10 Top Tips for the Speaking Module

IELTS gives marks for what you can do. It doesnt deduct marks for what you cant do. Accuracy is only 12% of the total score. It is therefore very important that you speak as fully as you can and the examiner all that you know. Here are some tips to help you with the Speaking Paper of IELTS.

1. Familarise yourself with the exam procedure. Every speaking test has the same procedure and the examiner says the same things between the different parts. If you know what is going to happen in the exam, you will feel more relaxed and comfortable. For example, at the beginning the examiner will ask Can you tell me your full name, please? and will also ask What can I call you? You should answer with your first name. 2. Give a full answer. Dont just answer yes/no. In part one, answer the question and give some extra information. For example, if the question is do you have any brothers and sisters? , yes I do is not a good answer. Yes, I have one older brother. He is a pharmacist back in Egypt is a much better answer. In part two, you must speak continuously for 2 minutes. Practise doing this before the exam so you get an idea of how much you need to say. 3. If the examiner asks you about something that you dont do or dont like, explain why you dont do it or dont like it. The examiner is not allowed to keep asking you different questions until he/she finds something you want to talk about. If you dont answer the question fully, you will miss your chance. It also a good idea to show that you know how to use negatives in English so dont be afraid to talk about what you dont do, as well as what you do.

4. In Part 2, you have 1 minute to plan your answer. Use this minute. The examiner will not be impressed if you start before the minute is finished. In fact, he/she may be annoyed because it will interfere with the timing of the test. Also, this minute can be very helpful to you, allowing you to recall vocabulary and to organise what you are going to say. At home, before the test, practice making helpful notes for 1 minute on a variety of topics. 5. Use a lot of different vocabulary. If the question is about sport use tennis, football, golf, court, pitch, throw, bat etc. If the question is about a journey use, train, bus, plane, driver, ticket, seat, passenger etc. Use as many different words on the topic as you can. If you can use more difficult words, this will get you a higher score e.g. foul, fans, referee, tennis racket, golf club (sport) or stopover, advanced booking, jetlag, airline, air stewards (journeys). 6. Try to use the following grammatical structures in your test: Present perfect simple / Present perfect continuous e.g. I have lived in Al Ain for 9 years / I have been living in Al Ain for 9 years Going to (for the future) Im going to take my driving test next week. 2nd conditional If I could change my home town, I would create more parks. Relative clause I prefer going to restaurants where I can take my family, and which have a special menu for children. Passive voice A new shopping mall has been built in my area. I like cycling but my bike was stolen a few months ago. If you normally use these structures very easily when you speak then try to use other more complex and advanced structures also, e.g. 3rd conditional, inverted clauses, future perfect etc.

7. Listen to yourself! Record yourself speaking and listen to your pronunciation. This will also help you speak more confidently and smoothly. 8. In Part 3 use different phrases for expressing opinions. I think, I believe, in my view, in my opinion, what I think is.., many people think that, it is often thought that. etc. The examiner is looking for this. 9. Give examples. In all 3 parts of the test, dont be afraid to give a practical example. If the examiner asks you about learning to cook when you were a child, talk about something you actually cooked. If the examiner asks you about the problems of living in cities, you can give an example of a real problem in a real city that you know. If you dont know what to say next give an example! 10. Dont interrupt the examiner. Always wait until the examiner has finished speaking before you start. 11. Dont, under any circumstances, speak Arabic! 12. It is more important to keep speaking than to avoid mistakes. If you dont understand the question you can ask the examiner to repeat it. If you still dont understand just say something! .

More detailed advice about preparing for the Speaking Paper can be found on the following websites http://www.ielts.org/test_takers_information.aspx http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/ielts :

ESL Team SSAT, March 2011