How to Teach IELTS Speaking 3/07/2017, 7:29 PM

(http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?
id=7ExqdhPtPN0&oerid=323058.289&subid=0&type=4

Get Email Updates

Get free IELTS answers and study tips by email!

Join 2,828 other subscribers

How to Teach IELTS Speaking Email Address

! November 29, 2011 (http://ielts-academic.com/2011/11/29/ielts-speaking-10-tips-for-teachers/) " IELTSAcademic Add me!

(http://ielts-academic.com/author/ieltsacademic/)

POPULAR RECENT #
(http://ielts-academic.com)This article is part of the Teach IELTS (http://ielts-
IELTS Speaking, Part 2: Practice Questions
academic.com/teach-ielts/) series at IELTS Academic (http://ielts-academic.com), an online
with Sample Answers (http://ielts-
provider of skills training for IELTS and English as a foreign language.
-answer
sample
with-
ns-
questio
e-
practic
2-
g-part-
g-ielts-
speakin
/11/24/i
m/2011
mic.co
acade
elts-
(http://i
s/) academic.com/2011/11/24/ielts-speaking-
ielts-speaking-part-2-practice-questions-with-
sample-answers/)
Common problems in the IELTS Speaking module include speaking at length, speaking on
Nov 24, 2011
unfamiliar topics, and managing the conversation.
IELTS Speaking, Part 1: Practice Questions
Nervousness can also cause problems in IELTS Speaking, so IELTS teachers occasionally need the with Sample Answers (http://ielts-
sensitivity of a counsellor as well as the skills of a language teacher! -answer
sample
with-
ns-
questio
e-
practic
1-
g-part-
g-ielts-
speakin
/11/23/i
m/2011
mic.co
acade
elts-
(http://i
s/) academic.com/2011/11/23/ielts-speaking-
ielts-speaking-part-1-practice-questions-with-
So, what exactly does IELTS Speaking involve? As you probably already aware, its a short (11-14 min)
sample-answers/)
face-to-face interview that takes place within seven days of the paper test. The IELTS Speaking module Nov 23, 2011
consists of three parts:
IELTS Writing Task 2: Opinion Essay with
Part 1: Interview (4-5 mins) Sample Answer (http://ielts-
Part 2: Individual Long-turn (3-4 mins) -answer/ academic.com/2012/06/24/ielts-writing-
sample
with-
-essay-
opinion
task-2-
writing-
/06/24/i
m/2012
mic.co
acade
elts-
)(http://i
task-2-opinion-essay-with-sample-answer/)
Part 3: Discussion (4-5 mins)
Jun 24, 2012
Assessment is based on four equally-weighted criteria:
IELTS Speaking Part 3: 50 Practice
Fluency and Coherence: How well the candidate expands answers and connects ideas Questions by Topic (http://ielts-
Lexical Resource: The candidates range of vocabulary and awareness of collocation topic/)
ns-by-
questio
e-
practic
3-50-
g-part-
speakin
/07/18/i
m/2012
mic.co
acade
elts-
(http://i academic.com/2012/07/18/ielts-speaking-
part-3-50-practice-questions-by-topic/)
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: The candidates use of appropriate grammatical forms
Jul 18, 2012
Pronunciation: The candidates handling of a range of pronunciation features
IELTS Writing Task 2: Argument Essay with
Below are ten tips that will help you teach IELTS Speaking, better manage your classroom, and get your
Sample Answer (http://ielts-
students speaking in ways that are aligned with the ocial assessment criteria. -answer/ academic.com/2012/07/25/argument-
sample
with-
essay-
nt-
argume
/07/25/
m/2012
mic.co
acade
elts-
)(http://i
essay-with-sample-answer/)
Jul 25, 2012
Looking for a basic guide to IELTS Speaking? Read this first: IELTS Speaking: Introduction
IELTS Writing Task 1 Process Diagram with
(http://ielts-academic.com/2011/11/17/ielts-speaking-introduction/)
Sample Answer (http://ielts-
Completely new to teaching IELTS? Read this first: How to Teach IELTS: The Basics (http://ielts- dnswer/
process
task-1-
writing-
/03/11/i
m/2012
mic.co
acade
elts-
(http://i
-a
sample
)m-with-
iagra academic.com/2012/03/11/ielts-writing-
academic.com/2012/07/22/how-to-teach-ielts-the-basics/) task-1-process-diagram-with-sample-answer/)
Mar 11, 2012

How to Get IELTS Band 6 (6.0 or 6.5) (http://ielts-

1. Stick to pair practice
http://ielts-academic.com/2011/11/29/ielts-speaking-10-tips-for-teachers/ Page 1 of 4
How to Teach IELTS Speaking 3/07/2017, 7:29 PM

Since the IELTS Speaking module takes the form of a one-on-one interview, its best to stick to this academic.com/2012/06/28/how-to-get-a-
band-6-score-in-academic-ielts/)
pattern in practice. Avoid whole-class interactions as much as possible and maximise time for pair
ielts/)
mic-
in-
score-
6-
band-
get-a-
how-to-
/06/28/
m/2012
mic.co
acade
elts-
(http://i Jun 28, 2012
practice instead. Its a common myth in language teaching that learner pairs simply replicate each
others mistakes. Research shows that they actually develop more advanced negotiation and IELTS Speaking, Part 3: Practice Questions
explanation strategies with another learner than they would with a native speaker. with Sample Answers (http://ielts-
-answer
sample
with-
ns-
questio
e-
practic
3-
g-part-
g-ielts-
speakin
/11/24/i
m/2011
mic.co
acade
elts-
(http://i
s/) academic.com/2011/11/24/ielts-speaking-
ielts-speaking-part-3-practice-questions-with-

2. Force students to listen for the question sample-answers/)

Nov 24, 2011
The problem with pair practice is that students are rarely able to resist reading the question even as their
partner is asking it! You must activate their listening skills in Parts 1 and 3, or they will fail to cope when IELTS Writing Task 1: Bar Chart with
Sample Answer (http://ielts-
they cant catch the questions in the real test. Force them out of the reading habit by making the
-answer/ academic.com/2012/07/10/ielts-writing-
sample
with-
chart-
bar-
task-1-
writing-
/07/10/i
m/2012
mic.co
acade
elts-
)(http://i
interviewee close the textbook during Parts 1 and 3, or prepare dierent question cards for each partner.
task-1-bar-chart-with-sample-answer/)
A handout of emergency language for checking the question also helps. Jul 10, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 2: Problem Solution

3. Model for dierent band scores Essay with Sample Answer (http://ielts-
-answer/ academic.com/2012/07/26/ielts-writing-
sample
with-
essay-
on-
msoluti
proble
task-2-
writing-
/07/26/i
m/2012
mic.co
acade
elts-
)(http://i
Often the reason students fail to improve is simply that the models they are oered by trainers are so far
task-2-problemsolution-essay-with-sample-answer/)
beyond their ability that they have no idea how to apply them when speaking. Metalinguistic advice Jul 26, 2012
based on the scoring criteria, meanwhile, is often dicult for lower-level students to comprehend. A
more eective classroom technique may be to model dierent answers for Bands 4, 5, 6 and 7, making
IELTS Lessons Online
only minimal changes to each answer so students have a clear sense of which changes produced a
higher score. IELTS Writing Practice Test with Feedback
(http://ielts-academic.com/product/ielts-
writing-practice-test-online/)
SSSSS
sssss
4. Useful language remains useless until you make it useful 25
Most IELTS textbooks will suggest useful language for answering a set of practice questions, but few IELTS Speaking Practice Test with Feedback
provide any real incentive to use it. Bewilderingly, many textbook authors place useful language after the (http://ielts-academic.com/product/ielts-
questions, when students have already made up their minds about what they are going to say! Try speaking-practice-test-online/)
SSSSS
sssss
making students cover the questions with one hand and guess at the questions based on the model 25
language provided. This forces them to process model language more deeply, making it actually useful!
Personal Statement Editing (http://ielts-
academic.com/product/personal-statement-
editing/)
5. Ban certain words and phrases SSSSS
sssss
50
Students repeatedly ask how they can improve their IELTS Speaking scores in the same way they
constantly cling to their favourite words and phrases: I think; I agree; For example; So; Because; fun; IELTS Writing Answer Sheet (Practice Version)
(http://ielts-academic.com/product/ielts-
interesting. If you really want your students to venture out of their comfort zone in speaking, you might
writing-answer-sheet/)
consider imposing a penalty on the use of a certain word or phrase during practice. Possible penalties
Free!
include coming up with five synonyms when their turn is over.

Search IELTS Academic

6. Involve the listener Search...

One classroom problem when teaching IELTS Speaking occurs when students dont listen to their
partners answers because theyre too busy thinking up their own. There are several techniques you can IELTS Academic
use to keep students involved while their partner is speaking, especially during Part 2: the individual Like Page 67K likes

long-turn. One is to require everyone to ask a follow-up question. Another is to get students to tick o
the dierent prompts in Part 2 as they are answered. A more challenging task is to withhold the question IELTS Academic
June 18 at 7:20pm
from one of the pair, who then has to guess at the contents of the question based on their partners
answer. Frustrated by the spiraling cost of
education? At least Udemy is having
another sitewide sale...

7. Teach a range of strategies to expand answers in Part 3

There are many ways of answering the question in IELTS Speaking Part 3. If your students never deviate
from the I think X because Y linear approach, consider practice activities that force them to expand in
other ways. One technique is to have them deal cards containing prompts such as Personal Example,

http://ielts-academic.com/2011/11/29/ielts-speaking-10-tips-for-teachers/ Page 2 of 4
How to Teach IELTS Speaking 3/07/2017, 7:29 PM

Example from Knowledge, Three Reasons, Attribution, Concession, Recommendation, Prediction,

Comparison (Country), or Comparison (Past/Present). Answers will sometimes become incoherent or
even surreal but that can add to the fun of the exercise.

8. Make a note of common errors in speaking

IELTS Speaking practice activities are a great opportunity to gather information about students most
frequent errors which can then be fed back into future lessons. In my experience, students appreciate
detailed correction in one-to-one teaching situations, but in group situations its better not to highlight
errors made by individual students. Its also better to highlight errors after rather during an activity. Your
notes could form the basis of a grammar workshop later on, one that is more relevant to your students
real needs than the exercises in the textbook.

9. Give your students feedback tools

Pair practice becomes much more rewarding when students have the right tools to give feedback. IELTS
Academic has created a simplified feedback sheet based on the IELTS Speaking scoring criteria. The
sheet breaks down each of the four scoring criteria into three basic skills that your students need to
demonstrate, saving you the trouble of explaining the more complex and jargon-filled band descriptors.
Download it from here. (http://ielts-academic.com/2016/01/01/ielts-speaking-feedback-sheet/)

10. Teach to the test

It may surprise you to know that many IELTS textbooks make no direct reference to the IELTS Speaking
assessment criteria
(https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/IELTS_Speaking_Assessment_Criteria_Public.pdf),
even though it is publically available. Textbooks are therefore of limited use, especially when you have a
single student who would benefit more from your feedback on their spoken answers with direct reference
to the scoring criteria. To teach IELTS Speaking well, listen carefully to what your students say and
match your feedback to the ocial assessment criteria.

Stuck for IELTS Speaking practice questions for your students? See our full list of IELTS Speaking
practice tests (http://ielts-academic.com/ielts-speaking-practice-tests/).

(http://ielts-academic.com)This article is part of the Teach IELTS (http://ielts-

academic.com/teach-ielts/) series at IELTS Academic (http://ielts-academic.com), an online
provider of skills training for IELTS and English as a foreign language.

http://ielts-academic.com/2011/11/29/ielts-speaking-10-tips-for-teachers/ Page 3 of 4
How to Teach IELTS Speaking 3/07/2017, 7:29 PM

You may also like:

(http://ielts- (http://ielts- (http://ielts- (http://ielts- (http://ielts- (http://ielts-

academic.com/20 academic.com/20 academic.com/20 academic.com/20 academic.com/20 academic.com/20
15/12/31/how-to- 12/08/15/ielts- 15/12/31/how-to- 12/07/22/how-to- 11/11/17/ielts- 11/11/17/ielts-
teach-ielts- reading-10-tips- teach-ielts- teach-ielts-the- speaking- glossary-of-terms-
writing/) for-teachers/) listening/) basics/) introduction/) for-ielts/)
How to Teach How to Teach How to Teach How to Teach IELTS Speaking: The Language of
IELTS Writing IELTS Reading IELTS Listening IELTS: The Basics Introduction IELTS: A Glossary
(http://ielts- (http://ielts- (http://ielts- (http://ielts- (http://ielts- (http://ielts-
academic.com/20 academic.com/20 academic.com/20 academic.com/20 academic.com/20 academic.com/20
15/12/31/how-to- 12/08/15/ielts- 15/12/31/how-to- 12/07/22/how-to- 11/11/17/ielts- 11/11/17/ielts-
teach-ielts- reading-10-tips- teach-ielts- teach-ielts-the- speaking- glossary-of-terms-
writing/) for-teachers/) listening/) basics/) introduction/) for-ielts/)

(http://ielts- (http://ielts- (http://ielts- (http://ielts- (http://ielts- (http://ielts-

academic.com/20 academic.com/20 academic.com/20 academic.com/20 academic.com/20 academic.com/20
12/09/13/do-i- 16/01/01/ielts- 15/11/14/ielts- 12/07/19/teach- 12/07/05/top-5- 12/06/28/how-to-
need-an-ielts- speaking- speaking-tips- ielts-for-a-living/) ielts-textbooks- get-a-band-6-
teacher/) feedback-sheet/) band-7/) Teach IELTS for a for-classroom- score-in-
Why Study IELTS IELTS Speaking IELTS Speaking Living: The use/) academic-ielts/)
with a Teacher? Feedback Sheet Tips: How to Complete Guide Top 5 IELTS How to Get IELTS
(http://ielts- (http://ielts- Achieve 7.0 (http://ielts- Textbooks for Band 6 (6.0 or 6.5)
academic.com/20 academic.com/20 (http://ielts- academic.com/20 Classroom Use (http://ielts-
12/09/13/do-i- 16/01/01/ielts- academic.com/20 12/07/19/teach- (http://ielts- academic.com/20
need-an-ielts- speaking- 15/11/14/ielts- ielts-for-a-living/) academic.com/20 12/06/28/how-to-
teacher/) feedback-sheet/) speaking-tips- 12/07/05/top-5- get-a-band-6-
band-7/) ielts-textbooks- score-in-
for-classroom- academic-ielts/)
use/)

Share this:

Share 166 16 Tweet More

& IELTS Speaking (http://ielts-academic.com/category/ielts-speaking/), Teacher Tips (http://ielts-

academic.com/category/teacher-tips/) ' IELTS (http://ielts-academic.com/tag/ielts/). ( permalink (http://ielts-
academic.com/2011/11/29/ielts-speaking-10-tips-for-teachers/).

$ IELTS Speaking: 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid (http://ielts-academic.com/2011/11/29/ielts-speaking-10-

common-mistakes-to/)

IELTS For Free! 5 Ways to Cost-free Preparation % (http://ielts-academic.com/2012/01/23/ielts-for-free-preparation-

study-buddy/)

Comments are closed.

2016 IELTS Academic (http://ielts-academic.com/) Tokyo, Japan. Theme by Colorlib

(http://colorlib.com/wp/) Powered by WordPress (http://wordpress.org/)

http://ielts-academic.com/2011/11/29/ielts-speaking-10-tips-for-teachers/ Page 4 of 4