Hi all,
After 8 months of studying I have accumulated a large wrong answer journal and the pattern I notice is that the questions I tend to get wrong in both LR and RC are due to misread, not understanding what the question is asking/ what the answer is saying, not picking up cues, and not understanding the vocabulary LSAT writers are using. This is not surprising to me since English isn't my first language.
I just want to ask the community for some tips that aren't just "read more carefully" or "build up your English proficiency" as I am currently already working on those. For people that are in similar situation as me (not having a strong English background), what has helped you get through the dense language used on the test?
Any advice would help!! Even if they are little tricks that would help in certain situations so feel free to share.
Much appreciated!!
7 comments
For me the biggest difference in my comprehension ability was translating each sentence into easier words and words I actually understood in both LR and RC. I always do it for each sentence, regardless of length, and prevent myself from moving forward until I understand what is going on. For longer sentences, I break it down into chunks. Not only does this make it more manageable, but doing so helps you build accuracy and speed (especially in RC) because you actually know what's happening! I find it that when I translate, I need to be extra careful not to throw in my own assumptions, but you build that ability with practice.
I also have a vocabulary journal with my WAJ that highlights words I didn't understand the meaning of. I'll habitually return to the vocab journal to recall definitions, which for me is better than relying on the internet when confused. I try to not look up definitions in the middle of drills/sections/pts, but will just use context to skip the word or guess it.
Give it a try and would love to hear how it's going for you!
@DaisukeKaga Thanks for the advice! I will definitely give translating a try since I also already have a vocabulary journal. I will give the vocabulary journal more emphasis tho now that you mentioned its usefulness!!
@Kyle180 Yeah of course! And one more thing, reading in general is just a good idea too. It doesn't need to be academic, can be entirely something you enjoy. I find that reading more has helped me be able to retain more in my short term memory and you can practice the same translation things in your everyday reading as well. Reading Scientific American, The Economist, etc would help your RC, but doing some kind of reading at minimum would definitely be beneficial!
@DaisukeKaga I've heard a lot of good things about The Economist in terms of how similar in length and style they are written compared to RC passages on the LSAT. I am currently reading "Thinking Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman for about a chapter a day. Perhaps I just need to trust the process. Will definitely give The Economist a go tho now that you mentioned it. Good luck on your studies!!
It really depends on what question type you are struggling with in RC. For me, my biggest gains came from mastering the questions tagged Implied, which mainly meant that i started to pick the answers that sounded less fancy and sounded more lame.
@Tyson.manis@gmail.com Yeah me too! I tend to struggle more with implied questions. Will definitely try paying more attention to the answers that are more easily supported now you've pointed it out. Would you happen to have a trick up your sleeve as well with attitude questions besides highlight adjectives?
so real