SPEAKING

Speaking approximately 11-14 minutes Consists of oral interviews between the examinee and the examiner

The test consists of three parts. In the first part the examiner introduces himself and asks about name, address, interests and occupation. This part, lasting 4 to 5 minutes, is fairly simple if the candidate is not nervous and the conversational English is adequate.

In the second part the examinee will be given a sheet of paper with a topic written on it. S/he has to speak for 2 minutes on this topic. Can't ask for another topic. 1 minute to write down ideas. A sheet of paper and a pen are provided. Make sure to read all the questions relating to the topic, written on the paper. It usually has two or three parts which the candidate will have to talk about. Don't miss out any question or lose marks. Take the one minute provided to write down all the ideas . Two minutes can be a long time to talk solo and the notes made will help the candidate keep talking for the full two minutes.

Once the examinee finishes two minutes, the examiner will stop him/her and then ask him/her some questions on what s/he has talked about. The second part lasts a total of 3-4 minutes.

The third part involves a discussion between you and the examiner on a topic related to what you spoke about in part 2. You will be marked on fluency, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and ideas.

The speaking module assesses whether candidates can communicate effectively in English . The assessment takes into account Fluency and coherence , Lexical Resource , Grammatical Range and accuracy , and Pronunciation.

Part 1 (Interview) Part 1 of the IELTS Speaking test lasts between 4 and 5 minutes. The examiner will ask some simple 'getting- to-know-you' questions which will help the examiner find out a little about you and help put you at ease. These will be general questions such as about your family, your studies, where you come from or what your interests are.

Example Questions Q: Where are you from? Q: Why are you studying English? Q: Have you visited any English speaking countries?

Tips Giving full, relevant answers to the examiner's questions will help get the interview off to a good start. 1) Avoid giving short, uncommunicative replies.  Q: Where are you from? A: I'm from ………. in ……….. (Don't stop there!) It's about ………. kilometers north of ……………. It's a modern city but with a lot of history and a lovely place to live.

2) Avoid short, 'yes', 'no' answers to closed questions 2) Avoid short, 'yes', 'no' answers to closed questions. (These are questions beginning 'Have you ...', 'Do you ...', 'Is it ...' etc which can be answered simply with a yes or no answer). Q: Have you visited any English speaking countries? A: Yes. (Don't stop there!) I went to England last year and spent two weeks seeing the sights. A couple of years ago I went to New York with my parents and had a great time. 

Q: Do you play any sports. A: No. (Don't stop there Q: Do you play any sports? A: No. (Don't stop there!) I'm not really interested in playing sports. I like watching sport on TV and I really enjoyed keeping up with the Olympics recently.

3) Offer examples to help you explain a statement 3) Offer examples to help you explain a statement. Q: Why are you preparing for the IELTS exam? A: Because I need it for my studies. (Don't stop there!) I've been offered a place at a university in England to study on an MBA but I need to show my level of English is good enough.

Part 2 (Long Turn) Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking test lasts between 3 and 4 minutes (including 1 minute preparation time). The examiner gives you a task card and you have to speak about the subject without interruption for between 1 and 2 minutes.

Example Task Example: Describe a place you have visited that you have fond memories of. You should say: where this was why you went there what you did there and what it was about the place that makes it so memorable.

Example : Describe your favourite personal possession. what this possession is when you first got it when you use it and why it's so important to you.

Tips! 1. Use your 1 minute preparation time wisely and make notes of the points you'd like to make. 2. The question will help you with the structure of your talk. The introduction can include the item itself and maybe a brief description. The main body of your talk could describe the situation when you acquired the object and go on to explain when you use it. You can then end with an explanation of why the object is so important.

3. Try to avoid giving a very dry, unimaginative introduction such as 'The object I'm going to describe is ....'. Get your talk off to a memorable start with something on the lines of: 'If I were about to lose everything and could only save one thing it would be my ...', or 'I've got several things that mean a lot to me but the one that really stands out is my ...'

4. If you're concerned about not having enough to talk about for 1 to 2 minutes or running out of time before you've finished, the answer is to practise as often as possible. Time yourself and ask a friend for feedback.

Part 3: (Two-Way Discussion) In Part 3 of the test, which lasts between 3 to 4 minutes, the examiner will ask you questions linked to the topic in Part 2.

Example Questions (Based on example topics in Part 2 above) Q: It is sometimes argued that local cultures are being destroyed by tourism. Why do think people might feel this? Q: What benefits do people get from travelling to other countries? Q: Do you think people are becoming too materialistic? Q: To what extent are people's buying habits affected by advertising?

Tips! 1. If you need time to collect your thoughts use expressions like: 'That's a good question.', 'Well, let me think ...'. 2. Don't forget to avoid short, 'yes', 'no' answers. Try to offer examples to back up a statement. 3. Help make your contributions memorable. Try explaining a point using a short, personal anecdote.

4. If the examiner asks a question that you don't understand, take control of the situation with questions such as those that appear below. Responding like this will show evidence of your communication skills.  If the examiner uses a word or phrase that you don't understand, say something like: "Sorry but could you explain what you mean by ........" or "I haven't come across that word/expression before. Could you explain what you mean?"

If you simply didn't hear something that was asked, respond with: "Excuse me, I didn't quite catch that. Could you say that again?" "I'm sorry, but would you mind repeating that?" If you want to make sure you've understood what the examiner has asked you could say: "Do you mean ........" "When you say ........, do you mean/are you asking ........?

Key points  A good vocabulary and content are important, but :“Presentation precedes content, fluency precedes vocabulary” for the speaking exam. Adopt good presentation skills (eye-contact, pauses, speaking not too fast or slow). Read up and visualize a few possible questions. Make your answers exciting and passionate.

Possessing a good stock of words is important, even more so than the writing exam (where you have the luxury of review and edit). However, fluency takes precedence over vocabulary, and if you feel you have forgotten the words, it is better to display a level of fluency with simple terms you know rather than struggle with numerous pauses while searching for the perfect word.

Remember to adopt basic presentation skills. Maintain good eye contact with the marker, and adopt a friendly demeanor. Remember that the examiner is there to help you achieve high grades, not stall and obstruct your progress. Speak at a reasonable pace, neither too fast or slow. You can practice this by recording your normal speech and monitoring it, or communicating with a good English speaking person and asking for his feedback.

Remember that the synonym for boredom is monotony – mono tone. Modulate your tone. Raise and lower your voice a few times. Remember that the synonym for boredom is monotony – mono tone. Use you hands in an expressive way. Maintain a mild smile, but don’t giggle frivolously.

Here’s a list of prompt words that you can use to help you prepare: Introductory phrases - when you start your talk: I’m going to talk about… I’d like to talk about… I want to talk about… What I'm going to talk about is… I'm going to describe…

Developing phrases - when you want to expand your argument: First of all… Secondly,… Additionally,… Another thing… Another reason why… Furthermore…

Background phrases - when you want to add some detail: It's near… It happened… It took place… It’s been going on for/since… At that time…

Impression phrases - when you want to say something that made an impression on you … impressed me … motivated me … moved me … disturbed me … touched me deeply … had an effect on me … affected me ... influenced me.

Things you like phrases - when you want to describe or talk about things you like: I like… most of all I enjoy… I love doing... … really appeals to me because… I take great pleasure in…

How to prepare? Speak as much English as you can before the day. Practise in any way you can and don't just rely on speaking to your teacher. Try to have as many conversations as you can with other people, either face-to-face or over the telephone. Additionally, listen to as many good quality radio programmes as you can; particularly the BBC news. Listen very carefully to how each item is constructed and try to practise some of the sentences you have heard. Note down any new phrases and words which you come across.

2. Make sure you know what is involved when taking the test. On the day of the test, nothing should come as a surprise to you. Become completely familiar with each section of the test.

3. Be very positive about taking the test! Try to be cheerful, smile and breathe evenly during the conversations with the Examiner. Stay calm and be positive!

4. Don’t learn things by heart! If you do, it will sound false and come across as if you are making a speech! You need to sound natural throughout the test.

5. Don't worry about being nervous! When you are nervous, you’ll often perform better! The Examiner isn’t trying to catch you out and will be aware that you are nervous. He or she will try to put you at ease and make you feel comfortable.

6. Always try to use a wide range of vocabulary. Candidates often use less vocabulary than they know when they speak because they are afraid of making mistakes. Your range of vocabulary will improve if you practise speaking English to others; listen to the radio and read newspapers and magazines.

7. Practise speaking clearly at all times 7. Practise speaking clearly at all times. Remember, speaking clearly does not mean speaking slowly! Try to speak naturally and evenly throughout the test.

8. Concentrate on what you are saying rather than trying to be accurate. Remember,the test is based around a three part ‘conversation’ with the Examiner. Therefore, concentrate on the general ideas and themes of what you’re saying to the Examiner, rather than worrying about the specific accuracy. You’ll make fewer mistakes that way.

9. Get used to looking people in the eye when you speak to them. During the test, you should always try to keep eye contact with the Examiner. Don’t worry if the Examiner isn’t looking at you! He /she is probably making notes!

Thank you