It can be a little more difficult to stay motivated at B1 level. When you are a beginner, everything is new and exciting and you feel that you are making progress every day!
At B1, you are now able to understand a lot, you can communicate but you still don’t feel confident. You start to think that maybe the problem is with you. Maybe you are just not talented enough for learning languages? You think that maybe it’s time to give up…
Don’t give up! You have come a long way and you can achieve some of your biggest goals!
You can learn to feel so comfortable, be able to talk about any subject and explore the many wonders of English. It’s important to find a way to stay motivated. Having an English coach helps a great deal. But if you are learning by yourself, it is important to know what your goal is and what are those things you need to master to get to the next level.
Whether you are learning English through individual lessons with your teacher, by yourself or in a language school, there are certain things you need to be able to do in order to move to the next level.
Here is a list of skills, vocabulary and grammar knowledge you will need to have at the end of your B1 level course to be able to move up to the next level. This list is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and it is put together by the British Council and Eaquals:
Speaking Skills
-
I can start, maintain and close simple face-to-face conversations on topics that are familiar or of personal interest.
-
I can give or seek personal opinions in an informal discussion with friends, agreeing and disagreeing politely.
-
I can have simple telephone conversations with people I know.
-
I can ask for and follow detailed directions
-
I can give descriptions of a variety of familiar subjects related to my interests.
-
I can talk in detail about my experiences, feelings and reactions.
-
I can briefly explain and justify my opinions.
-
I can give a short prepared presentation on a very familiar area (e.g. “My country”) and answer clear questions.
Strategies
- I can ask someone to clarify or elaborate on what they have just said.
- I can repeat back part of what someone has said to confirm that we understand each other.
- When I can’t think of a word, I can use a word meaning something similar and invite “correction” from the person I am talking to.
- I can ask for confirmation that a form is correct and correct some basic mistakes if I have time to do so.
Writing Skills
-
I can write short, comprehensible connected texts on familiar subjects.
-
I can write simple texts about experiences or events, for example about a trip, describing my feelings and reactions.
-
I can write emails, faxes or text messages to friends or colleagues, relating news and giving or asking for simple information.
-
I can write a short formal letter asking for or giving simple information.
Listening Skills
- I can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar, everyday subjects, provided there is an opportunity to get repetition or clarification sometimes.
- I can understand the main points of discussion on familiar topics in everyday situations when people speak clearly, but I sometimes need help in understanding details.
- I can follow clearly spoken, straightforward short talks on familiar topics.
- I can understand simple technical information, such as operating instructions for familiar types of equipment.
Reading Skills
- I can understand the main points in straightforward factual texts on subjects of personal or professional interest well enough to talk about them afterwards.
- I can find and understand the information I need in brochures, leaflets and other short texts relating to my interests.
- I can understand the main points in short newspaper and magazine articles about current and familiar topics.
- I can understand private letters about events, feelings and wishes well enough to write back.
GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY OBJECTIVES
To learn how to use English in these situations, you will need to know most of these language areas.
- Adverbs
- Broader range of intensifiers such as too, enough
- Comparatives and superlatives
- Complex question tags
- Conditionals, 2nd and 3rd
- Connecting words expressing cause and effect, contrast etc.
- Future continuous
- Modals – must/can’t deduction
- Modals – might, may, will, probably
- Modals – should have/might have/etc
- Modals – must/have t
- Past continuous
- Past perfect
- Past simple
- Past tense responses
- Phrasal verbs, extended
- Present perfect continuous
- Present perfect/past simple
- Reported speech (range of tenses)
- Simple passive
- Wh- questions in the past
- Will and going to, for prediction
VOCABULARY
- Collocation
- Colloquial language
- Things in the town, shops and shopping
- Travel and services
