February 13, 2017 alexis

Speaking

THE IELTS SPEAKING TEST

The test is an interview between you and the examiner. It has 3 parts.

Part 1 serves as an introduction and lasts 4 to 5 minutes. You are asked questions on general topics which should be familiar to you. These may be about your hobbies, interests, likes or dislikes, your home or family, your studies or work etc.

Part 2 is the individual long turn and lasts 3 to 4 minutes. You have to talk about a particular topic for one to two minutes. You are given a card containing some information and suggestions. You may have to describe a person, place or event and then explain how important they are to you. You have up to one minute to prepare your talk and make notes if you want to.

Part 3 is a two-way discussion and lasts 4 to 5 minutes. You will be asked more detailed and abstract questions which are related to the topic in Part 2. You are expected to give extended answers.

The IELTS Speaking Test lasts 11 to 14 minutes.

Your speaking performance is assessed according to the following criteria:

  • Fluency and Coherence.
  • Lexical Resource.
  • Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
  • Pronunciation.

The final result is then translated into a score based on the IELTS nine-band scale.

IELTS SPEAKING TEST (Part 1)
HOW TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

Part 1 of the IELTS Speaking Test gives you the opportunity to make a good impression on the examiner. Here are some useful tips.

KEEP CALM.

Even though it is normal to feel a sense of anxiety before and during the speaking test, you should try to be relaxed. Stress can make it difficult to listen to and concentrate on what the examiner is asking. An IELTS examiner is not a police officer who is going to interrogate you. He/she has been instructed to be friendly and polite. You can do the same. When you enter the room, smile and greet him/her. Keep calm and maintain eye contact throughout the interview. There is no reason to feel nervous because you will be asked questions on familiar topics like family, friends, holidays, interests, work and your plans for the future, which you can practise discussing before the test.

USE YOUR IMAGINATION.

As mentioned before, you are not being interviewed by a police officer, so imagine you are having a cup of coffee with a friendly stranger. If the examiner asks you a question about a person you admire and you reply, “I don’t know,” then you are not helping the examiner give you a good mark. Use your imagination, make something up and try to make it realistic and interesting.

LISTEN TO THE EXAMINER.

Listen carefully and make sure you have understood what is being asked. Use the grammar in the question to help you. For example, if the examiner asks, “What did you do last weekend?” you should use the simple past.

PROVIDE EXTENDED ANSWERS.

You should not answer “Yes”, “No,” or “It depends.” Expand your answers by justifying your opinion and giving explanations or examples. Use linking words when doing so. Ask yourself WHAT, WHO, WHERE, HOW, WHEN and WHY questions to help you expand your answers. For example, if the examiner asks you “Where you would like to go on holiday?” you could elaborate on your answer by saying not only WHERE, but also WHO you would go with, HOW you will go, WHEN you will go, WHAT you will do and WHY you will go. Be careful not to overdo it, or stray from the topic. Your answers must be relevant and sound natural. Extended answers also allow you to use a wide range of vocabulary and grammatical structures.

SPEAK CLEARLY.

Speak as clearly as possible so that the examiner can understand you. Don’t speak too fast or too slowly. Speak with rhythm and at a steady pace emphasising the key words of the questions. Don’t worry about your accent because even native speakers have one.

IELTS SPEAKING TEST (Part 2)
HOW TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

If you keep calm, use your imagination, listen to the examiner, provide extended answers and speak clearly during part 1 of the IELTS Speaking Test, you will make a good first impression on the examiner. You can continue to do the same thing in part 2 of the IELTS Speaking Test, which is known as the individual long turn.
KNOW HOW YOUR PERFORMANCE IS ASSESSED.

Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking Test assesses your ability to speak clearly in English for at least one minute, but not more than two, on a given topic such as describing a person, place or an event. You need to use appropriate language with a wide range of grammatical structures and vocabulary if you want to impress the examiner.

PREPARE YOUR PRESENTATION.

You will be given a task card asking you to talk about a particular topic. You have one minute to prepare your talk and you are given a pencil and paper to make notes. Use the prompts on the task card and ask yourself who, what, where, why and how questions to help you develop your response. Organise your talk so that you can mention what you want to say within the time limit.

LINK YOUR IDEAS.

It is important to be able to extend your response and expand your ideas by using a wide range of grammatical structures and vocabulary. There are many linking words and phrases such as and, although, because, but, or so. You should only use linking words and phrases that sound natural. It would be inappropriate to use connecting words like hence, moreover and thus, which are mainly used in written English.

ACT NATURALLY.

Express your ideas clearly and coherently, without long hesitations. As you talk, you can look at your notes or the task card with the prompts, but you must not read from your notes. Keep eye contact with the examiner. You must look and sound natural to make a good impression. If you want to perform well during the test, you need to rehearse like all great actors. Practise as often as you can with a timer so that you can get used to speaking for at least a minute, but not more than two.

DESCRIBING PEOPLE

In part 2 of the ‪IELTS Speaking test you are presented with a card providing prompts for a particular topic. Then, you are given a minute to prepare and make notes. Use this time wisely to prepare and organise your talk. After that, you have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. Be prepared to describe people, places or events and explain why they are important to you.

Here is some useful language for DESCRIBING PEOPLE that you admire.

One person I admire/ look up to is …
One person that has made a lasting impression on me is …
One person that has inspired me is …

… has a pleasant personality
… has a good sense of humour
… has a cheerful disposition

… is friendly / generous / honest / kind / loyal / trustworthy
… is easy-going / open-minded / warm-hearted

Focus on the features that are relevant to the topic. Support your ideas with examples. Express them coherently with a wide range of vocabulary and grammatical structures … and you will impress the IELTS examiner.

DESCRIBING PLACES

In part 2 of the ‪IELTS Speaking Test you are presented with a card providing prompts for a particular topic. Then, you are given a minute to prepare and make notes if you want to. Use this time wisely to prepare and organise your talk. After that, you have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. Be prepared to describe places people or events and explain why they are important to you.

Here is some useful language for DESCRIBING PLACES:

… is located/situated in the north/south/east/west of …
… is surrounded by …
… brings back lots of wonderful memories …

… is a popular and well-known holiday destination …
… has breathtaking views with unspoiled natural beauty …
… has beautiful beaches with crystal clear waters in an idyllic setting …
…has picturesque villages …
has famous landmarks and tourist attractions …

Visiting a place like … can broaden your horizons as …
… is a place of great historical importance …
… gives you an insight into the local culture and civilization …
… you can come into contact with the local people and/or people from all over the world.

… is one of the fastest growing cities in the world ..
… is the industrial. financial and commercial centre of the country..
… is one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world …

If you want to impress the IELTS examiner, focus on the features that are relevant to the topic. Moreover, express your ideas coherently with a wide range of vocabulary and grammatical structures.

JG.

IELTS SPEAKING TEST (Part 3)
HOW TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

Part 3 of the IELTS Speaking Test is a two-way discussion between you and the examiner.

KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.

It is possible to know what to expect in this part of the test as you will be asked questions that are related to the given topic in part 2.
Therefore, you should feel confident enough to speak with fluency and coherence.

LOOK AND SOUND CONFIDENT.

Sit in a way that shows you are actively participating in the discussion. Sit up straight without folding your arms. Maintain eye contact with the examiner. Listen carefully to what the examiner has to say. Speak confidently and clearly.

SPEAK MORE THAN THE EXAMINER.

Part 3 might be a two-way discussion between you and the examiner, but you are expected to speak more than the examiner and give extended answers. This part of the test assesses your ability to justify your opinion, analyse, support your statements and opinions and give examples.

KEEP CALM.

Keep calm even if you are asked about something which may not be familiar to you. Say something, even if you admit that you do not know much about the topic. Remember, it is the level of your speaking ability in the English language that is being assessed, not your general knowledge and opinions.

JG.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

Walt Whitman said: “Nothing endures, but personal qualities.” Many people find it difficult to talk about themselves and their personal qualities. If you cannot talk about your personal qualities, who can? Here are some qualities to begin with.

adaptable
astute
can work under pressure
careful
committed
competent
confident
conscientious
considerate
cooperative
courteous
creative
decisive
dedicated
determined
eager
energetic
experienced
extrovert
flexible
friendly
generous
get on well with other people
gifted
good sense of humour
hard-working
honest
imaginative
independent
intelligent
loyal
methodical
meticulous
open-minded
optimistic
organized
patient
perceptive
polite
positive
punctual
receptive
reliable
responsible
self-motivated
talented
thorough
thoughtful
willing to learn
work well with others

As far as IELTS is concerned, you will find a lot of these personal qualities useful since you may well come across such vocabulary in the Listening and Reading Tests. You may also need to use them in the Writing Test. For instance, you may have to write a letter for a job application in General Training Writing Task 1. Or, you may have to use them in the Speaking Test, in particular, in Part 2 when describing a person.

Note down any of the above personal qualities that you think apply to you and then add some of your own to build your vocabulary. Remember that you will be assessed on the range of the vocabulary that you use in both the Speaking and the Writing Tests of the #IELTS exam.

JG.