Knowing your correct English language proficiency level

Reaching your utmost potential is the ultimate aim of body-building training, but starting with the right weight is the most important initial step to getting stronger each day.

The language learning process has similarities to weight training: just as it is important to prepare your body using the right weights, starting the language learning process at the right point is also essential. Starting at a higher level will make the process too challenging, and it will also make the teacher’s job of reaching the learner problematic. Likewise, input below the learner’s level will not be constructive for them. Therefore, the most important initial step of the language-learning process is knowing where to start.

But asking learners to evaluate their own proficiency level may not always reveal accurate results because a language learner may believe that their proficiency is higher – or lower – than it actually is. The cultural background of the learner is one of the main factors influencing inaccurate assessment.

Another reason why self assessment may not be accurate is, again, related to cultural norms: learners having too low or too high expectations of themselves. If language learners are not educated in a culture that encourages them to be autonomous learners and to set goals for their own learning, they might feel insecure in determining what to expect as foreign language learners.

With any task, it is important to have detailed criteria to correctly assess strengths and weaknesses. The Global Scale of English (GSE) is a remarkable tool that measures a learner’s proficiency via a granular structure. By identifying what they can already do – and what else they need to be able to achieve in order to progress to the next level – language learners can determine the right point at which to start their learning journey.

Visit www.english.com/blog/english-language-proficiency to learn more.