Improve your English with this study PLAN: Intermediate to Advanced (Marina Mogilko)

Summary

In this Lingua Marina video, the host outlines a study plan to advance from intermediate to advanced English proficiency. They discuss the challenges of nuanced language improvement and the need for consistent motivation. The video covers strategies for enhancing vocabulary, grammar, reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding academic vocabulary, idioms, and the cultural context behind language use. The host shares personal experiences and provides resources, such as magazines and podcasts, to aid in language learning.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video aims to provide a study plan for English language learners to advance from intermediate to advanced levels.
• 📈 Progress at higher levels is nuanced and detailed, requiring more effort and time to show improvement.
• 📚 To advance, one must work on various language aspects including reading, vocabulary, grammar, and listening.
• 📊 The number of learning hours needed increases significantly as one approaches higher language proficiency levels.
• 📖 For reading, engaging with advanced texts from sources like Time, National Geographic, and The Economist is recommended.
• 👂 In listening, understanding sarcasm, idioms, accents, and dialects is crucial for advanced learners.
• ✍️ Writing at an advanced level involves producing clear, well-organized texts with advanced vocabulary and linking words.
• 🗣️ Speaking practice can be enhanced through AI interactions, using platforms like Duolingo, and incorporating new words into daily speech.
• 📈 The Common European Framework of Reference suggests that an advanced English level requires 5,000 to 6,000 words.
• 🏫 Advanced grammar includes understanding nuances like inversion, mixed conditionals, and spoken grammar structures.

Q & A

What is the main challenge for language learners moving from intermediate to advanced levels?

The main challenge is that improvements become more nuanced and detailed, requiring more effort to see noticeable progress, which can lead to a decrease in motivation as the dopamine rush from easily achievable milestones diminishes.

What is the significance of vocabulary expansion at an advanced level?

At an advanced level, vocabulary expansion is crucial as it involves learning academic vocabulary, idioms, and advanced words that are not commonly used in everyday conversations.

How many more hours does it take to move from B1 to B2 compared to moving from C1 to C2 according to the transcript?

It takes at least 180 hours to move from B1 to B2, while moving from C1 to C2 requires at least 300 hours.

What are some recommended resources for advanced reading practice?

Some recommended resources for advanced reading practice include magazines like Time, National Geographic, The Economist, Vogue, Men's Health, The New Yorker, and The Guardian.

What are the key aspects of listening comprehension at an advanced level?

At an advanced level, listening comprehension involves understanding sarcastic sentences, idioms, discerning important from secondary information, and recognizing various accents, dialects, and idioms.

How does the TOEFL test assess advanced writing skills?

The TOEFL test assesses advanced writing skills by evaluating the ability to produce clear, well-developed, and well-organized texts with proper paragraph structure, use of linking words, and advanced vocabulary and phrases.

What are some strategies to practice advanced speaking skills?

Strategies to practice advanced speaking skills include using AI tools for conversation, practicing with native speakers, incorporating new words into daily speech, and participating in language courses that focus on advanced speaking.

What is the recommended vocabulary size for an advanced English learner according to the Common European Framework of Reference?

For an advanced English learner, the Common European Framework of Reference recommends a vocabulary size of 5,000 to 6,000 words.

How can one test their vocabulary level according to the transcript?

One can test their vocabulary level by taking tests on websites like Lexor.com, which offer tests for different vocabulary levels, including 2,000, 3,000, 5,000, and even 10,000 word levels.

What are some advanced grammar structures that an advanced English learner should be familiar with?

Advanced English learners should be familiar with structures like inversion, conditionals (including mixed conditionals), and cleft sentences, which are used to emphasize certain parts of a sentence.

Why is it important for advanced learners to understand spoken grammar?

Understanding spoken grammar is important because it involves recognizing and using phrases that may omit grammatical structures typical to written language, which helps in sounding more like a native speaker.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Advancing from Intermediate to Advanced English

The speaker introduces a study plan designed to help English learners progress from an intermediate to an advanced level. They acknowledge the difficulty of making nuanced improvements at higher levels and the importance of maintaining motivation. The plan covers various language sections including reading, vocabulary, grammar, and listening. The speaker also discusses the effort required to move from one proficiency level to the next, using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) as a guide. They emphasize the need to work on accent and pronunciation at advanced levels and share personal experiences with language learning and testing, such as taking the TOEFL.

05:01

🎓 Strategies for Mastering Advanced English Skills

This section delves into specific strategies for improving advanced English skills. The speaker suggests reading from a variety of advanced resources like magazines and academic journals to enhance vocabulary and comprehension. They also recommend podcasts, movies, and TV shows to improve listening skills, especially the understanding of accents, idioms, and sarcastic remarks. For writing, the focus is on producing clear, well-organized texts with advanced vocabulary and linking words. The speaker also mentions the importance of summarizing information coherently and accurately. They promote their own language course, 'From Intermediate to Advanced,' which aims to help learners overcome the plateau effect and improve their English through exposure to native and near-native speakers.

10:01

🗣️ Overcoming Challenges in Speaking and Vocabulary

The speaker addresses the challenges of speaking English at an advanced level, including the fear of being judged by native speakers. They recommend using AI tools and websites to practice speaking and suggest incorporating new words into daily speech to enhance vocabulary retention. The discussion also covers the number of words required at different CEFR levels, with an emphasis on the significant jump from intermediate to advanced. The speaker encourages learners to take vocabulary tests to assess their current level and to continuously expand their word knowledge. They also touch on advanced grammar structures, such as inversion and mixed conditionals, which are crucial for expressing complex ideas and emotions.

15:02

📖 Advanced Grammar and Native-like Fluency

In the final paragraph, the speaker focuses on advanced grammar, including the use of inversion and conditionals, which are essential for expressing a range of emotions and scenarios. They also introduce the concept of 'spoken grammar,' which involves using simplified phrases that native speakers commonly use. The speaker discusses cleft sentences, which are used for emphasis, and provides examples to illustrate their usage. The summary concludes with a call to action for learners to immerse themselves in the language by engaging in various activities such as watching shows, reading extensively, and practicing speaking to achieve a high level of English proficiency.

Keywords

💡Intermediate to Advanced

This term refers to the progression from a moderate level of proficiency in English to a higher, more advanced level. In the video, the speaker discusses strategies and resources for language learners to make this transition, emphasizing the nuanced and detailed improvements required at higher levels of language acquisition.

💡Motivation

Motivation is the drive or desire to continue learning and improving. The script mentions how motivation can wane as learners reach higher levels because the progress becomes less tangible. The speaker encourages viewers to stay motivated by setting clear goals and recognizing the effort required to reach advanced levels.

💡Vocabulary

Vocabulary refers to the words and phrases that a language learner knows and can use. In the context of the video, the speaker highlights the importance of expanding one's vocabulary to include academic terms, idioms, and advanced words to reach an advanced level of English proficiency.

💡Academic Vocabulary

Academic vocabulary consists of specialized words and phrases used in academic texts and discussions. The video script mentions that as learners progress to higher levels, they need to familiarize themselves with academic vocabulary to understand complex texts and participate in academic discourse.

💡Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret written texts. The script discusses the need for advanced English learners to be able to comprehend texts from various genres and subjects, even if they are not familiar with the topic, which is crucial for high-scoring on English proficiency tests.

💡Listening Skills

Listening skills are essential for understanding spoken English. The video emphasizes the importance of being able to understand various accents, idioms, and nuances in spoken language, which are critical for advanced learners to participate in conversations and understand media content.

💡Writing Skills

Writing skills involve the ability to produce clear, well-organized, and coherent texts. The speaker in the video outlines the expectations for advanced writing, such as structuring texts with paragraphs, using linking words, and incorporating advanced vocabulary and idioms to convey complex ideas.

💡Speaking Skills

Speaking skills are the ability to articulate thoughts and ideas fluently in speech. The script touches on the challenges of speaking at an advanced level, including the fear of being judged by native speakers and the importance of practice to improve fluency and confidence.

💡Grammar Nuances

Grammar nuances refer to subtle differences and advanced rules in language structure. The video discusses the need for advanced learners to understand and use complex grammar structures, such as inversions and mixed conditionals, to express themselves accurately and effectively.

💡C1 Level

C1 level, as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), indicates a high level of language proficiency. The speaker uses this term to describe the target level for advanced learners, discussing the specific skills and knowledge required to achieve this level, such as extensive vocabulary and advanced grammar.

Highlights

Transitioning from intermediate to advanced English requires nuanced and detailed improvements.

Motivation tends to decrease as language learning progresses due to less noticeable progress.

Improving language skills involves working on reading, vocabulary, grammar, and listening.

The number of learning hours required increases significantly as one approaches a native-like proficiency.

At advanced levels, learners focus on academic vocabulary, idioms, and pronunciation nuances.

Reading improvement involves understanding texts from various genres and subjects.

Advanced reading resources include magazines like Time, National Geographic, and The Economist.

Listening at an advanced level includes understanding sarcasm, idioms, and accents.

Podcasts and movies/TV shows are recommended for advanced listening practice.

Writing at an advanced level requires producing clear, well-organized texts with advanced vocabulary.

Incorporating new words into speech as soon as they are learned helps with retention.

Advanced English learners need to know between 5,000 to 6,000 words.

Advanced grammar involves understanding nuances like inversion and mixed conditionals.

Spoken grammar, such as省略语法结构 to sound more native, is important at advanced levels.

Cleft sentences are used for emphasis and are a feature of advanced English.

Immersion in the language through various activities is key to advancing in English proficiency.

The course 'From Intermediate to Advanced' at Lingua Trip addresses the plateau effect in language learning.

Transcripts

hey guys welcome to lingua Marina today

I will give you your study plan to go

from intermediate to Advanced in English

as a language learner who's been

learning English for a number of years

now I understand that it's really hard

to improve your language starting with

Upper Intermediate Advanced because

those improvements are very nuanced and

very detailed let me give you an example

when you just start learning a language

you know you start with basic phrases

and it takes you a few weeks and then

you can actually interact in language

you've learned a hundred words and it

seems like a little of progress but what

if you're intermediate and you already

know say a thousand words in English

adding 50 more words doesn't seem like a

huge Improvement and this is where your

motivation starts disappearing because

we constantly need this dopamine uh we

constantly need to see our results to be

happy with ourselves and continue

studying and I've been there so so many

times so today we going to go through

every section of the language we're

going to talk about reading we're going

to talk about vocabulary grammar and I

will give you a list of things that you

need to know in order to become Advanced

I've created this list together with a

teacher from California hi Lea thank you

so much for helping me but before we

start please like this video And

subscribe to this channel if you're not

yet subscribed I'm going to add a lot of

commentary from myself because oh my God

I just took another TOEFL test we're

waiting for the final result

but despite living in the US for 10

years I still think that tofl is a very

very intense test now without further

Ado we're going to transition to your

vocabulary and when I say that it gets

harder and harder to get to the next

level when you're closer to the top uh I

am not making this up let's look at the

table that shows the number of learning

hours you need to achieve each level

from the level below so for example if

you at B1 now you will need at least 180

hours to become B2 but if you're at C1

level and you want to become C2 almost a

native speaker you need at least 300

hours and at this level we're talking

accent we're talking pronunciation of

the most advanced words if we convert it

into weeks you need at least 40 weeks to

get from B1 to B2 but you need at least

75 weeks to go from C1 to C2 and this is

where I tell you brace your self because

yes it's going to get harder at my level

for example C1 C2 I am working with

academic vocabulary I'm working with

idioms that are not used in our everyday

lives I'm working with those tiny

details and there are so many of those

okay now that you understand that this

transition is going to require some work

um now you're ready now let's talk about

things that you actually need to become

Advanced and the first aspect that we're

going to talk about is reading

and when it comes to reading there are

several aspects that you need to be able

to understand

text from many genres dealing with a

wide range of subjects doesn't matter if

you understand the subjects or not so

for example I just took the tol test and

in the Reading part I had several texts

one text was about mammals in the sea

and the ocean the second text was about

economics the third text was also

related to science and there was some

terms that I did not know beforehand and

there was so many nuances and details

but if you want to score the highest

grade on test like tofl ILS and other

English language tests you need to be

able to understand texts about anything

very complicated academic text so I'm

adding

academic vocabulary

here now there are several ways to

improve your reading but obviously you

need to read a lot and this is the time

for you to start switching to more

advanced resources so look at texts from

magazines like time National Geographic

The Economist Vogue self Men's Health

the New Yorker and the

guardian those articles are Advanced and

they're going to be great for your

reading practice number

two listening oh my goodness because I

just took tol I'm going to give you a

lot of examples from an advanced English

language test when it comes to

listening you need to be able to

understand sarcastic sentences you need

to be able to understand idioms you need

to be able to understand which

information actually matters and what

information was secondary information

you need to learn how to pay attention

to the right things and also be able to

understand accents idioms dialects that

is all part of advanced listening so

there we go

accents again

Advanced

vocabulary I would write priorities but

basically understand what's important

what's not and we're going to talk about

grammar later in this video but um

people love to use conditionals and you

need to understand what they actually

mean so how do you practice listening

through podcasts I wish they existed 20

years ago when I was actively learning

English cuz podcasts give us such a

great variety of accents and Views I

like Lex Friedman's podcast I like

Andrew huberman's podcast and of course

movies and TV shows would definitely

help you with listening uh Emily and

Paris this TV show is kind of easier to

understand but I would highly recommend

it anyways they have such a beautiful

vocabulary there they use a lot of

idioms they use a lot of comparisons

their speech is strikingly beautiful in

that TV show at least for for me the

Hunger Games the little things big

little lies if you're interested in a

place where I live big little lies was

filmed very close to to the Bay Area The

Social Network Bal soul and some of the

other shows now the third aspect that

you need to be working on is of course

writing now here let's look at what

TOEFL test makers actually want you to

be able to do if you want to qualify for

the C1 level produce clear

well-developed and well organized text

that means that every thought has its

own paragraph that means you have an

introduction that means you have a

conclusion that means you use a lot of

linking words like in my opinion however

furthermore the speaker stated that the

speaker mentioned that so I am writing

here well structured texts that include

paragraphs linking

words of course the use of advanced

vocabulary meaning idioms C1

level

words

and

phrases also when you're writing a text

and you want to qualify a C1 you need to

select important information from

multiple sources integrated and

presented coherently and clearly in

writing with only occasional minor in

Precision in the summary of The Source

information what they basically mean is

that yes you can summarize with your own

words but you have to be attentive to

detail you have to be very clear with

what you're writing by the way when it

comes to tests they actually allow you

to make minor mistakes uh so if you're

typing if it's a typo or maybe you

didn't know how to spell the word

correctly that's fine but of course

don't make too many mistakes I I'm just

saying that because I want you to relax

and stop trying to be perfect now how

can you challenge yourself with Advanced

writing something I can recommend is of

writing a review uh as a Creator

sometimes I go to places like hotels and

uh they ask me as part of our

collaboration to leave a review and this

is where I have to start with my general

thoughts overall this experience has

been one of the best so far and there

are several reasons and then different

paragraphs number one I really enjoyed

the view from my room number two the

service was amazing number three I'm

simplifying this for you but this B

basically shows the structure so try

writing a review on a platform like Kel

or Google reviews that's going to help

you that's going to help you practice

that advanced writing and of course if

you have any tests coming up the best

way to practice the best way to get

ready for the test is to go and uh take

the mock test and uh see what's going on

another way to practice all of your

skills especially listening is to take

an English language course and the

course that we've developed at lingua

trip is called from intermediate to

Advanced and when our teachers were

working on it they were paying extra

attention to this plateau effect when

you're already intermediate but you

can't see any growth and because the

teachers in that course are native

speakers or non-native speakers whose

accent is almost perfect you will get

exposure to a variety of teachers thus

practice your listening that course

includes 40 lessons on the most

important English topics there are some

of my class as mostly motivating and

talking about my own experience and life

hacks that can help you improve your

language learning Journey uh there is of

course Venia our accredited teacher from

Los Angeles and there is Angela who's a

native speaker who's been teaching

English for a while now she's also an

expert in methodology and she creates

programs for English language programs

worldwide we have leveled tests before

and after the course so you can see your

progress and of course we try to make

your learning process as interesting and

as entertaining as possible over 10,000

students have already taken courses with

lingua trip and I hope you join them as

well also if you decide to take this

course with a group and the next group

starts on April 12th and if you're

watching this video after April 12th

check the link down below for the next

start date so basically if you're taking

it together with a group we're going to

match you with people from all over the

world so you can practice together the

link will be down below I will be very

excited if you take that course to speed

up your way to the advanced level in

English now let's move on and talk about

speaking oh this one is the most most

challenging honestly for me because

especially when you take a test or when

you interact with a native speaker for

the first time I remember I was shaking

when I was talking to a native speaker

just because I thought they're judging

me they are judging my English they

think I'm dumb all the time all the time

uh it kind of never goes away it stays

with you uh this you know this feeling

that you're not a native speaker

yesterday I was at a dinner almost

everyone there was either a a speaker or

moved to the US when they were kids they

graduated from American schools and you

know sometimes there are things that

they discuss that I don't understand

just because I'm not part of that

culture I only immigrated when I was 25

I was basically born and raised in a

different country but at the same time I

realize how inclusive the American

society is and if you're doing something

interesting uh people are willing to

interact with you so this fear never

goes away but it gets better so when it

comes to speaking you guys are actually

lucky you have ai these days and you can

totally talk with AI well for example

the paid version of Chad GPT allows you

to interact with it in English there are

other different websites like speeches

or speak and improv.com that you can use

to practice English I'm going to leave

all the links below now here basically

my advice will be

practice and the other thing as a

non-native

speaker try incorporating new words as

soon as you can so you've learned

something like it happens to me all the

time I learned something and I'm like

okay great word and I forget about it if

you start incorporating those words into

your speech as soon as possible there's

more probability you're actually going

to remember and use those words now

let's talk about my favorite people are

always like Marina but how many words do

I know to

be advanced in English now there you go

the common European framework of

reference states that B1 requires

2,000 to 3,000 words at advanced level

you need

5,000 to 6,000 words how does that

sound sounds overwhelming I agree there

is nothing you can really do except just

learn those words so there is actually a

test that you can take if you go to

lexor.com they have a test for 2,000

level 3,000 level 5,000 level of course

they're not going to ask you all of

those words but they took some of the

brightest examples from the category and

you're going to be able to just test

yourself they also have a university

word list and they have a 10,000 level

word list just go ahead take that test

and see how you feel of course it's an

estimate of course it's not 100%

accurate but I feel like it's a cool

place to start they they have all kinds

of different tests on their website I

like it a lot go to Lex t.ca check them

out now what are the other traits of

advanced English language students

vocabulary Advanced

word

combinations like a surge of

anger Heavy Rain volcanic eruption

Advanced synonyms let's look at the

example I think it was my second year in

uni when I finally learned how to be a

good student I think it was in my second

year in uni when I finally got the hang

of being a student oh that's a nice

expression Cambridge Dictionary British

by the way says that that's a C1 phrase

or instead of saying do you still want

to play tennis tonight you can say are

we still on for tonight now those words

and phrases are the advanced level in

our intermediate to Advanced course we

pay a lot of attention to such words and

phrases okay now let's talk about

grammar I know I know some people like

but Marina can I just learn three tenses

that's it n when you come to the US

people use all kinds of tenses all kinds

of structures and if you don't

understand their meaning sometimes you

can get confused and I'm sorry the

lighting is kind of weird today it is

really windy so clouds come and go and

sometimes the sun is shining brightly in

my studio but then the next second it's

gone and uh it's all great but yeah the

reality of living in California of

course when you are an advanced English

language learner you know all the 12

tenses we're not going to talk about

that but we're going to talk about are

those Nuance details like inversion you

need to understand how to use it and

what it means here comes the trouble see

inversion in the word order is used to

highlight our emotions the action come

first and who or what does the action

comes second not only did Sheldon save

my life he didn't rat me out to the

landlord or the police Homeland Security

conditionals not only your regular

conditionals but also mixed conditionals

I remember when we were learning that at

school I was like I was so tired of

conditionals and then they say oh but

you know we just learned all the rules

sometimes they do not apply or apply in

a different way when it comes to mixed

conditions I'm like come on why so

complicated when so when you were at

intermediate level you've learned zero

first second and third conditionals but

at advanced level you have to be

familiar with mixed conditionals let me

show you an example you create sentences

with a past condition and a present or

future result or the other way around

let's look at type one present results

of a past action if I had worked harder

at school I would have a better job now

so the structure is if Plus past perfect

and in the second sentence we have would

plus infinitive type two past result of

present condition here is an example

from the movie oh my God I just met that

actor a couple months ago he was

presenting a book um here in the Bay

Area I mean I read it on a cruise and if

I wasn't afraid it was an environmental

hazard I would have tossed it overboard

and the structure is if Plus past simple

would have Plus past participle and of

course if this sounds confusing this

topic is we talk about this more in the

course now there are a couple more

things that I wanted to talk about

before we wrap up I know your head might

be exploding but it's important I would

add them as bonuses here bonus number

one is called spoken grammar what does

that mean I know we've been learning all

of the grammar structures but sometimes

you just have to forget about them to

sound like a native instead of saying do

you want some coffee you say want a

coffee right or instead of saying are

you ready yet you can just say ready yet

at advanced level you need to understand

you don't have to speak like that but

you need to understand that people use

those phrases and they emit grammatical

structures that we're used to as

language Learners and yes if you want to

sound more native then start using them

as well and another boat bonus is cleft

sentences an example of a cleft sentence

is what I really like is chocolate so

they're all about giving extra emphasis

on something that you want to highlight

in the sentence let's look at another

example Sharon's car got broken into

yesterday didn't it no it was Nina's car

that got broken into so we're

highlighting who car was broken into

okay guys I feel like there is too much

for a YouTube video I'm going to stop

right here of course this is not the

whole list of things you need to know in

order to become Advanced but this is a

general list of things and of course the

language is very nuanced uh there are a

lot of things that you're going to learn

but all I want you to understand is that

every level gets more and more

complicated and in a nutshell what you

need to start doing is immerse yourself

into language as much as possible by

watching shows read extensively listen

to authentic English write emails

reviews reports whatever practice

speaking and receiving feedback on your

speech expand vocabulary and master

those grammar nuances thank you guys so

much for watching this video up to the

very end I am very happy to see you as

part of this community please subscribe

to this Channel and I'll see you very

soon in my next videos bye