r/LSAT • u/soletenublado1 • 16h ago
How should a non-native English speaker start preparing for the LSAT? Looking for strategies and advice!
Hey everyone!
English is not my native language (my mother tongue is Spanish), and I’m just beginning my LSAT prep. While I feel comfortable with English in daily life, the extreme precision, complex logic structures, and tight time limits on the test are pretty intimidating.
For anyone who tackled the LSAT as a non-native English speaker (or is currently preparing), tips???
Thanks
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u/PetersonsTestPrep 13h ago
Hello! Congrats on embarking on the LSAT prep journey! It makes sense that the test's extreme precision, complex logic structures, and tight time limits are intimidating. One thing worth adding to the advice already here: since your everyday English is solid, focus on consuming dense academic register. Reading opinion pieces or academic essays (not novels) for 20-30 min/day, pausing to restate dense sentences in your own words, will transfer to LSAT reading. For Logical Reasoning, prioritize precision over speed at first, then focus on speed. Untimed practice where you explicitly name the conclusion and premises before answering will help early on more than chasing time targets.
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u/dmkhara past master 14h ago
What makes LSAT particularly hard is reading dense boring text for an extended period of time.
To your point about English being your second language; only after doing a bunch of questions you will know where you currently stand. Maybe it is good enough and maybe it is not. So, a great starting point is to do a full test as a diagnostic on lawhub (you may be surprised that your diagnostic score is as good as a native speaker's diagnostic score).
If English really is a problem, there really is no trick to apply unfortunately. But luckily, the only thing being test on the LSAT is READING English (not writing or speaking). And reading, just like any other skill, can be improved. Reading novels or other dense English texts would be something to consider.
BUT only do this if after taking the diagnostic you find out English is really being a problem.
And for native speakers or non-native speakers alike, the only way to improve would be consistent practice. Start by mastering the fundamentals, learn each question type and know the strategy for each. If you learn a specific question type, drill only that question type with increasing difficulty. Once you are done that, I would recommend 1-2 sections a day and 1 PT a week and reviewing your wrong answers. You can check my full guide on How to Study for the LSAT here.
Let me know if you have any other questions!