Want to prepare for the IELTS speaking test? Here are some tips and tricks

You may come across some people who often feel unusual to communicate in English. It might be because they lack practice and thorough knowledge of the language. But knowing the nuts and bolts of the language is a must especially if you are appearing for an international exam like IELTS. In addition, it is the final but the most interesting part of the IELTS exam which takes place for about 15 minutes as a face-to-face conversation between a candidate and examiner.

Some candidates find it very hard to ace this section but genuinely, it is the only section that gives you a chance to improve your bands. Confused? Since it is like an interview where candidates are not expected to speak prepared or structured answers. Interviews are indeed very spontaneous and you don’t have sufficient time to think and plan a logical answer. Relax! Examiners are going to test you on your ease of

speaking fluently and spontaneity,
using good vocabulary,
Doing lesser or no grammar mistakes,
Pronouncing the words and maintaining the tone well.

Through consistent and relentless speaking practice, you can score the best marks in the IELTS speaking module. Scoring 8 or above bands is possible for the one who prepares by searching the most common IELTS speaking topics and IELTS speaking questions that have ever been asked in the previous IELTS speaking interviews.

IELTS Speaking Tip 1: Stop Cramming the answers

Kindly avoid memorizing the answers because a crammed answer doesn't give the examiner a precise observation of your English knowledge. Furthermore, experienced examiners take no time to analyze if it's a memorized answer or the original expression of ideas by the candidate. In any case, your band's score may get affected respectively.

IELTS Speaking Tip 2: No use of highly advanced words

Undoubtedly, every candidate comes with the confidence to win their examiner’s hearts by using complex words in their speaking module. Bear in mind, you should restrict yourself from speaking words you are unfamiliar with. As this may increase the chance of making mistakes while pronouncing wrongly or using them in the context way. These flaws will affect your band score. Instead, Candidates must use vocabulary words that are relevant to the topic being raised.

Mind that you are being tested and marked in your IELTS speaking module as per the following criteria:

Fluency and coherence
Lexical resource
Pronunciation
Grammatical range and accuracy

Through practice only, you can get to know how to use a range of complex and simple sentences to express yourself. You may engage in an English conversation with your employees or friends or even with your online coach and record it and examine your tone, words, and grammatical structures. Rectify the errors if there are any.

IELTS Speaking Tip 4: No use of fillers

Try to speak and express yourself with confidence. Your fluency and level of English speaking skills are tested altogether when you are in conversation with your examiner. Candidates usually rely on fillers when they don't know how to continue their answers. Using fillers while speaking demonstrates to the examiner that you don’t have a good hold over the language or ideas. Hence, restrict using them in your speaking test. Honestly, it can be a sign of improper IELTS preparation so make sure you go through various IELTS speaking topics and practice speaking on them on daily basis. The fillers are as followings:

You know...
Umm…
Ahh…
Like…
Ahh...
Well
Yeah...

IELTS Speaking Tip 5: Extensive answers

Don't begin and end your answers too quickly. Instead, try to explain your answers in a good tone and fluent way. Giving an extended answer would not let the examiner prompt you with a new question. He only asks more when your answers are not up to the mark. Giving brief answers or ending up so soon shows that you cannot talk about a topic completely.

For instance, if your answer is completed, still, If the examiner asks 'Why?', then, it means that they want you to give a solid cause for your answer and to extend it more.

IELTS Speaking Tip 6: Search common IELTS Speaking topics

As discussed earlier, practicing the most common IELTS topics with friends, acquaintances, or colleagues to level up your fluency and to learn vocabulary related to each topic is vital. Some of the most common topics are:

Tourism and travel
Education
Family life
Transport
The Internet
Environment
Sport and recreation
Crime and punishment
Advertising and retail

A clear example of an IELTS speaking interview between an examiner and a candidate:

Part 1:

Do you love traveling?

Yes, of course! I believe that life is all about seeing the world, from great historical monuments to white sandy beaches. It's a very intriguing way to understand new cultures and discover new places.

What do you like to do on holiday?

I prefer going to various museums and places of interest. For example, I went to Rome on my last vacation and visited 10 museums. It was amazing! Of course, sometimes I go shopping with my friends or relatives too. But I don't find it nearly as exciting.

Part 2:

Describe a tourist attraction you once visited. You should say:

When you visit it
Where is it located
Who you went with

and say what about it do you like the most

About three years ago, I visited London with my family. It is a very famous tourist destination since there are a lot of things to do and numerous places to visit such as streets and historical monuments. That's why there is always a great number of tourists. So we decided to go out of season in the autumn. Fortunately, the weather had been great, and we did not waste any days taking rest or watching TV at the hotel. It was a memorable holiday as we enjoyed jaw-dropping views from the top of the London Shard. Also, a splendid view of central London looked entrancing from London Eye. We dined in a cozy little cafe. I would certainly recommend visiting London, it is a charming place.

Why do you think tourism is so developed now?

Well, traveling is very common nowadays. You can choose to book a trip, flights, and accommodation through the internet without having to leave your home. Also, anyone can plan to travel anytime, anywhere according to their pockets.

Do you prefer traveling alone or in tour groups? Why?

I definitely prefer traveling alone because I believe in planning a trip all by myself. When choosing a guided tour, you have to comply with the pre-set schedule. So if you are in India and, say, you want to spend an extra hour at Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, you simply cannot do that with a group tour. I prefer independent travel. That way, I get to explore and do exactly what I want and spend as much time as I want in my areas of interest.

IELTS Speaking Strategies that you can practice during IELTS Preparation

Bear in mind, you must be honest to respond if you don’t understand something. Start by saying, “ I am sorry. But could you please elaborate on what you mean? Rather than answering in the wrong way.

Stop repeating words and phrases to avoid affecting your scores and use advanced vocabulary to demonstrate your opinions.

Focus on the grammar significantly.

If the examiner asks, "How was your day?" Your answer should be "It was good" and not "It is good."

Also read: Some key points to remember in your last-minute IELTS preparation

Verdict

Last not least, applying these critical strategies in your IELTS Speaking practice is going to help you ace the exam. You may enroll yourself in IELTS Speaking classes if you need any assistance. Dr. Roma has been a maestro in preparing candidates for the IELTS exam.

Don’t want to move out of your place for preparations? Still, no worries, Online IELTS Coaching is the best option for your trial. Else try out the IELTS Speaking practice questions at home with yourself and self-prepare.

Dr.Roma

Content Writer