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Benvenuti, Bienvenue, Croeso and Welcome.
Hi, I’m Juliet. Join me on my language learning journey and discover my thoughts on different aspects of language learning with the A Language Learning Tale Podcast. Today, the subject is:
NO SCALES REQUIRED
Or
HOW DO I GAUGE MY LEVEL?
So, I don’t measure my language competence on any of the available scales. Is it because I’m scared I’ll fail, or is it because of something else?
Well, my problem with the concept of measuring myself against a scale, truly measuring myself, would be that it would mean taking an actual exam of some sort. That’s the only way you can judge yourself against a scale with other people also learning the same language, because judging yourself against a scale without an exam is fraught with problems, not least the fact that you might inadvertently inflate your abilities. Even if you take sample exams in your bedroom that is not a true test. It’s not an exam situation. It would not give you the same results. And taking these little tests that some language teachers on YouTube put up as being a particular level is not going to give you a true picture of whether or not you’re at that level. They’re fun to do, yes, but don’t take ‘passing’ one as being a concrete indication that you’re at that level.
I have no desire to take an exam. Taking exams is stressful and, I would say, unless someone has been studying a language in a formal context, with classes and teachers, they might have a hard time working out what would come up in an exam and learning how to pass one - yes, I do believe you have to learn how to pass an exam, not just the language. Teachers, or good teachers, at least, will have an inkling of what will be in this year’s exam, because they have years of experience in these things. Most individuals don’t have the resources to find out all these things and I have no interest in the hours of research it would take to combat that disadvantage.
Another issue I have is that exams only ever test you on what the examination board thinks you need to know, not necessarily what you actually need to know, for the context in which you’re learning a language, and context is really important. I’m learning my languages for pleasure, not for any academic need, which might include the necessity to pass an exam in order to be able to work in a country. I simply want to be able to read, to listen, to write and to talk, but I don’t need to do anything inherently formal with my language to achieve that, so why would I need, or want, to take an exam?
Which leads me to the question, why do so many people feel the need to judge themselves against these scales? Well, I guess that’s partly the competitive nature of human beings. We’re always judging ourselves against others, in all aspects of life. For some reason, that seems to be inbuilt in our genes and it’s difficult to fight against it. But we don’t always have to be better than other people to enjoy doing something, or to be competent in it. I guess it’s also because people feel that they’re not making enough progress and they need some way to prove to themselves that they are. I don’t have that need. I can prove to myself that I know more than I did a few months back just by thinking about what I’ve been able to do in the language. If you find this difficult, you might want to keep a journal of what you’ve achieved so that you can look back on it.
Of course, if you’re someone who likes to take exams, I have no problem with that at all and formal qualifications can be useful in certain situations like, as I mentioned earlier, being able to work somewhere. You need to be able to prove your competence, because half an hour of conversation in an interview can only go so far. It’s difficult enough to gauge if someone’s right for the job in your own language, I know that from experience. Judging that when the language isn’t someone’s native language must be a nightmare for the interviewer.
So, if you love exams, that’s great. If you need to do exams, good luck. They’re just not for me.
That’s all for today’s episode. Don’t forget to join me again next time, for more language learning tips, tricks and tales and in the meantime, check out the A Language Learning Tale YouTube channel for additional, non-podcast content.
Ciao, salut, hwyl and bye for now.