English With Mack.

✦ The roadmap

Seven chapters
from zero to mastery.

Every CEFR level explained — what you'll be able to do at the end, what to focus on, and how to get there. This is the path serious learners follow.

CEFR levels
7
Original lessons
233+
Estimated study hours
1050+
A0
0120-40 hours

Absolute Beginner

You're starting from zero. Focus on the alphabet, basic sounds, and your first 100 words.

At this level, you'll be able to

  • Recognize the English alphabet and basic sounds
  • Say hello, goodbye, please, and thank you
  • Introduce yourself with your name
  • Count from 1 to 100
  • Identify common objects, colors, and numbers

Speaking

  • Repeat sounds and short words clearly
  • Say your name and where you're from

Writing

  • Write the alphabet
  • Write your name and basic personal info

Listening

  • Recognize your name and basic greetings
  • Identify numbers and common words

Reading

  • Recognize letters and the most frequent 100 words

Grammar focus

  • —The verb 'to be' (I am, you are, he is)
  • —Basic word order (Subject + Verb + Object)
  • —Singular and plural nouns

Vocabulary focus

  • —Numbers 1-100
  • —Days of the week and months
  • —Family members
  • —Colors and basic adjectives
  • —Common food and drink

Milestones to unlock the next level

Introduce yourself in 3 sentencesCount to 100 without helpRecognize 100 common words
A1
0260-80 hours

Beginner

You can handle basic everyday situations using simple phrases.

At this level, you'll be able to

  • Introduce yourself and others
  • Ask and answer simple personal questions
  • Order food and drinks at a restaurant
  • Ask for and give directions
  • Talk about your daily routine
  • Fill in simple forms with personal information

Speaking

  • Hold a 1-minute conversation about yourself
  • Order at a café in English
  • Ask basic questions (Where? When? How much?)

Writing

  • Write a short personal introduction (5-6 sentences)
  • Send a simple text message in English
  • Fill in a registration form

Listening

  • Understand simple instructions
  • Catch the main idea of slow, clear speech
  • Recognize numbers, prices, and times

Reading

  • Read short signs, menus, and labels
  • Understand simple personal messages

Grammar focus

  • —Present simple tense
  • —Possessive adjectives (my, your, his)
  • —Basic question words (what, where, when, who, why, how)
  • —Articles (a, an, the)

Vocabulary focus

  • —Daily routines and common verbs
  • —Food, drinks, and ordering
  • —Places in a city
  • —Weather and seasons
  • —Basic hobbies and interests

Milestones to unlock the next level

Hold a 2-minute conversation about your daily lifeWrite a 50-word personal introductionOrder a meal entirely in English
A2
03100-150 hours

Elementary

You can handle short social and travel situations and describe past, present, and future events simply.

At this level, you'll be able to

  • Describe your family, home, and daily life in detail
  • Talk about past events using simple past tense
  • Make plans and talk about the future
  • Shop and handle simple transactions
  • Understand short, clear announcements
  • Write short notes, messages, and basic emails

Speaking

  • Tell a short story about your weekend
  • Make a phone call to book a table or appointment
  • Describe a person, place, or event

Writing

  • Write a short personal email (50-100 words)
  • Describe your family or hometown in a paragraph
  • Write a simple thank-you note

Listening

  • Follow short conversations between two people
  • Understand basic announcements at airports/stations
  • Get the gist of children's stories or simple podcasts

Reading

  • Read short texts on familiar topics
  • Understand basic instructions and recipes
  • Read simple news headlines

Grammar focus

  • —Past simple tense (regular and irregular)
  • —Future with 'going to' and 'will'
  • —Comparatives and superlatives
  • —Modal verbs (can, must, should)

Vocabulary focus

  • —Travel and transportation
  • —Shopping and prices
  • —Emotions and opinions
  • —Health and the body
  • —Work and jobs (basic)

Milestones to unlock the next level

Tell a 2-minute story about a past experienceWrite a 100-word email to a friendUnderstand 70% of a slow English podcast
B1
04180-260 hours

Intermediate

You can handle most situations in everyday life and work, express opinions, and explain your reasoning.

At this level, you'll be able to

  • Handle most situations while traveling
  • Describe experiences, dreams, and ambitions
  • Give reasons and explanations for your opinions
  • Understand the main points of clear standard speech
  • Write simple connected text on familiar topics
  • Participate in workplace conversations

Speaking

  • Give your opinion and back it up with reasons
  • Tell a longer story with details
  • Participate in group discussions on familiar topics
  • Handle unexpected situations while traveling

Writing

  • Write a personal letter or email (150-200 words)
  • Write a short opinion paragraph
  • Take notes during a meeting or lecture

Listening

  • Follow extended conversations on familiar topics
  • Understand the main points of TV news
  • Get the gist of films and TV shows in English

Reading

  • Read articles on topics that interest you
  • Understand short stories and simple novels
  • Read instructions and how-to guides

Grammar focus

  • —Present perfect tense
  • —First and second conditionals
  • —Passive voice (basic)
  • —Reported speech (basic)
  • —Phrasal verbs (common ones)

Vocabulary focus

  • —Workplace and professional life
  • —Emotions and personality
  • —News and current events (basic)
  • —Technology and the internet
  • —Environment and nature

Milestones to unlock the next level

Hold a 10-minute conversation on a familiar topicWrite a 200-word opinion pieceWatch a TV show without constantly pausingPass a B1 certification exam (PET, IELTS 4.0-5.0)
B2
05200-400 hours

Upper-Intermediate

You can interact with native speakers fluently and discuss complex topics, including in your specialty.

At this level, you'll be able to

  • Understand complex texts on concrete and abstract topics
  • Interact fluently and spontaneously with native speakers
  • Produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects
  • Explain viewpoints with advantages and disadvantages
  • Understand most TV news and documentaries
  • Participate confidently in professional discussions

Speaking

  • Hold extended discussions on abstract topics
  • Give a 5-10 minute presentation
  • Argue your point of view with examples
  • Use a wider range of expressions and idioms

Writing

  • Write detailed essays and reports (300-400 words)
  • Write professional emails with appropriate register
  • Summarize complex information clearly

Listening

  • Follow extended speech and complex arguments
  • Understand most TV programs and films
  • Catch nuance in conversations between native speakers

Reading

  • Read contemporary novels and longer articles
  • Understand specialized articles in your field
  • Skim and scan for specific information efficiently

Grammar focus

  • —All conditionals (zero, first, second, third, mixed)
  • —Reported speech (advanced)
  • —Passive voice (all tenses)
  • —Modal verbs of speculation (must have, might have)
  • —Linking words and discourse markers

Vocabulary focus

  • —Idiomatic expressions and collocations
  • —Specialty vocabulary for your field
  • —Academic vocabulary (basic)
  • —Nuanced emotional and opinion words
  • —Phrasal verbs (intermediate)

Milestones to unlock the next level

Give a 10-minute presentation without notesWrite a 400-word essay with clear structureWatch a movie without subtitles and follow the plotPass a B2 certification (FCE, IELTS 5.5-6.5)
C1
06200-400 hours

Advanced

You express yourself fluently and spontaneously without much searching for words. You use language flexibly for social, academic, and professional purposes.

At this level, you'll be able to

  • Understand demanding, longer texts and implicit meaning
  • Express ideas fluently without obvious searching
  • Use language flexibly for social, academic, and professional purposes
  • Produce clear, well-structured text on complex subjects
  • Understand a wide range of TV programs and films
  • Negotiate, persuade, and influence in English

Speaking

  • Speak fluently with natural pauses and rhythm
  • Use idioms and colloquial expressions appropriately
  • Adapt your register to formal and informal contexts
  • Lead complex discussions and meetings

Writing

  • Write structured essays, reports, and proposals (500+ words)
  • Use appropriate register for formal and informal contexts
  • Write persuasively and analytically

Listening

  • Understand fast native speech, including accents
  • Follow complex arguments and abstract discussions
  • Catch implicit meaning, irony, and humor

Reading

  • Read novels, journalism, and academic texts
  • Understand specialized literature in your field
  • Read between the lines and identify the author's stance

Grammar focus

  • —Subjunctive and hypothetical structures
  • —Inversion for emphasis
  • —Cleft sentences (It was ... that ...)
  • —Advanced linking and cohesion
  • —Hedging and softening language

Vocabulary focus

  • —Advanced idioms and expressions
  • —Academic vocabulary (advanced)
  • —Nuanced synonyms and connotation
  • —Domain-specific terminology
  • —Style and register markers

Milestones to unlock the next level

Give a 20-minute professional presentationWrite a 500+ word essay with sophisticated argumentHold a 30-minute discussion on an abstract topicPass a C1 certification (CAE, IELTS 7.0-8.0)
C2
07200-400+ hours

Mastery

Near-native precision. You understand virtually everything heard or read and express yourself with subtlety and accuracy.

At this level, you'll be able to

  • Understand virtually everything heard or read
  • Summarize information from different sources coherently
  • Express yourself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely
  • Differentiate finer shades of meaning
  • Write sophisticated texts with appropriate style
  • Operate in English at a professional native level

Speaking

  • Speak with native-like fluency and precision
  • Use sophisticated humor, irony, and rhetorical devices
  • Handle any topic with natural confidence

Writing

  • Write publishable-quality content in any genre
  • Adapt style for any audience or purpose
  • Use sophisticated literary and rhetorical techniques

Listening

  • Understand any English speaker, accent, or context
  • Catch every nuance and cultural reference

Reading

  • Read any literature, including classics and poetry
  • Understand specialized academic and professional texts

Grammar focus

  • —Stylistic variation and rhetorical devices
  • —Subtle uses of mood and aspect
  • —Mastery of all structures

Vocabulary focus

  • —Native-level vocabulary breadth
  • —Cultural and literary references
  • —All registers and styles

Milestones to unlock the next level

Pass a C2 certification (CPE, IELTS 8.5-9.0)Publish writing in EnglishSpeak indistinguishably from a native speaker in your domain

✦ Ready to start

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