G'day mate, how are you doing? Today, I am going to talk about my recommended English-written magazines for learners. Prior to this, I just want to say this is gonna be applicable to Japanese English learners. But, it might be to others as well in some ways as I genuinely recommend reading for boosting English language ability. Let's begin!
For Elementary - Pre-intermediate learners - This level means that you've passed the second grade of English examination (Eiken), which is probably equivalent of the IELTS 3 - 4.5. What I recommend is to master all basic English grammar rules, correct pronunciation and basic 5000 words. The recommended magazine is 'Japan Times Alpha', which does not seem to exceed this 5000 words limit. Therefore, it's pretty easy to follow if you have already acquired these prerequisites. Actually, I haven't read this magazine before, but Japan Times ST, which is almost synonymous one. https://alpha.japantimes.co.jp/
For Intermediate learners - This level means that you've already reached the pre-first grade of Eiken, which is probably equivalent of the IELTS 4.5 - 6.0. What I recommend is to further refine your pronunciation and increase your vocabularies up to 9,000 words. My recommended magazines are Newsweek and Bloomberg Businessweek. These magazines contain fairly difficult words compared to Japan Times Alpha.
For Upper Intermediate - Advanced learners - This level means that you've passed the first grade of Eiken, which is probably equivalent of the IELTS 6.0 - 7.0. What I recommend is to have a crystal clear pronunciation and 10,000 - 15,000 words. My recommended magazines are Time and Foreign Affairs. I used to read these two a lot. So I highly recommend!! They contain more advanced vocabularies including some technical terms. You can consult with your English-English dictionary sometimes, but you should be able to predict the meaning of the words from an etymological perspective.
For Superior learners - This level means that you've already passed the IELTS all band 8s straight. What I recommend is to have more colloquial expressions, phrasal verbs, some limited technical jargons and 20,000 words. My recommended magazines are The Economist and Nature. They contain much higher level vocabularies including technical terms, but you should be able to read between the lines with ease. You can fairly enjoy these sorts of magazines on a daily basis.
For Mastery - This level means that you've reached the summit of the English language. No English language exam equivalence can be found. You can genuinely enjoy all types of English-written magazines without any issue at all. My recommended magazines are Fortune and Harvard Business Review. They are not difficult to read, but you can relish a spice of words and expressions including maxim, caricature and proverbs, etc.
That's all for today. Thanks for reading today!
Have a great day!