So, what are the levels, what level of language proficiency do you personally need (depending on your goals), and how much time will you have to spend to achieve this level? For convenience, we will focus on English, as the most popular language, and in which there is the most developed system of various tests and international exams. Conventionally, we will evaluate the level of English language proficiency on a twelve-point scale. At many English language courses abroad, and at decent courses in our country, the formation of study groups occurs precisely in accordance with these levels.
0 - "zero level" of English
Full Beginner. Many people immediately begin to say: “yes, yes, this is just about me!” I learned something at school, but I don’t remember anything at all! Complete zero!" No! If you learned something at school, then it no longer has anything to do with you. Those who have never learned English and don’t even know the alphabet have a zero level. Well, if, for example, you studied German or French at school, but never encountered English.
1 Elementary. Elementary English level
I have no experience using English. Some simple words and expressions are understandable, while others can be difficult to guess. I have the vaguest idea about grammar. In general, this is a typical level for a graduate of a post-Soviet school, who twice a week pretended to study some “topics”, but in fact copied mathematics under his desk. In case of urgent need, some words still pop up in your head - “passport, taxi, how-to”, but a coherent conversation does not work out. To reach this level from scratch, it is enough to take a decent English course abroad for 3-4 weeks, approximately 80-100 hours of study. By the way, about all the calculations (weeks, hours, etc.) - these are average figures for the bulk of students with normal abilities (which is approximately 80%), ten percent of linguistically gifted students will learn everything much faster, and ten percent will need more time and efforts to achieve the same result. There are no people who are generally incapable of learning languages - I declare this categorically. If you speak Russian, you can speak any other language, you just need to put in some effort and spend some time. So, I wrote, and I myself felt sad: whatever one may say, a month or a month and a half at language courses abroad successfully replaces five years of language study in our regular high school... well, that’s, of course, if it’s a C grade. If you diligently complete your homework for five years, you can achieve much greater success and rise to a higher level.
2 – Upper-Elementary. Highest elementary level
Have knowledge of simple grammatical structures of the English language. It is possible to maintain a conversation on a familiar topic - but, unfortunately, the number of familiar topics is very limited. There is an understanding of simple sentences and speech structures - especially if they speak slowly and clarify what is said with gestures.
We can call this level a “living wage” for a tourist who is relatively independent of guides and translators. Add 80-100 training hours to the previous level. By the way, in most decent language courses in Russia, one level is approximately 80 hours, that is, if you study twice a week for 4 academic hours, then this is about 10 weeks, two to three months. Abroad, you can complete three weeks of intensive training.
3 – Pre-Intermediate. Lower intermediate level
You can carry on a conversation on a familiar topic. Knowledge of English grammar is quite good, although vocabulary is limited. You can pronounce fairly coherent sentences with virtually no errors if you covered this topic in class. This sometimes leads to a paradoxical situation if you have to communicate with foreigners - it seems to them that you speak English quite well, and they happily begin to explain something to you at a normal pace, excitedly waving their hands. But you, having laid out everything you knew, realize that you no longer understand a damn thing, and you feel out of place.
At this level, you can already try to pass some kind of language test, although there will be no practical benefit from this. This level approximately 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).
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Now let's talk about the next level - Elementary, which is also considered the initial stage. Today we'll figure it out:
Who is this level suitable for?
- what is the difference between the Elementary level and the Beginner level?
- what happens at this level
- what textbooks are there for the Elementary level?
And I also confess to some crime))
The difference between Elementary and Beginner
Both levels belong to the initial level of English. Both are designated by the same letter in the European classification (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages):
Elementary – A2
What then is the difference between Beginner and Elementary?
Beginner level - for those who have not studied English. From the word absolutely. From the word never. At the same time, perhaps Beginner knows a couple of words (hello, es, know, may name from - exactly in this form, yes)))
The Elementary level is for those who have some kind of base, even if it’s from school 30 years ago. Even if the person barely speaks at all. But he has an idea of the language system.
The most recent example. From point A to point B...
Group A and Group B started studying at the same time using the same textbook.
Two months later, group A mastered 2 units, and group B mastered 3 units. How did this happen?
It's simple - group A brought together those who did not study English at school. And in group B - those who were engaged.
Even if it was a long time ago and not true, the second group already had a foundation, albeit well forgotten. Therefore, all we needed was to remember the old things, work them out a little and move forward.
And with the first group we have almost everything - for the first time and again. We need a lot, a lot of practice and additional exercises, activities and other fun.
That's the whole difference.
Yes, in an amicable way, with the first group it was necessary to take the Beginner level. But we want to avoid doing this in a bad way.
First of all, I don't like any Beginner level textbook.
Secondly, why waste time if you can take the Elementary level and simply adapt it to our abilities and needs? Go through the material a little more slowly, give a little more exercises and activities, a little more practice. Moreover, the content of the levels is almost the same.
In general, what am I talking about... I think even with complete beginners (English from scratch) you can take the Elementary level. Another thing is that, of course, the teacher will have to do a little magic))
I don’t know, maybe there is a methodological mistake in this crime. Colleagues, what do you think about this? Is it possible for complete beginners (Beginner) to take the Elementary level?
Textbooks for the Elementary level
I’ll say right away that in terms of content there is no big difference between the textbooks. Whatever Elementary textbook you take:
- Headway
- English File
- Speakout
- Cutting Edge
All textbooks offer the same material - grammar, vocabulary, a set of situations (communicative). What can you do, standards!
Look through and compare the contents of the two textbooks - and:
So you should choose a textbook according to your aesthetic taste - go to a bookstore, touch the beauty, look through several textbooks, look at the pictures, the organization of the textbook. Or trust the choice of your teacher.
What is covered at the Elementary level
|
Grammar |
(Communicative) situations, practical skills |
|
|
Verb to be (affirmations, negatives, questions) Personal pronouns Possessive pronouns Article a/an Plural This, these, that, those Adjectives Imperative mood Possessive "s Present Simple (statements, negatives, questions) Prepositions of time and place Adverbs, their place in a sentence Present Continuous Present Simple vs. Present Continuous Object pronouns me/him/her There is/there are/there was/there were Some and any, countable and uncountable nouns Degrees of comparison of adjectives Going to: plans and forecasts for the future Verbs requiring an infinitive |
Days of the week Countries and nationalities Phrases used in class Everyday items Colors and adjectives Feelings and states Set phrases with verbs Daily routine Professions Family members Seasons and weather Word formation Expressions for the past tense Set phrases with verbs go, get, have Rooms in the house and pieces of furniture Prepositions of place and movement Food and types of packaging Places in the city Internet |
Check into a hotel Carrying on a conversation Instructions and invitations Find out and tell what time it is Find out the cost and order drinks in a cafe Find out what the weather is like Reading travel brochures Shopping at a clothing store Reading adapted literature in English Expressing Preferences Get directions Rental of property Reading the menu and ordering in a restaurant Compare objects, phenomena, cities, etc. Find out and tell about plans Make a forecast for the future Order a taxi To buy a ticket Filling out forms and profiles Informal letters Description of the apartment for the housing search site Official letter – hotel reservation |
And a few examples of pages from the textbook for clarity:
Grammar
- Present Simple
- Difference between
| A - Basic Proficiency | B - Self-ownership | C - Fluency | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
| Survival level | Pre-threshold level | Threshold level | Threshold advanced level | Proficiency level | Native level proficiency |
| , Elementary | |||||
Do you want to know if your knowledge corresponds to the Elementary level? Take ours and get recommendations that will help you improve your English language skills.
The Elementary level of English is the foundation on which your knowledge of the English language will rest
In the European system of levels of proficiency in foreign languages, level A1 Elementary has the same letter designation as Beginner. However, it is the Elementary level of English that is considered the survival level. That is, the knowledge acquired at this level is enough to communicate in English at an everyday level. For example, if you are abroad, you can check directions with local residents, make purchases, book a hotel room, etc.
As a rule, students come to the Elementary level with a small amount of knowledge acquired in the Beginner course, at school or another educational institution. If you have previously studied English, it means that you already have at least some basic knowledge, even if it seems to you that you studied a long time ago and don’t remember anything. In fact, you have already “met” the English language, you know the letters and sounds, you can read, you can introduce yourself and say simple phrases about yourself, your friends, family, home. This is enough to start studying at the Elementary level.
We recommend starting to study English at the Elementary level if you:
- have studied English a little or briefly before and have acquired basic knowledge;
- speak almost no English, although you know basic grammar and about 300-500 words;
- you have a vague idea of English grammar and would like to understand all tenses and constructions;
- you have basic knowledge, but do not understand English by ear at all;
- have completed the Beginner level of training in English courses or with a personal teacher.
Material that a person should know at the Elementary level
If you think your English skills are slightly better than the categories described above, you may already be at the Elementary level. To verify this, check out the table below. It is considered that you know English at the Elementary level and can move to the level if you have the following knowledge:
| Skill | Your knowledge |
|---|---|
| Grammar (Grammar) | You understand how the verb to be is used (I am a student, It is cold). You know three simple tenses (Present, Future and Past Simple), the present continuous tense (Present Continuous), and have an idea of the present perfect tense (Present Perfect). Do you understand the difference between sentences in the future tense: I'm going to bake a cake (construction to be going to), I'll bake a cake (Future Simple), I'm baking a cake (Present Continuous to indicate future action) . You know the three forms of irregular verbs (drive-drove-driven). You can ask questions to your interlocutor (Word order in questions). Do you understand the difference between a cat and the cat (indefinite and definite articles). You are not surprised that you can say a cookie, but you cannot say a toast (toast, a toasted piece of bread) (Countable and uncountable nouns). You understand what lady’s dress, James’ house (Possessive Case) means. You know the degrees of comparison of adjectives (big-bigger-the biggest). Do you understand the difference between that cup, this cup, these cups, those cups (Demonstrative pronouns). You know object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) and the rules for their use. You know some adverbs of frequency (often, usually, always, sometimes) and manner of action (well, quickly, hard). You know what There is no snow on the ground (There is/are/was/were) means. You know what the sentences I can read, I can’t swim, You should work (Modal verbs can/can’t/should) mean. You understand what I like reading, I hate shopping means (Construction like/love/hate + -ing). |
| Lexicon (Vocabulary) | Your vocabulary ranges from 1000 to 1500 words and phrases. You know commonly used words and phrases in English. |
| Speaking (Speaking) | You can introduce yourself, your family and your home in a few simple sentences. You know how to talk about your preferences and hobbies. You easily describe your workday and weekend rest. You can shop in a store abroad or communicate with staff at a hotel using vocabulary that is familiar to you. You can talk about simple everyday topics. You can answer simple questions on topics that are familiar to you. |
| Reading (Reading) | You understand adapted literature at your level. You can understand signs and announcements in public places or on the street. You can understand the essence of general news. |
| Listening (Listening) | You understand audio recordings adapted for your level. You understand what native speakers are saying to you if they speak slowly and use vocabulary that is familiar to you. |
| Letter (Writing) | You can write a simple personal letter to a friend. You can write a short text about yourself, your hobby, family, home. You can fill out simple personal information. |
If you are still not sure about the choice of level of study, we recommend testing your knowledge using ours.
The Elementary level program includes the study of such topics in the curriculum
| Grammar topics | Conversational topics |
|---|---|
|
|
How your speaking skills will develop in the Elementary course
In the Elementary course, as at other levels, you will work on four main skills: By speaking, Listening, By reading, By letter. You will become familiar with simple grammatical structures of the English language, expand your vocabulary with the most necessary words and phrases, and develop correct pronunciation and intonation.
Your main task at any level is to learn speak(Speaking). At the Elementary level, you will already be able to take part in small dialogues, ask questions within the framework of the topics you have studied and understand the answers to them, especially if the interlocutor does not use words that are unfamiliar to you. You will be able to tell a monologue of 5-10 sentences about yourself, your family, and hobbies.
At A1 Elementary level you will learn understand by ear (Listening) individual familiar words and simple phrases that sound rather slowly and clearly. Simple texts and dialogues are used as listening material, which will be fully understandable to you after the second listen.
Concerning reading(Reading), new texts in English will be present in almost every lesson. Each of these texts is a source of new words and expressions that you will learn at this level. In the Elementary course, you study basic vocabulary: you learn the words and phrases that are most necessary in everyday life. Also at this stage you will memorize the reading rules. You will learn to correctly read “automatically” all the letter combinations you encounter, without consulting a dictionary. Moreover, you will do this while reading an interesting text.
Concerning letters(Writing), then the training will begin with the simplest actions. You will learn to sign postcards, fill out small forms where you need to indicate your first and last name, nationality, and so on. By the end of the level, you will be able to write short essays and personal letters.
At the English Elementary level lexicon (Vocabulary) will expand to 1000-1500 words. Level A1 is full of the most useful words and phrases that are often used in all typical communication situations (shop, airport, on the street, etc.). Most words at this level are universal and can be used in written and oral speech, regardless of style. However, the volume of material to study will be quite large, because even for simple dialogues we will need to know a lot of words. But don’t be afraid that you will be forced to learn lists of words by heart. is aimed at mastering the language in the process of communication, so you will memorize new words through dialogues on the topic being studied.
Duration of study at the Elementary level
The duration of studying English at the Elementary level depends on the individual characteristics of the student and his initial knowledge. The average duration of training for the Elementary course is 6-9 months. Although this is one of the first levels of language proficiency, it covers a wealth of material that will enable you to express yourself in the most common everyday communication situations. At this stage of training you gain basic knowledge, which is why it is important to lay a strong foundation that will allow you to subsequently achieve high levels of English proficiency.
And for those who want to not only test their knowledge of the English language, but also improve it, we invite you to sign up for a course at our school. The teacher will determine your level, weaknesses and strengths and help you improve your knowledge.
The Basic English course is suitable for those who are familiar with the basics, but want to improve their level and strive for fluency. During the course, students will master more than a thousand new words, study several standard conversational topics, and deal with modal verbs, articles and adjectives.
The online platform will help you achieve the Elementary level of English, devoting only half an hour a day to classes. In a couple of months, students will be able to communicate with foreign interlocutors on simple topics, write letters to them and read simple adapted texts, i.e. they will master basic English. Constructions of simple tenses, interrogative sentences and forms of formation of the future tense will be brought to automatism.
❶ They had already started learning English: at school, at college, perhaps, they studied on their own;
❷ Do you want to quickly restore forgotten skills and move forward in learning English;
❸ We completed the first stage of learning English online on our website - the “From Scratch - Beginner” course;
Well "For Beginners - Elementary"- real Basic English! It was developed by a professional methodologist especially for you. Performing original exercises voiced by native speakers is a guarantee that the language barrier will soon cease to be a problem.
What does the basic English course Elementary English include?
The basic English course “For Beginners - Elementary” consists of 2 parts and 36 lessons. It contains short, funny stories on a variety of topics. All materials are specially selected according to difficulty level. Learning English for beginners with the help of this course will refresh your knowledge, you will learn to understand by ear and read short texts, correctly compose sentences, and speak simple phrases with good pronunciation.
All English Elementary level lessons include 5 interactive exercises. They are aimed at improving the basic skills needed to learn English: listening, reading, writing, vocabulary, translation and correct pronunciation. By completing one lesson from the course a day, you steadily increase your knowledge. You will soon notice how English becomes a second language for you. You can easily write, read, and most importantly, understand and speak on any topic.
Grammar load. By studying Elementary English, you will master three simple tenses: Present, Past and Future Simple. Understand the use of the verb to be. You will practice asking questions and answering in affirmative and negative forms. You will practice the use of articles, degrees of comparison of adjectives, categories of countable and uncountable nouns. Study the revolutions there is and there are. As well as the plural of nouns and the use of modal verbs can, may, must. This is the necessary basic knowledge of English for the elementary level, which will help you understand the language and serve as the foundation for its further development.
As a lexical load in the English language course “For Beginners - Elementary”, mainly words from the frequency dictionary are used. You will learn the order 1000-1500 words. Vocabulary from the main conversational topics is used here: weather, nature, school, family, animals, shopping. The numerals of the first and second tens are used.
By completing the “For Beginners - Elementary” course, you can easily expand your active vocabulary in 350 words. Expanding your vocabulary is an important skill in learning any language. On the site, learning English is methodologically structured so that you gradually enrich your vocabulary. Therefore, each course is additional words to your vocabulary, found in different environments and combinations.
We recommend spending time learning English 30 minutes a day. How to determine effectiveness? If you have correctly determined your level of difficulty, then Elementary level English lessons will be effective, and it will take exactly that amount of time to complete one lesson.
Course Objectives
Learn to speak and understand English
The most important skill needed to communicate with foreigners is understanding what they are talking about. The Lim-English method allows you to actively train this ability. This is achieved through professional voice-over of all exercises by native speakers. By doing the exercises on our website, you can easily get used to the sound of English speech and quickly learn to understand it by ear.
In order for English to be firmly grasped and not forgotten, it is necessary to practice reading and writing skills. When performing a complex training consisting of five exercises: listening, dictionary, dictation, translation and oral translation, more meaningful and effective memorization of the language occurs. With this method, auditory, visual and speech receptors work during the learning process.
Create a knowledge base for further language learning
Learning English is a long and labor-intensive process that requires gradualness and methodicalness. If you jump straight into complex texts, you risk losing interest in studying. Therefore, we recommend sequential study with increasing levels. This will create a solid base and open up endless opportunities for you to further improve your knowledge.
What does the Elementary English level provide?
Opportunity to communicate on everyday topics.
After completing the course to the English Elementary level, students will easily be able to understand the general meaning of statements, respond to them and conduct a simple dialogue with native speakers. The program is based on the principle “from simple to complex”; grammatical and lexical aspects are trained repeatedly, while the examples in the exercises become more complex from time to time.
Short essay writing skills.
Thanks to the competent construction of tasks for the Elementary level, in each lesson the student must complete a written exercise - this is how he learns to correctly construct phrases in writing, fill out questionnaires, write a resume, and thereby constantly develops in the epistolary genre.
Knowledge of 1000 to 1500 new words.
In the process of acquiring basic knowledge of the English language, the platform will provide the opportunity to learn more than a thousand new words on the most common topics. It's all about the method of presenting the material, which involves the inclusion of small interesting stories, grammatical structures using new expressions, and interesting dialogues.
Well “For Beginners - Elementary” is what will help you!
How to take the Elementary (basic English) course?
To start taking basic English classes, first register on the resource. Next, it is recommended to complete test tasks; they will help determine your current level of knowledge.
After making sure that your expectations and reality coincide, feel free to select the “Elementary” item from the list and begin to study the rules and complete the proposed tasks.
Don't forget to use your personal dictionary and review your progress log. We also advise you to “pull up” your grammar with the help of a special course, which can be taken even in parallel with the basic one.
Will I be able to take this course?
Course difficulty level:
ELEMENTARY
To take the “For Beginners - Elementary” course, you will need basic knowledge of English: you know the English alphabet, have a small vocabulary in your arsenal, and can compose a basic sentence in English. Learning basic English on our website will allow you to move to a new level of knowledge and move on freely. Get started now!
According to the pan-European scale of language competence CEFR (The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), it is customary to distinguish six levels: A1 - Beginner, Elementary, A2 - Pre-Intermediate, B1 - Intermediate, B2 - Upper-Intermediate, C1 - Advanced, C2 - Proficiency . The Elementary level of English includes the very minimum set of knowledge that you will need to survive in a foreign country. Without worrying, knowledge at the Elementary level will help you go to the store, check into a hotel, and even maintain a simple conversation. What kind of level this is and what features it has are revealed in detail below.
What is the Elementary level
The most necessary communication skills, basic phrases are at the Elementary English level. What does it mean? This is level A1 or, in other words, the basic level of English. The student will be able to solve only immediate problems; it is not for nothing that it is called the survival level. To make sure that a student’s knowledge is up to the level, it is enough to pass a standard test. Many tests are free and results can be found immediately online. Other options for determining the level are EF SET and TOEIC. According to the established criteria, in order to confirm the Elementary level, you need to score 31-40 points in EF SET, TOEIC Reading - 115-270, TOEIC Listening - 110-270.
A basic level of English gives you the basics you need. Do some shopping? - Easily. Give instructions to the taxi driver? - Please. As soon as the conversation becomes informal, the student may experience some problems. It is possible to maintain contact with the Elementary level, but if the student plans to make friends, this will be more difficult, because a set of standard, commonly used phrases is unlikely to help matters. A simple conversation on a familiar topic will be within the student’s strength, and in order to understand the interlocutor, he must speak in simple phrases and short sentences. Watching TV or reading a newspaper is also unlikely to be enjoyable - it will not be enough to understand the basic level.
Readiness to learn
Many people think that the Elementary level is the 3rd level of English, but in fact, it is the A1 level. Before you start learning English at the Elementary level, you need to complete the Beginner level. However, this is not necessary if the student still has some skills from school or university. In the Beginner course, you get your first acquaintance with the language - the alphabet, numbers, and constructing the simplest sentences. If the student has an understanding of the language system, he can begin to study English at a basic level.
Some signs indicating that a student will cope with tasks at the Elementary level:
- he still has an elementary base after school or he studied the language at the Beginner (Starter) level;
- the student's vocabulary is about 300-500 words;
- has difficulty constructing sentences, however, can answer simple questions or at least understand them;
- has difficulty understanding speech by ear, even if the tempo is slow;
- familiar with the language system, at least superficially;
- can say his name and make several sentences about his age, job; able to understand simple sentences and
- answer questions that are asked when meeting people (What is your name? How old are you?);
- can count to 100;
- knows the names of English letters, can read, can spell a word.
On average, a course of study takes approximately 200 hours of study – this is about six months or 9 months. Ultimately, everything depends on the abilities and desires of the student - he can set the desired duration and frequency of classes. Someone can master this level in a much shorter period of time, this is determined by the individual abilities of the student. It must be remembered that “Practice makes perfect”, i.e. “Practice is the path to perfection.” Elementary is no exception. What level is this and what topics will be studied in the course, read below.
Topics for the Elementary program
Elementary is a level of English that covers a certain range of grammatical and lexical topics. Regardless of the textbook you choose, it will cover standard topics in one way or another. If a student has studied at the Beginner level, some topics may seem the same. The topic may be repeated, but the vocabulary and grammar will be more difficult. Each new level of learning is a deeper level of immersion in the language, not only repetition, but consolidation of acquired knowledge and its systematization.
The course of study includes the following grammatical topics:
- the main English verb to be in the present, past and future tenses (Present Simple, Past Simple, Future Simple);
- imperative constructions or imperative mood (Imperative mood);
- present time in the aspects of Simple, Continuous and superficial acquaintance with Perfect;
- three/two types of future tense: Future Simple, Present Continuous, to be going to;
- simple past tense (Past Simple) and irregular verbs in three forms;
- word order in various types of sentences (Word order);
- Demonstrative Pronouns
- objective pronouns (Objective Pronouns);
- adjectives and degrees of comparison (Degrees of Comparison);
- case indicating ownership (Possessive Case);
- plural nouns (Plural Nouns);
- definite and indefinite articles (Definite/Indefinite Article);
- countable and uncountable nouns (Countable/Uncountable);
- adverbs of frequency
- adverbs of manner;
- prepositions of place, time (Prepositions of Place/Time);
- modal verbs: can/can’t and should;
- gerund (Gerund) after some verbs: like, love, hate;
- location construction there is/there are.
Any Elementary textbook will contain explanations and activities on these grammar topics. The order can be arbitrary and depend on the authors of the textbook or the curriculum chosen by the teacher.
Lexical topics, for the most part, are also standard:
- about myself and my family (About myself and my family);
- countries of the world, languages and nationalities;
- personal preferences, what we like and don’t like – like/dislike (Personal Preferences);
- professions, work and daily routine (Jobs and Daily Routine);
- holidays and traditions (Holidays);
- dates and numbers;
- weather (The weather);
- food and drinks, order at a restaurant (Food and drinks);
- sports and healthy lifestyle (Sports and fitness);
- transport and fares (Transport);
- the city and places in the city, how to navigate, ask for directions (Places in city);
- music and films (Music and Films);
- houses and furniture, describe the furnishings of the apartment (Houses and Furniture);
- shop and shopping, ask about the cost of the item (In shops (clothes, coffee);
- description of a person's character and appearance (Describing a person).
Having completed the training at the level, the student will be able to carry on a conversation on these topics. For successful communication, frequently used words and phrases must remain in memory.
Learning outcomes for level A2
The English elementary level, like other levels, involves the development of four basic skills - Listening (listening to speech), Reading (reading), Writing (writing), Speaking (oral speech). To understand that a student is ready to study the next level, you can test his acquired skills. What a student should be able to do at the Elementary level:
Listening
The student understands short sentences and phrases that are frequently used and common. The pace of speech should be slow or moderate. It is undesirable if the sentence contains ambiguity. The student can identify the main idea from audio recordings that are adapted for the Elementary level. Knowledge of the English language and its listening comprehension is possible within the framework of familiar topics related to the main areas of life. The student will understand simple stories about family, work, or descriptions of appearance.
Like listening, the student develops reading skills by reading short, simple texts. On the street in an English-speaking city, he can easily understand a sign or advertisement, and in a restaurant he will place an order after reading the menu. The student focuses on the words he knows and sees the information he needs. He is able to understand simple personal writing. At this level, adapted literature is the best option. As a rule, the student easily reads fairy tales and short stories with simple vocabulary. The student often turns to the dictionary.
The student can easily fill out a questionnaire or registration form, and, if necessary, write a simple note or short personal letter. The results may not always be perfect, but experience comes with practice.
Speaking
Vocabulary
At the Elementary level, the vocabulary ranges from 1000 to 1300 words. Words and phrases occur frequently, so in simple situations the language barrier will be minimal.
When taking a level test, a student usually faces a grammar test. Grammar is the most common criterion for determining any level. English at the elementary level includes many topics, since at this stage the knowledge base is laid.
By trying to answer the questions, the student can test his knowledge.
Elementary level student:
- Knows the peculiarities of using the verb to be. How to understand these sentences and are there any errors there? - He is a doctor. I am thirty-six.
- Knows how to use Present Simple, Future Simple and Past Simple, Present Continuous and a little Present Perfect. What is the difference between these offers? – Mike paints pictures. He painted three pictures last month. He is painting a picture right now.
- Understands the difference between various forms of the future tense - Future Simple, Present Continuous and to be going to, for example: I’ll buy a computer. I’m going to buy a computer soon. I'm buying a computer tomorrow.
- Knows irregular verbs in three forms. How to finish these chains? Give – … – given. Think – thought – ...
- Can ask questions, paying attention to the correct word order. How should these sentences be corrected? – Writing are you a note? Do you have a job?
- Understands the difference between the definite and indefinite articles. How to translate these sentences, paying attention to the articles? There was a house. The house was new, but ugly.
- Understands the difference between Countable and Uncountable nouns. Which of the sentences is correct? - I have a lot of money. I don't have much money.
- Knows how to use the possessive case. Which sentence is correct and why? My parents’ house is in Moscow. Mike's Smith's mother is a nice woman.
- Knows degrees of comparison of adjectives. How to finish these chains? Big – … – the biggest, but comfortable – … – ….
- Knows object pronouns and can easily translate the phrase “I like her.”
- Knows the differences between types of demonstrative pronouns. What is the difference between: this house and that house? And these flowers and those flowers?
- Understands what the phrase there is/there are means. Which sentence is correct and how to translate it? There is an orange in my bag. In the refrigerator there is an apple.
- Knows the gerund and when to use it. Which is correct? – I love watching Netflix or I like watching cartoons.
- Knows how to use adverbs of frequency/manner. Which of the sentences is correct? – I sometimes go to the theater. Mike always goes shopping to Walmart.
- Knows modal verbs and knows how to use them. What is the difference between: I can do it. I should do it immediately.
Learning a language is a fascinating process, but it requires a lot of effort and time, even at the Elementary level. English level A2 allows the student to express himself on the simplest topics in standard situations.