The IELTS speaking test can be quite nerve-racking.
This is because it not only tests our mastery of English grammar rules, but
also tests how fast we can comprehend the questions, recall the relevant knowledge, formulate the answers and deliver the answer in a fluent way with correct pronunciation -and all in very short span of time!
It provides hardly any time to think, to consolidate your thoughts into a logical answer and ensure that the delivery is smooth and in accordance with all the rules of grammar and enunciation.
This is why many believe this to be one of the most challenging parts of the IELTS exam.
Being prepared, however, will help you feel more capable and confident about acing the test.
To prepare it is useful to note the criteria for assessment used in IELTS.
This post covers the criteria used and includes tips to boost your score.
1. Fluency
Fluency consists of speaking in a fluid or flowing manner. It means speaking without any unnecessary stops or pauses caused by hesitation, stuttering or thinking of the next thing to say for a relatively prolonged period.
Here are some tips to help develop fluency. Prolong the last syllable of the last word in your sentence while completing the thought for the next sentence. Also use fillers to help you have more time to think of your next point. And practice talking about different things and giving each a longer and more extensive definition, description or explanation.
2. Pronunciation
Pronunciation deals with the proper way of saying words producing the appropriate sound for each letter and/or syllable of the words used. As well as, putting the stress properly in a word or in phrase or sentence.
To improve pronunciation, study the proper position of the tongue with the palate, gum, teeth, etc. when producing the sounds for each letter for each word that we use as part of our answers. Study, also, where the proper stress on each word, phrase or sentence should be. The dictionary is a good source to find the correct way of saying words. For phrases and sentences, listen to where the stresses and pauses are placed in reliable recordings from the BBC / CNN etc.
3. Coherence
Coherence involves putting ideas together in an organised manner that show ideas are related to each other and it is arranged in a logical way.
A helpful exercise to develop coherence is dissecting a sample paragraph, itemising them and indicating a main point for each, and analyzing why they were positioned in that order in the given paragraph. A useful tool for coherence is the use of conjunctions like “first,” “next,” “in addition,” and more.
4. Grammatical accuracy and range
Grammatical accuracy deals with how much we adhere to the rules of English grammar which include verb tenses, antecedents, parallelism and more. Grammatical range deals with the structures of phrases, sentences and the different parts of speech as applied in the text which can either be simple or complex.
To further develop grammatical accuracy and range, review all the rules of grammar and read many materials with excellent grammatical formats and study their structures. Compose your own written text using different structures making sure all the grammar rules are followed. Then later compose directly as you speak.
5. Lexical resource
Lexical resource constitutes our vocabulary. It is involved in the type of words that we use, its level of use (whether it is common or not), its frequency of use and its appropriateness in its use.
The best way to improve on lexical resource is to read a lot, learn new words, their meanings and how they are properly used. Once an unfamiliar word crosses our sight, list it down, find its meaning from a dictionary, study how it is used in context, and use it in your own sentence.
Now that we have some knowledge on what the points or criteria are with which the assessment of the IELTS Speaking Test will be based on, we have a better insight into what points to work on. Begin improving your skills. From the five given principles, work on one principle at a time. Start with what you find most difficult especially when you only have a limited time to prepare before your scheduled IELTS exam. As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect,” so the more you practice the closer you get to perfecting your skills. There is no such thing as “something being too hard or impossible,” it only really just takes one step at a time, with that step done continuously, consistently, and with commitment.
The audio version contains plenty more tips, download it here:
| Download | Stitcher | iTunes|
The post 100. IELTS Speaking: Five Speaking Points You Need to Improve appeared first on IELTS podcast.
