Or in courses, you will definitely come across the concept of “English language levels” or “English language proficiency levels”, as well as such incomprehensible designations as A1, B2, and more understandable Beginner, Intermediate and so on. From this article, you will learn what these formulations mean and what levels of knowledge of the language distinguish, as well as how to determine your level of english.
The levels of English were invented so that language learners could be divided into groups with approximately similar knowledge and skills in reading, writing, speaking and writing, as well as to simplify testing procedures, exams, for various purposes related to emigration, study abroad and employment. This classification helps in recruiting students into a group and preparing teaching aids, methods, language teaching programs.
Of course, there is no clear boundary between the levels, this division is rather conditional, necessary not so much for students as for teachers. In total, there are 6 levels of language proficiency, there are two types of division:
- Levels A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2,
- Beginner, Elementary, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, Advanced, Proficiency levels.
Basically it's just two different names for the same. These 6 levels are divided into three groups.
Table: English language proficiency levels
The classification was developed in the late eighties - early nineties of the last century, it is fully called the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (abbr. CERF).
English levels: detailed description
Beginner level (A1)
At this level you can:
- Understand and use familiar everyday expressions and simple phrases aimed at solving specific problems.
- Introduce yourself, introduce others, ask simple questions personal nature, such as “Where do you live?”, “Where are you from?”, be able to answer such questions.
- Maintain a simple conversation if the other person speaks slowly, clearly, and helps you.
Many students English language at school, speak the language at about the Beginner level. From the vocabulary only elementary mother, father, help me, my name is, London is the capital. You can understand well-known words and expressions by ear if they speak very clearly and without an accent, as in audio lessons for a textbook. You understand texts like the “Exit” sign, and in a conversation with the help of gestures, using individual words, you can express the simplest thoughts.
Elementary level (A2)
At this level you can:
- Understand common expressions on general topics such as: family, shopping, work, etc.
- Talk about simple everyday topics, using simple phrases.
- Tell in simple terms about yourself, describe simple situations.
If at school you had 4 or 5 in English, but after some time did not use English, then most likely you speak the language at the Elementary level. TV shows in English will not be understood, except perhaps for individual words, but the interlocutor, if he speaks clearly, in simple phrases of 2-3 words, in general, you will understand. You can also incoherently and with long pauses for reflection tell the simplest information about yourself, say that the sky is blue and the weather is clear, express a simple wish, make an order at McDonald's.
Beginner - Elementary levels can be called "survival level", Survival English. It is enough to "survive" during a trip to a country where the main language is English.
Intermediate level (B1)
At this level you can:
- Understand common sense intelligible speech on general, familiar topics related to everyday life(work, study, etc.)
- Cope with the most typical situations on a trip, travel (at the airport, in a hotel, etc.)
- Write simple connected text on topics that are common or familiar to you personally.
- Retell events, describe hopes, dreams, ambitions, be able to briefly talk about plans and explain your point of view.
Vocabulary and knowledge of grammar is enough to write simple essays about yourself, describe cases from life, write a letter to a friend. But in most cases, oral speech lags behind written speech, you confuse tenses, think over a phrase, pause to pick up a preposition (to or for?), but you can more or less communicate, especially if there is no shyness or fear of making a mistake.
It is much more difficult to understand the interlocutor, and if it is a native speaker, and even with fast speech and a bizarre accent, then it is almost impossible. However, simple, clear speech is understood well, provided that the words and expressions are familiar. You generally understand if the text is not very complex, and with some difficulty understand the general meaning without subtitles.
Level Upper Intermediate (B2)
At this level you can:
- Understand the general meaning of complex text on concrete and abstract topics, including technical (specialized) topics in your profile.
- Speak quickly enough so that communication with a native speaker occurs without long pauses.
- Compose clear, detailed text on various topics, explain the point of view, give arguments for and against various points of view on the topic.
Upper Intermediate is already a good, sound, confident command of the language. If you are talking on a well-known topic with a person whose pronunciation you understand well, then the conversation will go quickly, easily, naturally. An outside observer will say that you are fluent in English. However, you can be confused by words and expressions related to topics that are poorly understood by you, all sorts of jokes, sarcasm, allusions, slang.
You are asked to answer 36 questions to test listening, writing, speaking and grammar.
It is noteworthy that to test listening comprehension, phrases such as “London is the capital” recorded by the speaker are not used, but short excerpts from films (Puzzle English specializes in learning English from films and TV shows). In English-language films, the speech of the characters is close to how people speak in real life, so the test may seem harsh.
Chandler from Friends doesn't have the best pronunciation.
To check the letter, you need to translate several phrases from English into Russian and from Russian into English. The program provides several translation options for each phrase. To test knowledge of grammar, a completely ordinary test is used, where you need to choose one option from several proposed ones.
But you are probably wondering how the program can test the skill colloquial speech? Of course, an online English proficiency test will not test your speech as a person, but the test developers came up with an original solution. In the task, you need to listen to a phrase from the movie and choose a cue that is suitable for continuing the dialogue.
Talking is not enough, you also need to understand the interlocutor!
The ability to speak English consists of two skills: to understand the speech of the interlocutor by ear and to express one's thoughts. This task, albeit in a simplified form, tests how you cope with both tasks.
At the end of the test you will be shown full list questions with correct answers, you will find out where you made mistakes. And of course, you will see a chart showing your level on a scale from Beginner to Upper Intermediate. 
2. Test to determine the level of English with a teacher
To get a professional, “live” (not automated, as in tests) assessment of the level of English, you need English teacher who will test you with assignments and an interview in English.
This consultation is free of charge. First, your city may have Language school, which offers free testing for knowledge of the language and even a trial lesson. Now this is a common practice.
In short, I signed up for a trial test lesson, got in touch on Skype at the appointed time, and the teacher Alexandra and I held a lesson, during which she “tortured” me in every possible way with various tasks. All communication was in English.
My trial lesson on SkyEng. Checking grammar knowledge.
At the end of the lesson, the teacher explained to me in detail in which direction I should develop my English, what problems I have, and a little later she sent a letter with detailed description level of language skills (with marks on a 5-point scale) and methodological recommendations.
This method took some time: three days passed from the application to the lesson, and the lesson itself lasted about 40 minutes. But it is much more interesting than any online test.
A resume or CV (Curriculum Vitae) is not at all a strict standardization document, however, when working on its compilation, it is worth considering generally accepted rules, standards and norms. One of the important points of the resume is information about language proficiency. Here you can find such incomprehensible designations as A1, B2, C2 and more understandable Beginner, Intermediate and others. This is the level of English proficiency. How high the level of language proficiency of the applicant should be, is determined by the employer, depending on the proposed position.
International Grading Scale
You can determine the level of language proficiency using the Common European Framework of Reference system - the Unified European Assessment System, which implies 3 levels and 6 gradations:
Description of English Proficiency Levels
To indicate how great your knowledge of the language is in your resume, you must first determine your level. To indicate the degree of English proficiency, the following gradation is most often used.
Elementary/Basic/Beginner. What does it mean? This means that you have basic knowledge of the language, you once studied English at school, remember common phrases, you can communicate a little with a dictionary, but you practically never used it in life.
Pre-Intermediate- means that your knowledge of the language is slightly higher than the basic one. You are able to express yourself using simple phrases, as well as facial expressions and gestures. Most likely, you will understand what is written in a letter or text in English, but you can write your letter or compose a text with the help of a dictionary.
intermediate is the average level. Knowing the language at this level, you are not afraid to speak, build simple speech structures in English. The size of the vocabulary is small, but these words are enough to express in a simple way. This level in professional field allows you to compose a letter in English on your own, speak English boldly, solve some typical tasks using English, without affecting the subtleties.
Upper Intermediate means fluency in English. As a rule, this is the level of foreign language graduates. Most graduates often exaggerate their knowledge and indicate that they speak English at the Advanced or Fluent level. Meanwhile, Upper-Intermediate implies the ability to speak fluently, the presence of a fairly rich vocabulary, but at the same time, the lack of knowledge of professional terminology, the presence of minor errors in speech. Usually, for positions involving the use of English, Upper-Intermediate is allowed.
Advanced or Fluent means fluency in English. A candidate who speaks the language to such a degree can easily use both oral and written English, simultaneously translate from / into English. This level is required for the position of an interpreter.
- If you mark English proficiency levels in your resume, then one HR (Human Resource) manager knows how it will be deciphered. However, there is no need to be modest on a resume. After all, as you know, a person is never as close to perfection as during a job interview.
- If in a conversation they ask about the level of English, it is better to answer with understandable expressions such as “confident”, “fluent”, “fluent”, “I speak well, but I do not understand well”, etc. And in the summary, brag about your knowledge descriptively: “I speak fluent English”, “I speak English confidently”, “I speak the language at the everyday level”.
- When language proficiency is important point when applying for a job, then you should prepare for the fact that the interview will be held in English. And then even if you indicate the C2 level and present a bunch of certificates, potential employers will judge language proficiency precisely by the interview.
- Sometimes knowledge of a language is worth demonstrating by compiling a CV in it. However, this requirement is more the exception than the rule. Most often, in the summary it is enough to note only a few points:
- level of proficiency in one or another foreign language (basic/intermediate/fluent/native);
- bias in written or oral speech (if any);
- availability of certificates confirming knowledge (if any).
- It is important to indicate the real knowledge of the language in the summary, since in practice this can be checked quite quickly by finding out your true knowledge.
- When submitting a resume to foreign companies especially valuable information is the presence of TOEFL, FCE / CAE / CPE, WEIGHT certificates for the applicant, which are issued when passing international exams.
- In a working resume, indicating the level of English, it is better to choose one of the following options:
- Basic (basic)
- Intermediate (medium)
- Advanced (advanced)
- Fluent (fluency).
CEFR encoding is optional. But if you had to pass an international English proficiency exam, then a good result must be indicated by all means: TOEFL iBT 105, IELTS 7.5.
And be extremely honest when filling out the column about the level of knowledge of the English language: remember that the lack of real knowledge will quickly become apparent. When preparing for an interview in English, try to bring your language up to at least an intermediate level (Intermediate).
Today, almost everyone strives or simply dreams of becoming fluent in a foreign language. It is for this reason that there are many courses, lessons on learning. If you still decide to use the help of specialists, then, first of all, you need to determine your level of knowledge. What for?
Know English proficiency levels very important. Based on the existing skills and abilities, you can choose the appropriate group so that the learning process is interesting, brings new knowledge, and you did not spend money on courses in vain. Specially designed tests to check the level of English cover its main aspects. The results are very useful and interesting for you. How? To choose directions, a group, set goals and determine the desired results - this is what each of you needs a knowledge test for.
What is it?
Like any test, You are given a task and several possible answers. It may include:
— determination of the temporary form;
- insert a semantic or grammatical construction;
- complete the sentence
- find a mistake, etc.
By using textbooks and reference books during the test, you are doing yourself a disservice. This result, whatever it is, no one except you will know. Therefore, use only existing knowledge.
Language proficiency levels can be divided into several groups. The first of these is Russified classification, which only gives general idea about existing knowledge:
1. Initial
2. Medium
3. High.
The second one is more extended. Such a classification involves 4 levels and more fully helps to reveal the existing knowledge. It is often used when filling out various forms, for example, in a marriage agency, when applying for a visa. But, nevertheless, this method of definition is still not ideal.
1. With dictionary;
2. Conversational level;
3. Intermediate level;
4. Free use.
In this regard, the most the best classification counts international. Let us consider in more detail all levels of knowledge of the English language, which allow us to most fully determine the available skills and abilities.
1. Beginner (A1 or Beginner) the level speaks of understanding the basics of the language, alphabet, sounds, the ability to read the simplest sentences and words. At this stage, it is very difficult to perceive foreign speech by ear.
2. Elementary (A2 or Elementary) .
With this level, an English learner can easily read small texts and understand the main points. The same is true of listening to speech. Oral speech: involves the ability to briefly talk about yourself, about others, talk on everyday topics, while presenting your speech and thoughts logically. It is important to note the phonetic side: not perfect pronunciation, but acceptable to be understood. Writing: the ability to write a request, notice, compose brief description anything in simple sentences.
3. Weak average level (B1 or Lower (Pre) Intermediate).
Understanding the main idea and meaning of the text, reading simple works. Oral speech: clear pronunciation, the ability to easily communicate on personal and non-personal topics, understand the question and answer accordingly, clearly express one's feelings, desires and intentions. Written speech This level assumes that the student knows how to describe a situation, person, place, express his opinion, write a formal letter or request, construct a sentence grammatically correctly.
4. Intermediate level gives a secondary school and involves the ability to read books, watch movies, write, while observing the phonetic and grammatical norms of the language. It is quite easy to perceive foreign speech by ear. The basics of vocabulary help to build communication not only at the level of a question of an answer, but also to express a personal attitude, one's own opinion, to distinguish the general meaning of foreigners' speech, to distinguish official information from unofficial.
5. Above average (B2 or Upper Intermediate) This level assumes the presence of some knowledge, which helps to feel confident when communicating. Knowledge of grammatical rules, norms, the ability to easily perceive information aloud from the first listening, distinguish between accents, talk on the phone, read magazines and books in a foreign language. Oral speech is built on the use of idioms, phrasal verbs, colloquial and official lexical units. Some mistakes are allowed.
6. Advanced (C1 or Advanced 1): excellent command of the language, free communication on any topic, easy speech perception, knowledge of the intricacies of grammar.
7. Perfection (C2 or Advanced 2 (Proficiency)) It is not enough to say - to communicate freely. This stage assumes knowledge of English, almost like a native.
After considering all levels of English, determine yours. But remember that this is only a conditional description. It is still better to test your knowledge in a test that can be taken online.
The main tasks of modernizing Russian education are to increase its accessibility, quality and efficiency. This implies not only large-scale structural, institutional, organizational and economic changes, but also a significant renewal of the content of education, bringing it into line with the requirements of the time and the tasks of the country's development.
The main condition for solving this problem was the introduction state standard general education, which served as a guide for the development of specific curricula for the secondary school. The main objects of standardization in education are its structure, the content of the teaching load and the level of training of students.
The state standard is the norms and requirements that determine the mandatory minimum content of the basic educational programs of general education, the maximum volume of the teaching load of students, the level of training of graduates of educational institutions, as well as the basic requirements for providing educational process. The state standard of general education includes three components:
- · the federal component - is established by the Russian Federation;
- regional (national-regional) component - is established by the subject Russian Federation;
- component of the educational institution - independently installed by the educational institution.
The state standard for foreign languages is intended to determine the general part of the content of education in the subject in the presence of various programs, curricula and textbooks and form the basis for the development of differentiation in teaching foreign languages. The state standard provides a mandatory core of the content of teaching foreign languages, regardless of the type of educational institution. This makes it possible to maintain a single educational space in a multinational and multicultural society, stimulate the differentiation of education and maintain continuity in teaching the subject in different models and options (Galskova N.D.).
The need to create a state standard is obvious, because. it allows you to unify the requirements for students at the end of an educational institution of one type or another, as well as to determine the level of foreign language proficiency at each stage of education.
The development of an educational standard in our country helps to ensure more high level education and development of domestic documents similar to those generally accepted in the countries of the European Community and other countries. For example, the National Curriculum contains sections that correspond to the subjects studied. It has a section on foreign languages, which is a model curriculum (Curriculum), which is based on the development of curricula (syllabus).
The appearance of the state standard for foreign languages in Russia was an important stage in the development of methodological science and practice.
The federal component of the state standard of general education (hereinafter referred to as the federal component) was developed in accordance with the Law of the Russian Federation "On Education" (Article 7) and the Concept for the Modernization of Russian Education for the Period up to 2010, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1756-r dated 29 December 2001. (Federal component of the state standard of general education).
The federal component of the state standard of general education has been developed taking into account the main directions of modernization of general education. Including:
- · transition to 4-year primary education;
- introduction of specialized education at the senior level of the school;
- normalization of the study load of students; elimination of overloads that undermine their physical and mental health;
- · compliance of the content of education with the age-related patterns of development of students, their characteristics and opportunities at each level of education;
- personal orientation of the content of education;
- the activity nature of education, the focus of the content of education on the formation of general educational skills and abilities, generalized methods of educational, cognitive, communicative, practical, creative activity for students to gain experience in this activity;
- · strengthening the educational potential and the social and humanitarian orientation of the content of education, which contributes to the establishment of the values of civil society and the rule of law democratic state, the formation of the personality of the student;
- formation core competencies- the readiness of students to use the acquired knowledge, skills and methods of activity in real life to solve practical problems;
- · ensuring variability and freedom of choice in education for the subjects of the educational process (students and their parents, teachers and educational institutions);
- strengthening the role of disciplines that ensure the successful socialization of students; - economics, history, law, literature, Russian, native and foreign languages, improvement of vocational guidance and labor training;
- Ensuring universal computer literacy;
- Increasing the proportion and quality of classes physical culture etc.
In accordance with the indicated goals and directions for the modernization of education, the following main changes were made to the content of individual academic subjects (compared to the Mandatory minimum content of general education, approved by order of the Ministry of Education of Russia in 1998):
- · Russian and foreign languages - significant change concepts of learning with a focus on speech development and the formation of communicative competence. Significantly increased specific gravity subjects: compulsory study of the Russian language in high school and a foreign language from the 2nd grade of elementary school was introduced.
- For the first time at all levels of education, general educational skills, skills and methods of activity are highlighted, which contributes to a holistic presentation of the content school education, and its activity-based learning.
The introduction of the state standard, however, does not mean submission educational process rigid template, but, on the contrary, opens wide opportunities for pedagogical creativity, creation around the mandatory core of the content of variant programs, various teaching technologies, teaching aids.
The federal component is structured according to the levels of general education (primary general, basic general and secondary (complete) general education); inside the steps - by academic subjects and includes:
- the goals of studying foreign language;
- Mandatory minimum content of basic educational programs;
- · requirements for the level of training of graduates of primary, basic and complete secondary schools.
The objectives of teaching a foreign language are aimed at:
- on the development of foreign language communicative competence (speech, language, socio-cultural, compensatory and educational-cognitive);
- development and education of schoolchildren by means of a foreign language.
The mandatory minimum content of basic educational programs is the generalized content of education that each educational institution is obliged to provide to students in order to ensure their constitutional law to receive general education;
· requirements for the level of training of graduates - these are the results of mastering the mandatory minimum of the federal component of the state standard of general education by graduates, which are necessary for obtaining a state document on the achieved level of general education, established by the standard.
The federal component of the educational standard for foreign language allows you to achieve equivalence in the level language education, as within the framework of a single Russian educational space, and pan-European. (Methodological letter of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, September 2004).
The Council of Europe (CE) is an international organization representing the interests of 44 European countries. Its aim is to promote the cultural and educational development of European citizens, giving them the opportunity to learn throughout their lives. More than thirty years of experience of the CE has shown that the study of FL can make a great contribution to this process (Galskova N.D.).
In April 1997, the CE adopted a document entitled: “ Modern languages: study, training, evaluation. Common European Competence. The need for the appearance of this document is explained by the changed geopolitical conditions. CE member countries coordinate efforts in the field of developed technologies, jointly solve similar problems and establish common standards and requirements. Foreign language teaching is no exception. Based on the documents developed by the Council of Europe, the following levels of proficiency in a foreign language (English) can be distinguished:
- 1. Waystage Level User
- 2. Threshold Level User
- 3. Vantage Level/Independent User
- 4. Effectiveness Level/Competent User
- 5. Mastery Level/Good User.
Thanks to the efforts of the Council of Europe, a unified system for assessing knowledge in the field of foreign languages in Europe. There is also the Association of European Testing Institutions that develop the content of exams and standards for European languages (Solovova E.N.).
So, in particular, we can note the international testing system in English - International English language Testing System, IELTS. This test is for those who are going to enter secondary and higher educational institutions in the UK. You can also prepare and pass such an exam in Russia - in the offices of the British Council. For example, in December 1994, the British Council in Moscow passed for the first time exams for international Cambridge certificates of knowledge of English as a foreign language. Since that time, the number of people wishing to pass these exams has increased, which, of course, indicates the growing popularity and need for such certificates in Russia (Balakireva M.A.).
Each educational institution sets foreign students a certain passing score in English. As a rule, 6 - 7 is considered a good result, but still you need to find out in advance what kind of passing score in the chosen educational institution. The IELTS exam result is valid for two years.
There are many examining boards in the UK. One of the most famous is the Examination Board of the University of Cambridge - University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (English for Speakers of Other Languages). It is now one of the world's leading language assessment agencies. The certificates issued by the Cambridge ESOL Examinations are valid for life and are recognized by all educational institutions in the UK, as well as by companies and employers around the world. These examinations are known as "Cambridge".
A little history of these exams. In 1858, a department called the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) was established at the University of Cambridge. The first exam taken at Cambridge in 1913 was the Certificate of Proficiency in English. This exam was originally intended for English teachers whose native language not English. Now it can be passed not only by teachers, but also by everyone. In addition, candidates may take an examination in literature in addition to this examination. If both exams are successfully passed, then both certificates are equivalent to level "A" of the General Certificate of Education (General Certificate of Education) - the standard exam in the UK for university entrance.
Another exam, First Certificate in English, appeared in 1939 and became the most popular exam among young people and adults. The level of this exam is Upper-Internmediate.
In the future, various exams appeared for students and teachers of English. For example, the Certificate of Advanced English exam was introduced in 1991 in order to help candidates (in addition to obtaining a certificate widely recognized in higher educational institutions) to go from First Certificate in English to the most difficult exam - Certificate of Proficiency in English, and also in order to bring the language requirements of the exam closer to the real life needs of candidates in the language.
In addition to these three exams, there are two more, specially designed for the international market. These are Key English Test (the very first step; introduced in Russia since 1998) and Preliminary English Test (the next most difficult exam; it was introduced in Russia in 1997). Then the places on the difficulty scale are distributed as follows: First Certificate in English - Certificate of Advanced English - Certificate of Proficiency in English.
V modern conditions The following points are included in the foreign language program:
First, the program should be oriented towards new historical conditions, the needs of today, when education must become a mechanism for the development of the individual and, thus, an effective factor in the development of society. In accordance with this, the ideas of democratization, humanization of education, pluralism in solving many issues act as levers for updating the school, which makes it possible to take into account the diverse educational needs of students, the availability different types schools.
Secondly, the program must have a broader audience, be oriented towards a real consumer, i.e. school, teachers.
Thirdly, the program should not be rigid, it should set guidelines, outline the main directions in achieving goals, provide opportunities for choice, be open enough to change, to adapt to specific conditions.
Fourthly, the program should be focused on a specific course of study, for example, a foundation course, on a certain type of school and reflect a new concept of education in general and basic course in particular (for example, the idea of goal asymmetry, content selection approaches, etc.).
Fifth, the program should be instrumental, aimed at the planned result, at the dynamics of its achievement. Thus, the program should set the parameters for the organization of teaching foreign languages and serve as a control tool.
Sixthly, the program should really encourage the teacher to be creative, and not just declare this thesis, since on its basis teaching staff schools can create their own specific modifications of the programs.
In addition to the author's programs, on the basis of which individual textbooks are created, there should be a standard program that should serve as a support for the creation of various textbooks and educational materials and approach in its functions what is called a certificate abroad. Its main task is to set goals and planned learning outcomes, highlight specific levels of learning, which, however, can be achieved in various ways.
This means that a standard program should not impose a strict sequence in mastering the material, it should make it possible to distribute the material over the years of study, depending on the specific conditions of study and the concept of the authors of the textbooks. With this approach, when there is no rigid linkage of the language material with a certain year of study, the student gets the opportunity to advance in his assimilation at his own pace, in the most suitable mode for him. This means that conditions are created so that a well-performing student or group of students can quickly reach the planned level of learning, reach it earlier than others and study in a relatively individualized mode, using, for example, separate teaching materials for the next class.
Consider the ratio of the content of the standards and exemplary programs in foreign languages published in 2005 (ISh 2005 No. 5 and 6). Exemplary foreign language programs for basic general education, secondary (complete) general education at the basic level and secondary (complete) general education at the specialized level are compiled on the basis of the federal component of the state standard for basic general education. They specify the content of the subject topics of the educational standard, give an approximate distribution of teaching hours by topic and recommend the sequence of studying topics and language material, taking into account the logic of the educational process, age features students, interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary connections. On the basis of exemplary federal programs, regional and author's programs are being developed, textbooks and teaching aids are being created.
Programs implement the following main functions:
- information and methodological;
- organizational and planning;
- · controlling.
The information and methodological function allows all participants in the educational process to get an idea of the goals, content, general strategy of education, upbringing and development of schoolchildren by means of subject, about the specifics of each stage of training.
The organizational and planning function provides for the allocation of stages of education, the determination of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the educational material and the level of training of students in a foreign language at each stage.
The controlling function lies in the fact that the program, setting the requirements for the content of speech, communication skills, for the selection of language material and for the level of schoolchildren's learning at each stage of education, can serve as a basis for comparing the results obtained during the control.
An exemplary program can serve as a guide for the thematic planning of the course. It determines the invariant (mandatory) part of the curriculum, outside of which there remains the possibility of choosing a variable component of the content of education. At the same time, the authors of curricula and textbooks can offer their own approach in terms of structuring educational material, determining the sequence of studying this material, as well as ways to form a system of knowledge, skills and methods of activity, development and socialization of students. Thus, an exemplary program contributes to the preservation of a single educational space without constraining the creative initiative of teachers, provides ample opportunities for the implementation different approaches to the construction of the course, including taking into account the peculiarities of the regions.
Program structure.
The exemplary program includes three sections: Explanatory note; The main content with an approximate distribution of teaching hours by course topics; Requirements for the level of training of graduates.
The explanatory note defines the status of the program and its functions, describes the foreign language as an academic subject and its place in the basic curriculum, characteristics of the learning stage and are formulated in the same form as in the standard, the goals of teaching a foreign language, describe general educational skills, abilities and methods of activity, the planned results of teaching a foreign language at each of the steps.
- subject content of speech;
- · speech skills;
- Language knowledge, skills and abilities;
- sociocultural knowledge and skills;
- computer and educational and cognitive skills.
The example program specifies each of these components. In addition, in the exemplary programs in the basic school, they are allocated taking into account psychological features schoolchildren two sub-stages:
- 5th - 7th grades and
- 8th - 9th grades.
The requirements for the level of preparation of schoolchildren at the end of each of the stages of education are given in the same form as in the standard, they determine:
- what exactly students need to know and understand in the field of a foreign language;
- What should they be able to do?
- · in what types of practical activities the graduate can and should be able to use the acquired knowledge and skills.
In the exemplary programs, an approximate distribution of teaching hours is given in relation to the subject content of speech, while 10% of the time is a reserve of free teaching time, which the teacher can use at his discretion. The distribution of hours by topic is conditional and is associated with the concentric study of topics.
Regardless of the knowledge of foreign languages or lack of knowledge, as a rule, this information is indicated in the resume. How to write language proficiency in a resume? You can use the following clear gradation:
- Basic/Beginner
- Reading with a dictionary/Reading professional literature
- Intermediate / Spoken / Can interview
- Free/Perfect
- Native
Some use the terms "basic" and "colloquial" as equivalent. In our opinion, this is not quite right. Spoken means you can communicate in everyday topics. Basic - this is knowledge of the basics, the simplest structures, limited vocabulary.
To indicate the level of English proficiency, the following gradation is most often used:
Elementary/Basic/Beginner- basic, with a dictionary, the basics of the language. In practice, most often, this means that you once learned English at school, remember some common phrases, but practically did not use English in your life.
Pre-Intermediate- slightly higher than the base. You can express yourself in simple phrases, using facial expressions and gestures. You will understand what is written in the letter in English, but you will most likely be able to compose your letter using a dictionary.
intermediate- Intermediate level of English proficiency. Don't be afraid to speak English, build simple language constructs. Vocabulary is small, but sufficient to explain in a simple way. In the professional field, Intermediate means that you can compose a letter in English, speak English without being at a loss, you can solve typical problems using English without going into subtleties.
Upper Intermediate- Strong level of English proficiency. Usually this is the real level of a graduate of the Faculty of Foreign Languages (although most of the graduates write that they have Advanced or Fluent). This level implies that you speak fluently, have a fairly rich vocabulary. But at the same time, you can not own professional terminology, make minor mistakes in speech. For most jobs involving the use of English, the Upper-Intermediate level will be sufficient.
Advanced/Fluent- Fluency in English. You can easily use both oral and written English, you can simultaneously translate from/into English. This is the level required for the position of an interpreter.
Another possible classification that you may come across (moreover, it can be used for any language, not necessarily English):
- A1– Beginner/Elementary
- A2– Elementary
- IN 1– Pre-Intermediate
- IN 2– Upper Intermediate
- C1– Advanced 1
- C2– Advanced 2 (Proficiency)
This is a single European system, which is not very well known in Russia, but, nevertheless, is widely used in the world.
German language proficiency levels
For German language the following accepted division may be used:
- Grundstufe (Anfänger) - entry level (A)
- Mittelstufe - Intermediate (B)
- Oberstufe (Fortgeschritten) - loose, close to wearer (C)
You can also use the above European classification (A1, A2, B1, etc.)
French Proficiency Levels
For French you can also use the European classification, or use the gradation below (the correspondence of each level of the European classification is indicated.
- Debutant (F1)-A1
- Pré-Intermediaire (F2) - A2
- Intermediaire (F3) - B1
- Intermediaire-Supérieur (F4) - B2
- Pré-Avancé (F5) - C1
- Avancé (F6)-C1
- Superieur (F7) - C2
- Superieur (F8) - C2
Spanish Proficiency Levels
For Spanish, the following classification is used (corresponding to the level of the level A, B, C is indicated):
- Nivel Initial (Espa 1) - A1
- Nivel Elemental (Espa 2) - A2
- Nivel Pre-Intermedio (Espa 3) - B1
- Nivel Intermedio (Espa 4) - B2
- Nivel Avanzado (Espa 5) - C1
- Nivel Superior (Espa 6) - C2
Or you can use a single European classification.