CEFR level B1 · Intermediate
B1 English Speaking Practice (Intermediate)
At B1 you can deal with most situations you meet while travelling or in everyday life. You can join conversations on familiar topics, describe experiences, and give short reasons for your opinions.
What you can do at B1
- Start, keep up, and close a simple conversation on familiar topics
- Describe experiences, events, hopes and plans
- Give brief reasons and explanations for your opinions
- Tell a story or describe the plot of a film or book
What to focus on
- Present perfect vs. past simple for experiences
- Phrases for agreeing, disagreeing and giving opinions
- Fillers and connectors that keep you talking: actually, anyway, the thing is
- Paraphrasing when you don’t know a word
Speaking tips for B1 learners
- Speak in longer turns: aim for three or four connected sentences.
- When you’re missing a word, describe it instead of stopping.
- Discuss topics you care about — interest keeps conversations going.
Good conversation topics at this level
- Work and careers
- Technology in daily life
- Travel experiences
- Health and habits
Not sure this is your level?
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Other English levels
- BeginnerA1 — BeginnerAt A1 you are taking your first steps in spoken English. You can use simple, familiar words and very short phrases, especially when the other person speaks slowly and is ready to help.
- BeginnerA2 — ElementaryAt A2 you can handle short, routine conversations about familiar topics. You still rely on simple sentences, but you can now exchange basic information without much help.
- IntermediateB2 — Upper IntermediateAt B2 you can talk with fluency and spontaneity, so regular conversations with native speakers are possible without strain on either side. You can explain a viewpoint and discuss advantages and disadvantages.
- AdvancedC1 — AdvancedAt C1 you express yourself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for words. You use English flexibly for social, academic and professional purposes.
- AdvancedC2 — ProficientAt C2 you can take part effortlessly in any conversation and express fine shades of meaning precisely. Your English is close to that of a highly educated speaker.