English level a2. Everything you wanted to know about levels A1, A2 in English

The best way to determine whether your English language skills are at B1 level is to take a high-quality standardized test. Below is a list of the main internationally recognized tests and their corresponding B1 indicators:

What can you do if you know English at level B1?

Level B1 of English will be sufficient to communicate with native English speakers on familiar topics. In the workplace, a B1 level of English allows an employee to read simple reports on familiar topics and write simple emails in their professional field. However, level B1 is not enough to communicate in the workplace only in English.

According to official CEFR guidelines, a student proficient in English at level B1:

  1. Understands the main ideas of clear, standard messages on familiar topics encountered regularly at work, school, leisure, etc.
  2. Can communicate in most situations that may arise while in a country where the target language is spoken.
  3. Can compose a simple, coherent text on topics that are familiar to him or that interest him personally.
  4. Can describe impressions, events, dreams, hopes and aspirations, express and justify their opinions and plans.

More information about knowledge of English at level B1

Official statements about a student's skills are broken down into smaller sub-items for teaching purposes. Such a detailed classification will help you assess your own level of English or help your teacher assess the level of your students. For example, a student who knows English at level B1 will be able to do everything that a student at level A2 can do, and also:

  • discuss dreams and hopes for the future personally and professionally. Organize and complete a job interview in your professional field.
  • talk about your television preferences and favorite programs.
  • describe your education and your plans for future studies.
  • talk about favorite pieces of music and musical trends. Know how to plan an evening of listening to live music.
  • talk about leading a healthy lifestyle, give and receive advice on healthy habits.
  • talk about relationships and dating, including communicating with people on social networks.
  • visit a restaurant, order food, engage in small talk at dinner and pay the bill.
  • participate in discussions in your area of ​​expertise, enlisting help in understanding certain issues.
  • discuss safety issues in the workplace.
  • discuss standards of polite behavior and respond appropriately to impolite behavior.

Of course, progress will depend on the type of course and the individual student, but it can be predicted that a student will achieve a B1 level of English proficiency in 400 hours of study (total).

English level C2 is the sixth and final level of English in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), a system for defining different language levels drawn up by the Council of Europe. In everyday speech, this level can be called “bilingual,” as in “I speak two languages: English and French.” In theory, a well-educated native English speaker speaks English at level C2. Relatively few non-native English language learners reach this level because professional or academic goals generally do not require it.

How to find out if you know English at level C2

The best way to determine whether your English language skills are at a C2 level is to take a high-quality standardized test. Below is a list of the main internationally recognized tests and their corresponding C2 indicators:

What can you do if you know English at level C2?

Level of English C2 corresponds to the level of a native speaker. It allows you to read and write texts of any type on any topic, taking into account the nuances of expressing emotions and opinions, as well as actively participating in any academic or professional discussion.

According to official CEFR guidelines, a person with a C2 level of English:

  1. Can easily understand almost everything he hears or reads.
  2. Can analyze information from a variety of oral and written sources, producing reasoning and creating a coherent presentation.
  3. Can spontaneously express his thoughts, smoothly and very accurately, differentiating shades of meaning even in the most difficult situations.

Read more about knowledge of English at level C2

Formal statements of student knowledge are broken down into smaller sub-items for instructional purposes. Such a detailed classification will help you assess your own level of English, or help the teacher assess the level of students. For example, a student who knows English at the C2 level will be able to do everything that a student at the C1 level can do, and also the following:

  • discuss issues related to science and technology, including robotics and new inventions.
  • talk about celebrities, their lives and gossip columns about celebrities.
  • use various methods of applying creativity in oral and written speech.
  • discuss financial planning, give and ask advice about personal finance.
  • talk about the role of stress in your life and the lives of friends and colleagues.
  • discuss research methods on a wide range of topics.

Of course, progress will depend on the type of course and the individual student, but it can be predicted that a student will achieve a C2 level of English proficiency after 1000 hours of study (cumulative).

A - Basic ProficiencyB - Self-ownershipC - Fluency
A1A2B1 B2C1C2
Survival levelPre-threshold levelThreshold level Threshold advanced levelProficiency levelNative level proficiency
, Intermediate

Do you want to know if your knowledge corresponds to the Intermediate level? Take ours and get recommendations that will help you improve your English language skills.

Intermediate is the level required by most employers

Intermediate - what level is this? How to determine whether your knowledge corresponds to this level?

The Intermediate level of English, which is designated B1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, comes next after Pre-Intermediate. The name of this stage comes from the word intermediate, the translation of which is “middle”. Thus, Intermediate is the so-called “average” level of language proficiency, which allows you to speak English quite fluently, discuss many professional and everyday topics, and understand by ear almost everything said in English at a normal pace. Language proficiency level B1 allows you to take entrance exams to Russian universities and preparatory courses abroad. However, the most important thing is that virtually all employers require that their potential or actual employees know at least Intermediate English.

We recommend starting to study English at the Intermediate level if you:

  • speak fluently, able to carry on a conversation, but choose your words, so you want to “talk”;
  • you have a good vocabulary, but you can’t always use it easily; you often have to consult a dictionary;
  • correctly understand the questions of a foreign interlocutor and the English speech in the recording, but only if the speaker speaks clearly and measuredly;
  • understand the basic grammar of the English language and operate with different tenses of English, but feel unsure of more complex grammar;
  • have studied English at this level for a long time, remember a lot and now want to brush up on your knowledge;
  • recently completed a course of studying English at the Pre-Intermediate level.

Material that people with knowledge of English at the Intermediate level should know

How to determine that you know English at level B1? The table indicates what knowledge a person with an Intermediate level should have.

SkillYour knowledge
Grammar
(Grammar)
You know all the tenses of English: Present, Past and Future Simple; Present, Past and Future Continuous; Present, Past and Future Perfect; Present, Past and Future Perfect Continuous.

Do you know what the essence of the sentences I used to play football and I’m used to playing football is (the constructions used to do and to be used to do).

When you talk about the future tense, you understand the difference between: I'm going to visit John (construction to be going to), I'm visiting John tomorrow at 5 o'clock (Present Continuous for future action) and I'll visit John next month (Future Simple).

Do you understand the difference between You mustn"t do exercises and You don"t have to do exercises (modal verbs).

Do you understand the difference between: I stopped to rest and I stopped resting (using the gerund and infinitive after the verb).

You know the comparative degrees of adjectives (hot-hotter-hottest).

Do you understand in what cases the words little/few and a little/a few (words denoting quantity in English) are used?

You see the difference between: If you come home, we’ll go shopping, If you came home, we would go shopping and If you had come home, we would have gone shopping (first, second and third types of conditional sentences).

Can you correctly paraphrase the direct speech She asked: “What are you doing?” indirect She asked what I was doing.

You easily create questions in order to clarify something: You don’t like coffee, do you? (Question tags)

Lexicon
(Vocabulary)
Your vocabulary ranges from 2000 to 3000 words and phrases.

You are familiar with some idioms and phrasal verbs.

You can communicate with business partners without delving into special business terminology (you know basic business vocabulary).

Actively use the constructions neither... nor, in addition to, as well as, apart from, due to, because of.

Speaking
(Speaking)
You speak clearly, have good pronunciation, and others understand your speech.

You understand where to make logical pauses in sentences, in which part of the sentence to raise or lower your voice.

You speak quite fluently and do not take long pauses during a conversation.

You can describe your appearance, talk about your education and work experience, express your opinion on various issues, and can talk about almost any topic.

You use phrasal verbs and some idioms in your speech.

You do not simplify your speech; you use rather complex grammatical structures: different types of conditional sentences, passive voice, different tenses, indirect speech.

Reading
(Reading)
You have a good understanding of adapted literature at your level.

You understand general articles on the Internet, newspapers and magazines, although you encounter vocabulary that is unfamiliar to you.

Listening
(Listening)
You perfectly understand audio recordings adapted for your level.

You understand the meaning of unadapted audio, even if you don’t know some words, and the announcer speaks with an accent.

You distinguish the accent of native speakers from the accent of non-English speakers.

You watch films and TV series in the original language with subtitles.

You can listen to simple original or adapted audiobooks for your level.

Letter
(Writing)
You construct your sentences grammatically correctly.

You can write an informal letter or a short formal letter.

If necessary, you will be able to fill out official papers in English.

You can give a written description of any places, events, people, or comment on the proposed text.

If you are not sure that you have all the knowledge required at this level, we recommend checking to see if your knowledge of the English language is at level .

The Intermediate level program involves studying such topics in the training course

Grammar topicsConversational topics
  • Present (Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous)
  • Action and state verbs
  • Past (Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous)
  • Future forms (to be going to, Present Continuous, will/shall)
  • Modal verbs (must, have to, should, may, might, can, could, to be able to)
  • Gerund and Infinitive
  • Comparative and superlative adjectives
  • Used to do something and to be used to do something
  • Articles: a/an, the, no article
  • Quantifiers (any, some, few, a lot of, a piece of)
  • First, Second and Third Conditional, Future time clauses
  • Relative clauses: defining and non-defining
  • Reported Speech: statements, questions, commands
  • Passive Voice
  • Question tags
  • Phrasal verbs
  • Family and Personality
  • Describing people's appearance and character
  • Jobs, Money and Success
  • Business
  • Education
  • Modern manners
  • Transport and Traveling
  • Places to live
  • Nature and Environment
  • Climate and Natural disasters
  • Communication
  • Television and Media
  • Cinema and Movies
  • Shopping
  • Food and Restaurants
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Friendship
  • Challenges and Success
  • Good and bad luck
  • Crime and Punishment

How will your speaking skills develop during the Intermediate course?

The Intermediate level is a kind of key stage at which the student really begins to “get off the ground” in speaking skills (Speaking skills). At this stage you become a “talking” student. If you want to speak fluently, try to speak as much as possible in class. Don’t be afraid to reason and express your point of view, try to use complex colloquial clichés.

Concerning vocabulary (Vocabulary), in addition to general spoken vocabulary, at the Intermediate level you study the so-called “general business” English - widely used words that are associated with communication in the business sphere. In addition, the “intermediate” level is rich in various phrases, idioms, figures of speech and set expressions. You remember not just words, but entire phrases in context, learn to construct new words using prefixes and suffixes. Much attention is paid to the ability to explain the meaning of a word in English, name its synonyms and antonyms.

Listening(Listening) is still a problem for many students starting at the Intermediate level. Audio texts at this level are much longer than texts for the Pre-Intermediate level, however, long tracks are divided into parts for which different types of tasks are offered. An Intermediate student can understand factual information related to work, school, and everyday life, recognizing both the general meaning and specific details; in this case, speech may be with a slight accent.

Concerning reading(Reading), the Intermediate level allows you to understand fairly complex, although still adapted, texts, but you can try to read non-adapted literature. At level B1, a simple retelling of the text read is no longer enough; you need to be able to give your assessment, express an opinion for or against, imagine yourself in the place of the characters, etc. All texts for reading at the Intermediate level are a kind of “context” for consolidating and automating the use of the vocabulary being studied and grammar.

Another aspect that receives a lot of attention is letter (Writing). You will learn how to compose English sentences not only in colloquial style, but also in formal style. Level B1 usually includes the following written tasks:

  • Describing a person
  • Telling a story
  • An informal letter
  • Describing a house or flat
  • Formal letter and CV
  • A film review
  • An article for a magazine

At the end of the Intermediate level, the student will be able to successfully use English in a variety of standard situations and clearly express his opinion. In addition, he will learn to write letters, fill out declarations, questionnaires and other documents that require providing basic information about himself, take part in negotiations, make presentations and correspond with native speakers. Knowledge of English at the Intermediate level is a good achievement and provides a variety of opportunities, such as an advantage when applying for a job. From this level you can begin to prepare for exams and.

Duration of training at the Intermediate level

The duration of studying English at the Intermediate level may vary, it depends on the initial knowledge and personal characteristics of the student. On average, the training period is 6-9 months. It is the Intermediate level that is considered a strong base, the final stage in the formation of vocabulary and grammatical knowledge. Further levels are the deepening and expansion of active and passive vocabulary, immersion in the subtleties and nuances of the language.

To make sure that this course of study is right for you, we recommend taking ours, which tests basic English skills. And if you want not only to accurately find out your level of knowledge of the English language, but also to improve it, we suggest enrolling in our school. The teacher will determine your level, weaknesses and strengths and help you improve your knowledge.

English level A2 is the second level of language proficiency in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), a system for determining different language levels compiled by the Council of Europe. In everyday speech, this level can be called basic (for example, “I speak basic English”). The term elementary is the official description of a level in the CEFR - it is a basic level. A student who has mastered a basic level of English can meet his or her basic communication needs.

How to determine that you know English at A2 level

The best way to determine whether your English language skills meet the A2 level is to take a high-quality standardized test. Below is a list of the main internationally recognized tests and their corresponding A2 scores:

What can you do with an A2 level of English?

Level of English A2 is sufficient for tourist travel in an English-speaking country and communication with native English speakers. However, level A2 is considered insufficient to establish deeper friendships. The A2 level of English also allows you to collaborate with English-speaking colleagues, but work communication in English is limited to well-known topics at the A2 level. An A2 level of English is not sufficient to conduct scientific research or to understand English-language media (television, cinema, radio, magazines, etc.).

According to official CEFR guidelines, a student proficient in English at level A2:

  1. Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to major areas of life to which it is directly related (e.g., basic information about family, shopping, geography, employment).
  2. Can communicate within simple and everyday tasks that require a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar or everyday topics.
  3. Can describe in simple terms individual aspects of his past, present, as well as issues related to areas with which he, she, and she directly interact.

Read more about knowledge of English at Level A2

Formal assessments of a student's knowledge are broken down into smaller sub-items for teaching purposes. Such a detailed classification will help you assess your own level of English or help your teacher assess the level of your students. For example, a student with an A2 level of English can:

  • evaluate the work of a colleague at work.
  • talk about the events of your life.
  • describe your past, giving details of the most important milestones.
  • entertain guests at home or visit a friend or colleague at his/her home.
  • discuss your holiday plans and tell friends and colleagues about your holiday afterwards.
  • talk about nature and travel.
  • talk about your favorite movies and choose a movie to watch with friends.
  • discuss clothes and what kind of clothes he/she would like to wear.
  • participate in key discussions at work, including speaking in meetings about familiar topics.
  • describe the accident or injury, obtain medical attention from a doctor, and fill out a prescription for medications.
  • participate in simple business negotiations, greeting guests and attending general events.
  • Understand and communicate basic business propositions in your area of ​​expertise.
  • discuss and explain the rules of the games.

Of course, progress will depend on the type of course and the individual student, but it can be predicted that a student will achieve an A2 level of English proficiency in 200 hours of study (total).

Those prone to self-criticism like to repeat that they don’t know anything (although in fact they can speak the language at a level closer to average and continue to regularly enroll in English courses), and those prone to vanity assure during an interview that they speak English perfectly (when in fact, again, they may be “average”).

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

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

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

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

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

Level 1 - Elementary(Elementary)

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

Level 2 - Upper-Elementary(Higher Elementary)

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

Level 3 - Pre-Intermediate(Lower Intermediate Level)

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

Level 4 - Intermediate(Average level)

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

Level 5 - Upper-Intermediate(Upper middle level)

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

Level 6 - Advanced(Advanced)

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

Level 7 - Super-Advanced(Super advanced)

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

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

especially for

Make your choice and receive a certificate

If you only know the Terminator phrase in English or decide to test the theory of probability “what if you answer at random” - don’t bother, get a “Full Beginner” certificate and rejoice.

And for all those who suffer, to test their knowledge and obtain documentary evidence of their successes - click the “determine your English level” button and take the test. Be honest with yourself!

And may English be with you. Advanced.