The Intermediate Plateau
Why You're Stuck and How to Keep Improving
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By Hanyu Tales (18th March 2025)
The “intermediate plateau” is a concept that is widely discussed in language-learning circles. Hiroku Kimura Sherry of the University of Pennsylvania described the feeling for students currently in this learning plateau in the following way:
So why is this such a problem? Well, a study on adult EFL learners found that stagnant progress was one of the key reasons for students dropping out. Furthermore, in her dissertation, Dinara Utegulova writes about how EFL students became demotivated while trying to move from lower intermediate to higher intermediate. In this article, we aim to offer some perspective on the intermediate language learner plateau, while providing some insights that will help you not only break through it, but enjoy the process too!
“They no longer have the sense of achievement which they used to feel when they were in the beginning level or when they participated in study abroad programs. They also face a vast amount of authentic foreign language material on the internet, a mass of information that often daunts them.”
While the exact terminology varies when referring to this concept, the concept itself is recognised universally, as shown in this study on EFL teachers which found that even teachers who were unfamiliar with the term “intermediate plateau” recognised this stage in which language learners are spinning their wheels while feeling they are not make any progress. So why is this such a problem? Well, a study on adult EFL learners found that stagnant progress was one of the key reasons for students dropping out. Furthermore, in her dissertation, Dinara Utegulova writes about how EFL students became demotivated while trying to move from lower intermediate to higher intermediate. In this article, we aim to offer some perspective on the intermediate language learner plateau, while providing some insights that will help you not only break through it, but enjoy the process too!
Acceptance
If an untrained individual begins weightlifting, they will likely gain 4-7 times as much muscle in their first year of training as their fourth year , if it was any other way, we would all be bench pressing cars at some point. Language learning is no different; the newbie gains you enjoy when first starting out with a new language cannot last forever. This is confirmed in this journal article, where plateaus are described as an unavoidable part of the language-learning process that never permanently disappear. Therefore, the most important strategy you can employ against plateaus, is to accept that they are an inevitable part of becoming proficient in a language, so stop worrying about them and just keep on going.
Set Small Goals
While we have established that the plateau stage is not a cause for concern, it doesn’t mean we cannot make it less frustrating. One way is to simply set small goals, as suggested in this article, as small goals are an excellent way to reintroduce the feedback loops and measurable progress seen by beginners. In an article which talks about the book (B)How To Be a More Successful Language Learner,(URL) https://tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume1/ej03/ej03r14/ (URL)(B) 
- Daily Micro-habits: Building daily habits that involve using your target language without burning out can lead to huge long-term gains. These habits can include writing a diary entry before bed, watching a Youtube video while you eat your lunch, or listening to a podcast on your commute.
- Mini Challenges: Aim to read a book per month, learn a new song every week, or record an audio journal entry everyday for an extended time period.
- Repetition = Comprehension: Pick a TV or podcast episode and watch/listen to it multiple times, looking up new words and persevering until you understand it.
Image by: Engin Akyurt
Master a Topic
One trap ambitious language learners fall into is expecting to reach a point where they almost never encounter new words. This is unrealistic even in your native language, as there are inevitably going to be specialist areas in which you would be unfamiliar with certain terminology, as there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to learn everything. This is why a topic-based language-learning syllabus is regularly encouraged by language experts, as discussed in this journal article. By focusing on specific topics, you will revisit advanced words regularly enough for them to stick and even gain domain-specific knowledge, all while avoiding burnout. So whether you want to become a master of investing, or understand human psychology better, sticking with a topic for a certain period can be a great way to see progress when you feel your language skills have stopped improving.
Extensive Reading
After picking a certain topic, the next step is to consume as much content as possible related to that topic, and a convenient way to do so is through reading. The benefits of extensive reading cannot be overstated, and it would take more than an entire article to cover all of them, so check out this article if you want to see why it is so powerful. 
As you approach the intermediate stage and have learned more words, flashcards become a bit of a pain, and reading content you can comprehend without too much effort is like doing a huge quantity of flashcards, all while cementing grammar structures, gaining cultural insights, and possibly learning something new. Owing to your growing vocabulary, blasting through flashcards and writing practice sentences becomes extremely dull and unsustainable, and reading is a great way to continue absorbing lots of vocabulary without burning yourself out.
Image by: Taryn Elliott
As you approach the intermediate stage and have learned more words, flashcards become a bit of a pain, and reading content you can comprehend without too much effort is like doing a huge quantity of flashcards, all while cementing grammar structures, gaining cultural insights, and possibly learning something new. Owing to your growing vocabulary, blasting through flashcards and writing practice sentences becomes extremely dull and unsustainable, and reading is a great way to continue absorbing lots of vocabulary without burning yourself out.
The Reality
As already stated, the intermediate plateau is inevitable, as are the advanced plateaus you will encounter after you have busted through this plateau. The reality is that strategies for breaking through the intermediate plateau do not really differ from the strategies you should employ any other time, which can be summarised as: spend as much time as possible reading, writing, listening, and speaking the language at a suitable difficulty level and in a context you enjoy. Your progress will be less noticeable the further along you are in your language learning journey, but if you are consistently practicing everyday in a balanced, sensible way, then slowed progress is nothing more than a sign of how far you have already come.