Tips for Language Speakers

Spanish and English share many Latin-based words, which helps with vocabulary. The main problems come from false friends, dropped subjects, and tense choices that work differently in English.

French and English share many words, which helps a lot. Watch out for false friends, tense use with "depuis", and some sounds that French does not have.

Portuguese speakers know many English words already. Focus on false friends, subjects, prepositions, and some common pronunciation habits.

Many Hindi speakers use English every day, which is a great start. Exams reward standard English, so focus on articles, word order, and some habits common in Indian English.

Bengali and English differ in word order, articles and pronouns. Some sounds are also hard for Bengali speakers. Focus on these areas for exam success.

Gujarati and English differ in word order, articles and prepositions. Some sounds are also hard for Gujarati speakers. Focus on these areas for exam success.

Punjabi and English differ in word order, articles and pronouns. Some sounds are also hard for Punjabi speakers. Focus on these areas for exam success.

Nepali and English differ in word order, articles and pronouns. Some sounds are also hard for Nepali speakers. Focus on these areas for exam success.

Chinese and English work very differently. Chinese does not change word forms for tense or number, so English verb endings, articles and plurals need careful practice.

Japanese speakers are often careful and accurate learners. The biggest differences from Japanese are articles, plurals, word order, and English words borrowed into Japanese that changed their meaning.

Korean and English have very different grammar. Focus on word order, articles, plurals, some consonant sounds, and Konglish words that change meaning in English.

Indonesian uses the same alphabet as English and shares many borrowed words. The main challenges are verb tenses, articles, plurals, and the verb "be".

Thai does not change verb forms, so English tenses, plurals and verb endings need special attention. Final consonant sounds are also a common challenge.

Vietnamese does not change word forms, so English tenses, plurals and endings need practice. Word order inside noun phrases and final consonant sounds are other key areas.

Many Malay speakers hear English every day. For exams, focus on standard English tenses, articles and plurals, and avoid features of informal Malaysian English.

Arabic speakers often have a strong feel for grammar. The main areas to work on are the verb "be", articles, some vowel and consonant sounds, and English sentence length.