Both SAT and ACT are often taken by students opting for studying abroad. Many top colleges in the U.S. along with ACT and SAT scores want students to take one or more years to learn a foreign language to enhance their skills. Most of the students are not well-acquainted with learning foreign languages but this is actually beneficial during your SAT and ACT exams. Learning a foreign language can help you develop better vocabulary skills. Here are some logical reasons that why you should consider learning a foreign language:
Increase Your Vocabulary
The reading comprehension section needs a strong vocabulary for both ACT and SAT. The reading comprehension section led you to the meaning of unfamiliar words using context clues. Hence having a wide vocabulary, can typically make better sense of the texts you read. There are high-frequency vocabulary words you can study before you decide between SAT vs ACT. It also helps you improve your reading comprehension, and also enhance your essay writing skills.
The second way to indirectly strengthen your vocabulary is by learning common prefixes, root words, and suffixes, many of which stem from Latin. Learning Latin or a closely related Romance language such as French, Italian or Spanish can make you more adept at deducing the meanings of words in the ACT and SAT tests that are new to you.
For instance: Suppose you encounter the word “ambivalent” in an SAT and ACT reading passage. You don’t know the meaning, but its prefix reminds you of the Spanish word “ambos,” which means “both.” Since the passage is describing a character’s state of mind, you might think that ambivalent means experiencing two emotions, which is nearly the original meaning. The awareness that the prefix “amb '' or "ambi" means “both”. This could also help you figure out the meaning of other words that start the same way, such as “ambiguous,” that mean having double meaning or open to more than one interpretation.
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Critical Reading Skills Enhancement
Usually, students take foreign languages to induce purpose. That purpose may be to locate instances of a verb tense or to find answers to the accompanying questions. Well, learning would include proper reading passages, unless it is entirely for entertainment purposes.
Since reading in a foreign language at the school level is usually done with a specific goal in mind and to understand main ideas rather than details. It shares a lot of things in common with the type of reading required of students on the ACT and SAT. Effective practice of reading comprehension in foreign language classes and also outside of it can train you to read critically like you must do on the ACT and SAT.
Better Memorization
Foreign language involves the simplest way to learn verb conjugations. For example, practicing with charts and flashcards helps you to remember faster. In case if you want to study German, you may have also had to memorize adjective declensions. The ACT and SAT preparation would also require a fair amount of content memorization.
Memory can expand, the more you use it, the stronger it becomes. Learning a foreign language can improve your memory. In fact, a survey report says that the cognitive benefits of foreign language study have been long documented, with some research indicating that those who speak more than one language exhibit a significant delay in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms and dementia.
As you get to know yourself as a student and experiment with different study plans, tips, and tricks, consider applying your findings to your test prep endeavors. The advantages of foreign language study are numerous. This skill can help you score well in SAT and ACT preparation and on exam day.
