6 Ways to Improve Your English and Ace Your Language Proficiency Tests

If you’re an international student who wants to pursue a university degree in the United States, all the hard work you do on your application, letters of recommendation and essays may seem like a “piece of cake” compared to the English proficiency test.

Whether you plan to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the Duolingo English Test or something else, you need to fine-tune those skills and get prepared.

Here’s where you should start:

1. Read Everything You Can

You can vastly increase your capacity to understand written English through a thoroughly enjoyable activity: reading. You don’t have to pick a hard, dry subject to improve your skills, so pick any genre you like, whether it’s fiction, nonfiction, entertainment magazines or newspapers. In fact, a broad array of reading materials can help you pick up on nuances of meaning, new phrases and words you haven’t seen before.

2. Get a Pen Pal

If you aren’t sure how to get an international pen pal, talk to your teachers, your student advisor or your college admissions counselor about the potential opportunities. It can be exciting to make a friend, learn about a different culture and gain some practical experience in the written English language.

3. Explore Media Opportunities

Written English proficiency isn’t the only thing you’ll have to prove. Universities want to know that your English skills are strong enough to let you fully participate in campus activities and interact with your peers. That makes it essential to get good at understanding the language as it is spoken. Listening to the radio, watching video content online and even binging television shows in English on Netflix can help you improve.

4. Engage a Tutor

There are roughly 360 million people in this world for whom English is their native tongue. If you don’t know a native English speaker who can tutor you, there are tons of tutoring services available online. These are particularly good at helping you understand common slang and refine your speech so that you articulate your words more clearly.

5. Know What Is Required

Just from the list above, you should realize that there are multiple different English language tests out there, and you need to know which ones your preferred schools accept. You also need to know what score you need on any given test to demonstrate your proficiency. Check with the colleges you have on your application list to make certain you understand what’s expected.

6. Practice Your Tests

The TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo and other English proficiency tests all offer tons of resources that you can use, including practice tests. Practice may not make you perfect, but it sure can ease any test anxiety that you might feel going into the real exam, and that can make a big difference in your final score.

Ultimately, the more deeply you immerse yourself in the language, the easier you’ll find it to handle both written communication and conversational English – and that kind of proficiency will pay off big when you’re applying to a top-tier or Ivy League school.