Speaking in front of an examiner can cause some IELTS aspirants to shake, sweat, or freeze in terror. The root of this fear is simple: it’s scary for these candidates because students feel they are unfamiliar with topics and might run out of ideas.
Scoring 7, 8, or even 9 in the IELTS Speaking section is not as difficult as it appears. The sole requirement is that you have a thorough grasp of the IELTS Speaking test structure and get familiar with various topics. As a result, we’ve put up some IELTS Speaking tips to assist you in improving your exam preparation like a pro!
Speaking Exam Format
The IELTS Speaking test is used to determine a student’s ability to speak effectively in English. As a result, questions are asked on a wide range of topics in order to measure the student’s understanding of the subject and their ability to articulate their thoughts and ideas clearly.
- The Speaking section comprises 3 parts and lasts 13-14 minutes.
| Speaking Part 1 | An introduction and questions about familiar topics |
| Speaking Part 2 | It’s popularly known as cue card round. |
| Speaking Part 3 | It’s popularly known as a discussion round. |
Tips to maximize your band score section-wise
Pronunciation is critical for a high band score in the Speaking component of the IELTS test. So, make sure you spell the words appropriately and avoid making silly mistakes. If you pronounce the words wrong, you might get a low score. The IELTS Speaking exam assesses your pronunciation, grammar, and fluency. Therefore if you don’t speak clearly, your test scores will plummet.
Below are some suggestions to help you enhance your IELTS Speaking skills and master each section with ease.
Speaking Part 1
This part of the Speaking test is easy since the questions asked by the examiner in this section are introduction questions. Hence, it is manageable to predict the kind of questions.
The following are some commonly asked questions in this section:
- Can you tell me your name?
- Where are you from?
- What do you like to do in your free time?
- What are your hobbies?
- How many friends do you have?
- Approach questions differently
Approach these introductory questions in a different way than most people do. For example, it is standard practice to say words like “Hello! My name is ___________” Since the main purpose of to show the examiner that you are comfortable conversing in English, say, “Good morning/Good evening, my name is __________. ” Mostly, candidates want to impress the examiner with big and unfamiliar words. But, to be safe, one should avoid using words that they are not familiar with. This is because there is a high chance of mispronouncing a word or adding them in the incorrect context.
- Establish and keep eye contact
If you don’t keep eye contact with the examiner, your answer might appear memorized. It’s also possible that the examiner may believe you’re not comfortable speaking in English. If you memorize your answers, they will appear scripted, and examiners are trained to recognize this, which will lower your score.
- Express your interest in the questions
To ensure that the examiner can follow you, speak slowly and clearly and make an effort to appear calm to the examiner. While answering the questions, maintain a cheerful attitude and tone. Don’t get too worked up. After you’ve finished your answer, remain silent to give the examiner time to process the information.
Speaking Part 2
In this section, you are given cue card topics and instructions about the topic. You will also be allotted one minute to prepare before speaking for around two to three minutes.
The questions in this area usually cover a wide range of topics, for example:
- Animals
- Tavel
- Favorite person
- Job
- Family
- Education
- Clothes
For example: Describe a piece of art you like.
You should say:
- what the work of art is
- when you first saw it
- what you know about it
- and explain why you like it.
- Give elaborate responses
Avoid making one-liner responses to the examiner since you could run out of thoughts and things to say after answering the sub-questions and won’t be able to speak for more than two minutes. Task 2 is about narrating a story by covering the given topics rather than answering the questions. Your response or story should include specific facts, anecdotes, and character details.
- Avoid unnatural phrases
When answering questions from Speaking Part 2, avoid using bizarre phrases, as this may create the impression to the examiner that you have memorized the answers. As a result, some of the applicants’ most regularly used phrases that should be avoided are listed below.
- This is a very interesting question
- To be honest, I feel that
- I am of the opinion that it depends on
So, what should be used instead?
The words/phrases that the native speakers commonly use are:
- Well,
- I think
- I guess
- Give structure to your answer
A well-structured response aids the examiner in understanding your command of the languages and lets them comprehend the content with ease. A well-structured response usually has a clear beginning, middle, and conclusion. The examiner may feel perplexed by your loosely structured ideas, which may make them feel you are having problems communicating your thoughts in English.
Speaking Part 3
In Speaking Part 3, the examiner asks questions based on the Part 2 cue card topic. The examiner will ask a broader range of questions about the topic given in Part 2. It will last around 4-5 minutes. To answer these questions, candidates must explain and go into depth on the topic. It is mostly based on personal opinion, perspective, and factual comparison.
The questions under this section cover variety of topics, such as:
Art
- What kind of art do you enjoy?
- What are the traditional art forms in your country?
- What makes a good painting?
- Do you think children should study art at school?
- How can children benefit from learning art?
- Do you think school children should be encouraged to have their own ideas, or is it important for them to learn what their teacher gives them?
- Give detailed answers
Examiners generally like students who provide detailed answers instead of giving point-to-point responses. Detailed answers help examiners to evaluate the speaking skills of candidates. But how to do so?
Here’s a quick way to approach the questions in Part 3 of the Speaking section.
- Keep asking questions ‘why’
- Explain the alternatives
- Provide examples
- Elaborate your answers
You have to exhibit your English speaking skills in the IELTS Speaking test, so make sure your answers are not too short. However, your responses should not be too long, as you will have several opportunities to speak in IELTS Speaking part 3.
- Do not deviate from the topic
Do not stray from the answers or discuss topics that have not been asked. You can be given a question that prompts you to tell an emotional story. Avoid going on a tangent, and don’t tell your complete life narrative or background. Remember only to include the facts and details that are important. Moreover, avoid speaking incoherently.
Overall
The IELTS Speaking section is designed to examine your English speaking skills. As a result, it is critical to keep a courteous and consistent cadence throughout the test in order to communicate your thoughts and ideas properly. Don’t haste and speak naturally. Furthermore, avoid taking long pauses.
Speaking in front of an examiner can cause some IELTS aspirants to shake, sweat, or freeze in terror. The root of this fear is simple: it’s scary for these candidates because students feel they are unfamiliar with topics and might run out of ideas.
Scoring 7, 8, or even 9 in the IELTS Speaking section is not as difficult as it appears. The sole requirement is that you have a thorough grasp of the IELTS Speaking test structure and get familiar with various topics. As a result, we’ve put up some IELTS Speaking tips to assist you in improving your exam preparation like a pro!
Speaking Exam Format
The IELTS Speaking test is used to determine a student’s ability to speak effectively in English. As a result, questions are asked on a wide range of topics in order to measure the student’s understanding of the subject and their ability to articulate their thoughts and ideas clearly.
- The Speaking section comprises 3 parts and lasts 13-14 minutes.
| Speaking Part 1 | An introduction and questions about familiar topics |
| Speaking Part 2 | It’s popularly known as cue card round. |
| Speaking Part 3 | It’s popularly known as a discussion round. |
Tips to maximize your band score section-wise
Pronunciation is critical for a high band score in the Speaking component of the IELTS test. So, make sure you spell the words appropriately and avoid making silly mistakes. If you pronounce the words wrong, you might get a low score. The IELTS Speaking exam assesses your pronunciation, grammar, and fluency. Therefore if you don’t speak clearly, your test scores will plummet.
Below are some suggestions to help you enhance your IELTS Speaking skills and master each section with ease.
Speaking Part 1
This part of the Speaking test is easy since the questions asked by the examiner in this section are introduction questions. Hence, it is manageable to predict the kind of questions.
The following are some commonly asked questions in this section:
- Can you tell me your name?
- Where are you from?
- What do you like to do in your free time?
- What are your hobbies?
- How many friends do you have?
- Approach questions differently
Approach these introductory questions in a different way than most people do. For example, it is standard practice to say words like “Hello! My name is ___________” Since the main purpose of to show the examiner that you are comfortable conversing in English, say, “Good morning/Good evening, my name is __________. ” Mostly, candidates want to impress the examiner with big and unfamiliar words. But, to be safe, one should avoid using words that they are not familiar with. This is because there is a high chance of mispronouncing a word or adding them in the incorrect context.
- Establish and keep eye contact
If you don’t keep eye contact with the examiner, your answer might appear memorized. It’s also possible that the examiner may believe you’re not comfortable speaking in English. If you memorize your answers, they will appear scripted, and examiners are trained to recognize this, which will lower your score.
- Express your interest in the questions
To ensure that the examiner can follow you, speak slowly and clearly and make an effort to appear calm to the examiner. While answering the questions, maintain a cheerful attitude and tone. Don’t get too worked up. After you’ve finished your answer, remain silent to give the examiner time to process the information.
Speaking Part 2
In this section, you are given cue card topics and instructions about the topic. You will also be allotted one minute to prepare before speaking for around two to three minutes.
The questions in this area usually cover a wide range of topics, for example:
- Animals
- Tavel
- Favorite person
- Job
- Family
- Education
- Clothes
For example: Describe a piece of art you like.
You should say:
- what the work of art is
- when you first saw it
- what you know about it
- and explain why you like it.
- Give elaborate responses
Avoid making one-liner responses to the examiner since you could run out of thoughts and things to say after answering the sub-questions and won’t be able to speak for more than two minutes. Task 2 is about narrating a story by covering the given topics rather than answering the questions. Your response or story should include specific facts, anecdotes, and character details.
- Avoid unnatural phrases
When answering questions from Speaking Part 2, avoid using bizarre phrases, as this may create the impression to the examiner that you have memorized the answers. As a result, some of the applicants’ most regularly used phrases that should be avoided are listed below.
- This is a very interesting question
- To be honest, I feel that
- I am of the opinion that it depends on
So, what should be used instead?
The words/phrases that the native speakers commonly use are:
- Well,
- I think
- I guess
- Give structure to your answer
A well-structured response aids the examiner in understanding your command of the languages and lets them comprehend the content with ease. A well-structured response usually has a clear beginning, middle, and conclusion. The examiner may feel perplexed by your loosely structured ideas, which may make them feel you are having problems communicating your thoughts in English.
Speaking Part 3
In Speaking Part 3, the examiner asks questions based on the Part 2 cue card topic. The examiner will ask a broader range of questions about the topic given in Part 2. It will last around 4-5 minutes. To answer these questions, candidates must explain and go into depth on the topic. It is mostly based on personal opinion, perspective, and factual comparison.
The questions under this section cover variety of topics, such as:
Art
- What kind of art do you enjoy?
- What are the traditional art forms in your country?
- What makes a good painting?
- Do you think children should study art at school?
- How can children benefit from learning art?
- Do you think school children should be encouraged to have their own ideas, or is it important for them to learn what their teacher gives them?
- Give detailed answers
Examiners generally like students who provide detailed answers instead of giving point-to-point responses. Detailed answers help examiners to evaluate the speaking skills of candidates. But how to do so?
Here’s a quick way to approach the questions in Part 3 of the Speaking section.
- Keep asking questions ‘why’
- Explain the alternatives
- Provide examples
- Elaborate your answers
You have to exhibit your English speaking skills in the IELTS Speaking test, so make sure your answers are not too short. However, your responses should not be too long, as you will have several opportunities to speak in IELTS Speaking part 3.
- Do not deviate from the topic
Do not stray from the answers or discuss topics that have not been asked. You can be given a question that prompts you to tell an emotional story. Avoid going on a tangent, and don’t tell your complete life narrative or background. Remember only to include the facts and details that are important. Moreover, avoid speaking incoherently.
Overall
The IELTS Speaking section is designed to examine your English speaking skills. As a result, it is critical to keep a courteous and consistent cadence throughout the test in order to communicate your thoughts and ideas properly. Don’t haste and speak naturally. Furthermore, avoid taking long pauses.
1 comment
Was very helpful in preparing my speech. It gave me an idea of how to go about compering. Thank you.