How To Prepare For IELTS Speaking? The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is constructed to enable you to work, study or migrate to a country where English is the born language. This comprises countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA.
Your capacity to listen, read, write and speak in English will be evaluated during the test. IELTS is rated on a scale of 1-9.
IELTS is together acquired by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and Cambridge English.
Why take IELTS?
If you are looking to work, live or study in an English-speaking country, then you must be able to illustrate a huge level of English language proficiency.
English is the third greatest spoken language in the world, with 379 million orators worldwide.
Being competent to communicate in the native language of the country you aspire to work or study in, has a vast range of advantages. It is also necessary for job alternatives as well as integration into the population.
IELTS is the most prominent test for those looking to leave for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK. It is globally perceived by more than 11,000 employers, universities, schools, and immigration bodies comprising 3,400 institutions in the USA.
IELTS Speaking Test Information
Here is some important information about the IELTS speaking test.
- The speaking test will be conducted face-to-face with an examiner in a room.
- There is only one speaking test for all, So Academic & GT candidates take the same speaking test.
- If you are going for computer-delivered IELTS, you will be having a face-to-face interview with the examiner.
- It is also being recorded so that you can ask for a remark if you want it later.
- This is an informal speaking test.
- Your results will be decided by the examiner who asks the questions, at the end of the test.
- The test carries for 11 to 14 mins (not more and not less).
- The time and length of your answers will be controlled by the examiner.
- The test comprises of:
- I check and Greeting
- Part 1 = questions & answers 4 to 5 mins
- Part 2 = a talk for 1-2 mins with rounding off questions for 1 min.
- Part 3 discussion 4 to 5 mins
- There are four marking criteria:
- Fluency & Cohesion (25%)
- Vocabulary (25%)
- Grammar (25%)
- Pronunciation (25%)
Are all the parts of the IELTS speaking test equally important?
The IELTS speaking test is graded by your performance in all parts of the test. The examiner will check your English language using the 4 marking criteria for each part of the test.
Speaking Part 1
If you are strong in speaking part 1 but not in the other parts, then you will not get a good score. You must do well in all parts to get a good score.
Most of the questions are quite easy in part 1 and are about yourself or your country. So, doing well in this part is expected of high-level students. If you give very short answers, for example, “Yes, I do” or “No, I don’t”, you are not providing the examiner with a good range of language to assess. So, that means your potential score is not high when you enter part 2 and it will affect your overall score.
Speaking Part 2
In speaking part 2, the examiner has a chance to sit and listen to your English without interrupting. So, giving a short speech of only 1 minute gives you less chance to demonstrate the level of your English and less chance to show fluency. It is still possible to get a good score with only 1 min or 1.5 mins speech but only if the language you use is very good and your fluency is very strong during that time.
By the end of speaking part 2, the examiner has a rough idea of your band score. Adding more information and details to each prompt is a way of offering the examiner a broader range of your language ability. The description offers the examiner more vocabulary and fluency. Talking with feeling can offer better intonation. Explaining in detail can offer better sentence structures and grammar. Giving examples of the past and ideas for the future can offer more grammar tenses. Try to find ways to showcase your English in part 2.
Speaking Part 3
In speaking part 3, it is a chance for the examiner to ask more in-depth questions which will require more skill in English to answer. The questions are abstract and about the world rather than yourself. This requires a better level of English to answer well.
This is a chance for you to boost your score by providing the examiner with a better range of vocabulary, grammar, fluency, and pronunciation. Giving examples and detailed explanations of your ideas naturally produce better language which will help your score.
Know What the Examiner Wants
You must understand how the exam is marked
There are four marking criteria:
- fluency and coherence
- lexical resource
- grammatical range and accuracy
- pronunciation
Each criterion counts towards 25% of your mark and you will be marked on a 9-band scale.
Fluency refers to your ability to talk smoothly without any unnatural stoppages.
Coherence refers to how easy it is for the examiner to understand what you mean.
Lexical resource refers to your ability to use a wide range of vocabulary both appropriately and accurately.
You will also be given a mark for your grammar. Your sentences should be as error-free as possible and you should use a range of appropriate grammatical structures.
Finally, you will be judged on pronunciation. Your speech should be clear and contain a full range of pronunciation features, such as intonation, sentence stress, and weak sounds.
How To Prepare For IELTS Speaking
Establish Your Current Band
You should find out what your current speaking band is and then you will know how much you need to improve.
The best way to do this is to find an experienced IELTS teacher and ask them to tell you.
There are also some teachers online that can help you establish your score and help you prepare for the IELTS speaking test.
If you can’t find anyone to help you take a look at the IELTS speaking band descriptors and these should help you find your level. It is the first tip on how to prepare for IELTS speaking.
Set Your Target and Make a Timeline
Now that you know your current IELTS speaking band you should set your target and make a timeline. It is very important to be realistic at this stage.
It normally takes between 200-300 hours of study to move up half an IELTS band. Therefore if you studied 20 hours a week it would take you between 3-5 months to improve your score by half a band.
It should be noted that everyone is different and the figures above are very general. Some people can improve more quickly and for others, it takes a little longer. Also, the 200-300 hour rule is for someone trying to improve all four skills, so if you are just trying to improve your speaking, you might be able to do it in a shorter period. It is the second tip on how to prepare for IELTS speaking.
Make a Study Plan
Now that you know how long it will take you to get the score you need, you should make a study plan and stick to it. Some people decide to join an IELTS institute and just study when they are there, but if you want to improve you should also practice at home.
Below is an example of a study plan:
Monday
Morning- Listen to the news in English (30 minutes)
Evening – Practice speaking with friends online (30 minutes)
Tuesday
Morning-Read my favorite English blog (30 minutes)
Afternoon – Meet my friend for coffee and speak
English (30 minutes)
Wednesday
Morning – Practice pronunciation at home (30 minutes)
Evening – Chat with my friend on Skype (30 minutes)
Thursday
Morning – Read the news in English (30 minutes)
Evening – Practice talking for 2 minutes about one topic (30 minutes)
Friday
Morning- Watch an English movie (30 minutes)
Evening – Record myself talking and listen (30 minutes)
You will not follow the same study plan, but it shows you that it is very easy to make improving your English part of your daily routine.
Learn From Your Mistakes
You should find out what your common mistakes or weaknesses and then you can focus on improving them. Some people are very fluent speakers but make lots of grammar mistakes, some people are very good at grammar, but speak at an unnaturally slow speed and others are difficult to understand because they need help with their pronunciation.
Find a good IELTS teacher either in your local area or online and ask them to tell you your weak points.
If you have a friend who is a native or advanced English speaker, they can also help you with this.
Finally, you should record yourself and this will help you spot your weaknesses and help you fix them. It is the fourth tip on how to prepare for IELTS speaking.
Prepare For the IELTS Speaking Test by Listening and Reading
To do well in the speaking test, you will need to improve your overall level of English. As stated above, you will be marked on your grammar and vocabulary for IELTS speaking, so improving these is essential. Listening and reading in English will help you improve these skills.
For listening, you should check out Podcasts. Podcasts are like radio shows, but you can download them and listen to them whenever you like. There are millions of podcasts so it shouldn’t be difficult for you to find one you like. Try to find one on a topic that you are interested in, rather than one about learning English or IELTS.
For reading, you should find a blog that interests you. All you have to do is Google a topic you’re interested in and type ‘blog’ in the search. For example, you might be interested in travel so just search for ‘Travel Blog’. It is the fifth tip on how to prepare for IELTS speaking.
Practice Speaking in Real Life Situations
The IELTS speaking test is supposed to represent what it is like to talk to someone in a real-life situation. You should therefore not practice IELTS past paper questions and just talk normally to someone instead. There are thousands of past paper questions and it is very unlikely that you will be asked any of them in your test.
Find someone to practice your English with and talk about something you are interested in. This will make it much easier and you are less likely to get bored.
One of my best students was so determined to improve her speaking that she got a part-time job in a 5-star hotel in her local town. She knew she would have to speak to mostly English-speaking customers and this practice helped her get an 8 on the speaking test. It is the sixth tip on how to prepare for IELTS speaking.
Practice Functional Language
I said above that you should not use past paper questions to practice, but you should be aware of the types of questions that normally come up in the IELTS speaking test
You are likely to be asked about the past, present, and future, your opinion, hypothetical situations, and what you think about another person’s opinion. You should, therefore, learn the grammar and functional language used to talk about these things. See my guide on 7 common IELTS questions for lots of help with this. It is the seventh tip on how to prepare for IELTS speaking.
Extend Your Answers
One of the ways students get a low score is by giving very short answers. Practice not only stating your answer but also explaining what you mean and giving examples from your life. This will help you get into the habit and this will lead to higher marks on exam day.
For example, if you were asked the question ‘Who is the kindest person you know?’ you could answer one of two ways:
Answer 1 – ‘The kindest person know is my Mum.’
Answer 2 – ‘The kindest person know is my Mum because she gave us everything she could when we were growing up and made lots of sacrifices. For example, she would always buy us clothes and books instead of buying anything for herself.’
Answer 1 might be true, but it is so short that it doesn’t allow the examiner to judge your ability.
By using the A-E-E formula (Answer-Explain Example) you have shown the examiner that you can fully address the question and use a range of grammar and vocabulary. If you don’t do this, it will be more difficult to get a high score. It is the eighth tip on how to prepare for IELTS speaking.
Conclusion (How To Prepare For IELTS Speaking)
In this blog, we have discussed about how to prepare for IELTS speaking.
If you are thinking about taking the IELTS Speaking test, we hope this information was useful to you. If you are already studying for your IELTS Speaking test.
we hope that you found this information useful and that it was able to enrich your study time.
If you have any questions or concerns about taking the IELTS Speaking test, please contact us anytime at CourseMentor™. Thank you for reading, and all the best on your IELTS Speaking test!
FAQs (How To Prepare For IELTS Speaking)
How to get 7+ band in IELTS speaking?
If you want to pass with 7+ band in ielts speaking and score good marks, you need to know the basic and important tips to get 7 band in ielts speaking band. Ielts speaking tips is also given here to get 7 band and gain confidence in speaking.
1. The most important tip for ielts speaking exam is that understand the topic and give your ideas about it.
2. The second important tip is that speak clearly and loudly, understand the time and don’t think about time.
3. Also, one more important tip is that, speak with confidence and smile.
Is IELTS speaking difficult?
IELTS speaking is not very difficult. It’s your choice whether you choose to do an academic or general IELTS test. If you chose the first one then you need to prepare using academic vocabulary and speaking on academic topics. If you chose the general one then you will still have to choose a good and interesting topic but the way you present it will be a bit more relaxed.
Will the examiner decide my score on the test or later on?
Your score will be decided by the examiner who conducts the test and the score will be given at the end of the test. By the end of speaking part 3, the examiner will have decided your score.
Does the examiner have model answers?
No, there are no model answers used for assessing you in the IELTS speaking test. Each student will use different English and give different answers. Your score is only calculated on the English language you produce the level and range of your English and the accuracy of your English.
If I don’t answer one question, will it affect my score?
If you perform well and produce good English in the other questions, you can still get a good score. Struggling with only one question while the others are fine, should not affect your score adversely.
Will I get a low score if I can’t think of many ideas?
The IELTS speaking test only assesses your English language, not your ideas. This is very different from the IELTS writing test. IELTS writing assesses your ideas, your answers, how you develop the ideas, and how you present them. IELTS speaking only tests your vocabulary, grammar, fluency, and pronunciation.
