FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get started?

  1. Understand your course requirements. You can find these in your registration email and on mypage.
  2. Take a lesson.
  3. Keep taking lessons until you meet your course requirements.
  4. Get your certificate.

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How can I make the most of the course?

  1. The best way to study is regularly. Study a little bit every week. Students who study regularly improve much faster than students who do a lot of studying one week and nothing the next.
  2. It's better to complete all the activities from one lesson before you start the next lesson.
  3. Wait a few days before you review or retake a lesson. This will help you remember what you learned more effectively.
  4. Make sure you don't fall behind schedule. Check your progress regularly. If necessary, set aside time on the weekend to catch up.

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What is Focus? How do I use it?

Focus shows you the next three lessons you need to study. Your lessons are ordered in the most efficient way for you to make progress. Take the lessons in the correct order in order to make the fastest progress.

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Can I choose a lesson on a topic that I want to study?

Yes. You can browse for a lesson on a particular topic in All activities. You can filter the list of lessons by topic, level or status. You can also search for a lesson in a particular skill.

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How long does a lesson take to finish?

Lessons take between 30-60 minutes to finish, depending on your course. Lessons at the lower levels may take slightly less time. Lessons at the higher levels may take slightly more time.

Practical English 6 Starter, KICKOFF FOR THE TOEIC TEST: 30-45 mins

Practical English 6, Business Speaking: 45-60 mins

You can study as much or as little as you want. If you leave a lesson half-way through, you’ll start exactly where you left off.

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What are my course requirements?

Each course has a list of requirements that you need to complete in order to pass. For example, you need to pass 60 lessons in 6 months or you need to pass 30 lessons before December 4. You can find out what your individual course requirements are in your registration email and from your course list on mypage.

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How many times can I retake a lesson?

You can retake a lesson as many times as you like. Retaking each lesson a few days after you first pass it is a good way to check your understanding and make sure you remember the language long-term. However, each lesson only counts once (as 1 lesson) towards your course objective, even if you pass that lesson many times.

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How can I check my progress?

You can find a study report which contains an overview of how many lessons you have studied and how much time you’ve spent. It also has a detailed breakdown of all the lessons you’ve completed and the scores you achieved.

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What happens after I complete my course requirements?

If you complete your course requirements before the course end date, you can continue studying as much as you want. You can continue to review lessons you have already studied and study new lessons until the course end date..

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Can I continue to study lessons after my course end date?

You can no longer study or review lessons after your course end date. However, you will still have access to the forum, and any resources like PDFs or podcasts associated with your course.

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Can I study on my phone or tablet?

Yes, you can study your course on any device. For example, you can start studying on a mobile device on your way to work. Then you can continue studying on your desktop at work and finish studying on your tablet at home in the evening.

KICKOFF FOR THE TOEIC TEST, and TRACKER FOR THE TOEIC TEST are not available on mobile yet, but are coming soon in 2016.

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How often should I study?

In our experience, you learn most when you study a little and often. Don't leave your studying to the last minute. Study a regular number of lessons each week and review what you learn so that you can remember it more easily. For fastest results, we recommend studying for 2-3 hours per week, every week of your course.

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What do the levels mean?

The Reallyenglish service is divided into five broad levels from elementary to advanced.

The level is just a guide and you should feel free to study lessons that are above or below your level. Lessons on topics that are unfamiliar to you will feel more difficult (so lower level lessons might be good). Lessons on topics that are familiar to you will feel easier (so higher level lessons might be good). Lessons that feel a little easy can be great ways of improving reading or listening fluency (read through more than once, read aloud, shadow audio scripts etc). Lessons that feel a little difficult can be a good way of learning new vocabulary related to a topic that is useful for you.

Use the table below to compare the lesson level against various international English test scores (like TOEIC, TOEFL and IELTS) and can-do statements.

Reallyenglish CEFR TOEIC IELTS TOEFL PBT TOEFL iBT Can-do statements




C2 905-990 7.5-9.0 640-677 111-120 I can:
  • understand all documents except for the most specialized
  • express my point of view persuasively when dealing with clients, and speak effectively and at length at meetings
  • use the telephone persuasively and effectively
  • write most kinds of letters and reports, and take notes on non-routine matters
Lv 5 C1 + 785-900 6.5-7.0 590-637 96-110 I can:
  • understand quickly most letters and documents with some dictionary help
  • deal with clients effectively, and handle non routine-matters outside my own area of expertise
  • write most kinds of letters and reports with few errors
  • use the telephone for most purposes
Lv 5 C1
Lv 4


 B2+ 605-780 5.0-6.0 513-587 65-95 I can:
  • understand most reports and non-routine letters, with the help of a dictionary
  • deal with clients and resolve most problems in my field of expertise
  • write more complex messages and non-routine factual letters, if my work is checked
  • use the telephone with good understanding
Lv 4

 B2
Lv 3


 B1 + 405-600 3.5-4.5 437-510 41-64 I can:
  • understand routine letters, and information about products or services that are familiar to me
  • deal with clients on routine matters e.g. taking orders and have short conversations e.g. talking about personal interests
  • write factual messages and routine letters if my work is checked
  • use the telephone for routine messages e.g. arranging a meeting
Lv 3 B1
Lv 2


 A2 + 255-400 3 347-433 19-40 I can:
  • say and understand simple messages or instructions
  • deal with clients by asking and answering simple questions e.g. Where is the bank?
  • write simple messages and letters
  • use the telephone for simple messages e.g. my train is late, I will arrive at 12 o'clock
Lv 1 A2
Lv 1 A1 + 10-250 <3.0 <343 <18 I know some phrases in English, but I cannot communicate.
Lv 1 A1
CEFR:
Council of European Framework
TOEIC:
Test of English for International Communication
IELTS:
International English Language Testing System
TOEFL PBT:
Test of English as a Foreign Language (Paper based test)
TOEFL iBT:
Test of English as a Foreign Language (Internet based test)

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