How to Overcome the

Intermediate Plateau

Khin Thet Lwin

Table of Contents

Introduction of the Problems students

01 04 encounter
speaker

CEFR Levels Overcoming the

02 05 Intermediate plateau

Intermediate plateau Question and Answer

03 06 Session
01. Introduction of the Speaker
Name: Khin Thet Lwin
High school: BEHS 1, North Okkalapa
Education: B.Sc (Biological Sciences), SKKU, Republic
of Korea
Work: ESL instructor (The Space Language Academy)
Hobbies and interests: Watching films, Reading,
Learning languages and Surfing the net
02. CEFR Levels
 Which one is the best to determine
students’ level of English?

By taking standardized tests (IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo, …)

By free online assessments

By taking level tests from language institutions

By self-evaluation (Checking one’s own can-do statements

aligned with CEFR)

Discuss in the breakout rooms.
What is your level of English?
How do you know?
Discuss in the breakout rooms.
Read the descriptions of English proficiency levels and match
them with the levels in the box.
A1 (elementary) A2 (pre-intermediate) B1 (intermediate)
B2 (upper-intermediate) C1 (advanced) C2 (proficiency)

1 2

3 4

5 6
Compare your thoughts in the
breakout rooms.
A1 (elementary) A2 (pre-intermediate) B1 (intermediate)
B2 (upper-intermediate) C1 (advanced) C2 (proficiency)

1 2

3 4

5 6
Reflect on your English learning journey.
Think about these questions.

1. How did you feel when you first learned English?

2. At what point did you feel the most excited?

3. At what point did you feel the least excited?

4. What do you think caused the loss of interest?

Discuss in the breakout rooms.
a large flat area of land that is high
above sea level  p______
plateau
An intermediate plateau exists in all disciplines –
language learning, mathematics, engineering, sciences,
and arts, …
 A Student’s Journey of Learning English

Beginning
enthusiastic start
noticeable progress
becoming a real user of English
Somewhere around the Intermediate level
despite the amount of time and effort, little to
no noticeable progress
enthusiasm gradually decreasing
transition from intermediate to upper-
intermediate level seems elusive
 Read the text on a Google Jamboard and answer the
questions.

1. Why is it easy for a beginner to remember newly-

learned language?
2. Does the kind of teaching approach matter a lot to a
beginner? Why?
3. When do learners of English suffer great anxiety and
eventually give up?

https://jamboard.google.com/d/1Y8cUhURIDQxoPaaPVuld2ivC7Hj9v4Se-jTdr3ePZ
9w/edit?usp=sharing
 Problems Students Encounter at the
Intermediate Level

1. A gap between receptive and productive

competence
2. Persistent fossilized language errors
3. High fluency with little complexity
4. Limited vocabulary range
5. Adequate language production but lacking
the characteristics of natural speech
A gap between receptive and productive competence

Learner’s receptive competence (listening and

reading skills) continues to develop.
However, his or her productive competence
(speaking and writing skills) does not show as much
progress.
Learner recognizes and understands language items
(vocabulary, grammar or functional language).
However, the learner cannot produce them actively.
 Persistent fossilized language errors
Grammar and pronunciation errors have
become permanent.
Learner’s communicative skills advance,
however, errors persist.
Examples of fossilized language errors
He don’t understand what he want.
She say she meeting me after work.
I met my best friend last three years ago.
Last night I watch TV till 2am.
I have a serious stomach ache. (mixing up /tʃ/ and /k/ sounds)
Music is very important to me. (mixing up /s/ and /k/ sounds)
 High fluency with little complexity
Learner’s language may be fluent and
accurate.
However, it shows little appropriate
grammatical development.
Learner’s language complexity does not
match his/her proficiency level
For example:
Overusing present and past simple tenses
I woke up and ate breakfast and at that time there was a knock on the
door.
 Limited vocabulary range

Learner’s vocabulary is still at the 3000-word

level.

The learner lacks knowledge of collocational

patterns. Collocations

Blond hair / Blond car

Perform a play / Perform a meeting

Earn money / Find money

Adequate language production but lacking the characteristics of
natural speech

Learner’s spoken English may be accurate

and fluent.
However, it does not always sound natural.
Which one sounds natural?

Nice to meet you.

To meet you is nice.

 Recap: Problems Students Encounter at
the Intermediate Level

1. A gap between receptive and productive

competence
2. Persistent fossilized language errors
3. High fluency with little complexity
4. Limited vocabulary range
5. Adequate language production but lacking
the characteristics of natural speech
1. Have you ever been at the intermediate
plateau? How did you overcome it?
2. Are you now at the intermediate plateau?
How will you over it?
Discuss in the breakout rooms.
https://wordwall.net/resource/56416690
To overcome the intermediate plateau, you should …
1. Expand your grammatical competence, including acquiring new ways of
using known forms as well as adding more complex language resources to
your language linguistic repertoire
2. Become a more fluent and accurate language user
3. Develop the capacity to monitor your own language use as well as that of
others, and notice the gap between your productive competence and those
of more advanced language users
4. Continue to develop your vocabulary, particularly at the 5000 to 6000 word
range.
5. Develop greater awareness and familiarity with patterns of lexical
collocation.
6. Master the use of conversational routines and other means of participating
actively in conversation and other forms of spoken discourse.
7. Develop your proficiency in listening, reading and writing further.
Questions are WELCOME!!!