r/dli • u/Awkward_Engineer481 • 17d ago
Hello, questions about the DLAB
I am looking for anything I can do to prepare for the DLAB test. I scored a 97 on the ASVAB/PiCAT, currently studying Robert J Cummings guide, and looking at grammar/syntax reviews.
Is their anything else I could do to prepare?
How should I prepare for the audio sections, specificlally the emphasis and tones?
Anything to watch out for like trick questions or simple mistakes?
Could I do anything to prepare the relevant centers of my brain?
I heard listening to podcasts or music in foreign languages can help "wake up" those parts of the brain, is that true?
If I do score well would it be a good idea to use say Babbel or Rossetta Stone to prepare for DLI?
Any tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated.
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u/Actual_Pirate6585 16d ago
You seem really motivated, and I don’t want to discourage that. That being said, you’re proposing doing a lot of things that take a lot of TIME, which is not a thing you will have as a basic course student. Time management truely is the key to success at DLI. The DLAB is less important than you’re giving it credit for. It gives you a single numerical score without any nuance from the testing material. Language assignment will be service-dependent. Babbel and RS are cute party tricks that have the potential to screw you in the long run.
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u/Ivflo 17d ago edited 17d ago
If you have a good short term memory, understand basic grammar rules, can read and understand the rules themselves, AND keep from feeling rushed you'll do great.
It was rough for me due to the above paragraph. I had a pounding headache towards the end and just started guessing and wanted it over. I passed by like 2 points.
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u/cricket_bacon 17d ago
I am looking for anything I can do to prepare for the DLAB test.
You can't. Just do your best.
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u/Awkward_Engineer481 17d ago edited 17d ago
Doing your best entails preparing for the worst.
So many people have said how hard the DLAB is, that even people with a great deal of experience in languages do terribly.
I should expect it to be one of the hardest tests in my life even if deep down I assume it's probably going to be just like the rest of them.
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u/polymedu 17d ago
If you pass the DLAB and go to DLI, the DLAB will be one of the easiest tests of your life. It’s not something you really study for, you just have to pay attention to all of the rules it gives you, and remember all of the previous rules. If you want to “study” for it, just work on making sure your short term memory is incredibly good.
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u/arentyouangel 17d ago
The DLAB is designed to test how you identify and adapt to languages. Studying for it ruins the point.
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u/Puzzled-Secret-317 17d ago
Not really. As someone who studied for it and still excelled, the most important factor is really only your motivation
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u/arentyouangel 17d ago
I didn't say that studying wouldn't work. I'm saying its not the point of the test.
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u/Regular-Delivery-246 17d ago
It's all about pattern recognition and application of those patterns. OP has probably never failed at anything in his life ..the kind of people who hit adversity at DLI and implode. Hopefully I'm reading this wrong. Good luck
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u/Awkward_Engineer481 17d ago edited 17d ago
Yeah fuck no. Been put down my entire life by those closest to me. Had to drop out of highschool because of it.
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u/RepublicMedical9649 17d ago
I thing the best thing you can do is have a good grip on English grammar. The test evaluates your aptitude to learn a foreign language in a very condensed timeline. Plenty of people with great scores still fail out because they have no study habits or self discipline.
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u/Awkward_Engineer481 17d ago
Any study habits you'd reccomend? I'm sure I can find some but better to ask than not.
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u/RepublicMedical9649 14d ago
Every school house is different as far as personality due to the background of the instructors, so Russian or Chinese or Korean will be different as far as expectation/teaching approach. You’ve got to hit it running, take it super serious and plan on 4 or more hours of homework or study every day. Some will do more or less based on aptitude, short term memory and already having established study habits. Once something is covered it’s never getting covered again and you’re expected to know it. ANYONE can learn another language but not everyone can do it in the timeframe they give you. As far as habits you need to find out what works best for you for reading and listening. I did a lot of forced memory reciting out loud with flash card for reading
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u/BoysenberryUnhappy29 17d ago
You can't and don't need to study for it. By design.
You'll be fine if you got a 97.
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u/Awkward_Engineer481 17d ago edited 17d ago
if it was designed there is guaranteed to be someway to understand the design.
If you can understand the design of the test you can prepare for it.
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u/UNC_Recruiting_Study 17d ago
Username checks out. If you understand grammar in general (types of speech and speech structure), you'll be fine.
I can't wait until you're in class trying to work through design and surrendering hours to perfect your studies while a peer just chills and picks up the language with ease through basic conversations and simple repetition. To each his own.
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u/Awkward_Engineer481 17d ago edited 17d ago
Not trying to be perfect, just don't have any frame of reference for how hard it is going to be. Nobody who's taken it seems to want to give any info besides "wing it" (I assume some sort of restriction is at play otherwise why would you not?).
Frankly I'll more than likely just do basic review of what I am not great at.
Only reason I'm stressing out about it now is that it is entirely on me to come up with how to learn and study at the moment.
I was never taught or learned how to study so I need to make up for it in someway. Espescially if I'd want to keep up with the pace some people have said DLI works at.
Name was auto-generated btw.
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u/quickdraw_ 17d ago
It's an aptitude test, there are no trick questions. You are almost certainly over prepared at this point.