Placement tests… Do I have to take one?
Yes! In fact, I would be cautious of any language school where you are able enroll in a language class without taking a thorough placement test. I would also be careful if the school only offers 2 or 3 levels.
Imagine joining a class with people who know much more than you; or vice versa, being in a class where you seem to be the only one who can put a sentence together.
Being in a class with other students who have some differences in level is normal. In fact, it’s almost impossible to find two people who are learning with the exact same level, but similarity is very important for everyone in a language class to be able learn.
If you are in a level that is too easy for you, there is a possibility that you won’t learn anything and you’ll get bored. If you are in a class where you understand absolutely nothing, because the other students are more advanced than you, you might end up dropping the class because it’s difficult to follow along.
Learning a language is always difficult and requires time, energy, commitment, and motivation from the learner. Even if you are good at learning languages, no one can say that studying a language is easy. Determining what level you are and being placed in a class that’s at the right level for you is the first step in the right direction.
Results from the placement test can also help determine more information from the student that is very relevant to the language school and teacher(s). For example, what your goals are, when and where you first started studying, how long ago, etc. Not every situation is the same, especially when it comes to a person’s language learning journey!
It is not the same for a person to say they’ve studied for five years and can barely speak the language than it is for a person to say they finished an online program and have almost perfect grammar, but can’t speak conversationally. Every person has a different language learning journey, and taking a placement test will put you in a position you need to be in to move forward in your journey.
Remember, don’t get frustrated when a language school tells you that you have to take a placement test. The placement test also depends on where you decide to start studying, so the test shouldn’t be generic and should be specific to where you are studying as well as based on the material that school uses.
At CR Languages, all of our placement tests are specific to each language, each level, and based on the material we use at the school. If you are interested in joining a language class with us, get in touch today to take that first step in the right direction!
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