It’s difficult to speak a language perfectly; few people do! You do not need to speak completely fluently in order to receive the benefits of being bilingual. And you don’t need to be perfect in order to get World Language Credits – you may not get all four, but you may get some, and every credit counts! You’ll want to practice as much as you can before the exam, but it may be worth testing. If you don’t get the test results you want, take some more time to speak and read and write your home language, then come back and retest again later.
Most students will find they improve their home language fluency through simple practice such as talking with your family or friends in the home language while doing chores such as washing dishes after dinner. Ask your parents to tell you stories in your home language. Transitioning your day-to-day activities into the home language will probably help you improve your home language fluency immediately. While speaking perfectly is a wonderful success, you do not have to speak your home language fluently to get the benefits of bilingualism!