How To Overcome The Intermediate Plateau

There is a common issue among language learners. At some point, a lot of students get stuck at the intermediate level (or B level according to the Common European Framework of Languages). We consider the intermediate level, or B level, the point where a language learner is able to speak and understand most of the words and phrases in a foreign language, so they are comfortable within this limit. Generally, being a B level in a language allows the speaker to do a lot of things: he or she can manage going out by themselves, running errands, going shopping and so on. It is a level that allows a speaker to function in a community. However, that is not proficiency.

Let’s say you are learning Arabic and you are able to take a taxi, give the directions in Arabic and do some groceries in a souq alone, without the help of a native. However, later in the evening when you attend a gathering with friends and everyone talks in Arabic, you might find it hard to comprehend what they are saying since, of course, natives will always speak quickly. That is where the intermediate level is no longer enough. So, today, we are here to give some great tips on how to bridge the gap between the intermediate zone and the proficient level (from B to C).

Tip #1: Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Once you find yourself in the fluency zone, or B zone, normally you tend to stay within that zone because you can do mostly everything in your target language; nevertheless, if you want to keep expanding and refining your language skills, you have to get out of your comfort zone which means do things that you usually don’t do.

Now, keeping in mind the four areas of language learning (reading, writing, listening and speaking), if you have been speaking about everyday topics then a good strategy is to get out there, get a native speaker and talk about things that are a bit more complex. Also, you can read books about very specific topics that you haven’t read yet, especially books that have technical or scientific terms. These books will get you out of your comfort zone and will enhance your vocabulary.

Tip #2: Follow The Fun

Normally, when you are in a certain zone you’ve been doing certain things and had fun doing them (for example, you might be using flashcards to learn vocabulary). This is a good strategy, but if you want to move from one zone to the other, you should keep having fun, but at the same time, you should do something different like use a different learning method, for example.

Tip #3: Do Things Progressively

Language learning is progressive process, not a linear one, so make sure that you do things that are progressively more difficult. Let’s take reading for example. In the beginning you can read something that is really simple like language learning material; then you can move on to bilingual books and ultimately to monolingual books and newspapers.

The same strategy can be applied to speaking. You can talk about everyday topics, which are really simple, then progress to holding a conversation about a specific topic and finally reaching a point where you’re storytelling. This way, you’re getting out of your comfort zone in a progressive manner.

Tip #4: Understand Deliberate Practice Versus Natural Practice

We normally tend to associate language learning with books and dry studying. However, we don’t believe that’s true. Language learning is about life! It’s about watching a movie with friends or going out and having fun. So, deliberate practice is great, but it’s just one part of language learning. You have to integrate it in a more natural practice. Playing a video game, reading a book that you like, and going out with friends are things that are within the realm of the natural practice and these are as important as deliberate practice. Try to find a balance between these two.

To conclude, we would like to offer a piece of advice. Language learning is a long road, so be patient with yourself. Bridging the gap between the B zone and the C zone is one of the longest processes out there. So be easy on yourself, keep progressing in a rhythm comfortable to you and don’t focus on the end result. Don’t worry, you will reach there.

Moreover, if you’ve already started to learn Arabic, we at Kaleela (www.kaleela.com) are fully aware that speaking Arabic takes practice and time. The Arabic Alphabet is unique, and the words are pronounced differently. This might seem a bit intimidating for a new learner, and this is the reason why we recommend checking out our blog articles on the basics of Arabic. Furthermore, you might want to also give Kaleela’s Arabic App a try. It has been developed by native Arabic speaking specialists in order to help any non-speaker reach their language goals. Of course, you can always reach out to us for any advice or guidance you might need, as we are always here to help!