The GRE can be especially difficult for students whose primary language is not English. This week, I got some tips from Alexandra Carbone, a teacher who began her Kaplan career working with students in Puerto Rico. Her advice is as follows:
1. Aim for total English immersion between now and Test Day.
Immersion means only English movies, English music, English radio, English-speaking friends, and English newspapers. Students can improve their language skills even in a short time, if they commit. The Internet can be a huge help on this front: nytimes.com for reading, NPR.org for radio (top picks include Fresh Air, Diane Rehm, and This American Life), along with free podcasts on iTunes. The New York Times is especially important, since test-takers must be comfortable with high-level passages on the verbal section.
2. Use that first language to help with vocabulary.
Particularly if student’s first language is a Romance language such as French, Spanish, or Italian, he can partially or fully define unfamiliar English words. Alexandra’s Spanish-speaking students were easily able to infer that lachrymose means tearful, because it’s very close to the Spanish word lágrimas, which means tears.
3. Recognize that math vocabulary is as important as English vocabulary.
Many students who learned math in a different language will need to review their basic math vocabulary. For example, Spanish-speaking students know the terms odds and evens as pares and impares. The GRE directly tests knowledge of these terms, so students who need to refresh or relearn some vocab should look up math terms of which they are unsure. They should also practice accurately translating word problems from English to math.
4. Don’t look up vocabulary words while practicing Verbal questions.
It’s tempting for any student to look up vocab words while studying, but they should avoid it whenever possible. Students can keep a running list of words to look up later, but realistic practice means not using the dictionary during a practice set. Savvy test-takers never miss an opportunity to think critically about where they’ve heard a word before, or to strategically eliminate and guess from any remaining choices.
5. Be extra-familiar with the Kaplan essay templates.
Simplicity and clarity are the keys to writing an essay in 30 minutes in a foreign language. Writing something simple in English, is preferable to crafting something complex in another language and then trying to translate it accurately. Students need to practice repeatedly under test-like conditions in order to be fully confident and prepared in their ability to express clear, cohesive points.
6. Know how to pace appropriately.
When reading questions and passages takes longer than average, pacing becomes more difficult. There is no wrong answer penalty on the GRE, so students should ensure that they’ve answered every question in a section, even if they have to guess on some. Pacing on reading comprehension is particularly tricky – learning the ubiquitous wrong answer traps can help students eliminate effectively and increase their accuracy.
These strategies will allow test-takers whose first language is not English to maximize their scoring potential. Many speakers of English as a foreign language are accepted into graduate programs every year, so there is no reason for students to feel undue anxiety about this component of their applications.
