Only after completing the language course can you be eligible to enter the university for formal study. When you have a language class, you can take some public courses in universities and exercise your listening.
It usually takes one year to complete all the language courses from the lower level to the advanced level. I still suggest you do well in TOEFL in China, because language schools are not very effective and expensive. Most language schools belong to their own universities, which means you can't apply to American universities. If you want to change to another university after reading the language, you still have to take the TOEFL score.
So TOEFL is very important.
I wish you success!
At which stage is the company going public and issuing shares?