The IELTS speaking test is something most people find confusing. This is because this section has no explicit right and wrong answers. Your score depends upon what the examiners assess from how you speak.
The speaking section however, still has some grounds upon which you are judged. These are,
- Fluency and Coherence
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Pronunciation
Each of this has a weightage of 25% from your overall scores.
Format of IELTS Speaking
The speaking test duration is no less than 11 minutes and no more than 14 minutes. The test is divided into 3 parts and the examiners may choose to switch between their duration as they see fit.
Part 1
This part takes about 4 to 5 minutes. You will have a conversation with your examiner in which you are likely to introduce yourself, and discuss on a range of relevant topics. It could be anything including,
- Your routine
- Your work/studies
- Family
- Interests
- Things you value
Part 2
In this part, the examiner will give you a card with the topic written on it. You will also be given a pen and paper on which you can write down your ideas regarding what to speak. You will have 1 minute to prepare, and then you will be speaking for 2 minutes.
The topic is also of general interest. You will be giving anything to speak on keeping in view your personal background, country, interests, education, technology etc.
Part 3
Once you have spoken about the topic, your examiner will have a conversation with you regarding that topic. This could last for about 5 to 6 minutes. Here you could be commenting about your views on the examiner’s opinion, or the examiner may ask you about what you know or think about a certain aspect of the topic under discussion.
8 Tips to Prepare for IELTS Speaking Test
When it comes to using tips and tricks to score higher on the test, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. Here’s what we suggest you should incorporate while you practice for the speaking test,
- Avoid Rote Learning
The first thing you need to beware of is that rote learning or memorizing the answers won’t take you anywhere. The examiners can easily see when you are speaking extempore and when you are reiterating a script. So that will only lose you points.
Just go through a wide range of topics and practice introducing yourself, and talking about your personal interests in different settings. This will help you be more confident answering questions, and you will be able to mold your answers according to any kind of unforeseen situations.
- Use Relevant Vocabulary
Your vocabulary is also judged during the test. But this does not mean you have to use highly complicated words. In fact, it is suggested not to make use of words that are hard for you to pronounce, or may not fit the context.
Practice the relevant vocabulary of a wide range of topics. Use the words only if they fit completely to the context and you are sure about their actual and contextual meaning.
- Practice Speaking on Different Topics
Search for common IELTS speaking topics. And practice speaking on those topics in a systematic way. Aside from the IELTS trending topics you should also practice speaking on other topics that are more relevant to your life, work, or the areas and country you come from. If you accurately speak on diversified topics in the practice, it will,
- Increase your knowledge
- Help you synthesize and link topics easily
- Increase your vocabulary
- Increase your confidence in dealing with unseen speaking topics
Make sure that you are not single-handedly preparing them. Have conversations with friends and family about these topics.
- Speak In Front of the Mirror!
Sounds funny right?
Well, many people who are involved in public speaking, debating, or other roles where they need extremely polished skills, speak in front of the mirror. Let’s see what speaking in front of the mirror can do for you,
- You will be able to analyze your gestures well
- As you speak in the mirror, you are your own audience
- You can judge yourself and practice things that will help you boost your confidence
- You hear yourself speak and can correct your pronunciation
- Speaking in front of the mirror can help you understand and practice your tone and stress areas more effectively
- You can also analyze your verbal and physical gestures as you speak in front of the mirror.
So do not be shy standing in front of the mirror.
- Avoid Fillers
Fillers are the words you end up using while you are processing what to speak, these could be,
- Uhhh
- Eeehh
- Ummm
- Like
- You know
These have an overall negative impact on your coherence and fluency. Remember, you are a human being, and it is natural for you to require a while to process a prompt. The short pause you take could be filled with statements like,
- I haven’t thought of it, but let me see
- That is a good point
- I agree with your statement but I also think we should consider
This and other statements similar to it will help you sound more confident without disturbing the natural flow of communication.
- Learn the Correct Use of Tenses
Your sentence structure, and grammatical errors have a lot to do with how well versed you are with tenses and forms of verbs you need to use in different sentences. If yuou are answering a question in simple present tense, make sure that you use the first form of verb. You will have to gauge where you need to use a different tense or change it for a small part of the communication.
A better way to deal with it, is to write the answer you would be giving for any kind of prompts. Imagine yourself speaking and write those exact words. After this you can judge the kind of mistakes you are making and correct yourself. If you feel like you are weak at correct form of verbs and tenses, practice these aspects of your grammar thoroughly. This practice will help you internalize the correct use of grammar.
- Read From Different Pieces
One trick of speaking well and having more knowledge and ideas is to read more. If you regularly read from newspaper, magazines, or blogs, you are more likely to have more things to say. You can take this a step ahead by reading aloud!
- Do not be Monotone
Sometimes, people speak English in one single tone. You need to be aware of when to stress different words. You need to practice about what kind of tone you need to maintain. And for that you should be having more and more practice of speaking on a variety of topics and understanding how to deliver them more effectively.
We hope these tips will help you score more than 7 bands in the IELTS. Best of luck!
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