My English level is somewhat high

[Luis.Olias]

Hello,

I was wondering whether this sentence is correct: "My English level is somewhat high." ? . It does not sound idiomatic.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Keith Bradford]

It sounds silly. There are recognised standards (proficiency tests organised by universities) that can be used to define levels of ability. While you're waiting to take the test, you might use the simpler system of beginner - everyday - advanced - fluent - bilingual.

In more general terms, somewhat is often used to modify downwards. E.g: "He says he has good English but in my view he is somewhat overstating it."

 

[Vovan]

"My English level is somewhat high."

As far as I can understand your reasons, you could say that your level is more or less "advanced", or in other words, that you are "an advanced learner of English".

Elementary (~low) -> intermediate (~in the middle) -> advanced (~high).
That's the classical way of thinking about the levels of someone's knowledge and/or skills. Today, these levels are usually subdivided into smaller parts, as you probably know.​

 

[Luis.Olias]

Thanks both!

I didn't understand this though:

In more general terms, somewhat is often used to modify downwards. E.g: "He says he has good English but in my view he is somewhat overstating it."

 

[velisarius]

In your sentence, I would read "somewhat" as "rather too"

Your knowledge of English is somewhat high. We were looking for a complete beginner to try our new teaching method out on.

 

[Luis.Olias]

Thanks velisarius!

I didn't get this:

We were looking for a complete beginner to try our new teaching method out on.

 

[velisarius]

Your knowledge of English is somewhat high. We were looking for a complete beginner to try our new teaching method out on. We want to test our new teaching method on a beginner. You already know English (rather too much English for what we had in mind).


(Sorry to have confused you.)

 

[Luis.Olias]

Ohhh, I get it now, hehe, thank you so much !!

Like: "It is a little two much" , heheh

 

[velisarius]

Yes. My blood-pressure is somewhat high (not a good thing). I wonder whether that is what Keith meant in #2.

 

[chipulukusu]

"My English is good, somehow". This is how I would put in words the OP meaning. I hope I didn't auto-contradict my statement

 

[pob14]

"My English is good, somehow". This is how I would put in words the OP meaning. I hope I didn't auto-contradict my statement

Sorry, but you did.
"Somehow" means "via a method that I can't identify." The Bears played poorly, but somehow they managed to win. Your statement could be correct if you meant "I've never studied English, but somehow I've learned to speak it anyway."

 

[chipulukusu]

Sorry, but you did.
"Somehow" means "via a method that I can't identify." The Bears played poorly, but somehow they managed to win. Your statement could be correct if you meant "I've never studied English, but somehow I've learned to speak it anyway."

I knew it
Thank you Pob, I suspected I was always using somehow incorrectly! The fact is that it sounds so "native" to use "somehow" now and then. No, I am honest here, I did not mean that I learned English in some way; I wanted to say that my English was "in some sense" good. Your explanation was very clear. I will try to use somewhat and somehow correctly from now on.

 

[NightRider-Learner]

I would say :

My English level is more than average.
My English level is higher than average.

Is it fine?

 

[Hermione Golightly]

"My English is better than average".
I can't see any reason for using 'level' or 'standard'.
It is however a very vague, subjective and unconvincing statement. I advise against using it because it would not impress me.

 

[NightRider-Learner]

"My English is better than average".

Thank you HG,
It impressed me.