<p>How did you guys improve your English??? I have a hard time getting good score for English section of SAT or ACT!!! Help!!</p>
<p>I used the 10 Real SAT</p>
<p>Read, read, read...not necessarily from test prep books either. Use PRs techniques to crack the verbal but remember that their tests are usuallyeasier than the real thing. and yeah 10 reals sats is a great book :)</p>
<p>define good, i find a 500+ on V is good on the SAT I, and a 750+ on M is good for SAT I, so my score at best comes to 1300+ ish</p>
<p>If you are fluent fluent (as in, very fluent) in english, I suggest you read many books, magazines. I prefer magazines because their articles are short and I read mostly their 'interesting' stuff - to me, 'intereting' is about medicine research, book/movie reviews, fashion, etc.. and I disregard all of their politics, war, marketing etc.. (only because I'm not interested)
If you find something uninteresting, don't read it. Only read what you want to read. Don't try to force yourself into something you dont want to do.</p>
<p>Right now, I'm reading a book - the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and some vocabs are too big for me but instead of looking up every single word I don't know about, I just 'predict' the meaning and keep reading on because if I look it up in a dictionary, that just spoils my fun and I can only learn when Im happy.</p>
<p>Many people might oppose this idea (like my parents) : TV
man..TV is so good. THey say it's a stupid box ,but to me, it's my bible. You'll be surprised at what you learn from it. Discovery channel, news, some ideas from movies, nickalodean cartoons, E! (stuff about celebrity's channel). Sometimes, on tv, i come across fancy words and instead of letting it fly from one ear to another, I quickly process it in my head. I may never come across it again but it's just a good feeling to know that it's somewhere in my head.</p>
<p>When coming to the critical reading part in the SATs, I find that if a paragraph's topic is boring (about the insides of a computer?), I read the questions first, very briefly, to get the idea of what I'm supposed to look for and it's brief summary.
If the topic seems intersting to you (like umm soccer?), read the paragraph first because it'll stick in your head if it seems intersting.</p>
<p>goodluck!</p>
<p>yes newbyreborn, it's subjective, see? it also depends on where you want to get into.</p>
<p>NoFX, you are reading the Da Vinci Code? cooL! i finished the book last week, and to tell you the truth, I can't even be sure which part of the story is true...the whole thing about the Holy Grail is so...creepy...</p>
<p>thanks everybody!! I'm using the 10 Real SAT book, too. I wish I can get 600 on the critical reading or the writing section... what kinds of books or magazines everyone read??? I thought the Da Vinci Code is kind a hard for me but I guess I can try...</p>
<p>Hmm, it seems like you are taking the new SAT. If you are, don't use the 10 Real--it has anologies and stuff that you don't need. I think there's a newer version of practice tests by College Board called "The Official SAT Study Guide: For the New SAT." Hope that'll help.</p>
<p>good point, yy0712...</p>
<p>Yeah Da Vinci Code was brilliant.
But Princeton applicants- read Rule of Four! Amazing, amazing book. May even give you the necessary inspiration to work harder on getting better scores :wink:</p>
<p>Yeah in the book, I"m up to the part where they find out that there is a second cryptex. That book is so hot.
Tokudas,
Magazines I read are those international magazines like Times, Readers Digest, Newsweek. I end up not reading half the contents in a magazine because it's filled with boring stuff.
If you find the Da vinci code a bit hard (like me), take it slow. When there's an exciting bit, I end up 'rush reading' and usually, all the words turn mumbo jumbo. So I have to read that paragraph usually twice or even 3 times.. (yes. im not as brilliant as all of you lol)
And since you are taking the New SAt (i think?), you'll have to read alot along broad lines to grasp an idea of which you can write for the essay. So I suggest you to read those magazines I mentioned above (and I guess you should read the boooorrring cover stories) and watch your news daily~frequently.
The new sat is coming out in march right? So you have 3 months to gather a broad range of information to your head.</p>
<p>If you need vocab imporvement, try signing up for the "word of the day" email service at the oxford english dictionary <a href="http://www.oed.com%5B/url%5D">www.oed.com</a></p>
<p>every little bit helps, and it's fun to receive an email with a random word every day. Make sure you know how to read the OED entries though.</p>
<p>The new SAT sound much more realistic where verbal skills are concerned. analogies etc. are just very random, very smart kids can simply not know a word too. When you're reading and writing it's much more about your actual understanding, whihc is always loose from single words in a text.</p>
<p>the da vinci code, i am on p420, almost done, story is so twistly great, but no SAT values, doesn't teach much vocab or writing style. but if u are in it for the story, i highly recommmend it</p>
<p>Thanks guys... I have another question... what did you get on the SAT verbal if your English is not the major language??? or what did you get on the new SAT critical reading/writing??? I heard the average score is about high 400s for people who are not speaking English as their major language... is that true?</p>
<p>high 400s? probably higher.
I think it depends on your scholarly achievements and many other factors. I'm sure there's a wide range of scores.</p>
<p>yeah maybe higher.
Im fluent in english and I think, if I went to the test centre in 30 min, and took the test with no new vocabs learnt, nothing, I'd get a 550?
So.. I guess that if you study really hard and since you already seem to be fluent in english, the minimum score you'd get is probably 620 but if you study really really really really really really hard, you could get 800.
I think what you heard about the average score for an intel 400, is maybe the average score of an intel who only revised a couple of words and took the test..
The average for an american student is around 520s.. and keep in mind that most students only revise for 2 weeks before the test.
i disagree with newbyreborn, i think the da vinci code introduces many new words, many of which I see in the princeton review SAT vocabulary books. and the story is a plus.</p>
<p>Thank you!! I know I keep asking questions, but does anyone know the average score of ACT reading or critical thinking section for people who doesn't speak English as a major language?</p>
<p>hmmm, tokudas,...your question leads me to ask,</p>
<p>what's the average SAT scores for non-english speakers?</p>
<p>To improve your English read lots of 19th century British novels: Dickens, Thackeray, Trollope, Hardy, etc, etc. And every time you come to a word you don't know, look it up in a dictionary and make a little flashcard of it so that you can memorize it and how it was used. </p>
<p>After a few dozen of those novels you'll be talking and writing like Winston Churchill.</p>