Creating A Positive Impression Lesson 5

IELTSBlog.
com presents:

How to get a higher IELTS score
by building a positive image in the examiner’s mind

This series of lessons was prepared by Donna Millen especially for the readers of
IELTS‐Blog.com. The lessons are brilliant and will do amazing things for your IELTS
score if you study and implement them.

You will learn:

Lesson #1: How to create a positive, psychological impression on your
IELTS assessors.

Lesson #2: How to write a Task 1 report that will impress your assessors
(Academic Module).

Lesson #3: How to write a Task 1 letter that will impress your assessors
(General Training Module)

Lesson #4: How to write a Task 2 essay that will influence your assessors
positively (Academic and General).

Lesson #5: How to improve your Speaking test score by
connecting with your assessor.

Lesson #6: How to optimize your performance in the Listening and Reading
tests.

Donna Millen, co‐author of the Centre for English Language in the University of
South Australia’s IELTS on Track series of books (ieltsontrack.com) talks about
what may create a positive psychological impression on assessors who may be
scoring the Writing and Speaking (interview) components of your IELTS test.

Page 1

© Donna Millen (content) ● Web: http://www.ieltsontrack.com
Design & layout by IELTS‐Blog.com ● Web: http://www.ielts‐blog.com

Lesson #5: How to improve your Speaking test score by
connecting with your assessor

Before beginning Lesson #5, here is a short summary of what we learned last week.

Summary of Lesson #4.

To build a good impression in the assessor’s mind in both Academic and
General Training Writing task 2, it’s important to:

Before writing

• read the task carefully and establish your own, clear opinion, one which is relevant
to what the question asks you to do
• before writing, make a plan stating your overall opinion clearly, and 2 or 3
paragraph headings, each with a reason for your opinion + examples supporting it
‐ this makes your task response more relevant, organised and systematic.

When you write

• develop ideas in separate paragraphs which support and link to reasons for your
opinion; leave a line space between each paragraph.
• build your paragraphs with connecting expressions between sentences to show
how your opinion is being supported and developed; don’t just list your points.
• write a short, conclusion with your stated opinion to round off your response
• show maturity of thought; don’t just make lists of separate points or imprecise
over‐simplified opinions.
• write in a formal tone and avoid clichés, idioms, and ‘lazy’ expressions
• avoid over‐general vocabulary expressions
• search your essay at the end for any elementary grammar errors

Now let’s move on to Lesson #5.

Page 2


Background issues

How does the assessor view the Speaking test?

The IELTS Speaking test lasts for 11‐14 minutes and is in three, clear sections. The
assessor has to manage the test sections by asking set questions, giving the
candidate a topic to talk about, and steering a follow‐up discussion. All this has to be
done inside a strict sequence of timing:
• 4 ‐ 5 minutes for section 1 (set questions),
• 3 ‐ 4 minutes for section 2 (talk on a topic)
• 4 ‐ 5 minutes for section 3. (discussion of issues)

Imagine this:

Let’s imagine your assessor has only 6 months’ experience as an IELTS assessor, but
in that six months has already interviewed over 100 candidates before you come
into the room. How does that assessor probably feel?

1) the assessor probably feels part of a ‘pattern’ of timed, programmed
interaction, and expects you, the next candidate, to follow this pattern.

2) the assessor feels a little bit ‘mechanical’ because each test has to be done in
a standard way and the assessor doesn’t have much room for personal
comment or reaction or for normal interaction.

3) The assessor has to be a ‘clock‐watcher’ because each interview has to follow
strict timing. So the assessor can get anxious if the ‘test rhythm’ is not kept to.

4) If the assessor is assessing 10 candidates, tiredness is bound to occur
towards the end of the assessor’s candidate list.

5) The assessor feels keen to make it a pleasant enough time for you to do your
best – she or he is on your side!

Page 3


How does the testtaker view the Speaking test?

There are two basic types of IELTS test‐taker:

1) ‘First timers’

First‐time test takers are usually more nervous because everything feels ‘unknown’.
Nervousness is a personal feeling but it makes it more difficult for the speaking test
experience to feel relaxed and ‘shared’. The assessor can usually sense both
nervousness and, occasionally, its opposite – over‐confidence!

2) ‘Old timers’

Test takers who have taken the test several times are less nervous about the general
situation but are often caught up in anxiety about particular aspects of their
performance and their wish to improve on known weaknesses from their previous
tests, or to improve previous scores. They can become a little ‘distant’ or
preoccupied as a result.

The basic social task

The main social task in the IELTS speaking test is to bring both the assessor and
candidate closer together, in a sense of ‘cooperative connection’. This means that
each should try to help the other to make the situation a comfortable, friendly,
shared experience, where the candidate can feel all right and can therefore do their
best , and the assessor can manage the speaking test sections correctly, without any
additional stress being caused by the candidate.

So, the Speaking test is a little like a ‘song and dance’ routine.
To help to describe this process of ‘cooperative connection’ a little more, let’s use
the analogy of singing and dancing.

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The song of the Speaking test – singing the same song

The assessor is going to feel more comfortable, the more you are able to make your
spoken English like the music of the language that native speakers are used to –

• good stress on the right sounds
• not too fast, not too slow
• appropriate pausing
• very little hesitation or self correction
• neither too loud nor too soft
• good rhythm and flow of sound
• clear and accurate, individual sounds
• good grouping of ‘chunks’ of meaning.
• trying to mirror the ‘music’ of the assessor’s speech a little ( by using a similar
speaking speed, similar volume and similar feeling of friendliness in the ‘notes’)

Silence is NOT golden!

There is a saying in English that says, ‘Silence is golden’. In the IELTS Speaking test
Silence is NOT golden. Why?

• Silence causes strain for the assessor and breaks flow and connection.
• It is a sign of either: trouble finding the right word, or trouble trying to understand
what is required, or trouble trying to explain something successfully.
• In western cultures, silence is often experienced as more threatening than it is in
some cultures – Asian cultures, for example.
• Silence takes up a lot of time so it may put pressure on the assessor to try to fit too
many questions into a small amount of remaining time, especially in the first part
of the Speaking test.
• In the Speaking test, you can’t get a good score for what you don’t say!

Page 5


The dance of the Speaking test – ‘It takes two to tango!’

The interviewer knows the 3‐section ‘dance’ of the Speaking test better than you do
but you can help your assessor by being a ‘good dance partner’. How?

• moving through each section of the test and each question in appropriate time,
• being responsive to your assessor, while being taken through the ‘dance’s’
sections or when receiving instructions
• showing yourself in a positive light, thus…
• …making your assessor happy that you are their 11‐14 minute ‘dance partner’.

As a dance partner you need to be responsive, which means not trying to
dominate your partner but being a cooperative equal; it means not changing the
dance or the music, but keeping in step and staying in time.

Finding an appropriate and active way of relating to the assessor
Another important aspect of ‘cooperative connection’ in this short Speaking test is
to feed the brief relationship between yourself and the assessor, so that it is friendly,
balanced, productive, mutually appropriate and mutually respectful. You can play a
large part in this – you don’t have to be passive in this relational aspect of the
encounter.

For the 1114 minutes with the assessor, you should act like an equal who is:

• offering yourself as a memorable, unique and interesting person
• informing about your life and culture with a real interest in doing so
• using body language and eye contact to communicate interest and connection but
not frustration or aggression
• treating the relationship with sensitivity, charm, pride, respect and friendliness
• trying to make the assessor’s task easier
• using language that is not too distant (too formal) nor too familiar (too informal)
so your aim is to use language that is polite but friendly at all times.
• listening carefully and politely to everything the assessor tells you or asks you.
• reacting and responding with good energy, and a sense of motivated involvement

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How to connect with the assessor at each stage of the
Speaking Test

Connecting during the Introduction to the Speaking test

• When the assessor invites you into the room, make sure you put your passport or
test ID on the table so that it is ready.
• Don’t try to say much while you getting seated, just smile and look pleasant and
respond to anything the assessor asks or says
(Sometimes test candidates try to chat to the assessor by saying things like, ‘How
are you today?’ at this point but really the assessor just wants to get on with the
interview efficiently).
• The assessor isn’t a police officer, so when you say your name, say it in a
friendly way. If your name is really difficult for assessors to identify or repeat
properly, give them a short or simple first name to call you during the interview.
• While seated, look interested and connected, not nervous or tired. Make eye
contact and be polite when asked for your passport, and when it is returned to you.

Connecting in PART 1 of the Speaking test: Do’s and Don’ts

Part 1 of the Speaking test consists of three general topics from everyday life. Each
topic has about 4 or 5 questions each of which the assessor reads out from a sort of
interview script. You have to answer each question.

1. Keep in step; keep in time

On average about 15 seconds is an appropriate length for each of your answers in
order to ‘keep in step’ with the rhythm of this section.

• If you take a long time answering (either because of hesitation or going into too
much detail) then the assessor feels the pressure because there is not enough time
to ask all the questions.
• Similarly, if your answers are too short, the assessor will get to the end of the
questions before the minimum time is up for the 3 topics (4 minutes).

By keeping in step with the time boundaries of this section you will make the
assessor more comfortable

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2. Don’t use memorised material at any stage.

Sometimes candidates memorise answers and try to use them in this part of the test
This is not a good idea. Why not?

It is very easy for the assessor to recognise memorised answers. Also:
• they often take up too much time
• frustrate the assessor
• create a bad impression.
At the same time you are not interacting in a real way, you are being false.

3. Don’t be frightened to ask for a question to be repeated

The assessor has to read the questions from a printed page so if you don’t
understand the question the assessor can’t explain it to you. You can ask for the
question to be repeated, however. This is much better than remaining silent.

You can say:
‘ Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Could you repeat the question, please?’

If you still don’t understand the question after it is read to you again, just be polite
and say:

‘I’m sorry but I still don’t quite follow the question.’
The assessor will simply move on to the next question.

4. Try to extend your answers a little until you have used about 15 seconds.

Why? This makes you seem more interesting, more friendly, less robotic, less like a
test‐taking machine. Before the test, practice with a watch to gain a sense of what
a 15‐second time interval feels like, and of the ‘rhythm’ of a question + a 15‐second
response.

Remember, though, 15 seconds is just an average length for a response in Part
1, and gives you a sense of a safe Question/Answer time interval relative to the
total number of questions and overall time available for this section of the test – you
don’t have to practice until you are a precise, 15‐second robot! Study this example:

Page 8


Example:
Assessor’s question: Were you a good student at school?
Answer A: Yes… I was a good student…. at school…yes

Comment : This answer is too brief, repeats the question words, and has an unusual
pattern of ‘mini‐pauses’

Answer B: Most of the time I was, yes, …especially at primary school, ..but at high
school… I had a period when I was a bit rebellious… and occasionally I got into trouble
for not doing my homework… and arriving late.

Comment: This answer is much better as it sounds natural, is extended fluently, is
personalised, is in ‘chunks’ (that is ‘blocks of meaning’ each with a tiny pause before
the next block), is in polite, conversational style and is about 15 seconds long

5. Sing the same song

As native speakers, assessors will probably ‘sing the song’ of English by using rising
and falling intonation to add interest and show a positive attitude.

Remember to try to mirror or echo this by using rising and falling intonation
in a natural and appropriate way to show how you feel about the answers you are
offering. If you are talking about something exciting or interesting let your
intonation show this. If you are surprised, show this.

Add ‘personality’ to your language. Flatness of spoken English suggests to the
assessor that you are not interested, and maybe not interesting!

Don’t speak too quietly, nor too loudly. Try to ‘mirror’ the assessor when you
speak, in terms both of the volume of your voice (not too quiet, not too loud) and of
the use of gentle eye contact (to maintain relationship and connection) – these help
assessors to feel comfortable, and keep their attention and interest in what you are
saying.

6. Be yourself

The interview is testing your ability at spoken English but that English is spoken by
YOU, so don’t forget to be yourself and not be too frightened or too ‘hidden’.

Page 9


7 tips for connecting in PART 2 of the Speaking test

As part 1 finishes, your assessor will give you a topic card and you have one minute
to plan your short 1‐2 minute talk on that topic.

During the oneminute planning/notemaking time

1. When you receive the topic card, make sure you go through ALL the points
listed. Use the listed points to structure your notes (or thoughts).

2. If you want to start before the one minute has finished just politely say,
‘I think I’m ready to start now’

During the talk

3. When you give your talk try to talk about each of the points on the topic card
‐ many talks lack structure and are not organised and the candidate just ends up
trying to fill the time often becoming repetitive or going off the point. If you plan
systematically you can usually avoid this. Being systematic connects with the
assessor’s expectations.

4. Try to make your talk fluent, personal and varied
Again, your talk is a chance for connection, not just using English. Connection is
improved by adding variety and by Try to communicate and connect with the
assessor, by using your voice to add interest.

5. Use eye contact to connect
The little talk is a great opportunity to connect with your eyes and to build the
relationship with the assessor. Don’t stare at your notes – it seems a bit rude or shy.

6. If you have finished before the two minute period is up, signal that to the
assessor with a simple phrase like, ‘I think that’s all’ or ‘That’s the end of my talk’.
Don’t let silence create doubt.

7. The assessor will ask a ‘rounding off’ question connected to your talk, just
answer this fairly briefly as the assessor will want to move into the final part of
the interview. Don’t go on for too long or the assessor may get a little impatient

Page 10


9 ideas for connecting in PART 3 of the Speaking test

The assessor will move the test into the final stage by starting to discuss general
questions connected broadly to the topic of your talk.

1. You should see this part as a more natural type of interaction because the
assessor may react to your responses and share the discussion a little, not just move
from one question to the next like in part 1 of the Speaking test; however, the
assessor will be careful not to take up too much time talking as the aim is to assess
your spoken abilities in this part.

2. See yourself as an equal.
Try to imagine that you are having a discussion in a coffee shop with a colleague
who is interested in your detailed views on certain things.

3. Try to develop your answers using varied sentence connectors to build flow;
try not to talk in short, staccato sentences as this gives the impression that you
don’t want to build a relationship or enjoy a discussion, but just want to finish the
test as quickly as you can.

EXAMPLE

Assessor’s question: Do you think weddings are really necessary in the modern
world?

Answer A: (too short, not fluent) Weddings are necessary. Weddings are a tradition;
they make parents happy.

Answer B (longer, but still too staccato); ‘Yes. They are necessary. Your family
needs to follow traditions. It is a bad thing not to get married. It brings shame. It
shows you are not serious about your life. You need to please your parents. Weddings
help you do this’.

Answer C ( longer and more fluent): ‘They seem to be important even though they
may not be completely necessary these days, because, for a start, they enable a
couple to show a public commitment to each other in front of their family and friends,
which helps them to feel supported when making such a big decision, and
furthermore, the couple can feel they are part of a long and honourable tradition in
their society, while at the same time, of course, pleasing their parents.’

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4. If you can’t quickly think of a response to a question, there are various
strategies you can use to give yourself more thinking time:

— you can use ‘holding’ expressions like, ‘Mm that’s an interesting question but not
easy to answer quickly……’ or ‘There are different ways of responding to that
question and it depends very much on your ….’

— you can ask the assessor to paraphrase the question by seeking clarification, as
in; ‘Do you mean, are weddings legally necessary or just socially necessary? I’m not
sure exactly what that question is getting at.’

5. It can be useful and adds variety to give examples from your own life
occasionally if that makes it easier for you to communicate your viewpoint.

Example
‘ I’ll give you an example from my own experience. One of my close friends and his
partner are not married and have never had a wedding, and because of this, I don’t
think they feel as connected to their family.’

Occasional examples from your life, culture and country will make you more
confident and may be interesting for the assessor. Amusing examples are a way to
add to the sense of connection with the assessor but they must feel natural.

6. Try not to be either too formal or too informal during this part of the
interview. You should be a little more relaxed because you know the assessor just a
little better. It’s the part of the test in which you can be a little more friendly and
allow your fluency and intonation to communicate this. Avoid long silences or long
hesitations.

Page 12


7. Try to build precision into your explanations of words or ideas. How?

‐ Display variety in your use of sentence types and in vocabulary use to enrich
explanations.
‐ Avoid repetition as this rarely adds something new and limits precision
‐ Build precision also by using expressions which introduce opportunities for
you to paraphrase and extend an idea or viewpoint.

Example:
I’m a bit antiweddings. By saying this I suppose I mean that I’ve seen many of my
friends’ marriages fail and this has made me a little pessimistic about expensive,
‘showy’ ceremonies and what they have come to represent. In other words, today
there seems to my mind to be too much emphasis on display and perhaps not enough
attention to deep meaning.

8. But, it’s also OK to use ‘vague’ language very occasionally as this can sound
more natural.

Examples
i) ‘…that sort of thing’; ‘…and things like that;
(These are used at the end of sentences and should only be used very occasionally)

ii) ’She’s some sort of…..; ‘I’m not sure exactly, but I think he’s…’; I have a feeling
that it’s something to do with…’; I kind of sense that in the future…. will become
more or less….
(These are used at the front end of sentences and can be used a little more often)

9. If your assessor offers a comment, respond to it (in an appropriate way)
as this is natural and increases the sense of connection.

Example
Assessor; It sounds as though you don’t really trust the idea of marriage.
Candidate: Does it? Maybe you’re right. I think it’s definitely true that marriage
seems more risky these days, as in this type of society people are more selfish, more
independent and less respectful of tradition and so they may not feel so deeply
connected to any promises they make.

Page 13


DISconnecting at the end of the Speaking test

• When the interview ends, just thank the assessor and say goodbye politely
and briefly.
Don’t be too polite as this may not seem genuine (ie the interviewer may sense
that you are doing it to gain a favourable impression, rather than because you mean
it) So, be polite, but genuine.
Be brief because assessors are busy, and under time pressure to get through their
list of candidates.

• Don’t ask questions about your performance after the interview is finished
The assessor cannot discuss this and will not be impressed by your question, but
embarrassed as it seems inappropriate. It may damage the cooperative connection
you have built up in the previous 11‐14 minutes.

To summarise

To build a good impression in the assessor’s mind in the Speaking test

Think about:

• making a ‘cooperative connection’ with your assessor by working together and
building a friendly relationship
• singing the ‘song’ of the test by echoing the features of native speaker speech
as much as you can
• being active ‐ silence is not golden!
• dancing the ‘dance’ of the Speaking test by following the rhythm of each part of the
test and being sensitive to the time pressures that the assessor has to manage and
how you might add to this pressure.
• relating to the assessor in a friendly, polite but mutually respectful way

To impress and connect with the assessor during the Speaking test:

At the beginning

• Get your passport or test ID ready.
• Don’t say much unless asked; just smile and look pleasant.
• Look interested and connected, not tired.
• If your first name is difficult to say, offer the assessor a simpler one to use
• Be friendly and polite, when asked for your name and passport.

Page 14


In Part 1

• Keep in step with the time (max. 15 seconds per answer) and rhythm of your
response to each question to make the assessor feel comfortable.
• Don’t use memorised answers – they are easy to spot and don’t sound natural
• Don’t be frightened to ask for a question to be repeated if you don’t understand it
• Put ‘life’ into your voice and ‘mirror’ the volume and ‘music’ of the assessor’s voice
• Extend your responses – don’t just ‘echo’ the words in the question in a brief reply
• Be natural, be yourself

In Part 2

• Use the listed points on the topic card to structure your notes (or thoughts).
• Be systematic by talking about each of the points on the topic card – the assessor
expects this.
• Make your talk fluent, personal and varied; use your voice and eyes well – connect!
• If you finish before the two minute period is up, signal this to the assessor
• Respond to the ‘rounding off’ question fairly briefly so the assessor doesn’t feel
time pressure before Part 3.

In Part 3

• See yourself as an equal and use a natural style of interaction because the assessor
may respond to your responses and share the discussion a little
• Develop your answers using varied sentence connectors to build flow.
• Don’t discuss in short, staccato sentences – it sounds like you aren’t interested
• Use examples from your own life if they help you to extend your opinions fluently
• Be neither too formal nor too informal, but stay friendly
• Avoid long silences or constant hesitations.
• Build precision into your explanations of words or ideas.
• Use opportunities to paraphrase and extend your ideas or opinions.
• Use ‘vague’ language very occasionally – it can sound more natural.
• If your assessor offers a comment, be friendly and respond to it.

Page 15


At the end

• Just thank the assessor and say goodbye politely and briefly.
• Don’t be too polite – it may seem false
• Be brief, because assessors are busy and under time pressure.
• Don’t ask questions about your performance after the interview is finished.

Are you starting to feel more in control of your IELTS situation now? I really hope so!
Come back next time and join me for our final Lesson #6. Together, we’ll take a look
at a few little ‘tips’ and ‘tricks’ which may make a significant difference to your IELTS
scores, especially in the other parts of the IELTS test – Listening and Reading.

© 2009 Donna Millen and ieltsontrack.com

This article is copyright to ieltsontrack.com, and may not be reproduced
or copied without the permission of ieltsontrack.com

The design and layout of this series of lessons are copyright to IELTS
Blog.com and may not be reproduced or copied without the permission
of IELTSBlog.com

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