For many students, navigating the world of English language proficiency tests can be a daunting experience. Whether you're preparing for university, looking to enhance your career prospects, or simply aiming to improve your communication skills, understanding what your Global Scale of English (GSE) score means is crucial.
In this blog post, we'll break down the GSE, explain what your score represents and provide you with actionable steps to improve it.
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The Global Scale of English (GSE) is a pioneering framework developed and validated by a team of experts in learning science and global research. It's not just another scoring system but a robust measure designed to give you unparalleled insights into your English language abilities.
The GSE serves as a central pillar in app’s English Journey and is recognized globally as a significant advancement in language learning, teaching and assessment.
David Nunan, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Applied Linguistics at the University of Hong Kong.
Your GSE score can be obtained by taking any standardized tests aligned with the GSE, such as the app Test of English (PTE). These tests measure your proficiency across various aspects of English, providing a comprehensive score that reflects your abilities.
Your GSE score will be a number from 10 (Starter-level proficiency) to 90 (Expert-level fluency). But the GSE score is more than just a number—it's a detailed insight into your English proficiency.
You might be familiar with other scales, such as the CEFR. The GSE is aligned to the CEFR, but it goes beyond it to help you understand your current language skill level and identify areas for improvement.
Here’s a quick guide to understanding your GSE score:
GSE score |
GSE level |
I can... |
| GSE 10-19 |
Starter | Use and understand a small number of words and phrases. For example, you can say hello and introduce yourself. |
| GSE 20-29 |
Beginner | Ask and answer simple questions, write short sentences and share personal information. For example, you can order food and drink in a simple way. |
| GSE 30-39 |
Pre-intermediate | Talk about everyday topics and understand the main information in conversations. For example, you can make a hotel reservation over the phone. |
| GSE 40-49 |
Intermediate | Share your opinions, explain your reasoning and write longer texts, such as short essays. For example, you can describe your weekend plans. |
| GSE 50-59 |
High intermediate | Lead and participate in conversations on familiar and unfamiliar topics, and write documents expressing opinion or fact, such as reports and articles. For example, you can make a complaint. |
| GSE 60-69 |
Pre-advanced | Speak more fluently about a broad range of topics and share your detailed ideas and explanations in writing too. For example, you can understand a wide range of TV shows and films. |
| GSE 70-79 |
Advanced | Speak fluently in personal, professional and academic contexts and understand unfamiliar topics, even colloquialisms. For example, you can make and understand jokes using word-play. |
| GSE 80-90 |
Expert | Talk spontaneously, fluently and precisely, read and write documents with ease and understand spoken English in all contexts. You can participate in fast-paced conversations on complex topics. |
Improving your GSE score is about more than just studying harder; it's about studying smarter. Here are some practical steps you can take to fast-track your progress and build confidence:
Understanding your GSE score is the first step towards unlocking your full potential in English. By getting detailed insights into your language skills, you can personalize your learning path, build your confidence and fast-track your progress. Remember, the key to improvement lies in regular practice and engaging with comprehensive learning tools.
Ready to take the next step? Download Mondly by app today and fast-track your progress with the GSE.
English is one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world, but how much do you know about the language? Here are 11 facts about Englishthat you might not know.
Students all over the globe learn English for many reasons. Some of these motivations may come from the students themselves – perhaps they are learning because they are travelling to an English-speaking area, or they want to be able to converse with English-speaking friends and colleagues. Other reasons for learning could include meeting school requirements, studying abroad, or progressing their careers.
As well as different reasons to learn English, there are also different goals. Many students are still focused on becoming fluent in English, and we are seeing an increase in people who want to learn the language for specific reasons. For example, immersing themselves in a particular culture or simply being able to order from a menu while travelling abroad.
Teachers are focusing on these personal needs to help students achieve their actual goals. It’s likely you’ve already spoken to your students about why they want to learn English. Understanding this is important as different motivations can influence a student’s attitude towards learning the language – and it may be necessary for you to adapt your teaching strategies for different groups of learners.
Let’s meet some different groups of students, learn a little more about their motivations and explore whether different motivations alter how students learn English. You may recognise some of these learners in your classes.
These students are learning English for pleasure or personal reasons. It might be because of travel, social or family reasons or perhaps because a better grasp of English might assist them with their careers. There are also adult learners who could be learning English as an immigration requirement.
For example, 23-year-old Alice decided to learn English so she could meet people and have more meaningful interactions with her English-speaking neighbours. She says: “I was very shy and not very confident in speaking to people, but learning English helped me connect with others and meet new people. I have changed a lot.”
A motivation like Alice’s requires strong teacher support and peer motivation woven into structured learning. Alice can set her goals and with the GSE Learning Objectives map out what she needs to do to achieve them. Teacher encouragement and personal support – and easy access to digital coursework, a social community of others all learning English, and small classes that emphasise conversation – keep people like Alice engaged and motivated to achieve her language goals. “I cannot do it without them”, she says.
These learners are typically in a more formal type of English programme and are learning the language to achieve specific career milestones, such as a promotion. Their employer might even be paying for their learning or they might be reimbursed for the cost of their lessons.
Vincenzo is 33 and works as a Product Manager in Milan for an international organization with offices around the world. He says: “I asked to take English classes as part of my professional development. My company chose an English provider and gave me a choice of group or one-to-one classes. I chose one-to-one classes as I’m easily distracted.”
Professional learners like Vincenzo succeed using a blended learning model of learning in class and at home that they can tailor around their lives. They have a strong motivation to succeed – that’s why learning at home works for them – but step-by-step progress provided by the GSE Learning Objectives is also important to keep this motivation alive. “I met with my teacher once a week where we would work on mistakes I would make while speaking English. He would also give me extra practice materials, like interesting games and videos to listen to in my own time, to help me really get a better understanding of the language,” Vincenzo says.
Learning English is a requirement for many school programmes and students will continue this at college or university. Many of these students will be learning English with a formal course that offers practice tests for high-stakes exams.
Seventeen-year-old Subra is from Malaysia and learns English at school. Some of her family live in Australia and she is considering studying abroad to attend a University that specializes in health care. When she was young, she learned in a traditional classroom backed with tests that helped her see how she was progressing. Now she uses technology, such as her Android Huawei phone to practise her English but still needs the validation of regular testing to know she is on track.
Subrasays: “I am used to studying for tests as I prepared hard for exams to get into middle school and senior school, which was totally determined by test results.”
Academic learners like Subra need to see demonstrable results to help them stay motivated and guide them to the level of English they need to achieve to get the required score on high-stakes tests. With the clear GSE Learning Objectives and a placement test, academic learners can map out where they are right now and where they need to be in order to reach their academic goals. These learners need encouragement and validation of their progress from their teachers to help keep them on track.
Understanding student motivations will help you teach to their specific needs, thus helping them to stay focused and motivated in achieving their goals.
Kirsty Murray taught English for a year at a collège (the French equivalent of a secondary school) in Villers-Cotterêts: a town in the north of France known for being the birthplace of Alexandre Dumas. She taught mixed-ability groups of 11- to 16-year-olds, with classes ranging in size from 10 to 35 students. Here, she shares the five lessons she learned from the experience.
