How to prepare for the English proficiency test.
The best way to get to learn a new language is through immersion, in the case of English Language is it possible to immerse yourself in English Language? Yes, it is very possible.
You spending more time at doesn’t says that your English Language learning as ended, a list of how to prepare for the English proficiency test without leaving home would be discussed below, so, you can know you can study English from the comfort of your home even while preparing for any proficiency test.
Tips in preparing for the English Proficiency Test
1. Signing up for an online language exchange:
Culture and colloquialisms are used in achieving of high level of proficiency in any given language. Vocabulary serves as the foundation, while the grammar stands in as the strong vocabulary, if you want to understand the fluency better you have to have a deep understanding of the language cultural context.
Getting a native speaker have now been made easy with the use of the language exchange apps. If you are not that familiar with what you are about to learn you will be pair with someone who is a native-English speaker and would love to learn your language also then you teach each other. More of these apps are free, and put your interest with it while matching it with an English speaker. It also serves as a way of meeting and connecting with people.
These are the online options used in connecting people with native speakers:
- HiNative
- Tandem
- Speaky
- HelloTalk
- Bilingua
2. Using of English Language as your smartphone language:
If you want to learn a language you must surround yourself with people who have knowledge about. Make sure you change your social media language to English and see how many words you would have learned within a day and a lot you would be learning within a month.
We make use of our phones most times during the day and even at night, so changing your smartphone to English Language will help expand your knowledge about it without you even knowing it. It might be strange at first but you would be surprise at how fast you have learned and get used to it.
3. Frequently taking of free test practice:
Get used to taking of practice questions, it makes you to start to learning more things. Inculcate the habits of practicing so as to be familiar with questions you might later meet in the exam, this will help you get more familiar with what you are about to do. It also gives an insight on how practice test are being scored. There are lots of online practice apps you can practice on the one related to the exam you are about to do. This will ensure you get more familiar with the likely questions you might be meeting in your exam. This will help give you the format and structure of how the test questions might look like from the comfort of your home.
4. Engage with yourself speaking with yourself:
When you are alone at home you can turn to yourself by speaking with yourself bringing out where you are making mistakes from and correcting yourself. You can always think out loud present your thoughts in English.
You might actually look stupid by doing this but you are in a non-judgmental environment where you are only to talk to yourself and correct yourself. Don’t feel stupid doing this. If you think you feel stupid doing this you can get a pet and have discussions with the pet, he/she would not tell.
5.Tune into your favorite English TV show:
Almost all English tests also test your listening comprehension, watching of movies, tv shows might also help in aiding good listening skills, this is also one of the ways you can help yourself with learning of a new language. You can also challenge yourself by watching it without a subtitle so as to tell how good you are with it already. Look for English-speaking movies that portrays tv shows or classic movies. Some TV shows or movies that can help in improving your English-speaking are:
- Clueless
- Game of Thrones
- The wizard of OZ
- The office
- Noting Hill
- Friends
- Keeping up with the Kardashians
6. Ensure you always write in English, it can be in form of short stories or journals:
Your writing ability will surly also be tested in the English proficiency test, so you should put more energy in practicing your writing skills just as the way you put it in your speaking, reading and listening.
The best way in achieving this is writing of short stories, the short story doesn’t have to be perfect it is just for it to help improve your writing skills. You need to show someone who would be correcting your errors this. If you don’t get inspired by writing the stories you can try out writing of journals. You can try writing down your daily activities inside a book this will help in improving of your writing skills.
7.Having some language-learning apps:
Language-learning app will be of help during this time, it will make learning and practicing more convenient for you. While having fun with the apps it makes you improve in the language. Practice everyday and see how you progress each day.
Here are some of the language-learning apps that would help you:
- FluentU
- Memrise
- Busuu
8. Inculcate the habits of reading articles, magazines and books:
Test your reading ability by picking up a book and reading it, you can also achieve that by reading things online. The BBC offers a service which is known as BBC LEARNING ENGLISH, this is free and it is used in helping one to improve one’s learning in English. A way you can use in achieving tis is by getting a well written book, read magazines and read online also. The Beelingu app helps in English learning by showing the same thing in the English form and in your native language.