English tests are everywhere.
Many of you listening to this episode will have spent (or currently are spending) months preparing for exams like IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, and the Cambridge English qualifications. Passing a proficiency test is often required if you want to study abroad, qualify for a new job, or move to another country.
But do proficiency tests actually help you in your goal to become fluent in English? For some people, English exams provide a clear goal to motivate your study and offer a fair way to measure language ability. Others believe tests encourage memorisation, reward good test-taking rather than good communication, and turn English into just another school subject.
In today's episode, I want to explore the history of testing, why English has become one of the world's most tested subjects, and whether English proficiency exams actually improve education!
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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/08/17/401-english-tests-do-they-improve-education-english-vocabulary-lesson/
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