Statement: "The report is fine, I guess." Implied meaning: the speaker is not very happy but is not saying so directly. Advanced listeners hear this; advanced speakers can choose to say it, or not.
What "Advanced" really means
At the beginner level you learn to ride the bike. At the advanced level you ride it in traffic, in the rain, while talking to a friend. You already know English; now you make it flexible, careful and natural.
- Before this course: English Conversation Basics (course 6.2) and IELTS/CELPIP Test Prep Basics (course 6.7). In course 6.2 you learned small talk, and in course 6.7 you learned answer, reason, example and test strategies. This course assumes you finished both and goes one step deeper: abstract topics, debate and nuance.
- The Council of Europe's CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) describes six levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2. C1 is called "Proficient user" in the global scale.
- The official C1 description says a C1 user can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and recognise implicit meaning; can express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions; can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes; and can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
- The B2 level (just below) is about understanding the main ideas of complex text on concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in your field.
- So the jump from B2 to C1 is mostly about: implied meaning, fluency without searching for words, flexible tone, and controlled organisation.
| Term | Meaning | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| implicit | meant but not said directly | im-PLIS-it |
| nuance | a small but important difference in meaning | NOO-ahns |
| cohesive device | a word or phrase that links ideas | koh-HEE-siv dih-VYSE |
| register | how formal or informal your language is | REJ-is-ter |
| fluency | speaking smoothly without long pauses | FLOO-en-see |
- Read the official C1 description in this lesson slowly.
- Choose one recent conversation or email in English and ask: did I understand what was implied, not just what was said?
- Record yourself speaking for 2 minutes about a topic you care about, for example "Should cities ban cars from downtown?"
- Play it back and tick: Did I stop to search for words? Did I link my ideas? Did I sound the same formal or informal level the whole time?
- Write down your three biggest gaps. These are your goals for this course.
- Keep the recording. You will record again in Lesson 7.
- Check: you have a recording, three written gaps and a date for your final project.
Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.
Read the video script
[Host] "Advanced English is not about harder words. It is about flexible English."
[Text on screen: CEFR C1 = Proficient user] "On the Council of Europe's scale, C1 is called proficient user."
[Text on screen: implied meaning, fluency, flexible tone, organised ideas] "A C1 user understands implied meaning, speaks without much searching for words, adjusts tone, and organises ideas clearly."
[Host] "Today, record two minutes of yourself and write down three gaps. That is your starting line."
Record a 2-minute talk on "Should cities ban cars from downtown?" Write down three gaps (for example "too many pauses", "same words again and again", "no examples"). Save the recording.
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I'm learning "Advanced English Fluency: discussion, debate and nuance" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "What "Advanced" really means". What the lesson teaches: - Before this course: English Conversation Basics (course 6.2) and IELTS/CELPIP Test Prep Basics (course 6.7). In course 6.2 you learned small talk, and in course 6.7 you learned answer, reason, example and test strategies. This course assumes you finished both and goes one step deeper: abstract topics, debate and nuance. - The Council of Europe's CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) describes six levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2. C1 is called "Proficient user" in the global scale. - The official C1 description says a C1 user can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and recognise implicit meaning; can express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions; can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes; and can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices. - The B2 level (just below) is about understanding the main ideas of complex text on concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in your field. - So the jump from B2 to C1 is mostly about: implied meaning, fluency without searching for words, flexible tone, and controlled organisation. - implicit - meant but not said directly - im-PLIS-it - nuance - a small but important difference in meaning - NOO-ahns The exercise I'm working on: Record a 2-minute talk on "Should cities ban cars from downtown?" Write down three gaps (for example "too many pauses", "same words again and again", "no examples"). Save the recording. I'm stuck. Please: 1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example. 2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step. 3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "What "Advanced" really means" from the course "Advanced English Fluency: discussion, debate and nuance". Here's what the lesson says: At the beginner level you learn to ride the bike. At the advanced level you ride it in traffic, in the rain, while talking to a friend. You already know English; now you make it flexible, careful and natural. The activity: Record a 2-minute talk on "Should cities ban cars from downtown?" Write down three gaps (for example "too many pauses", "same words again and again", "no examples"). Save the recording. Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words. Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.
Sources
- Council of Europe, CEFR global scale (Table 1): www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/table
- Council of Europe, CEFR self-assessment grid (rm.coe.int): rm.coe.int/168045b15e
Hedging and stance: how sure are you?
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Concession, contrast and emphasis
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Idioms and word partners
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Register: formal, neutral, informal
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Building an argument and spotting weak ones
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Leading a discussion and your graded project
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Final project
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Quiz
Which CEFR level is called "Proficient user" in the global scale, between B2 and C2?
C1.
What does hedging mean?
Using cautious language so a claim is not stronger than your evidence.
Which of these is a hedge: "always" or "tends to"?
"Tends to."
What happens to word order in "Not only did he win..."?
The auxiliary comes before the subject (inversion).
In a cleft sentence like "What I need is a break," what gets the spotlight?
The part after "is".
What does "bite the bullet" mean?
Accept a difficult or unpleasant thing and get on with it.
What is a collocation?
Words that naturally go together, such as "make a decision".
Which is the most formal: "get", "receive" or "obtain"?
Obtain.
What is a straw man fallacy?
Misrepresenting someone's position as weaker or more extreme and attacking that version.
In sentence stress, which words are usually stressed?
The words that carry meaning, such as nouns, main verbs, adjectives and negatives.
Final exam
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Certificate
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