›

Characteristics of pre-intermediate English proficiency. Intermediate level - what is it? What does the Intermediate level mean? What is pre-intermediate level of English

In this article, we will take a closer look at the level Pre-Intermediate.

  1. What an Intermediate Should Know
    1. Reading (reading)
    2. Writing (letter)
    3. Vocabulary (lexicon)
    4. Grammar (grammar)
    5. Listening (listening)
    6. Speaking (speaking)
  2. Level test
  3. Examples of words and expressions of the Pre-Intermediate level

Level of English language Pre-Intermediate is a preparatory, "almost intermediate" stage, which in the CEFR system is indicated by the A2 code. In Russian, it is often called pre-threshold, or "below average". By switching to it, you can already talk with foreigners on everyday topics, understand simple texts and understand the basics of grammar. In step A2, you will expand vocabulary, get acquainted with previously unknown grammatical structures, gain new knowledge and skills in writing, listening, reading and speaking.

What a Pre-Intermediate Should Know

Proficiency in English at the Pre-Intermediate level involves expanding the existing knowledge base. Many themes of the Elementary stage are repeated here, but they become more complex and enriched with new nuances. Let's take a closer look at what a Pre-Intermediate student needs to know.

Reading (reading)

Reading texts are becoming more complex and interesting: now you can read simple non-adapted literature, articles in newspapers and magazines. At the prethreshold level, you read without a dictionary and learn to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words from the context.

Writing (letter)

You can write a personal letter or an essay on a free topic, describe an image. You can easily fill out personal information in any questionnaires and correspond with native speakers.

Vocabulary (lexicon)

The lexical minimum of the Pre-Intermediate stage covers the following topics:

  • Family and friends
  • Appearance, character traits and personality
  • Work, profession and jobs
  • Events
  • Houseware
  • Hobby, recreation
  • Habits and lifestyle
  • Food
  • sports and health
  • Living in an urban environment
  • Transport
  • Clothes and fashion
  • Shops and shopping
  • Climate and weather
  • Education
  • fears
  • Animals
  • World News

The vocabulary of a Pre-Intermediate student is 1500-2000 words. You can use the context to understand what an unfamiliar word means and explain it.

Grammar (grammar)

The pre-threshold level means the complication of familiar grammar and its deeper study. The required level of knowledge includes the following topics:

  • Present and Past Tense (Present and Past Simple, Continuous, Perfect)
  • Future Simple and other constructions for expressing the future tense
  • Question types and word order
  • Comparative and superlative degrees of comparison for adjectives
  • Infinitive and gerund, their differences and features of use
  • Modal verbs, their meanings and usage
  • Types of conditional sentences
  • Prepositions of place and time
  • Passive (passive) voice
  • Direct and indirect speech

At Pre-Intermediate, you can talk about the present, past and future, understand in which cases the infinitive is used, and in which gerunds, you know the features of the use of modal verbs, you can translate direct speech into indirect speech and build sentences in the passive voice.

Listening (listening)

Knowledge of English at the Pre-Intermediate level opens up new opportunities for you. You are already able to watch movies, series or TV shows in the original with English subtitles. You understand the main idea of ​​everyday English speech, even if you do not know the translation of individual words.

Speaking (speaking)

You can freely talk with a native speaker on familiar topics, express your opinion, agreement or disagreement with something, likes and dislikes. Your speech becomes more complex and enriched with new grammatical structures, phrasal verbs. If you do not know or do not remember some words, you are able to explain their meaning or find a synonym.

Determine your level

If you are not sure about your level of English, we recommend that you take a short test. It will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and determine at what level to study.

Examples of grammatical constructions of the Pre-Intermediate level

  • Construction used to + Infinitive:

I used to smoke a lot, but I quit five years ago.

My sister used to have long hair but she cut it all off a month ago.

I didn't use to like books but now I do.

  • Construction to be going to + Infinitive:

I "m going to move to the US.

Edward is going to be a writer.

My wife is going to visit her parents.

I "m not going to buy a new coat.

Are you going to stay?

  • Design to be used to:

I am used to getting up early.

We are used to living in a big house.

Are you used to staying up late?

They aren't used to the hot weather here.

Are you used to cold weather?

  • Active and Passive Voice:

I clean my flat every day. — My flat is cleaned every day.

They must turn off the lights. - The lights must be turned off.

The police caught the criminals. — The criminals were caught by the police.

  • Reported Speech:

She said, "I play the piano." — She said she played the piano.

He said, "I like baseball." — He said he liked baseball.

"I enjoy skiing." — He told me he enjoyed skiing.

"I"ve read that book."

As you remember, friends, English is divided into levels. Often those who learn English move to the Pre Intermediate level with anxiety and uncertainty; they are worried that they are not yet ready for this stage, they consider this level to be quite difficult, because Pre Intermediate is a pre-threshold level, a level up to the middle one.

But do not be afraid of this stage of learning English. If you completed all previous levels with good results, then it's time to start the Pre Intermediate course. This stage of learning begins with the repetition of simple and already completed turns and structures, such as the simple present tense, etc. This is why this stage of learning English is effective, because it allows you to remember, repeat, consolidate and improve knowledge on topics already covered and move on to new material.

Let's take a closer look at this level. How do you know that you are ready to start learning English at this level? You can proceed to the Pre Intermediate stage if:

  • You understand the general meaning of the interlocutor's statements, you can maintain a dialogue, but speak in simple and light sentences
  • You are good at grammar, but in your speech you use only simple tenses and grammatical phrases
  • Studied English and have good basic knowledge
  • Recently finished learning English at the Elementary level

All this suggests that you have good English skills, but you want to improve them, speak fluently and spontaneously, read books in English and much more. Then it's time to move to the pre-threshold level in your study of the English Language.

What skills and knowledge in English does this stage of training give?

In grammar:

  • Knowledge of verb tenses, including Continuous and Perfect
  • Understanding the first and second type of conditional mood in English
  • Understanding Designs to be going to, used to do and to be used to
  • Knowledge and understanding of modal verbs
  • Understanding modal verbs and degrees of comparison of adjectives

In vocabulary:

  • Vocabulary is between 1500 and 2000 words
  • Acquaintance with different forms of words, idioms, phrasal verbs
  • The use of constructions with words in speech so, too, enough, either, neither, no more, anymore, no longer, whenever/if/when, as/like
  • Clear speaking, correct pronunciation
  • Ability to make a story of 15-18 sentences about yourself, your family, friends, hobbies, profession, tastes
  • Understanding Phrasal Verbs
  • Capturing the general meaning of what was said, even if individual words are incomprehensible
  • Ability to communicate with a native speaker on simple topics

In reading:

  • Ability to understand simple advertising texts, articles in newspapers and magazines
  • Ability to read books adapted to one's level
  • Ability to understand main idea simple unadapted texts

In audition:

  • Ability to grasp the meaning of a film or program in English with subtitles
  • Ability to recognize intonation and stress
  • Ability to understand audiobooks for a given level

In a letter:

  • Ability to write a story about yourself, describe a picture, express your opinion
  • Ability to write a letter, postcard


Now let's look at what grammar and conversational learning topics the pre-threshold level offers us.

Grammar Topics:

  • Word order in questions, types of questions
  • Verb tenses
  • Degrees of comparison of adjectives
  • gerund and infinitive
  • The first and second type of conditional mood
  • Direct / indirect speech
  • Modal verbs
  • Passive voice

Conversation Topics:

  • daily activities
  • Man and appearance
  • Holidays and travel
  • Food and health
  • Clothes and shopping
  • family and friendship
  • Hobbies (music, sports)
  • Climate and weather
  • Fears and phobias
  • Animals

From the foregoing, we can conclude that the English language of the Pre Intermediate level is fundamentally different from the initial and basic level. Your knowledge of English at this level takes a significant step forward.

Textbooks and books for the Pre-Intermediate level

If you have moved to the pre-threshold level, then it is only natural that you will wonder what textbook is suitable for English classes and what books in English can be read at this stage of learning.

If you need a Pre Intermediate level English textbook, then pay attention to the following options:

  • Murphy English Grammar Tutorial
  • For the practice of speech and replenishment of vocabulary, the textbook "New Opportunities", "Enterprise", as well as the textbook "Language to Go"
  • Headway Tutorial - Pre-Threshold Course for Adults
  • A textbook for a multi-level course, which includes the Pre Intermediate level, "Total English"

Now books. At this level, you can read both the simple books of this course in the original and books adapted for this level.

So, we offer you the following books to read at the pre-threshold level:

  • Aspinall P. "The House by the Sea"
  • Austen Jane Pride and Prejudice
  • Bassett Jennifer "A Cup of Kindness: Stories from Scotland"
  • Bates Herbert Ernest "The Darling Buds of May"
  • Battersby Alan
  • Chaucer Geoffrey "The Canterbury Tales"
  • Dahl Road "Matilda"

You can find these and many other pre-threshold books on the Internet or in the library. These books will help you plunge into the atmosphere of the original English language, get acquainted with speech turns in English, and enrich your vocabulary.

Summing up, we can say that the Pre Intermediate level provides significant advantages in knowledge of the English Language. Your English vocabulary is expanding and enriched with set phrases. Reading becomes clearer, more fluent and free. Speaking also takes a significant step forward: you can speak fluently, make mistakes, but understand them and are able to correct them.

By studying English at this level, you will soon feel confident and want to move on to the next, more difficult stage of learning as soon as possible. We wish you success!

Surely many have heard about the international system of levels of the English language, but not everyone knows what it means and how to classify it. The need to know your level of English proficiency may arise in some life situations. For example, if you need to pass an interview at work or at the embassy, ​​if you need to pass some international exam (IELTS, TOEFL, FCE, CPE, BEC, etc.), when entering a foreign educational institution, when getting a job in another country, and also for personal purposes.

international system definitions of knowledge of the English language can be divided into 7 levels:

1. Beginner - Initial (zero). At this level, the student knows almost nothing in English and begins to study the subject from scratch, including the alphabet, basic reading rules, on-duty greeting phrases and other tasks of this stage. By the end of the Beginner level, students can usually answer questions easily when meeting new people. For example: What is your name? How old are you? Do you have brothers and sisters? Where are you from and where do you live? etc. And they can also count up to a hundred, spell their name and personal data. The latter in English is called spelling.

2. Elementary - Elementary. This level follows immediately after zero and implies knowledge of some basics of the English language. The Elementary level gives students the opportunity to use previously learned phrases in a more free form, and also instills a whole range of new knowledge. At this stage, students learn to briefly talk about themselves, their favorite colors, dishes and seasons, weather and time, daily routine, countries and customs, etc. In terms of grammar, at this level there is an initial acquaintance with the following tenses: Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple, Future Simple (will, to be going to) and Present Perfect. And also some modal verbs (can, must), different types pronouns, adjectives and their degrees of comparison, categories of nouns, forms of simple questions. Having firmly mastered the Elementary level, you can already take part in the KET (Key English test) testing.

3. Pre-Intermediate - Below Intermediate. The level following the Elementary is called Pre-Intermediate, literally translated as Pre-Intermediate. Having reached this level, students already have an idea of ​​how many sentences and phrases are built, they can speak briefly on many topics. The Pre-Intermediate level adds confidence and expands the learning potential. There are longer texts, more practice exercises, new grammatical topics, and more complex sentence structures. Topics encountered at this level may include complex questions, the Past Continuous, different forms of the future tense, conditional sentences, modal verbs, infinitives and gerunds, repetition and reinforcement of the Past Simple tenses (regular and irregular verbs) and Present Perfect, and some others. In terms of oral skills, after passing the Pre-Intermediate level, you can safely go on a journey and look for any opportunity to use your knowledge in practice. Also, a solid knowledge of English at the Pre-Intermediate level makes it possible to participate in the PET (Preliminary English Test) test and the BEC (Business English Certificate) Preliminary exam.

4. intermediate. At the Intermediate level, the knowledge gained at the previous stage is consolidated, and a lot of new vocabulary is added, including complex ones. For example, personal characteristics of people, scientific terms, professional vocabulary and even slang. The object of study is active and passive voices, direct and indirect speech, participial and participle phrases, phrasal verbs and prepositions, word order in complex sentences, varieties of articles, etc. Of the grammatical tenses, the difference between Present Simple and Present Continuous, Past Simple and Present Perfect, Past Simple and Past Continuous, as well as between various forms of expression of the future tense, is considered in more detail. Texts at the Intermediate level become longer and more meaningful, and communication becomes easier and freer. The advantage of this stage is that in many modern companies, employees with knowledge of the Intermediate level are highly valued. Also, this level is ideal for avid travelers, as it allows you to freely understand the interlocutor and express yourself in response. From international exams, after successfully passing the middle level, you can take the following exams and tests: FCE (First Certificate in English) for B / C, PET Level 3, BULATS (Business Language Testing Service), BEC Vantage, TOEIC (Test of English) for International Communication), IELTS (International English Language Testing System) by 4.5-5.5 points and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) by 80-85 points.

5. Upper Intermediate - Above average. If students progress to this level, it means that they are able to understand fluent English fluently and communicate easily using the vocabulary that they have already acquired. At the Upper-Intermediate level, it becomes possible to use English much more in practice, since there is a little less theory, and if there is, it basically repeats and reinforces the Intermediate level. Of the innovations, Narrative Tenses (Narrative tenses) can be noted, which includes such difficult times as Past Continuous, Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous. It also covers the Future Continuous and Future Perfect, the use of articles, modal conjectural verbs, indirect speech verbs, hypothetical sentences, abstract nouns, causal voice, and more. The Upper-Intermediate level is one of the most popular in both business and education. People who are fluent in English at this level can easily pass any interviews and even enter foreign universities. At the end of the Upper-Intermediate course, you can take exams such as FCE for A / B, BEC (Business English Certificate) Vantage or Higher, TOEFL for 100 points and IELTS for 5.5-6.5 points.

6. Advanced 1 - Advanced. The Advanced 1 level is required for professionals and students who want to achieve high fluency in English. Unlike the Upper-Intermediate level, a lot of interesting turns appear here, including idioms. Knowledge of tenses and other grammatical aspects studied earlier is only deepened and considered from other unexpected angles. Discussion topics become more specific and professional, for example: environment and natural disasters, legal processes, genres of literature, computer terms, etc. After the Advanced level, you can take a special academic exam CAE (Cambridge Advanced English), as well as IELTS for 7 and TOEFL for 110 points, and you can apply for a prestigious job in foreign companies or a place in Western universities.

7. Advanced 2 - Super advanced (native speaker level). The name speaks for itself. We can say that there is nothing more than Advanced 2, because this is the level of a native speaker, i.e. a person born and raised in an English-speaking environment. With this level, you can pass any interviews, including highly specialized ones, and pass any exams. In particular, the highest test of English proficiency is the CPE (Cambridge Proficiency Exam) academic exam, and as for the IELTS test, it can be passed to the highest score of 8.5-9 with this level.
This gradation is called ESL (English as a Second Language) or EFL (English as a Foreign Language) level classification and is used by ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe). The level system may vary, move around depending on the country, school or organization. For example, some organizations reduce the presented 7 levels to 5 and call them a little differently: Beginner (Elementary), Lower Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, Lower Advanced, Upper Advanced. However, the meaning and content of the levels does not change from this.

Another similar system of international exams under the abbreviation CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) divides the levels into 6 and has other names:

1. A1 (Breakthrough)=Beginner
2. A2 (Waystage)=Pre-Intermediate - Below Intermediate
3. B1 (Threshold)=Intermediate
4. B2 (Vantage)=Upper-Intermediate
5. C1 (Proficiency)=Advanced 1 - Advanced
6. C2 (Mastery)=Advanced 2 - Super Advanced

Let's say you've already passed the Elementary level and are one step closer to your goal of being able to communicate fluently in English. What level were you at? Correctly! This is the A2 Pre-Intermediate or Pre-Intermediate level. In the CEFR table, it takes an honorable third place and moves you closer to perfection. Well, let's get started, ladies and gentlemen!

Table of English CEFR levels
LEVELDescriptionCEFR 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

Language level PreIntermediate - what does it mean?

The Pre-Intermediate (A2) level is the stage at which you are no longer so afraid of communicating with a foreigner who has addressed you in English. Ask him to repeat the question and you will not only understand but also be able to explain how to find the nearest hotel. It is at this level that you gradually learn to communicate in English and practice your speech, and the time of silence comes to an end.

At this level, you repeat and consolidate the knowledge that you received at Elementary. It can be said that you start all over again, with “ Present simple", But at the same time you delve into the nuances of the language that you were not familiar with before.

At this level, you can already try to pass some language test, although there will be no practical benefit from this. This level roughly corresponds to the result of 3-4 when passing the IELTS exam, 39-56 points when passing the TOEFL iBT, you can try to pass the Cambridge PET exam (Preliminary English Test) and get a good score. By the way, if you want to work abroad, then non-core employers are looking for people with just such a level of language.

  • understand the general meaning of the interlocutor's statements, can maintain a simple dialogue and ask questions, but speak in short fragmentary sentences;
  • passed our level test and he told you that :) ;
  • you know basic grammar well, but you find it difficult to use it in a spontaneous conversation, you get confused in constructions or build phrases using only simple tenses;
  • studied English at school or university, have good basic knowledge;
  • recently completed an English course at the Elementary level.

The Pre-Intermediate level program includes the study of the following topics.

Topics to study in the Pre-Intermediate level program
Grammar Topics Lexical Topics
Group tenses Present (Simple, Continuous, Perfect)
Group tenses Past (Simple, Continuous, Perfect)
Designs Used to do and be used to doing something
Time Future Simple + construction be going to
Word order in questions
Question types
Comparative degrees of adjectives (Comparative and superlative)
Too, enough, a little, a few
Gerund and infinitive
Modal verbs (have to, must, can, may, might, should)
Prepositions of time and place Conditional sentences (type 0, 1, 2)
Passive voice
Indirect (Indirect) speech
Phrasal verbs		 Family and friends
Technology
Holidays
Events
Communication
Vacation and day off
Travels
Ecological problems
Lifestyle
Relations
The cycle of life
Cinema and films
Media
Best Job
Our future
Health
Love and trust
Music
Modern society
Shops and shopping
fame and success
Perfect world

How much to study at Pre-Intermediate

The duration of studying English at the Pre-Intermediate level may vary depending on the starting knowledge and the individual characteristics of the student. Our Pre-Intermediate course averages 4-8 months.

Set a goal. Your desire to learn English is the engine of your learning. If you do not have the motivation to study, then it will stretch for a long time. Therefore, the first thing to do when learning English via Skype is to set yourself a goal for which you need the language. You travel a lot and want to make new friends, learn more about the culture of countries. For such purposes, you need a level of "Pre-Intermediate" and above.

Get busy every day. If you want to shorten the time for learning English as much as possible, then you need to study every day. At the same time, to immerse yourself in the language environment, study at least 2 hours a day.

Use English in your life. Don't wait until you learn the language perfectly. Start using it in your life right now! Try to replace Russian with English as much as possible. So you can use it and improve it at the same time. Right now, think about where you can use it. There are so many ways!

Conclusion

After reading the article, you might think that the Pre-Intermediate and Elementary levels are similar in terms of grammar or conversational topics. We can assure you, this level is harder. On “Pre-Intermediate”, the old grammar is overgrown with new nuances, and a similar topic like “Food” or “Daily Routines” becomes more saturated with new words and stable constructions. Go for it and don't stop there!

Big and friendly family EnglishDom

Classification of English Proficiency Levels

Depending on the degree of proficiency in certain language skills, several levels of language proficiency can be distinguished.

There are many classifications, but the disadvantage of any of them is the inability to draw a clear line between levels.

At the EU level, it is accepted from A to C, where each group is subdivided into 2 more subgroups. However, in our country, more common, is another classification, which includes from 3 to 8 steps in different sources.

On average, there are six:

  1. Basic. At this level, it is too early to talk about any language proficiency, we are only talking about the beginning of learning, getting to know the basics.
  2. Elementary. At this stage, a person is already able to understand simple sentences and inscriptions in public places. He should also be able to build elementary speech constructions, for example, introduce himself, ask for directions, order in a cafe, etc.
  3. Pre-Intermediate. This stage assumes knowledge of the commonly used basics English grammar, and the ability to explain everyday topics in communication with foreigners with good pronunciation. The average non-language school gives its students something like this.
  4. . at this level means understanding the meaning when reading books and watching movies, competent oral and written language in the case of most non-highly specialized topics.
  5. Upper Intermediate. At this stage, a person is able to communicate fluently, albeit not without gross errors, in oral and written form, knows the entire system of English grammar, although he may not understand the subtleties and nuances that are mostly understandable only to native speakers. This level is sufficient for living, studying and working abroad.
  6. Advanced. This stage means at the native level - an extensive vocabulary, knowledge of slang and everyday expressions, the ability to easily communicate on any topic using idiomatic and other established expressions. This level can only be achieved by continuous use of the language in communication.

Language level pre-intermediate

Pre-Intermediate Skills

This level implies slightly below average knowledge, i.e., corresponds to knowledge of the language at the everyday level.

Conversation and communication

  • speaking: the ability to speak on everyday topics with competent intonation, correct pronunciation and not too slow speed.
  • Speech understanding: the ability to understand calm and unhurried speech in situations of social interaction. This is not only about personal communication, but also, for example, about announcements on the streets, train stations, airports, etc., talking on the phone, using TV and radio, etc.

Reading and writing

  • Reading skills: the ability to correctly read and understand the essence of texts of a general orientation, both artistic and journalistic content.
  • Writing skills: ability to describe a situation, person or event, compose the main types of electronic messages - a request, an apology, a request.

Conditions for further study of English from the Pre-Intermediate level

Development of speech skills on the Pre-Intermediate course

Increasingly increasing and mastering the basic grammatical structures allow you to move from the simplest sentences to coherent and meaningful communication on the following basic topics:

  • A family.
  • Purchases.
  • Transport.
  • Story about yourself.