I Got 935 on TOEIC, But I’m Still Far from Fluent

For Japanese readers, I've included a Japanese version after the English article.

— — — —  I have always been interested in learning English. For many Japanese people, being fluent in English looks cool, sophisticated, and international. In Japan, TOEIC is one of the most popular English tests.

Last year, I got a score of 935 on TOEIC, which is roughly in the top 3-5% of all test takers. I am proud of the score to a certain extent. It is certainly a proof of my continuous endeavor for learning English. However, what I really feel is that having a high TOEIC score does not automatically mean being fluent in English.

TOEIC mainly measures listening and reading skills. Although there is also a speaking and writing version of TOEIC, it is far less popular. So, a high score may prove your listening ability, reading at a natural speed, vocabulary, and grammer knowledge. But it does not mean that you can speak English spontaneously, respond quickly, or talk with proper pronunciation.

Actually, from a relatively early stage of my English-learning journey, I was not aiming to get a high score itself. I knew that TOEIC was not designed to measure fluency. Once my score reached around 800, I gradually shifted my focus to output practice rather than input. Shadowing, writing down my thoughts, speaking practice, and so on.

Even now, I struggle to express myself smoothly in convesation, especially when I want to explain complex ideas or something.

It is not that TOEIC is useless. It definitely motivated me to keep studying English, and it helped me measure my improvement in listening and reading skills. But language is ultimately about communication, not about examination. Focusing too much on getting a high score on TOEIC (and even other tests) may make you lose your sight of the original purpose. If there is one thing I want to say to those who are working hard to improve their English through TOEIC, it would be "go for it, but don't become a TOEIC-HOLIC."

英語がペラペラな人って、スマートでグローバルな印象でかっこいい。日本で英語力を測るテストといえばTOEICが有名で、私は去年935点を取った。これは受験者の上位3-5%らしいので、努力の証としてはある程度自信を持っていいスコアだと思う。だけど、「TOEIC935点です、私は英語が流暢です」と言えるかというと、全然そんなことはない。

TOEICはリーディングとリスニングを測るテストなので、TOEICが高得点なら会話がちゃんと聞き取れるとか、ある程度自然なスピードで英文が読めるとか、語彙や文法といった理解力を持っている証明にはなるしその自負はあるけど、自然に話せるとかテンポよく回答できるとか、クリアな発音で話せるとかは別のスキル。（スピーキングとライティングのバージョンもあるけどメジャーじゃない）

TOEICはそういう試験なので、私自身800点あたりからは会話のためのアウトプット（シャドーイング、考えを英語で書いてみる、スピーキングの練習、など）にシフトしていった。今でも英会話には苦労する。複雑な考えを説明するときなんかは特に。

TOEICが無意味だと言いたいわけでは全くない。勉強のモチベーションになるし、リスニングとリーディングに関しては実力を測る良いものさしになる。だけど、言語は試験のためではなく会話のためのツールなので、TOEICのスコアにとらわれすぎると目的を見失うかもしれない。

TOEICを頑張るのは素晴らしい。だけど、"TOEICオタク"にならないように要注意。