04 Feb Why You Should Take an English Language Test

It is no secret that English is the preferred language of business, technology, and the internet. In order to get ahead in life, especially for non-native speakers, English plays a vital role in education and subsequently for personal and professional growth. Learning English on a conversational level and getting certified may turn out to be the single most important skill-set you will add to your arsenal.

To prove English language proficiency and to get certified, one should take an official English language test. It is important to note that while some English language tests such as IELTS and TOEFL are internationally recognized, some are only used for practice and/or local recognition. 

Before taking an official test, taking free English tests and quizzes will boost your confidence and help you identify areas of improvement. 

English Grammar Test

Grammar is used to standardize how sentences are formed and structured. There are a total of eight parts of speech (noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection) that all words can be categorized into. 

This is usually the part that scares English learners the most but everything can be made easy with practice. Read more, listen to TEDtalks, the news and formal lectures, install practice apps on your phone and soon you’ll start getting the hang of it. 

How good is your Grammar? Test your skills with a free English Grammar Quiz. 

English Vocabulary Test

This can mean the difference between a great English speaker and an average English speaker. Many people survive on a minimal vocabulary and basic sentences, but don’t let that be you. For starters, remove the word ‘very’ from your vocabulary. Look for the right words that describe the different varying degrees and states of things to express more clearly and communicate better.

Reading books, newspapers, and blogs can radically improve your vocabulary. Using these newly learned words does not just impress your friends and co-workers but also makes a great impression on the test examiners in the English speaking and writing tests.

English Idioms Test

English idioms are tricky by nature as the words don’t actually mean what they do. Learning, understanding and using English Idioms in every conversation makes you sound more like a native English speaker. You may think its a ‘piece of cake’ but it truly isn’t. You may also find that some idioms are native to the U.S or the U.K and even Australia and Canada. In other cases, you’ll notice that the same idioms are used with only slight variations. For example in the UK, you’d normally say ‘skeletons in the cupboard’, whereas, in the U.S one would say ‘skeleton in the closet’, and a ‘grain’ of salt rather than a ‘pinch’ of salt.

Check out your idiom-fitness with a free English Idioms Quiz. 

English Slang Test

Knowing English slang is when you start sounding like a native speaker. The colloquialisms and street language are usually only known to the ‘insiders’. A great way to learn slang is to listen to the radio, watch English movies and tv shows, or lookup a list of English slang words.

You may have seen popular slang words around like which eventually travel around most of the globe and become popular internationally. Some words like Bae, Chillin’, Gonna Bail from America or ‘Arvo (meaning afternoon), Barbie (meaning Barbecue) and Fair Dinkum (meaning good, true and genuine) from Australia.

Some slang words, much like accents and idioms are also centric to geolocation. So say if you’re interested in learning British or American slang, you’ll pick up slang and informal phrases by listening and reading content from that particular region.

Know some slang already? Check out how you score with a free English Slang test. 

Conclusion 

There are many elements that combine to form a fluent and articulate English speaker. Taking English language tests regularly keeps you in check with your current language skills and helps you identify weak areas so you can focus on improving them. One of the great ways to get started in preparing for bigger and official tests like IELTS and TOEFL is by doing smaller practice tests. Why not test your English level today? The TestYourLanguage English level test will assess you as per the CEFT (Common European Framework of Reference for languages) as well as the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages)