9 Tips To Avoid Failure In IELTS Speaking
Get your hands on the best IELTS Speaking tips that will help you ace the test in no time!
About the article
IELTS tests you on the four language skills viz. Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Listening and Reading are receptive skills whereas Speaking and Writing are productive skills. Hence, the speaking and writing tests require the test taker to produce language which makes these the tougher modules. For now, let’s focus on the speaking module.
There are numerous coaching institutes out there providing IELTS speaking tips and IELTS material for speaking practice to IELTS aspirants taking the test every single day. Furthermore, an online search will provide potential test takers with the latest topics for IELTS speaking practice as well. However, without a sound understanding of how this material and these topics should be used effectively for preparing oneself to ace the speaking module test, these resources will be ineffective. We, at Yuno Learning, take pride in being one of the best IELTS online coaching institutes in the country. So, coming from us today are some tips to avoid failure in IELTS speaking. Be sure that you are well versed with the IELTS speaking test structure and assessment criteria, before adopting these IELTS speaking tips to ensure success in the test:
1. Don’t give memorised answers:
Rote learning the answers and recounting them from memory is not what the speaking test is about. One, it does not give the examiner a fair idea of your speaking abilities and two, the examiner will easily be able to detect that the answer is memorised.
2. Speak from the heart, and be your natural self:
Don’t be shy or nervous - imagine the examiner to be someone, a stranger maybe, who you are just having a chat with. Getting nervous will only be counter-productive to fluency. You also tend to speak too fast when nervous which adversely impacts fluency. Therefore, practice speaking at a moderate pace.
3. Avoid flat intonation:
To sound natural and interesting, it is vital that you avoid flat intonation or speaking in a monotone. In other words, your feelings should come across in your voice when you speak.
Here’s a scenario: Imagine a section 2 topic wherein you are asked - ‘Describe a time when you received good news’. Receiving good news is normally a joyous occasion for people and the happiness should reflect in your voice. But imagine an exam situation where the student answers this question without a smile on the face, in a deadpan voice. Would the examiner be impressed by the answer? Doubtful, right? |
Additionally, there should be appropriate variations in pitch and volume for you to be expressive. Another important aspect is stressing the keywords in your sentence. The content words are the words which carry the main meaning and should therefore be emphasised. All these aspects also help the examiner easily understand what you are saying, what you are emphasising and communication overall, becomes effective.
4. Practice answering the IELTS Speaking test format questions:
Practice is the best of all instructors. IELTS practice tests and IELTS material for Speaking are freely available online. Consistent practice using these questions will not only familiarise you with the test format but will also improve your speaking skills tremendously. If you do not have a partner, practice solo. A good method to follow would be to record your practice sessions and listen to the recordings. This will help you to identify your mistakes and work on them.
5. Use a range of grammar:
Grammar Range and Accuracy is one of the assessment criteria for speaking. Ensure that your language is grammatically correct.
Here’s a scenario: Let’s consider the question - ‘Do you troll celebrities online’? This is a question pertaining to the present and hence the answer should also be in the present tense. However, if your answer goes something like this - ‘I did not troll celebrities online’, which uses the past tense, you are bound to get a lower score on grammar accuracy. A better answer could begin like this - ‘I do not believe in trolling anyone as I firmly believe in the motto - live and let live’. |
You should also use a range of grammatical structures to ensure a high band score on this criterion. Make an attempt to include simple, compound and complex sentences in your speech.
Here’s a scenario: For instance, if the question asked is -’Have you ever travelled abroad?’. The answer could be -’I love to travel. Unfortunately, I have never visited a foreign country yet. But, I am planning a trip to Dubai next year”. This answer uses only simple sentences. It could be better answered using complex sentences in the following way - ‘Although I love to travel, I have not yet visited a foreign country, but I am planning a trip to Dubai next year’. This is bound to get you a better band score, for sure. |
Practice answering questions where you have to speak about the past, present and future. You can find tons of IELTS material for Speaking online. This gives you the opportunity to use a wide range of tenses as well. Lastly, try to use both the active and the passive voice when you speak.
6. Enrich your vocabulary:
Lexical resource is one of the assessment criteria, and therefore, using advanced vocabulary no doubt helps in bettering the speaking band score. However, using uncommon words incorrectly or in the wrong context is definitely not going to work in your favour. Hence, using language which you are familiar with and that you can use error-free is what will fetch you a better band score. Using idioms, collocations and phrasal verbs will improve the quality of your language.
Here’s a scenario: Let’s take the question ‘What type of movies interest you’? which could be answered using an idiom. A good answer could be ‘Sci-fi movies bore me to death but I love watching romcoms’. |
Paraphrasing appropriately will ensure that you avoid repetition of the same language used by the examiner to ask the question.
Here’s a scenario: For instance, the question - ‘What do you like to do in your free time?’ can be paraphrased as - ‘I love to sketch with charcoal whenever I have some time to spare’. |
Try to Speak in English and think in English even in your daily life. It will go a long way in improving your spoken English skills. Work on improving your vocabulary. Many of the top online IELTS coaching institutes like Yuno Learning provide excellent resources that will help you to spruce up your vocabulary.
7. Don’t obsess about your accent:
English, for most of us, is a second language and we are all bound to have a mother tongue influence when we speak English or any other language, for that matter. The question is- does your accent make it difficult for the listener to understand what you are saying? As long as the examiner is able to understand you when you speak without too much stress or strain, it should be fine. Your focus should therefore be on correct pronunciation, not on getting rid of your accent or on speaking like a native speaker, with a British or Canadian accent.
8. Buy time:
It’s ok to take a few seconds to think. But, if you think you need some extra time to think, you can ask the examiner to repeat the question and use that time to ponder. However, it’s not a ploy that can be used for every single question. You could also use some of the following phrases to get a few seconds more to think:
That’s an interesting question…
I’ve never given it a thought before…
That’s a tricky question. Let me give it some thought before I answer.
9. Be confident:
Last, but not least, if you are confident, half the battle is won. You have nothing to worry about if you have practiced enough with the help of IELTS material for Speaking. Being confident ensures fluency. It helps you to think straight and focus, which reduces the chances of making mistakes. It surely ensures better performance.
Combine these tips with the free IELTS preparation material for speaking and achieve your best possible speaking band score. The study material in the form of videos, articles, documents and practice tests can be accessed absolutely free of cost and used for IELTS preparation at home. You can also access the latest topics for IELTS speaking practice on our website which we update on a regular basis with the latest questions asked in the actual IELTS test. We continue to add new learning resources on this page to ensure that the information you access is up to date. So what are you waiting for? Visit Yuno Learning and access the wealth of study material available to support you and help you do your best in the IELTS speaking test!