Ielts Speaking: The Basics

In my xx or thence years of teaching, I've come upwards to the decision that the IELTS Speaking element is the most innocuous business office of the test. Other English-language examinations in conclusion longer, have got to a greater extent than complicated tasks which demand to live fulfilled, include ii candidates who are assessed simultaneously together with involve other factors that could create to a greater extent than stressful weather condition for candidates. The IELTS is straightforward -- which agency there's a catch.

The proof lies inwards the next case: I had 1 special educatee whose parents (one of them, to live to a greater extent than precise) was a native speaker of English. This student, a girl, had been brought upwards inwards a unusual province where English linguistic communication was taught equally a secondary linguistic communication inwards schools, but who spoke English linguistic communication at abode amongst her native English-speaking parent. She was, inwards effect, bilingual fifty-fifty though at that topographic point were sporadic errors inwards to a greater extent than advanced grammatical structures and, equally is natural, gaps inwards to a greater extent than advanced vocabulary. However, her pronunciation was impeccable together with she was fluent. In other words, she could effectively communicate inwards English. With these qualifications, 1 would await her to larn at to the lowest degree an 8.0. I believe her score was a 7.0 or 7.5.

Which brings me to the betoken I want to make:
the IELTS oral exam is non most whether you lot tin only speak. It is most how good you lot tin speak together with demo your total noesis of the language, non only your mightiness to brand yourself fully understood. To pose it to a greater extent than simply, the departure betwixt a satisfactory overall score in the Speaking department of 6.0 -7.0 together with 7.5-8.0 lies inwards the mode you lot display your grasp of English.

First of all, for those who are non aware, at that topographic point are iii parts to the oral exam, which lasts 11-14 minutes inwards its entirety.

Part 1: Introduction together with interview

the examiner volition innovate themselves together with volition inquire you lot to exercise the same to confirm your identity
general questions volition follow that have got to exercise amongst your family, daily routine, interests, etc.

Part 2: Individual long-turn

you volition live given a bill of fare amongst a specific chore written on it (for example, "If you lot won the lottery, what would you lot exercise amongst the money?")
the chore volition live summarized inwards an introductory phrase together with bullet points volition follow to guide you lot through your answer
you have got most a infinitesimal to fix what you lot are going to say
you volition demand to speak most the topic for 1-2 minutes without examiner intervention or assistance
after 2 minutes, if you lot haven't finished your answer, the examiner volition interrupt you lot together with inquire you lot 1-2 follow-up questions most what you lot have got said

Part 3: Two-way discussion

this business office of the attempt out lasts roughly 4-5 minutes
general questions connected to the topic on the bill of fare you lot received inwards business office 2 volition live asked
these questions are normally of a to a greater extent than social, philosophical nature, pregnant that you lot are required to limited your sentiment

As I said earlier, the questions are straightforward, at that topographic point is no bully difficulty involved inwards the amount of fourth dimension needed to speak inwards Part 2 (two minutes go yesteryear real quickly) together with you lot are fifty-fifty given some fourth dimension to think most the topic inwards Part 2 before answering. So why isn't the Speaking department of the exam a walk in the park, together with in what cases does an examiner laurels an 8.0 instead of a 7.0?

Let's human face at an example. As already mentioned, in Part 1 of the exam candidates are asked full general questions most themselves. A typical query that could live asked is

"Are you lot studying or working at the moment?"

Let's state the candidate has the next information to share:

he/she is a university student
he/she is studying High German Philology
he/she is in the 2nd twelvemonth of studies
the academy is inwards London

Now let's human face at ii dissimilar answers amongst these limited pieces of information:

Answer 1:

Well, I'm studying right now. I'm inwards my 2nd twelvemonth together with am studying High German at a academy inwards London.

Answer 2:

Well, I'm non employed at the 2nd but am studying High German as a full-time educatee at an undergraduate level. In fact, I'm a sophomore, fifty-fifty though that's non the term I should live using since I'm handle a British university, inwards particular King's College inwards London.

Both answers are grammatically right together with respond to a greater extent than or less fully to the query asked. Nevertheless, the 2nd reply has the next advantages over the outset answer:

no repetition of meaningful words inwards your reply (words that aren't grammer words)
use of linking phrases (in fact, inwards particular, fifty-fifty though) to create flowing sentences
use of a wider range of vocabulary (full-time, undergraduate, sophomore, attend, employed)
no unnecessary repetition of words found in the query ('employed' is used instead of 'working')
acknowledgement of the entire question (something which shows comprehension together with expert listening skills) yesteryear proverb "I'm non employed" together with non exactly "I'm studying" immediately. This technique of fully answering a query also creates chemical compound sentences (made upwards of 2 clauses) rather than elementary sentences.

So, what have got nosotros gathered from this curt example? Examiners are looking for:

variety inwards vocabulary
more complex judgement structures which should also vary (in other words, don't have got complex sentences only!)
flowing sentences

Now let's human face at what else they'd similar to hear:

clear speech

There's no betoken giving an reply if you're the entirely 1 who tin empathize or hear what you're saying.
You demand to pay attention to

pace: how speedily you lot speak. Some people tend to speak likewise quickly to make every tidings heard.
enunciation: words demand to live articulated, that means every audio of each word needs to live heard clearly. Don't leave examiners inwards doubt equally to the ending of the irregular verb or plural substantive you used.
pronunciation: we all have got a special accent. Here the issue isn't to speak 100% similar a native speaker. Besides, at that topographic point are thence many dissimilar pronunciations of English, that it would live hypocritical to await non-native speakers of the linguistic communication to sound "native". The main thought to keep inwards remove heed is that your pronunciation shouldn't impede understanding. Anything that is incomprehensible, stressed wrongly, or creates doubt equally to grammatical accuracy (for instance intending to say "bookshelves" but pronouncing it "bookshelfes") is considered an error.
volume: don't mumble to yourself. Remember you lot are talking TO someone, thence brand yourself heard.

no prepared answers

Candidates tend to prepare fixed sets of answers to a multifariousness of potential questions -- this is the worst thing they tin do.
The easiest thing for a seasoned examiner to exercise is to selection upwards on these prepared answers, which they volition disregard by interrupting candidates together with bespeak them a dissimilar question.
Examiners want to come across how you lot would handgrip yourself inwards a province of affairs where you aren't given time to think inwards parts 1 together with 3. In business office 2, they allow you lot to squall upwards improve vocabulary or linking devices during the infinitesimal they allow you lot prepare, but withal await your reply to audio natural and non similar something out of a dissertation.

correct register

Register is the multifariousness of language used inwards a special communicative setting or context. For instance, the linguistic communication used during an official royal dinner held inwards honour of a visiting Prime Minister would non live the same equally that used yesteryear iii hip teens hanging out at their local diner.
This betoken is tied to the previous one. Prepared answers tend to audio too formal or similar something you'd write downwards rather than state out loud.
In the Speaking department of the test, you lot should maintain a semi-formal register. Phrasal verbs, idioms, cliches together with colloquial language are acceptable, but avoid words identified inwards dictionaries as slang (don't say, for example, "I think drug trafficking laws should become stricter so criminals can be busted more easily.")
Just brand certain you don't overuse colloquial language. By speaking during the oral exam as you lot would to a friend, you lot normally avoid using words examiners consider advanced.

pertinent answers

Answer the query asked, non something else. If you lot go off on a tangent without bringing your answer dorsum to reflect the query at the halt of your response, together with then your answer will live considered beside the point.
If, for example, the examiner has asked what you lot tin exercise to aid cut down pollution together with you lot talk most what the government should do, then your answer volition live considered problematic. However, your reply is acceptable if it focuses on what the government should exercise together with you lot complete off yesteryear saying, "Therefore, it's non actually what nosotros equally individuals tin exercise equally much equally what governments around the globe should live doing at the moment."

elaborate answers

The to a greater extent than you lot speak, the better. The less you lot brand the examiner work, the better.
Answering questions equally fully equally possible without making the examiner inquire 1 or ii to a greater extent than questions related to what you've said will larn you lot a higher mark. If a question asks you lot to verbalize most what you lot do inwards your complimentary fourth dimension together with you lot state you similar watching films together with then give equally many details most this equally you lot tin think of (what kinds of films you lot like; why you lot similar these types of films; how often you lot observe time to lookout adult man them; whether you lot locomote to a movie theatre to lookout adult man them or remain at home; whether you bask watching them amongst friends or yesteryear yourself; what your all-time favorite cinema is)
The cardinal is non to brand lists inwards your answers. Find 1 thing together with explicate it at length. I've seen over the years that the candidates who tend to give shorter answers to questions are the ones who mention 4-5 things and halt upwards concluding their answer abruptly, thinking that they've said many things, when inwards fact they've exactly given the examiner a brief inventory of nouns without whatever complex judgement structures or vocabulary words.

eye contact together with torso language

This is non graded per se, but impressions do brand a difference. Having a slouching private inwards front of you who would rather live staring at their fingers than you lot is never a pretty sight.
Make a expert impression by looking at your interlocutor together with maintaining a comfortable posture.
Don't fidget.
Smile. I'm non going to larn into the many studies that have got proven how beingness an open, cheerful soul tin have got a expert effect on oneself together with others, but the bottom business is that no matter how the oral exam is going for you, ever human face eager together with pleased to live speaking inwards English. Believe me, the overall number will live a positive 1 for both you lot together with the examiner.

communicative skills

Conversations doesn't ever transpire without snags. There volition live moments when you lot volition larn stuck finding a word, or you lot didn't hear the question, or may non have got understood the question. In such cases ever ask yourself "What would anyone else do?"
One of the major flaws candidates overlook in themselves is their inability to see the Speaking department of the IELTS exam as a conversation betwixt ii people. Of course you lot demand to live aware of your grammer together with vocabulary, but don't play the business office of the passive candidate -- come across yourself equally a soul sitting downwards together with talking to some other soul most a multifariousness of things. Asking them to clarify a point, or repeat what they've said because you lot didn't quite grab it is part of a normal conversation, thence don't bottle upwards your typical reactions in such circumstances. Of class you'd tell someone to repeat a question. Of course, you'd be honest plenty to state you lot don't empathize what they mean. Of course, if you're not able to observe a word in English you'll halt mid-sentence together with rephrase your reply inwards a dissimilar way thence equally to avoid having to run the tidings you lot couldn't find. Likewise, if you lot realize you've made a mistake, right it.
Asking the examiner a question, paraphrasing, excusing yourself and proceeding to correct a error are expected behaviors an examiner considers standard.