Tips to set you up for success in IELTS speaking test
Brush up on your speaking skills before heading out to your test. With these surefire tips for acing the IELTS speaking test, you’ll be well on your way to achieving the IELTS band score you need!
Whether your goal is to learn or earn in an English-speaking country, you’ll need A-grade IELTS speaking skills to get yourself through the door.
Examiners evaluate your IELTS speaking test based on four criteria. That is pronunciation, fluency and coherence, vocabulary, and grammatical correctness.
If speaking English isn’t your strong suit, here are 9 IELTS speaking tips to help you feel and sound more confident in your ability to pass the IELTS speaking test:
Here are nine tips to help you ace the IELTS speaking test:
- Know The Exam
- Know Your Strengths And Weaknesses
- Commit To Speaking English Every Day
- Take Up Mock Tests
- Expand Your Vocabulary
- Don’t Speak In A Monotone
- Focus On Grammatical Structure
- Avoid Using Words Unfamiliar To You
- Work On Your Pronunciation
#1. Know The Exam
Know what to expect in your IELTS speaking test
Students unfamiliar with the test formats are often taken by surprise on the big day, preventing them from giving it their all.
The IELTS Speaking Sections 1, 2, and 3 cover everything you need to know. Here’s an overview of what to expect in your IELTS speaking test:
Part 1:
Part 1 consists of a 3-5 minute interview about yourself with an IELTS examiner. This could include your work, personal interests, and more.
Part 2:
In part 2, you will be provided a card with a topic. You will have a minute to take notes and prepare your response before speaking for two minutes on the subject.
Part 3:
Here, you’ll have a conversation with an IELTS examiner about the topic from Part 2 and go through it in greater detail. This could take up to 4-5 minutes to complete.
#2. Know Your Strengths And Weakness
Know what your strength and weaknesses are to ace the IELTS speaking test
One of the difficulties of learning a language is that you don’t always realize your mistakes. However, you’ll need to be aware of the areas you need to improve your language skills.
Your IELTS speaking test will be assessed on four levels: fluency, vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation. Determine which of these are your strengths and weaknesses.
Decide where you need to improve and plan your valuable preparation time accordingly. You’re wasting your time if you put equal emphasis on the areas you’ve already perfected and those you haven’t.
#3. Commit To Speaking English Every Day
Immerse yourself in English every day to make your IELTS speaking test easier
When committing to speaking English every day, the good thing is you don’t always need a partner to practice.
Speaking fluent English is one of the main hurdles. Therefore, the reading and writing components of the IELTS test are often easier to accomplish. However, the quickest way to improve your English speaking ability is by immersing yourself in the language.
And if you have the drive to keep practicing, you’ll see all the differences you’ve made in a week.
Apart from speaking, learning to think in English will enable you to talk more quickly, accurately, and fluently. Your speaking ability will increase dramatically, and your tone will sound more natural. Start putting it to use right away!
#4. Take Up Mock Tests
One of the best ways to get super comfortable with the IELTS speaking test is to take mock tests and familiarize yourself with IELLTs style questions.
You can take a practice test every other day or have your performance evaluated in an actual test setting, like those offered by Chhundu Training Institute.
The more solid your practice is, the more possibilities you’ll have to score exceptionally well. If you’re pressed for time, make it a point to do it at least once.
As you learn how to prepare answers for the various areas of the test, give yourself some time to think. If you’re uncertain of how to respond to a question, try utilizing these phrases to buy yourself some time to think:
- That is an interesting question
- That is a good point
- Let me see
#5. Expand Your Vocabulary
Diversify your vocabulary to win the IELTS speaking test
For the IELTS speaking test, it is essential to use a diverse vocabulary in various situations. Vocabulary contributes more than 25% of the marks in not just speaking sections but also in the writing section.
Enhancing vocabulary will make a huge difference in your ability to perform in the IELTS speaking test.
Pick a magazine, book, TV series, or podcast that interests you. If you appreciate what you’re doing, you’ll learn more effectively, so make sure not to pick something boring.
#6. Don’t Speak In A Monotone
When speaking, people often tend to make a dull, monotonous sound with little to no variations. This makes it more challenging to express yourself and the listener to figure out which parts of your message are most significant.
It is vital to have an engaging conversation with your IELTS examiner. And you can do this by emphasizing specific words and pausing at key points when speaking.
By emphasizing the main words/phrases, we can make it easy to compare and contrast ideas. It will also enhance the flow of your conversation. Here are certain things to consider when speaking:
- Don’t use a monotonous voice.
- Change your intonation to add emphasis.
- Make hand gestures to assist the dialogue flow.
#7. Focus On Grammatical Structures
Look out for grammatical errors on your IELTS speaking test
Obviously, using the correct tense is a crucial component of grammatical precision. Although it’s a rather basic blunder, candidates frequently use the incorrect tense when answering questions.
This type of grammatical error is all too common in the IELTS Speaking test, and it is why people get poor grammar scores. Here is a quick fix to this issue: identify the tense used by the examiner in their question and use it in your response.
For Instance:
Question: Have You Been Outside Bhutan?
Good Answer: No, I’ve never visited a foreign country, but I am going to Thailand in December.
#8. Avoid Using Words Unfamiliar To You
Avoid unfamiliar words that will affect your IELTS Speaking test score
In your IELTS speaking test, you might want to use complex terms to impress the examiner. However, if you want to be on the safer side, avoid using words that are unfamiliar to you.
It’s likely that you’ll make a mistake by mispronouncing words or using them inappropriately. Your score can be affected by these mistakes.
Make use of various words that are appropriate to the topic at hand. Create a list of new words you learn every day to help you engrain them into your vocabulary.
#9. Work On Your Pronunciation
Pronunciation is vital when appearing for the IELTS speaking test. Since the examiner needs to understand what you’re saying, they won’t be able to assess your IELTS speaking skills if you have poor pronunciation.
You will not be required to speak English as fluently as a native speaker. There are many different nationalities who speak English, each with their accent and somewhat distinct intonations.
Bottom Line
That concludes our discussion. These nine tried-and-tested IELTS speaking test tips will set you up for success.
The rule is not to speak like an orator or to respond in a logical and ordered manner. You are simply evaluated on your competencies in speaking English!
What’s next? We recommend visiting Chhundu Training Institute, your go-to institute for IELTS, with more content and better guidance!
