7.13.2011

No one gives you the title.

One of the reasons why exams like TOEFL and First are so appealing is that you GET something at the end of the process. You study, you do the exam and, if you do it well, you get a piece of paper at the end. Congratulations! You are now "X".

That may be why it's hard to study English when you don't have a clear goal. You can study English and say you're studying English, and there's nothing wrong with that. It seems more REAL, however, if you have something in mind.

Here's a thought: What about studying English so that you can say, with confidence, "I am an English speaker"?

Go ahead. Try it. I am an English speaker. I am an English speaker. I am an English speaker.

I have no authority to tell you whether you ARE an English speaker or not. Only you can do that. Cambridge can't do it. ETS, the people who offer the TOEFL exam, can't do that. They can give you a piece of paper that estimates your level once you're done the exam. But they have no way of knowing what you're going to do with that English once the exam is done.

No one gives you the title of "English speaker". Only you can do that for yourself.


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