How to ace your English fluency and language tests for work abroad

You’ve finally gathered all your documents together to prepare for work abroad, but there’s just one more requirement: Your English language certification. For medical professionals, the English language certification is a must to be able to work in English-speaking countries like the United Kingdom, USA, UAE, and more.

In this regard, Filipino doctors and nurses may be at an advantage as English is constitutionally named as one of the Philippines’ official languages and is an integral part of the everyday life. With a little bit more guidance – through these tips from TrueProfile.io, a platform that provides Filipino healthcare professionals around the world with tools they need to secure a lucrative career abroad – you will surely be able to accelerate towards your big career goal:

Enrolling in training courses can be helpful. At TrueProfile.io, you can find proper development tools to help you ace your English proficiency exam. Simply visit its training page via this link: www.trueprofile.io/member/training. Here, you can choose from various preparation courses for two types of English language certifications: the Occupational English Test (OET), which is the preferred test for healthcare professionals as it’s based on medical English and English used in the day-to-day language in the medical environment. There’s also the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the world’s most popular English language proficiency test to help you work, study, or migrate to a country where English is the native language.

Apart from that, it would also be very helpful to get your credentials to reach prospective employers abroad. This is possible by becoming a member of TrueProfile.io. To register, click sso.trueprofile.io/register. Once done, click on “Career Toolkit'' and “Verification” to see the different verification options. You can start building your digital resume and make it more visible by choosing the Profile Visibility Preferences on your TrueProfile.io account.

TruProfile.io uses blockchain technology, which means you won’t need to verify your documents over and over again when applying. Simply verify once, and a digital fingerprint of your verification is stored on blockchain. This is fully owned and controlled by the applicant.

As an added benefit of becoming a TrueProfile.io member, you can have access to career solutions including digital CV which can be shared with recruiters, regulators, recruiters, and can be showcased on social media.

Practice during training sessions. One of the benefits of enrolling in a training course is that you get to have a feel what the actual testing will be like. As the exam will involve an assessment of four language skills namely, Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking, you can ask your teacher for timed mock exams to build your confidence in these four language skills.

Record yourself when speaking. In speaking, ask your teacher to do a one-minute speaking interview with vocabulary corrections and feedback to help you get better. While doing a speaking interview, it helps to record yourself so you can asses where you need to improve. Practice your expressions for speaking, using phrases that can help you score better points like “That’s an interesting question, let me think…”, “I would imagine that…”, “I suppose…”, or “I think that…” Remember, do not attempt to use words that you aren’t sure of the meaning as this might affect your testing score.

Read and expand your vocabulary. Try to explore useful materials that can help you improve on your reading and writing skills. Read English-language paper and digital newspapers and magazines, specifically from US, United Kingdom, or Australia. Then, write down words and idioms you are not familiar with, and search for their meanings after. Not only will this help you expand your vocabulary but it will help you gauge your English fluency level.

Develop reading techniques. One of the challenging aspects of the language tests is the reading section as it usually consists of lengthy texts. To help you beat the limited time during exams, try simple reading techniques such as skimming, which is used to get a general overview of the text. Spend a minute glancing at the titles and headings so you get an idea of the general topic. You can also opt to do scanning, which is used to locate specific keyword or phrases. Once you’ve found them, read the surrounding text in detail to find the answer you’re looking for.

Be an active listener. To build your listening skills, be an active listener. This means using a variety of English resources from USA, UK or Australia. This may range from TV shows and movies to podcasts, news shows, or talks. This will expose you to new vocabulary and different English accents. In IELTS, it’s possible that you may not just hear the British accent during test recordings.

Get better at writing. Writing doesn’t always have to be difficult. You can have higher chances at acing your writing test by trying simple writing methods: Make an outline to keep your ideas focused and organized as you write. Keep your ideas simple! Remember, these English fluency certifications aren’t about testing how smart you are. It’s assessing your ability to present your thoughts and ideas clearly and cohesively in English. So structure your paragraphs that present one idea, and then back them up evidences. End with a conclusion that summarizes the main idea.

Take your time. During your actual exams, remember not to rush! Try to give yourself time to plan on your speaking and writing so that you can give clear but concise answers. 

The saying “practice makes perfect” remains true when studying for your English proficiency exam. With proper training and by allotting a regular time in a day to immerse yourself in the English language, you will be well on your way to acing your English language certification!

To know more, visit www.trueprofile.io