Surely many have heard about the international system of English language levels, but not everyone knows what it means and how to classify it. The need to find out 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 kind of 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.
The international system for determining knowledge of the English language can be divided into 7 levels:
1. Beginner – Initial (zero). At this level, the student knows practically nothing in English and begins to study the subject from scratch, including the alphabet, basic reading rules, standard greeting phrases and other tasks of this stage. At 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. They can also count to one hundred and spell out their name and personal information. The latter in English is called spelling (pronouncing words by letter).
2. Elementary. This level immediately follows 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 introduction to the following tenses: Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple, Future Simple (will, to be going to) and Present Perfect. Some modal verbs (can, must), different types of pronouns, adjectives and their degrees of comparison, categories of nouns, and forms of simple questions are also considered. Having firmly mastered the Elementary level, you can already take part in the KET (Key English test).
3. Pre-Intermediate – Below average. The level following 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 constructed and can speak briefly on many topics. The Pre-Intermediate level adds confidence and expands learning potential. There are longer texts, more practical exercises, new grammar topics and more complex sentence structures. Topics encountered at this level may include complex questions, the Past Continuous, different forms of the future tense, conditionals, modals, infinitives and gerunds, repetition and consolidation of the Past Simple (regular and irregular verbs) and the Present Perfect, and some others. In terms of oral skills, having completed the Pre-Intermediate level, you can safely go on a journey and look for every opportunity to use your knowledge in practice. Also, a solid command 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 - Average. At the Intermediate level, the knowledge acquired at the previous stage is consolidated, and a lot of new vocabulary, including complex ones, is added. For example, personal characteristics of people, scientific terms, professional vocabulary and even slang. The object of study is the active and passive voices, direct and indirect speech, participial and participial phrases, phrasal verbs and prepositions, word order in complex sentences, types of articles, etc. From 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 expressing the future tense is examined 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. This level is also ideal for avid travelers, as it makes it possible to freely understand the interlocutor and express himself in response. Among the international exams, after successfully passing the intermediate level, you can take the following exams and tests: FCE (First Certificate in English) grade 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) for 4.5-5.5 points and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) for 80-85 points.
5. Upper Intermediate - Above average. If students reach this level, it means that they can understand fluent English and communicate easily using the vocabulary 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 consolidates the Intermediate level. Among the innovations, we can note Narrative Tenses, which includes such difficult tenses as Past Continuous, Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous. Also covered are the Future Continuous and Future Perfect, the use of articles, modal verbs of assumption, verbs of indirect speech, hypothetical sentences, abstract nouns, causative voice and much more. The Upper-Intermediate level is one of the most in demand both in business and in the educational sphere. 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 A/B, BEC (Business English Certificate) Vantage or Higher, TOEFL 100 points and IELTS 5.5-6.5 points.
6. Advanced 1 – Advanced. Advanced 1 level is required for professionals and students who want to achieve high fluency in English. Unlike the Upper-Intermediate level, many interesting phrases appear here, including idioms. Knowledge of tenses and other grammatical aspects previously studied only deepens and is viewed from other unexpected angles. Topics of discussion become more specific and professional, for example: the environment and natural disasters, legal processes, genres of literature, computer terms, etc. After the Advanced level, you can take the special academic exam CAE (Cambridge Advanced English), as well as IELTS with 7 and TOEFL with 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 higher 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 academic exam CPE (Cambridge Proficiency Exam), and as for the IELTS test, with this level you can pass it with the highest score of 8.5-9.
This gradation is called the ESL (English as a Second Language) or EFL (English as a Foreign Language) level classification and is used by the ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) association. The level system may vary depending on the country, school or organization. For example, some organizations reduce the 7 levels presented to 5 and call them a little differently: Beginner (Elementary), Lower Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, Lower Advanced, Upper Advanced. However, this does not change the meaning and content of the levels.
Another similar system of international examinations under the acronym 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 average
3. B1 (Threshold)=Intermediate – Average
4. B2 (Vantage)=Upper-Intermediate – Above average
5. C1 (Proficiency)=Advanced 1 – Advanced
6. C2 (Mastery)=Advanced 2 – Super advanced
When starting to study any foreign language, you always want to be able to track how the process is progressing and how quickly the accumulation of knowledge and the acquisition of communication skills are progressing. Simply put, what level are you at? An entire system has been developed for this purpose. This will be discussed in this article.
How is knowledge of foreign languages determined?
Many people mistakenly believe that achieving a certain level of knowledge of a language means learning a certain pre-agreed volume of words. For example, for a beginner level you need to know 100 any words, for an intermediate level 1000... and so on. This is fundamentally wrong. In fact, each level consists of a set of skills: lexical, grammatical, pronunciation, speech, listening, as well as writing and reading skills. A foreign language student must master all of them, and the difference between the different levels lies in the breadth of knowledge and variety of skills.
There is an officially accepted classification created by the European organization ALTE, which is involved in testing levels of proficiency in foreign languages. This classification includes 6 levels, arranged in ascending order: from practically zero to close to native speakers.
ALTE knowledge levels
Let's consider this generally accepted classification. This system of foreign language proficiency levels consists of the following steps.
A1 (Breakthrough) means the ability to answer the simplest questions in a foreign language, tell in the simplest sentences about yourself and other people, know basic vocabulary, understand the main meaning of what was said, and answer appropriately.
A2 (Level 1) requires a clearer pronunciation that is closer to native speakers, slightly more complicated grammatical structures, and knowledge of vocabulary for discussing abstract topics, and not just about oneself or the current situation.
B1 (Level 2) means the free expression of one’s thoughts and ideas, the ability to write different types of texts, almost complete understanding of someone else’s foreign speech, a minimum number of grammatical and lexical errors. Upon completion of this level, you can begin to take international exams to confirm your knowledge of the language and obtain a certificate.
B2 (Level 3) assumes that the student speaks not only almost without errors, but also uses all the richness of the language (proverbs, sayings, idioms, jokes, etc.), understands almost all the information he hears the first time, and can express his opinion on a wide range of topics in a reasoned and detailed manner. range of questions.
Levels C1 and C2 (4 and 5, respectively) means mastering a foreign language at the most advanced levels necessary for living or working abroad, freely communicating with foreign business partners and friends, working in the field of translation services, writing and journalism in a foreign language and other professional application of such skills. A foreigner who possesses the highest levels of knowledge is not much different from educated native speakers of this language.
From beginner to advanced
There is another classification that partially coincides with the above. These level names are more common because they are used by the authors of European textbooks, in particular on the English language.
If you decide to learn this language from scratch and go to foreign language courses, then the first textbook that comes into your hands will be a book labeled Beginner or Starter. 6 more levels will follow. Some of them coincide with the ALTE classification. Full and exact correspondence is shown in the table.
ALTE steps | Titles of English textbooks |
Beginner, Starter, Basic |
|
Pre-Intermediate |
|
Upper-Intermediate |
|
Now let's look at each level in detail. We will be able to compare the proposed description with our own skills and knowledge.
Beginner, Starter
All levels of foreign language proficiency begin with it. In this case - English, but the principle of assessing knowledge will be similar in any case.
To define yourself as a beginner, you need to have some skills. This implies the following:
- state your name, age and other simple data;
- answer relevant questions (“What’s your name?”, etc.);
- count to 100;
- know the alphabet, be able to name the letters in any word;
- understand simple sentences.
Primary, basic (Elementary)
We move on to the next level, which is included in the levels of foreign language proficiency. Here, oral skills are significantly expanded, and written ones are added to them.
Independent speaking:
- with simple and understandable pronunciation;
- expressing your feelings and thoughts in a form understandable to other people;
- telling briefly about yourself, another person, your family, etc.;
- communication of simple information on abstract topics (weather, impressions of what was read, explanation of the situation, answer to a question based on the text, etc.)
Understanding someone else's speech:
- capturing basic information from educational listening;
- conscious reading of short texts, understanding the main idea.
Basic intermediate (Pre-Intermediate)
We continue to analyze the levels of foreign language proficiency. If you have reached this level in your study, then you will definitely not be lost when traveling abroad.
What does the basic intermediate level include?
Independent speaking:
- with clear, good pronunciation;
- with orientation in basic situations (the ability to answer a question, maintain a conversation or communicate what you don’t understand);
- with the ability to clearly express their thoughts and feelings on various occasions.
Understanding someone else's speech:
- distinguishing sounds, intonation and stress;
- full understanding of the meaning and ideas of texts more complex than at the previous stage.
Writing Skills:
- about yourself, another person, situation, impressions;
- write a postcard, personal and official letter of various types;
- construct and coordinate sentences in a grammatically correct manner.
Intermediate
This level is characterized by the totality of everything that was mastered at the previous levels, only now it has been brought almost to perfection. The grammatical structures and vocabulary that a person knows are already quite complex. The skill of composing various types of texts (response to personal and official letters, congratulations, requests, claims, apologies, etc.) and reasoning on various public topics is consolidated.
Upper Intermediate
This level closes the levels of foreign language proficiency, which together are sufficient for full and problem-free communication on any topic. It is no coincidence that people begin to take the first exams for obtaining certificates of language proficiency, having just mastered this level.
If you have mastered the final intermediate level, you will be able to:
- clearly convey thoughts to the interlocutor;
- maintain a dialogue or discussion with two or three partners;
- correctly use the official or informal style according to the situation;
- make relatively few mistakes, be able to immediately notice them and correct yourself;
- understand the main points of someone else’s speech and the speaker’s attitude towards them from the first time;
- conduct a telephone conversation;
- understand 95% of the information from the text and draw conclusions about what you read;
- use simple and complex syntactic structures;
- write letters, reviews, reviews, resumes, etc.;
- use basic artistic techniques when writing stories and essays.
Basic advanced (Advanced)
From this level, in-depth study of foreign languages begins. This stage has the same characteristics as the previous one, and also adds a number of new skills. Advanced level means:
- errors should be kept to a minimum;
- rich speech, free use and understanding of idioms, proverbs;
- knowledge of the realities of the language, recognition of many quotes and allusions that are well known to native speakers;
- free reading and listening to foreign media, watching films with maximum understanding of speech and situations;
- the ability to express your thoughts not only using vocabulary and grammar, but also intonation and logical stress;
- free discussion on generally known topics;
- writing various types of texts, using stylistic techniques.
Professional foreign language
This level of proficiency in a language not native to a person is also an interesting phenomenon, but it is somewhat less common than the ability to speak on general topics. The very name of this direction implies that speaking (writing) in a language foreign to a person is necessary for carrying out professional activities. To carry it out successfully, you need to know the language at the highest level, as well as possess specific knowledge and skills related to the use of this language. What areas of professional activity can be involved?
Where do they learn languages?
Teaching foreign languages is carried out using various methods.
Foreign languages for children
School study is not particularly effective, although it sometimes continues for 8-10 years. A foreign language begins to be studied in primary school, usually from the 2nd grade. As a rule, this is English.
Currently, it is popular to include a foreign language in a child’s preschool development program (from 3-5 years old). Therefore, it happens that by the time they start learning English at school, some children already speak Starter or even Elementary level.
There are several approaches to determining the level of foreign language proficiency. The ability to correctly determine your level allows you to set reasonable goals, select the right teaching aids, and objectively assess your capabilities when looking for a job or entering an educational institution.
When talking about the English language, the following classification is most often used:
0.Basic. This is not yet a level, it is still the absence of even an elementary level. The definition applies to those who have begun to learn a language, but it is too early to talk about the practical use of the language for any purpose.
1.Elementary. If the remnants of school knowledge allow you to understand simple inscriptions and exchange some information with a foreigner with a sin, it means that you speak English at this level. Sometimes they also allocate the Upper-Elementary level - the minimum for simple communication on a limited set of topics.
2. Pre-Intemediate. The average Russian school provides approximately this level of language proficiency, provided that you at least sometimes learn the rules and do your homework. It means the ability to explain simple topics, knowledge of basic grammar and vocabulary for everyday communication.
3. Intermediate. The level implies the ability to speak competently in a foreign language, read books and watch films with an understanding of the meaning, and write texts on various topics almost without errors. This is approximately this vocabulary plus good grammar and conversation practice.
4. Upper-Intermediate. Good knowledge of the language: large vocabulary, thorough knowledge of grammar (except for nuances), and the ability to communicate fluently, although not perfectly.
5. Advanced. Language proficiency is almost native-like. To achieve this level, it is necessary not only to study the language persistently, but also to use it for a long time.
This scale, although it is the most common in Russia, has a significant drawback - everyone understands it differently. The level of English that is considered Advanced by one teacher may be perceived as Upper Intermediate by another. Even the number of levels in this classification varies from three to eight in different sources (in the most detailed version, Native Speaker is added to the six levels considered, a native speaker, and the Elementary level, as previously said, is divided into two more).
More specific and clear is the modern European classification, which is used to determine the level of proficiency in English (and not only English). It was developed in 1991 at an international symposium in Switzerland with the aim of achieving mutual understanding and facilitating cooperation between language teachers. Now this scale is widely used in Europe when conducting exams and tests, compiling dictionaries and textbooks. It includes three levels, each of which contains two sublevels.
A: Basic Speaker
A1: Breakthrough
A2: Waystage
B: Independent Speaker
B1: Threshold
B2: Vantage
C: Proficient Speaker
C1: Effective Operational Proficiency
C2: Mastery
A1. Can understand and use everyday expressions and general phrases to meet specific needs. Can introduce himself and others, ask and answer simple questions about his place of residence, people he knows, and things that belong to him. Can communicate a little provided the other person speaks slowly and clearly and is willing to help.
A2. Can understand and use common expressions to communicate about commonly encountered topics such as personal information, family, shopping, local geography, work. Communication is simply a direct exchange of information on these topics.
IN 1. Understands the meaning of messages related to regularly occurring situations at work, school, leisure, and so on. Can be explained in most situations that may arise when traveling in the area where the language is spoken. Can compose simple, coherent text on a familiar topic. Can describe events, dreams, hopes, etc., justify his opinions and plans.
AT 2. Understands the meaning of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics, including in his professional field. Communicates quite fluently and naturally with native speakers without significant effort on either side. Can write clear, detailed text on a wide range of topics, express his point of view, indicating the disadvantages and advantages of other opinions.
C1. Understands a variety of complex texts, recognizing implicit information. He speaks so fluently that the search and selection of words is invisible to the interlocutor. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, scientific and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, and detailed text on complex topics using organizational patterns and cohesive language.
C2. Understands almost everything he hears and reads. Speaks fluently, conveying various shades of meaning even in the most difficult cases.
Any experienced teacher will tell you that before you start learning a foreign language, you need to determine your level.
This is necessary, first of all, in order not to waste extra time on already familiar material, but to immediately move on in mastering the language. Everyone knows that there is no “final” level of English proficiency unless you live in a language environment.
Any language is a living organism that constantly changes over time, new words are added to it, and some words, on the contrary, become obsolete. Even grammatical rules change. What was considered indisputable 15-20 years ago may no longer be relevant in modern grammar.
That is why knowledge of a foreign language is never absolutely complete. Any knowledge requires constant practice. Otherwise, the level you have achieved is quickly lost.
What is "level of English language proficiency"?
But what is it, and what are the levels of knowledge of English? Let's figure it out.
The level of knowledge is understood as the degree of proficiency in four aspects of languages: speaking, reading and understanding texts, listening and writing. In addition, this includes knowledge of grammar and vocabulary and the ability to correctly use lexical and grammatical units in speech.
Testing for the level of knowledge of the English language is usually carried out in one form or another, wherever you go to study the language. On any training site, in courses, in private lessons with a teacher - everywhere, before determining further actions and selecting the necessary training materials, you will be tested on your level of knowledge. Moreover, these levels are very arbitrary, their boundaries are blurred, the names and number of levels vary in different sources, but, of course, there are common features in all types of classifications.
In this article we will present the levels of the English language according to the international scale, comparing it with the British version of the classification.
English proficiency levels
There are two main classifications of English language proficiency levels.
The first belongs British Council is an international organization that provides assistance in language learning and the establishment of intercultural communication. Most often one could find this distribution of language competencies in textbooks published in Cambridge and Oxford.
The second and main one is called CEFR or The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Translated into Russian as “Common European Scale of Language Competence”. It was created by the Council of Europe in the second half of the 90s.
Below is CEFR:
The gradation of English language levels in the table differs from the British version as follows:
- The British Council does not have a designation for Pre-Intermediate as such, it is located at the A2/B1 junction;
- there is only 6 levels of English: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2;
- The first two levels are considered elementary, the second two are considered sufficient, and the last two are considered levels of fluency in the language.
Table of correspondence between levels according to different assessment systems
International exams
To obtain a place at a foreign university, to work abroad or to successfully find employment in Russia, the presentation of certain certificates is required. Let's look at the two most popular and well-known of them.
TOEFL exam
If you pass it successfully, you can enter educational institutions in the United States and Canada. The certificate of completion is valid in 150 countries for 2 years. There are several versions of the test - paper, computer, Internet version. All types of skills are tested - writing and speaking, reading and listening.
The main feature is that it is impossible not to pass it; a student who completes the tasks still receives a score that corresponds to a certain level:
- 0-39 in the Internet version and 310-434 in the paper version shows the degree of knowledge of the English language at the A1 or “Beginner” level.
- When receiving a result in the range of 40-56 (433-486) you can be sure that you have Elementary (A2), that is, basic English.
- Intermediate (translated as “intermediate, transitional”) - TOEFL scores in the region of 57-86 (487-566). Do you want to know what level this is, “Intermediate”? It corresponds to B1. You can speak on familiar topics and grasp the essence of the monologue/dialogue, you can even watch films in the original, but the material is not always fully grasped (sometimes the meaning is guessed from the plot and individual phrases). You are already capable of writing short letters and essays in the language.
- Upper, preintermediate will require the following points: 87-109 (567-636). Translated it means “intermediately advanced.” What level is this, Upper intermediate? The owner has access to a relaxed, detailed conversation on a specific or abstract topic, including with a native speaker. Films are watched in their original form, and talk shows and news are also well received.
- An order of magnitude higher, namely 110-120 for the Internet version and 637-677 for the paper version, required if Advanced English is required.
IELTS exam
The certificate is quite popular in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Also relevant in case of professional migration to these countries. The test is valid for 2 years. The range of marks that can be obtained for the test is from 0.0 to 9.0. IN A1 scores from 2.0 to 2.5 are included. IN A2- from 3.0 to 3.5. stage B assumes scores from 4.0 to 6.5, and for the level C1- 7.0 - 8.0. Language in perfection is grades 8.5 - 9.0.
What level of proficiency should I include on my resume?
When writing a resume, you must correctly indicate at what stage in language learning you are currently at. The main thing is to choose the correct English level designation. The following are usually used: Basic(basic knowledge), Intermediate(middle stage), Advanced(proficiency at an advanced level), Fluent (fluent proficiency).
If there was an exam, be sure to indicate its name and the number of points received.
Advice: There is no need to overestimate your level, because any inaccuracy can be revealed quickly enough.
Why is it important to determine your language level?
Why does a non-specialist need information about the level of language proficiency, and is it needed at all? If you are planning to start or resume learning a foreign language, then determining your level of knowledge is simply necessary, of course, if you are not an absolute beginner and have previously studied English. This is the only way you can understand at what stage you stopped and where to move next.
When choosing a course of study, you will need to focus on your level. So, for example, on the site you can take various courses: from a course for beginners - Beginner, to a course for students with an Intermediate level.
In order to find out which course to choose for training, the website provides. The system will accurately determine your level of language proficiency and offer the appropriate course so that your learning is most effective.
The definition of level is first and very important step in learning English. After all, depending on it, the training program is chosen. Despite this, Many English tests will not only help you determine your level, but can also be misleading.
This may lead to you studying the wrong program, which will negatively affect your results. How to avoid this? How to correctly determine your language level? What tests should be used for this? Now you will find out everything.
What tests exist to determine your English level?
You just have to enter the query “English level test” into a search engine, and you will find many sites that offer you their online tests. But not all of these tests will help you correctly identify it.
Consider a standardized test.
You have seen or taken English tests more than once, where you have to choose one correct answer from several. They are very common, but such tests won't help you at all in definition level of proficiency English. Perhaps you will answer all the questions perfectly, thereby showing that you know the theoretical part (grammar) very well.
Testing your level of language proficiency includes not only testing your knowledge, but also testing your skills. And the online test will not determine practical skills: writing, reading, speaking and listening.
Not to mention the fact that many people often answer some questions in such tests “thumbs up”, that is, they choose an option at random. Of course, this means that you don’t know the material you need, but are simply trying to guess the right option. That is, there is no question of knowledge here at all.
There are two types of tests:
1. Determining your knowledge (theory);
2. Determining the level of language proficiency (theory + practice).
Since option 1 is incomplete and will not help you determine your level of English proficiency, we will consider the second option of the test in detail. Let's first determine what levels of English there are.
What are the different levels of English proficiency?
There is an international system of English language levels. According to it, there are 6 levels of English proficiency. You know them.
1.Beginner(First level).
This is the level of people who are just starting to learn the language, or who studied it a long time ago and at a low level. At this level, a person knows the alphabet, basic reading rules, and can answer simple questions.
2. Elementary(elementary level).
The name speaks for itself. At this level, you can use elementary constructions and phrases, simple tenses (Present Simple, Past Simple, Future Simple, Present Continuous, Past Continuous, Future Continuous), and communicate on topics familiar to you.
3. Pre-Intermediate(below the average).
You can communicate, carry on a conversation, construct more complex sentences and use more complex tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect).
4. Intermediate(average level).
At this level, you understand English, express yourself freely, and know all tenses.
5. Upper-Intermediate(above average level).
You communicate easily on everyday topics, calmly understand what is said to you, and know all the nuances of using tenses.
6. Advanced(advanced level).
You understand English, know grammar, and can think and speak it as if it were your native language.
Important point: At absolutely any level you must be able to read and write, understand speech and speak English, but within the framework of the material at these levels. If you are at the elementary level, then you should be able to speak very simple English. If intermediate, then you should do it perfectly. The higher the level, the better your skills and the greater your knowledge.
What does the English level test include?
We have decided that the correct tests are those that determine the level of language proficiency (knowledge and skills). Let's consider what points such a test should include:
1. Knowledge of grammar
Grammar is the rules by which words are linked into sentences. It includes: knowledge of all tenses in English and the ability to coordinate them, all parts of speech and nuances associated with their use.
2. Vocabulary
This is how many words you have in your baggage. Vocabulary consists of words that you can understand when listening and reading (passive), and that you yourself use when speaking (active).
4. Listening comprehension
This is the ability to understand English speech. You must be able to not just catch incoherent words, but be able to understand the entire speech: in the correct time and with meaning.
5. Ability to speak
Can you speak English? You may know grammar and words well, but be completely unable to use this knowledge in conversation. It is this skill that is tested at this point.
How to choose the right test to determine your level?
To correctly determine the level of English proficiency, the test must contain the following tasks:
1. Translation of Russian sentences into English.
This task will demonstrate theoretical knowledge of grammar and knowledge of words. If you know the rules, you can easily translate the sentence.
2. Translation from English to Russian
This task will show how much you understand the meaning of what you read.
3. Short essay
It will allow you to find out how freely you can express your thoughts in writing and how large your vocabulary is.
4. Conversation part
This part is aimed at testing two skills at once: speaking and understanding skills English speech (listening). Of course, this part cannot be completed online, since it requires live communication.
During the dialogue, it is easy to understand at what level your speaking and listening skills are. In this case, the teacher (or a person with a high level of English) can ask additional questions, ask to translate sentences from Russian into English and vice versa (as in parts 1 and 2).
Completing such assignments will truly reflect your level of knowledge. That's why we use just such a test. Of course, such a test is more difficult and longer than the one where you just need to choose the right option. But he will show not only the level of knowledge of English, but also its proficiency (the practical part).
I sincerely wish you success in your studies, regardless of what level you are at now. After all, the most important thing is your desire to learn the language and develop the knowledge you have already acquired.