for those who want to better understand the world they live in. The book not only tells, but also involves students, because one of the motives for its creation was the development of such personal qualities as perseverance, self-confidence, curiosity. Interdisciplinary and socio-cultural lessons, real and stunningly beautiful pictures, outstanding presentation of the material - you will like it! Cost around $50.
• Innovations Upper-Intermediate by Hugh Dellar, Andrew Walkley (National Geographic Learning) is a powerful book with an emphasis on communication development. Grammar in everyday situations, slang, authentic audio recordings, cool lessons to improve pronunciation intensively - everything comes together in this wonderful textbook. Cost from $60.
• Insight Upper-Intermediate by Jayne Wildman (Oxford University Press) - teaching English in the context of the diversity of the world. The book is based on the CLIL, so you will find materials about culture, literature, history, advanced scientific technologies. The so-called Strategy Boxes are designed to improve language skills. 10 rich and vibrant units that will make you look at the world differently. From $70.
• New Cutting Edge Upper-Intermediate by Sarah Cunningham, Peter Moor, Araminta Grace (Pearson) is a textbook that has become a classic. A rich grammar that covers topics such as the use of the infinitive and gerund, complex sentences, auxiliary words and much more. The lexical part includes all the topics needed at this level: professional development and career, hobbies and self-realization, travel and home. Prices start at $30.
• New Language Leader by Ian Lebeau, Gareth Rees (Pearson) is a solid textbook that will help you learn phraseological units, modal verbs, word formation and punctuation rules. You can also increase your vocabulary and work out conversational topics in detail. The price varies from $30 to $50.

As a conclusion

You can even learn with the help of English-language advertising - knowledge can be found literally at every step. Our article will help you not get lost on the difficult and thorny path to professional English. Arm yourself with the Internet, our solid free selection, scroll through our blog and check it for updates, and very soon you will notice the results! We wish you good luck!