Which level of General English is right for you? Test yourself by using the information and questions below to decide which level of General English is right for you. General English Beginners Step 2 If you feel that you can talk reasonably well about most of the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for English Beginners 2. Can you Say hello and goodbye - greetings Introduce yourself Talk about countries and nationalities Talk about people and their jobs Spell words – the alphabet Ask and answer simple questions Talk about what’s in your bag Say and understand the numbers 0-100 Talk about groups of people, friends and family Have short conversations Talk about people’s belongings and objects (e.g. on the desk) Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? What’s your name? Where are you from? What do you do? / What’s your job? Can you spell your surname, please? What’s you telephone number? How old are you? What’s in your bag? How are you? How’s the weather? How’s the English class? What’s your favourite object? What’s on your desk? General English Beginners Step 3 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with most of the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for English Beginners 3. Can you Shop for clothes and have shopping conversations Talk about likes, dislikes and opinions Talk about food, order in a café Ask and answer questions about your/someone’s daily routine Tell the time Talk about people - good colleagues Talk about your abilities Make requests and offers Talk about your birthday Describe where things are in a room Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? How much is it? What size are you? Can I try it on? Where are the changing rooms? What’s your favourite type of shop? What do you have for lunch every day? When do you get up / have dinner / go to bed? Can I have a tea and a sandwich, please? What makes a good colleague? Can you remember birthdays? Can you sleep on buses? Can you dance salsa? Can you, please, help me? Can I get you a cup of tea? When’s your birthday? Where’s the book? Where are the headphones? General English Elementary Step 1 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for English Elementary 1. Can you Talk about your perfect town Ask where a place is Talk about a day in a city Ask and talk about everyday activities Ask and talk about famous people Have conversations about health problems Talk about sports and exercise Talk about past activities - the weekend Ask for travel information Talk about something you want to try Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? Is there a shop / a post office near you? / Are there any parks near here? Where’s the supermarket? How do I get there? How far is it? Which tourist attraction is your favourite? Which activities do you do every day / never do? Who was your child hero? Why? What’s wrong? / What’s the problem? (health problems) Do you do exercise? What do you do? Is sport important to you? What did you do at the weekend? How did it go? When’s the next train to London? What new activity would you like / do you want to try? General English Elementary Step 2 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for English Elementary 2. Can you Introduce and talk about yourself and other people in your life Talk about jobs and studies Make suggestions Make a free-time plan Talk about food shopping Talk about eating habits Discuss what is important in your life Talk about everyday activities Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? What’s your name? Where do you live? What do you do? What would you like to do today? Who is your friend? How do you know him / her? How often do you talk? What do you have in common with your friends / family? What types of fruit do you like and dislike? What is your favourite food? When you feel stressed, what type of food do you eat? How often do you exercise? Do you spend a lot of time online? How do you meet new people? General English Elementary Step 3 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for English Elementary 3. Can you Order a meal in a restaurant Help someone understand a menu Talk about a special event Describe a home and objects in your home Make invitations and offers, accept and reject them Give cultural advice Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? Do you have a reservation? What would you like to drink? How is your meal? Please, tell me about a special event / festival. When and where does it happen? What do you like doing at this event? What do you like / dislike about the room you are in? What kind of apartment would you like to stay in on holiday? Is it easy to find things in your bedroom? Have you got a radio / scissors at home? Would you like to come for coffee? What do you bring when you are invited for a meal? General English Elementary Step 4 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with most of the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for English Elementary 4. Can you Talk about your local area Talk about a time in your / someone’s life Ask and answer questions about world number facts Get help in a shop Buy something for a friend Talk about a good time to visit Talk about the weather and seasons Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? What can you see from your window? What do you like about the area where you live? What do you know or remember from the 2010s? What kind of information do you search on the internet? How many times do you look at your phone in a day? How long do you walk in a year? Have you got these trousers in a different colour? Can I try them on? What’s your favourite season? What’s the weather like today? General English Elementary Step 5 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with most of the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for English Elementary 5. Can you Talk about life in the past and now Describe an important life event Apologise and make excuses Help a friend to tell a story Talk about last weekend or a recent activity Describe people – clothes and appearances Describe what people are doing in a picture Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? When you were a child, what was your favourite thing / place / food / music? Why?What about now? Do you enjoy parties? Why / Why not? Choose a life event: getting married, passing your driving test, your 18th birthday. What did you do? Who was there? Did anything funny / interesting happen? You are late for class. What do you say? What time is it? How was your weekend? What did you do? What does your friend / do you look like? What are you wearing? Look through the window. What are people doing? General English Elementary Step 6 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with most of the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for English Elementary 6. Can you Discuss journeys using different forms of transport Talk about places in a city Give and follow directions Help a group make a plan Talk about an experience Talk about jobs that fit other people Talk about skills and qualities Discuss and choose volunteer jobs Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? How do you get to class? How long does it take you? Which transport is cheaper, the bus or the train? Which places / things are there in your town? How do you get to the train station from here? Have you ever seen a wild animal? Where were you? What happened? What job would you most like / hate to do? What job did you want to do when you were a child? Are you good with people? Can you work long hours? Which volunteer job would you most / not like to do? General English Intermediate Step 1 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for General English Intermediate Step 1. Can you Phone to ask for or give information Do a survey and talk about people’s skills Describe places Talk about the best things to do in a city Interview someone and suggest a trip for them Talk about travel activities and describe a trip Make requests and offers in a hotel Discuss a short story Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? What skills do you have and what skills would you like to learn? Can you play chess / paint / cook? What place in the world would you most like to visit? Why? When planning to visit a new place, where do you get information? When is the best / worst time to visit the place you live in? What’s the most interesting thing to do? When are you going to have dinner? Who are you going to meet this weekend? Do you think it’s good to try very difficult things? General English Intermediate Step 2 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for General English Intermediate Step 2. Can you Talk about people making a difference Talk about people and activities that are important to you Tell a news story Talk about the benefits of talking to strangers Start and end a conversation Keep a conversation going Interview someone about their lifestyle Tell an anecdote about a personal memory Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? Do you have a small group of close friends, or a large group of friends? How important is your work or studying to you? Why? What “jobs” do you do at home? Which person do you admire the most? Why? Invent a news story with this headline: Woman plants a tree every day for a year. Where and when did it happen? Who was involved? What difficulties did they have? How did people hear about the story? How often do you talk to people you don’t know? Which topics do you think are suitable or not suitable for talking to people you don’t know? Do you spend your free time with friends or with family? What does your social media tell us about your lifestyle? What do you enjoy doing in the evenings? What stories do you enjoy telling friends and family (about work, travel, other people, etc.)? How do people tell stories differently on social media and face to face? General English Intermediate Step 3 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for General English Intermediate Step 3. Can you Talk about storytelling Complete a questionnaire Offer and accept apologies Solve a problem between two people Talk about a place that is special to you Ask quiz questions Ask for information Talk about making decisions Talk about future plans and intentions Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? What kinds of film do you enjoy most? What makes a good story? Do you know anyone who has read more than 50 books? Do you know anyone who has acted in a film, TV show or play? Have you ever taken a train or bus and got off at the wrong place? Apologise for being late and explain the reason why you were late. Have you ever had a disagreement with someone at work or school? What happened? Did you solve the problem? Do you know any places that have changed a lot? What has changed? Who wrote Sherlock Holmes? Where was paper first invented? Request information about work: working hours, dress code. Are you good or bad at making decisions? When you have an important decision to make, who do you discuss it with? What are your plans for this evening/the weekend? What plans do you have for the rest of the year? General English Intermediate Step 4 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for General English Intermediate Step 4. Can you Make polite inquiries Give a friend advice about where to study English Talk about what’s important in life Discuss advice about success at work and personal goals Talk about famous tech firsts Discuss your use of social media Give a presentation about a sport or game - explain rules and procedures Help someone understand a game Talk about a memorable journey Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? Do you know what time the library opens? I’d like to know if the train station is near the University. Could you tell me where the nearest bus stop is? Where do you think are the best places in the world to study English? Why? Is it the place, the schools or other activities? What things are important in your life? What part do they play in your life? What things aren’t important in your life? How competitive are you? Have you ever won anything? What was it? What successes are you proud of in your life so far? Give advice to someone who wants to be successful at work. When was the first selfie taken? When did the first YouTube video appear? Can you remember the first and the last time you took a picture / used social media and for what reasons (personal, professional, etc.)? Choose a game/sport. What are the rules? Think about an interesting or memorable journey. Why was it interesting or memorable? General English Intermediate Step 5 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for General English Intermediate Step 5. Can you Retell a news story Talk about real and fake news Present a campaign to solve a local problem Talk about young people in the news Share good and bad personal news Respond to personal news Talk about types of news Plan and present an idea for a news app Talk about a hobby you used to have Talk about two famous artists Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? What was the last news story you discussed with someone? Where did you read or hear it? How do you decide if something you see online is real or fake? What community projects (coaching sports/planting trees) happen where you live? What projects are needed? What can young people do to help others? Has anything exciting happened to you in the last week/month? Have you ever lost/broken your phone or laptop? What kind of news interests you the most (celebrities, culture, technology)? Imagine a new news app. What kinds of information would you include? How would it be different to other news apps? Think about two famous artists or performers. What was their childhood like? What type of life were they living in their twenties? Why do you think some people never want to stop working? Talk about a hobby you used to have. When did you start? Why did you enjoy it? Is the hobby still important to you? General English Intermediate Step 6 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for General English Intermediate Step 6. Can you Talk about creativity Discuss ways to become more creative Discuss your favourite things in art and media Agree on a book to read for a book club Talk about what artists do all day Nominate someone for a creative genius award Discuss solutions to problems with tourism Talk about responsible tourism Talk about new experiences Talk about moving to another country Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? In what ways do you think you are creative? How important is it to be creative in everyday life? Why? Think of at least 3 ways to become more creative. What are the benefits of public art (sculpture, graffiti)? Why do some people dislike it? Which are your top 5 films or TV programmes? Why? Have you ever been part of a book club? Which book/s would you recommend reading for a book club? Think about someone creative (someone you know or someone famous). Describe their abilities. What do they do during the day? Why should they get a creative genius award? Is tourism generally a good or a bad thing? Why? Why do some people not like tourists in their area? How can we be better tourists? If you go on holiday next year, where will you go? If you spoke more languages, what would you do? What was the last city/country you visited? How long did you spend there? What are the advantages and disadvantages of moving to another country? General English Upper Intermediate Step 1 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for General English Upper Intermediate Step 1. Can you Talk about travel guides Talk about a place and make recommendations Talk about why we travel Ask and answer questions about your abilities Talk about practical skills Talk about learning a skill Talk about uses of video Plan or present a video or video channel Talk about technical problems Describe a problem and make recommendations Discuss the best way to learn a language Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? What’s the biggest city you have ever visited? What did you like and not like about it? Do you enjoy seeing modern or traditional architecture? Think about a place that you know well. What would you recommend that people visit there? Why? What activities would you recommend? Why? What are the reasons for travelling? What abilities did you have when you were young? Could you swim when you were six? What abilities and skills do you have now? Can you put up a shelf? Do you have any special memories of learning these skills? How do you use video in your life (education, entertainment, work)? What kinds of video do you watch? What kind of video channel would you create? Who would be your target audience? How would the channel make money? How do you feel when you have problems with technology? What would you do if you couldn’t log into your account? What do you find most difficult about learning languages? Is it easier to learn when you are younger or older? Why? What are the best ways to learn a language? General English Upper Intermediate Step 2 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for General English Upper Intermediate Step 2. Can you Talk about the things that influence your identity Describe a memory Agree on an itinerary for a day in a city Express personal preferences Create tourist recommendations for your town Discuss personality traits Make predictions - science and technology Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? How would you describe yourself to someone you have never met before? What influences your identity? What were you doing on Sunday two weeks ago? What did your first teacher look like? What kind of things do you like doing when you visit a new city? Why don’t we go to the Farmers’ Market? Could you describe the personality of someone you know? How does personality change in different situations? How do you think VR might be used in the future? What are medical professionals likely to do by 2030? General English Upper Intermediate Step 3 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for General English Upper Intermediate Step 3. Can you Suggest ways to encourage people to spend time in nature Speculate about the lives of famous people Talk about unusual lifestyles Talk about an imaginary trip back in time Plan an eco-friendly festival Talk about stage fright and practise speaking in public Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? Why do you think spending time in nature is good for us? What are some advantages and disadvantages of living in a city and living in the countryside? Think about a famous person you know. What does this person enjoy about their life? How do they feel about being famous? Why might they feel unhappy sometimes? Where would you go if you could travel back in time? What are problems associated with music / art festivals? How could you make a festival sustainable and protect the local environment? What do you find most frightening: making a speech in public, performing in front of an audience or competing in a sporting event? Why? What advice would you give to someone who is preparing to speak in public? General English Upper Intermediate Step 4 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for General English Upper Intermediate Step 4. Can you Describe your favourite film or TV series Talk about binge-worthy TV shows. Ask and answer questions about the importance of music in your life Talk about how your life will be different in five years’ time - health and lifestyle Discuss statements about sleep and talk about the science of sleep Talk about the benefits of exercise Hold short debates on sports and exercise Decide how to contribute to an event Discuss about traditional vs. modern lifestyles Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? What’s a film or TV programme you would recommend? What’s it about? What shows have you binge-watched? What did you enjoy about them? Which types of music do you like? Do you ever go to gigs or concerts? How important is music in your life? Think about your lifestyle in five years’ time. How might your life be different? Do you do anything to help you get to sleep? Do you ever oversleep? What happens to you if you don’t get enough sleep? How easy or difficult do you find it to make yourself do exercise? Is it the government’s responsibility to encourage people to be more active? How do you think lifestyles have changed between the generations? General English Upper Intermediate Step 5 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for General English Upper Intermediate Step 5. Can you Tell an anecdote about the first time you did something Discuss a time when your life plans changed Talk about whether one career in your life is enough Talk about video conference calls Describe problems and suggest solutions Discuss about working alone vs. in a team Discuss ways to avoid distraction Talk about introverts and extroverts Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? Have you ever had a funny or embarrassing experience in a new job or study environment? What did you want to be when you were growing up? What, if anything, changed your mind? How easy or difficult would it be for you to switch career plans? What are the advantages and disadvantages of face-to-face meetings and video conferencing? What are some golden rules of video conferencing? Perhaps you could try logging off and on again? Why don’t you try turning down the volume on your speakers? Could you talk about a good or bad experience of working in a team? How do you concentrate and avoid getting distracted? What is the typical image of an introvert and an extrovert? In what ways do you think the typical ideas about extroverts and introverts might be wrong? General English Upper Intermediate Step 6 If you feel that you could cope reasonably well with the following topics, you are at a suitable level to enrol for General English Upper Intermediate Step 6. Can you Ask for advice and give advice tactfully Talk about a true or false story Give news - What happened? Talk about unexpected sources of inspiration Speculate about a series of chance events Discuss your regrets and missed opportunities Talk about hard work and talent Would you be able to communicate with someone speaking English who asked you these questions? Who do you speak to when you need advice? Have you ever had to give someone honest advice that they didn’t want to hear? Give advice. Have you thought about…? If I were you I would… Have you ever met anyone famous? What happened? – a true or false story Think about an anecdote. What happened? How did you feel? What are your passions and interests in life? Have you ever suddenly developed an interest in something new? Think about a famous person you don’t know much about. How do you think they might have become famous? How must their life have been like before becoming famous? What do think are people’s top regrets in life? What are the risks and rewards of following your talent, rather than choosing a “safe” job? Which is more important - talent or hard work? This article was published on 2024-08-30
