Non-native English speaker studying LSAT!! Need some advice Forum

[wejuhn]

I lived in Korea for 18 some yrs until I came to live in the states about 3yrs ago.
I started taking an LSAT prep course about 10 days ago, and with no prior exposure to any of LSAT questions, I scored 150 on the June 2008 diag, 27/51 on LRs, 16/27 on RCs, 17/23 on LGs.
...sigh...

I mean, just like everyone esle studying for the exam, I hope to reach a score high enough to safely secure my spot in t14s. And I know 150 won't get me there.
So my question follows,

1. Looking at my test scores, is it even possible for me to raise my score if I study hard for it? Can I even hope for near 170 if I plan to study effectively and intensively for at least 4 to 5 months?
(I understand that I had no exposure to what LSAT was before I took the diag, but 150 seems a bit low..Is LSAT an exam that can be mastered with intense/hard study? If that is the case, I am ready to take the bet since time/effort are the only things that can make up for my lack of English mastery. I am talking about 4-6 months of intense and effective studying. )

2. This might be a really dumb question, but how much of English do I really need to study? I am a poli sci major so I have read reasonable amount throughout my college years and have done pretty well in classes. But English is still a second language for me. For all you reading this post English won't be too much of a problem compared to knowing the techniques for LRs or LGs. But situation is a bit different for me since I have two things to master, English + LSAT techniques.
Should I read more books or magazines to raise reading speed? I just can't figure out how much of English mastery is needed to take the exam.

3. Any suggestion in stuyding tips for non-native speaker? Any suggested reading materials? For example, would reading every bit of NY times be beneficial? (I bet it can never be a harm, but I am asking if it will be a help in LSAT)
As far as the reading speed goes in the diag, I was able to finish most of the LRs, though I got about half of them wrong, left last 4 questions blank in RCs.

I guess I just babbled on too much, but I would truly appreciate it if you guys can shed some light upon this poor non-native English speaker whos trying to master the hardest standardized test ever written in English language !

Thank you guys, and happy new years to all.

[LawandOrder]

If you hadn't told me, I would not have known English wasn't your native language. There are certainly a lot of nuances to on the LSAT in the way language is used that could give you trouble. I don't know how effectively you could study to eliminate those. It seems to me to be one of those areas where it is extremely difficult to improve. I'd say that you should focus your studies in exactly the same way that a native-English speaker would. Plenty of Americans also get a 150 on their diagnostic test. This leads me to believe that your score results from an unfamiliarity with the test rather than deficiencies in your understanding of the language.