The question
An IELTS test taker asked me this question: ‘In the Speaking test, I know I will be marked on how correct my grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation are. But I don’t understand what this means. Do I have to speak in the same way I would write an essay?’ In this post, we’ll look at three ways you can improve your IELTS Speaking answers. (You may find it useful to look at this post first, on how to prepare for IELTS Speaking Part 2, before reading on.)
Tip 1: Style
Start by watching this video. It’s from a program called Practical Writing, and the focus is writing style – but it applies equally to speaking. While it’s perfectly ‘correct’ to speak in a casual style to your friends, you need to speak in a polite, more formal style to the examiner. A very simple example: you might say ‘yeah’ to a friend, but you should say ‘yes’ to an examiner.
This doesn’t mean you need to speak in the same way you write an essay. When we write, we typically use much longer and more complex sentences than would be appropriate, or even possible, when speaking. We also tend to reach for more formal vocabulary. For example, you might write ‘furthermore’ in an essay, but you’re very unlikely to hear someone say it in conversation. They’d probably say ‘and another thing’.
You probably do this naturally, and unconsciously, in your own language. With some work, you’ll learn to do it in English too.
Tip 2: Mistakes
Speaking is different from writing. It’s quicker, and you don’t have time to make sure everything is perfect before you say it. The British Council LearnEnglish site points out that ‘even native speakers make mistakes when they speak in their own language, but they are always listening to themselves and correcting themselves.’
How do you correct yourself? Look at these examples and learn them.
- ‘I move to Paris two years ago… Sorry, I moved to Paris two years ago.’
- ‘My favourite building is tall… I mean old – it’s the oldest building in my city.’
- ‘The taste of the fruit was extra… extra… extraordinary. Sorry, I always find that word difficult to say!’
Note that the corrected words in bold (moved, old, extraordinary) are stressed. That means you say them a little louder and longer than the other words. (You can learn more about sentence stress in Clear Pronunciation 2 here.)
Tip 3: Pausing and playing for time
As mentioned earlier, time is against you when you’re speaking, so speak slowly (but still at a natural pace) and don’t be afraid to use words and phrases like these to give yourself time to think. This is perfectly acceptable – examiners expect it.
- Um…
- So, what I mean to say is…
- Yes, that’s interesting. Um, what I think about this is…
Try using these phrases when you’re speaking English in daily life. The more you practise, the more natural they’ll feel in your test.
Practice task
The best way to improve is to practise, listen back, identify your weak areas and focus on making them better. Try the IELTS Speaking Part 2 task on the card below. Record yourself on your phone.
Task 1
| Talk about a friend who has played a big part in your life.
You should say:
And explain the impact he/she has had on you. |
Now listen to your talk, ask yourself these three questions:
- Was my style appropriate?
- Did I notice and correct any mistakes I made?
- Did I speak at an appropriate speed (not too fast), and did I use pauses and thinking phrases effectively?
To demonstrate how you can speak slowly and use pauses and phrases like the ones above, I attempted the same task myself. Click to listen to my attempt. Even though I speak slowly and don’t use a lot of long words or complicated grammar, this kind of clear, accurate, well-paced speech is exactly what examiners are looking for at the higher bands.