How to prepare for IELTS Speaking?
Speaking is one of the most dreaded aspects of IELTS as a majority of the people lack the confidence to deliver an effective speech. Expressing your ideas with a natural flow of language using strong vocabulary and voice modulation can be one hell of a task. After going through this article, you can not only boost your band score but also modify your oratory power.
The IELTS Speaking Section comprises of 3 parts and lasts for about 14 minutes. In Part 1, you have to answer questions about yourself and your life. You will be given a topic to speak about in Part 2 and for Part 3, get ready to answer questions related to that topic. The certified examiner tests your Fluency, Pronunciation, Vocabulary, Grammar, and Punctuation during this period. Also, the test is the same for both Academic and General Training test takers.
Break the Ice
Utilize Part 1 of your speaking test to build confidence and fluency. The examiner will ask you questions related to your interests, family, work, and other general topics. Speaking about them for 4-5 minutes helps in reducing existing stress and anxiety, thereby adding impetus to your verbal abilities.
Tip: Giving very short answers make you susceptible to lose marks. You must speak two-four lines for each answer.
Elaborate
Expand your answers by adding more generic statements instead of jumping straightway to address the question. You can even go slightly off-topic in the speaking section of IELTS, which is advantageous when your content lacks relevant ideas and examples.
Tip: Words like which, that, and who help you add more detail into your sentences. For example - COVID-19 has infected thousands in the world vs COVID-19, which is an infectious disease caused by a new coronavirus has infected thousands in the world.
Narrate Stories
A great way to speak for a longer period of time is presenting your views through a story. It also allows you to use a broader range of words that can increase your score. The story doesn't have to be real, it is principally instrumental for adding more content to your speech. You do not have to worry even if all the points mentioned in the cue card are not covered through the story, the IELTS speaking test gives no extra points for task achievement!
It's Ok to be a little Informal
You are allowed to use contractions and phrasal verbs in the Speaking section which is contrary to the Writing section. Being too formal makes it difficult to speak fluently without pauses and hesitations. Nevertheless, be sure of using grammatically correct sentences and emphasizing the main idea in your articulation.
Importance of the 1 Minute Preparation
In Part 2 of the IELTS speaking section, you get a cue card which consists of a simple question like the one given below. You are given 1 minute to prepare your speech and talk about it for 2 minutes. Read it carefully so that you understand the question fully before attempting to answer it. Begin and end your speech in an effective manner while making the best of your imagination.
Sample Question:
Describe a job that you would like to do in the future.
You should say
Why you are attracted to this job
How much training would be necessary
What kind of personal qualities it would require and explain why you would like to do this job
Note down the keywords, synonyms, and related words that you could use during the next 2 minutes. Stressing on the important words makes it easier for your examiner to follow your talk. Think about your experiences related to the topic and make points on it. Speculate how the topic is related to your present situations and what do you expect in future. Do not write full sentences, just make bullet points. Most importantly, write the ideas for each of the three points quickly.
Strong Closing
Ending your speech with a precise closing statement does have an impact on your overall score. You can end with phrases like -
In conclusion...
That's how...
To wrap up...
To sum up...
Finally, I believe...
Reading Between the Lines
It is important to understand the abstract and analytical questions asked in Part 3 of IELTS Speaking. Here, questions like What are some of the advantages of living in a cosmopolitan city? or In what ways do we measure personal achievement in our society? can be asked by the examiner. These questions will be connected to the topic you spoke about in Part 2. To tackle these questions, you must justify your ideas with a valid argument and logical reasoning. Don't be shy to express what you think but provide reasons to explain why your opinion is correct. Your reasoning skills will help you make your answer more convincing.
Conclusion
Consuming more and more information is a waste of time unless and until you apply them by practising and implementing. Practising with the perfect strategy is the key to improve your score. So, Sign Up and get free IELTS Practice Tests today!
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