Almost any individual who would be taking a test or an exam would feel some sort of anxiety or nervousness. This is because they know that they have to and they need to pass the said exam. They have to reach a certain level or standard to determine whether they are good or not good enough. But prior to the exam, preparations are required such as studying, practicing or doing some research works. During the preparation, the person tries his best to learn and master what needs to be learned and mastered. It is at this state that he would feel nervous the most because he does not know whether all the studying or preparations he made were enough to make him pass the test or the exam. But having prepared for upcoming tests is much better than having no preparation at all. People who do not prepare for tests or exams are foolish. Some people do not prepare for the coming test because they feel that there is no need to do so. They are confident that they are capable and competent enough for the test. On the other hand, some people do not prepare for the test because they do not want to feel the pressure that goes with it. They refuse to take everything so seriously. To them, everything is “come what may.” They leave everything to luck. They consider themselves lucky if they pass the test, and unlucky if they do not.
There are four types of test namely reading, writing, oral and speech. A person is considered really above par if he is able to excel in all the four types of exams mentioned. Some people who do well in the speech exam rate lower in the listening exam. On the other hand, some people who excel in their listening skills feel less confident when it comes to expressing themselves through speech.
But how do we prepare for these kinds of exams?
READING
Some students are trained very early to be able to practice speed reading. They are required to read a book for a specific period of time. When time is up, each student is asked to report what he has read and understood about the book. At first, it seems very difficult, if not impossible to be able to accomplish this. But after several practices, the students become used to it. He can now read as many books as he can without reading every letter and word yet he can still understand what it is all about. Not everyone can do speed reading so it is really an advantage for the person if he is able to acquire this skill.
Having to read many books would be bad news for people who are not exactly bookish. But come to think of it, they really have no other choice. We need reading in able to become familiar with new words or vocabulary. It is also through reading that we come across some terms that we need to remember and ponder upon. It is also through reading where we memorize what needs to be memorized. People who read newspapers enjoy more information as compared to those who learn about the news on televisions or radios. This is because newspapers have more editorials and opinion sections by some writers which we do not see on the televisions or hear on the radios.
Our minds should be very alert and clear when we do our reading so that we could fully understand what we are reading about. If our minds are cluttered with worries and other things while reading, chances are we will just get ourselves to nowhere. We will not be able to meet our objectives. Reading with a preoccupied mind is really a big NO. A person who is about to take reading exams should have a calm and peaceful mind.
WRITING
Before we develop the skill of writing, we usually have to undergo lots and lots of readings. This is because we need to get exposed on how the writers write their articles. Writers are usually wide readers and for this reason, they learn so many things from the many articles or stories that they have read. Before being able to write a poem, a short story, an article, a narrative, the writer has to first learn the technique of doing them. He has to see how another writer does it. He would be able to discover the different styles of each writer. A person has to also learn about the rules of writing aside from learning about the techniques of writing to be able to do a good job.
As the saying goes “practice makes perfect.” I highly encourage the person who would be taking a writing exam to compose as many writings as he can. Let his creative mind wander as far as where it could go. One important point to remember is that the reader must be able to understand what the writer is writing about. Of course the writer is expressing his own thoughts, feelings and opinions but he must do so in a manner that any lay person or even a twelve year old could understand.
LISTENING
How can a person increase his listening skills? The answer is very simple. Listen as much as you can and speak little. The reason we are given two ears and only one mouth is that God wants us to listen more and speak less. It has been observed that people who talk much have difficulty listening. Make listening a habit and a lifestyle.
If a person is taking an exam about a language, he has to certainly familiarize himself with it. He can do this by listening to the said language using a walkman, a compact disc or an ipod on a daily basis. If it is possible, he must get himself exposed to people who speak the language that he needs or wants to learn about. He can even watch a movie that speaks this language.
If the person wants to learn English for example, he can also try to listen to the people who speak English from different countries. This way, he will be able to distinguish if the English spoken was uttered by an Australian, an American, a Chinese, etc. Each country has a certain slang or accent when speaking English. But the person who wishes to do this must first have a solid foundation on the right English so that he would not get confused. If he has mastered the proper tones, intonations and dictions of the English language, that is the time that it would be safe for him to try to get himself exposed to English spoken by the different countries.
SPEECH/ ORAL ENGLISH
This is one of the easiest yet the hardest of the four tests. In speech, one has to learn the proper pauses, tones, intonations, dictions and accent. One has also to be careful about the choice of words and grammars. One common practice of people who are preparing for a speech exam is to stand in front of a mirror while doing their speech. This way, they can also see their facial expressions and body languages. Some people record their speech and then listen to it to see if he did well or not. Through this, he can take note on the weak points and improve on them.
If the person is taking a language speech exam, then the best kind of preparation would be speaking the language as much as he can daily. If a person wants to learn Mandarin, then go and speak with a person who speaks the language naturally. Avoid speaking with people who speak broken Mandarin as it might only confuse the learner. Doing this may lead him to learn the wrong grammar and accent. On the other hand, if the learner speaks with a native Chinese, he gets to interact naturally, he is able to practice his listening skills and he would be able to have the chance to speak the language in the most common environment. This can also become a new habit and lifestyle for him. Bottom line is that your speech must sound as natural as possible.
It would be easier for a person to speak a certain language naturally if he starts it with his mind. For example, a Japanese person would naturally think using his Japan language. But if he starts thinking using the English language, then his English speaking would progress faster because his reactions and mindsets would now be in English. Because his mindset is now in English, it follows that the words he speaks would also be in English. This was proven by my Cantonese friend. She used to speak Cantonese language but because she married a person who speaks the Amoy language, my friend had no choice but to learn it too. After quite some time, I noticed that she had already become fluent with the Amoy language. When I told my friend about my observation, she replied that she used to think in Cantonese but now she thinks in Amoy.
