質問: 大学卒業までの4年間で英検1級を取得したい 今年から大学生になる者です。 かなり難易度が高い資格であると承知していますが、 英検1級の取得を大学生活の一つの目標としています。 しかし英検だけに特化した英語力にはしたくないです。 そのため、まず英検準1級の取得から入るのではなく、toeicで950点くらい取れるような力を付けてから英検1級にチャレンジしようと考えています。 これは的外れな考えですか? どちらにしろこれくらいの力がないと1級には歯が立たないと思うので。 toeic対策と並行し、スピーキングやライティングの対策もします。 もちろん英検は目標であり、目的ではありませんので。
回答: >まず英検準1級の取得から入るのではなく、toeicで950点くらい取れるような力を付けてから英検1級にチャレンジしようと考えています。これは的外れな考えですか? i wouldn't say that. but you should be noted that toeic and the step english are as different as night and day. the former is a test that demonstrates your ability to process the passages in both oral and written format. this means that the toeic generally tests your listening and reading skills through a barrel of 200 questions (100 each for listening and reading sections, respectively). vocabulary in toeic is fairly easy--more than 95% of words appeared in the exam are 5000-7000 word level. most passages in reading are pretty short ones--business letters, invoices, brochures, housing, advertisements, etc. on the other hand, the step english 1st grade demonstrates your comprehensive and communicative skills in english. it tests your ability 1) to comprehend the articles and journals that will appear in conventional english magazines(such as time, newsweek, popular science, etc); 2) to master the vocabulary that reaches up to 10,000-15,000 word level; 3)comprehend a long and intense passage in listening; 4)to write a clear, concise, and creative essay/composition; and 5) make a 1-2 minute speech and defend your argument. the exam is very challenging only 10% of examinees successfully pass the preliminary every year. my advice is do not study for the exams only. you can get a score of over 930 in toeic by being a test smart, but that's not enough. ditto to the step english. to become competent in english proficiency, you should also be able to understand cnn/time/newsweek and enjoy foreign movies without subtitles, write e-mails and articles in english, read foreign books, enjoy conversations with native speakers of english, and so on. in sum, you should put your study of english as your utmost priority. it's a daunting task. it makes you very stressful. but if you're really committed to your hard work, you'll find your own way. good luck.