You studied English and up to a certain point everything went fine. But as soon as you get to the Intermediate level, the process slows down dramatically. Time passes, and it seems to you that you are walking in circles and you will not learn anything new. Lessons become boring, and the desired goal — for example, to finally speak English fluently — remains just as unattainable. How to fix it?
This situation is familiar to all teachers. It is called the «plateau effect». Such a slip in the middle of the road is quite a natural thing. Online English School Teachers tell how dangerous this effect is and how to overcome it.
Why is this happening?
Typically, the plateau effect overtakes students who have completed their studies at the Intermediate level. Vocabulary at this level is approximately 2000 words, you can carry on simple conversations, read magazines, looking in the dictionary from time to time, have gone through all the times and know some idioms. Experts call this level “threshold” and most students get stuck at this threshold. The catch is that this is the first level, sufficient for most everyday situations. You have every right to say «I speak English». But from that moment on, for some reason, the training ceases to be effective, and the thought of dropping out of school visits more and more often. Why?
Boredom. At the beginning of the journey, everything was new and interesting. But you have been working on the same materials for many months. The texts and dialogues get a little more complicated, but they are still the same texts and dialogues. Routine contributes little to enthusiasm.
Unrealistic expectations. When you first start learning a language, the results are noticeable instantly. Yesterday you knew five words, and today you knew ten. The lexicon doubled in one day! You hope that this pace will continue in the future. But the rate of accumulation of knowledge is steadily declining, and this is disappointing.
The habit of being content with little. Intermediate is quite a decent level. At this stage, you already know all the most common words, you can understand the content of a newspaper article, you can order a meal in a London restaurant and buy a train ticket in New York. It starts to seem to you that you already know everything and further training is a waste of time. In fact, your English is still very primitive, you have mastered only the very basics. You cannot have interesting conversations, listen to lectures, work for a foreign company, read books in the original, and watch stand-up shows.
What to do?
Since this effect is not uncommon, teachers have developed a set of measures to combat it.
Learn in a new way. Learning a language is a bit like playing sports. Bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts also experience a plateau effect, when, after a period of constant success, stagnation suddenly sets in — weight does not decrease, muscles do not grow. In this case, trainers recommend changing the load and exercise program.
This technique also works with English. If you have studied in a group, try individual lessons with a teacher who will support your interest in the language. Did you study with a personal tutor? Join a discussion club and practice speaking with those who are at the same level.
If so far you have read texts from a textbook, take a swing at a real book. This is not as scary as it seems, for example, the first volumes of Harry Potter can be read at the Intermediate level. Include real world material in the program: subscribe to some interesting video blogs, read English-language publications, watch films in the original with subtitles.
Practice regularly. At this level, it may seem that you already speak English quite well and nothing bad will happen if you study less often. This is a trap: if you reduce the intensity of the lessons, you risk getting stuck on a plateau for a long time. Information that is not used for a long time begins to be forgotten: our brain works on the principle of maximum energy saving and does not store what you do not use daily.
The main thing is to return passion to study. Knowing where you are going will help you track your progress more clearly.
Practice. It’s time to move beyond the educational process. Try to put your knowledge into practice. Comment on English-language posts on social networks, write reviews and reviews of films and applications in English, register in applications like Couchsurfing and help foreigners get to know your city, chat with travel companions.
This will allow you to begin to perceive English not as an abstract «subject», but as a tool for communication. This is especially important if, up to now, language learning has been passive, that is, you have taken in more than you have given. Reading, grammar, watching movies are all acceptance. It’s time to give — to speak, to argue, to comment.
Set a goal. If you started learning English to know it, now is the time to work on your motivation and set yourself a more specific goal. Do not try to come up with the first one that comes across — it should be relevant and interesting. Take the TOEFL test and land your dream job, watch all seasons of Game of Thrones in original, travel across the US from coast to coast, become an Airbnb superhost, prepare a presentation in English — no matter how serious the goal is.
The main thing is to return passion to study. Knowing where you are going will help you track your progress more clearly and notice that the plateau is not completely flat — you are still moving forward.