The End is Nigh

Unbelievably, tomorrow, I take the first half of my final Defense Language Aptitude Test (DLPT). The long year of study at DLI is nearly over. Last week I took my Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), which determines my skill at speaking Arabic. I was nervous, but overall confident, going in. I was very pleased with how I did, and no matter what the grade, I feel that I can speak Arabic at a good level - certainly good enough for day to day interactions, and probably good enough to hold my own in educated company.

This past week, and all throughout the weekend, I have been prepping for actual DLPT tests this week. I have been concentrating on my reading skill, as I read excruciatingly slowly, and the reading test is an exercise in stamina and reading speed. The passages are so long, and there are so many of them, that you have to have a good tempo to your reading, or else you won't finish all of the passages. I don't have the same anxiety for tomorrow's listening test - you hit play, listen to the passage, pick an answer and move on. Reading, however, is entirely dependent on how fast you can read, thus more difficult for me. Hopefully it's been enough.

I'm heading to be early tonight - a good night's sleep is the last weapon I can add to my arsenal.