![\"GMAT](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/magoosh-company-site\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/02\/19124920\/international-1751293_640-e1495223461643.png\")
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Since the GMAT is typically used for admissions to American universities, it is conducted only in English. Taking the GMAT for non-native English speakers is therefore slightly more challenging than for native English speakers. Non-native speakers have to navigate the same challenges that English speakers encounter, but they need to do them in a second language. <\/p>\n
There\u2019s no getting around this: if your English is weak, everything you do in English will also be weak. So there\u2019s just no \u201ceasy\u201d route to scoring well on the GMAT without a strong fluency in English. Further, your end goal is presumably to study in graduate school in an English-speaking country, most likely the United States. If your English isn\u2019t strong enough for the GMAT, how are you going to follow your graduate school studies?! It won\u2019t be easy!<\/p>\n
But with that said, there are definitely things you can do to improve your English in a measurable way, so don\u2019t get too discouraged just yet!<\/p>\n
If immersing yourself in English on a daily basis isn\u2019t a viable option, then you might want to take ESL courses. As I said above, it just isn\u2019t possible to perform well on the GMAT if your English isn\u2019t up to the task.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re having trouble improving your English, you might consider first focusing fully on improving your English before you even start studying for the GMAT. Depending on your means, there are many ESL course options, including:<\/p>\n
The most expensive option, which is to go abroad and spend some time in a course in an English-speaking country. These courses are indeed expensive, but they provide a full immersion experience.<\/a><\/li>\n Online resources are another great option for ESL courses and tutoring. A quick Google search will turn up hundreds of options! These vary in terms of price and quality, so be sure to do some research before deciding. <\/li>\n Always carry a dictionary! One of the key components of fluency that students often lack is a rich repertoire of English vocabulary. If you find yourself using only \u201csimple\u201d words, then it\u2019s probably the case that you need to up your vocabulary level.<\/p>\n You can do this in a variety of ways. When you see a word you don\u2019t understand, no matter where you see it, look it up in a dictionary right away. Make a flashcard with the definition. Memorize it. But also use it. Use the new words in speech and writing. Look for examples of how it\u2019s used. Using these new words \u201cin context\u201d is a much better way of truly understanding the definition of a word. It\u2019s better than just memorizing a definition on a flashcard. Sometimes, a definition just doesn\u2019t capture the nuance of a word\u2019s meanings, and the cases when it is and isn\u2019t appropriate to use it.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re applying to a quant-heavy program and are thinking about lightly studying or skipping the verbal section entirely, then think again. Even if you\u2019re applying to quant-heavy programs (engineering, math, etc.), the verbal section of the GMAT is almost always still important to admissions.<\/p>\n But good verbal skills are also important for the quant section. You have to read and decipher difficult instructions, and it\u2019s easy to miss a small detail if your verbal skills aren\u2019t up to par. This is especially so when reading charts and graphs. Oftentimes, information in the \u201cfine print\u201d will clarify what a graph means. But if you don\u2019t fully understand that fine print, you\u2019ll miss important info.<\/p>\n In short, even if you\u2019re applying to engineering or math or other STEM programs, you\u2019re still going to need strong verbal skills to succeed on the quant portions of the GMAT.<\/p>\n In some ways, people for whom English is a second language actually have an advantage on the GMAT. Many native English speakers have not thoroughly memorized grammar rules. This has to do with how they learned their language. As in any language, people learn their primary spoken language at home in their childhood. They don\u2019t learn it by studying grammar rules and practicing using those rules. <\/p>\n But for non-native speakers, English IS typically learned by rehearing a series of grammar rules. This means that non-native speakers are actually very well versed in grammar. So, taking the GMAT for non-native English speakers actually allows them to use a skill that they know better than their native English peers. Unlike (surprisingly many!) native speakers, you know grammar rules and can identify and fix problem sentences. Use this to your advantage!<\/p>\n You\u2019re not alone — plenty of students for whom English is a second language take the GMAT. Only about one third of all GMAT test takers, for example, come from the United States. So, it\u2019s actually quite possible that you\u2019re in the majority<\/em> if you\u2019re taking the GMAT as a non-native speaker. While taking the GMAT for non-native speakers requires solid English skills, if you\u2019re English is very strong, you shouldn\u2019t have to study any differently than a native speaker. Further, keep your advantages over native speakers in mind. On grammar issues, for example, you might know more than a native speaker!<\/p>\n The post GMAT for Non-Native English Speakers<\/a> appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Since the GMAT is typically used for admissions to American universities, it is conducted only in English. Taking the GMAT for non-native English speakers is therefore slightly more challenging than…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,783,243,940],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gmat","category-magoosh-blog","category-blog","category-gmat-prep-gmat","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/133"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37240"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37240\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Work on Your Vocabulary<\/h2>\n
English is Important for Quant, Too<\/h2>\n
As a Non-Native Speaker, You Have Some Advantages!<\/h2>\n
\nConclusions<\/h2>\n