Improvise Your IELTS Speaking Score with these Proven Strategies

IELTS Tips

September 23, 2022

"Relax! It's just an exam."

You would have often come across hearing such things from your friends and family. Many people have different opinions about the IELTS exam.

It can play a significant role in building your future. Surely you don't want to take a chance with your prospect after listening to such things. Right?

When it comes to the IELTS Speaking Exam, aspirants step back to attempt this section. But understand this, there is nothing to fear if you have indulged in proper preparation.

IELTS Speaking strategy is the key to success. It will help you to attempt this section without any fear.

Here, everything happens on the spur of the moment. You have to be spontaneous, and your first response needs to be your best effort. That is why preparation is important.

Proven Tips for IELTS Speaking Preparation

Be Aware of the Timing and Scoring
Fluency vs Vocabulary
Don't Speak Prepared Answers
Avoid Speaking in Monotone
Don't Panic When You Make Mistakes

1. Be Aware of the Timing and Scoring

IELTS Speaking exam has 3 parts: Introduction, Cue Card and Discussion Round.

Part 1: Introduction Part

This part generally lasts between 4-5 minutes. The examiner will ask you some general questions based on your life, hobbies and more. So be straightforward with the answers. Be short and complete the answers.

For example, the examiner might ask, "Do you think reading a magazine can help you learn a language?". "Yes! It helps develop one's communication skills and also their vocabulary."

Tips

You can use this part to develop your fluency and confidence.
Give answers but do not talk for too long.
Be relevant and speak only about the asked question.

Part 2: Speak On a Topic Given in The Cue Card

In Part 2 of the Speaking exam, you will get a cue card with a topic. You will have 1 minute to prepare a few sentences for that topic and 2 minutes to speak on that topic. It can be tricky for many IELTS students. Thus, preparation is crucial for this task.

Some common topics for Cue Card:

An advertisement you remember
Talk about your favourite singer
A good law in your country

Tips

Make useful notes that help you speak for a longer time.
Refer to the cue card to design the structure of your talk.
Make sure your speech is long enough that last for 2-3 minutes.

Part 3: Discussion Round

This part also generally lasts for 4-5 minutes. The conversation could be based on any topic. Express yourself with some real-life experiences to look unique and more genuine.

Tips

Make sure you know the relevant information about the topic.
Support and extend your answers to look confident.
Re-phrase the question to understand what the examiner is expecting.

2. Fluency vs Vocabulary

IELTS aspirants always get confused to maintain consistency between fluency and vocabulary. Both of these skills carry the same weightage in the scorecard. You can be ready for the IELTS Speaking exam with extreme dedication and practice. It is advisable to be fluent during the exam rather than thinking or worrying about using the best word.

If you are speaking fluently, it will create a good impression on the examiner. Hunt only for 2-3 unique words while you speak.

3. Don't Speak Prepared Answers

Many IELTS aspirants try to memorize the answers as many do in the school/college exams. But it will not help you. Well, because there are many possibilities of having a random and unaware topic in the cue card.

Speaking is something that determines your spontaneity too. It is advised not to speak prepared answers. The examiner will immediately come to know that you are regurgitating your response. This, in turn, would affect your score adversely.

4. Avoid Speaking in Monotone

Be natural when you speak to keep the listener engaged. Vary your pitch at several points to sound more fluent and interesting. Monotonous speech can sound less fluent.

5. Don't Panic When You Make Mistakes

Yes, it is completely fine even when you make a mistake while speaking. Mistakes tend to happen if you are talking too quickly or uttering a wrong word accidentally, so don't panic if such situations occur. Practice the IELTS Speaking test with a tutor or friend; it will help you get better.

If you are quick to correct your mistake, go for it. This will indicate that you are conscious of what you are speaking. But, if you don't know how to correct your mistake, don't worry. Just move on.

Last Minute IELTS Speaking Strategies

When you don't understand something, be honest to respond, "I'm sorry. But could you please elaborate on what you mean?" rather than answering the wrong answer.

Try to use advanced vocabulary to express yourself. Don't use the same words and phrases in a sentence.

Take care of the grammar used in the question. If the examiner asks, "how was your experience?" Your answer should be "It was good" and not "It is good."

Apply these strategies in your IELTS Speaking practice. Enrol yourself with IELTS Speaking preparation classes if you need any help.

If you don't want to waste time travelling, you can also opt for Online Coaching Classes for better preparation.

Or else, try out the IELTS Speaking practice questions. Achieve the dream score in your next test.

All the Best!