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It is better to practice a little bit every day and improve your skills gradually than to
speak your native language all week until you have IELTS class. You’ll find more
advice for IELTS Speaking practice here.
You can also ask them to repeat the question. However, you can’t ask the examiner to
explain the whole sentence.
Here’s what to do if you get an unfamiliar topic in your IELTS Speaking test.
Therefore, you should speak, write, read and listen to English for 24 hours before
your IELTS Speaking test. Your family and friends might think you are crazy, but it
will make a huge difference to your score!
If you give very short answers, there is no way the examiner can know how good you
are. Therefore, you should try to extend your answers with explanations and
examples.
When you make a small mistake, simply say sorry and repeat the sentence correctly.
This video will show you exactly what is required to score a Band 8 in IELTS Speaking.
This article will give you a strong idea of what to expect on test day.
Simple yet effective ways to extend your answers in Part 1 of the Speaking test.
Below you’ll find advice that I give to all of my speaking classes and a strong sample answer
for Part 2.
Learn exactly how you can score a Band 8 in IELTS Speaking Part 2.
Advice for getting the score you need in IELTS Speaking Part 2.
Click above for a strategy you can use each and every time.
This is your opportunity to really develop your answers and discuss the issues brought up by
the examiner. The topic will be linked to the topic you discussed in Part 2, and this will last
4-5 minutes.
This video will show you exactly how to score a Band 8 in the final part of IELTS Speaking.
Our detailed guide for getting your required score in IELTS Speaking Part 3.
This post contains the most common questions that examiners ask in Part 3.
Part 3 Tips
This article will show you some tips about the psychology of Part 3 and how to mentally
prepare for that part of the test.
How you can avoid the most common mistakes that students make in IELTS Speaking.
IELTS Speaking Practice
There are many ways that you can practice your speaking. The most important things to
remember are:
It is better to practice on your own than not practice at all. Don’t let the lack of a
partner stop you practising.
There are thousands of ways to practice with a partner online. You’ll find some in the
articles below.
Focus on the 4 marking criteria. Everything else is irrelevant.
Be a reflective learner. Record your practice sessions and honestly appraise your
performance.
Practising for the sake of it will not help. You need to identify your weaknesses and
take action on improving those shortcomings.
This article will show you how to practice on your own, find other people to practice with
and find an IELTS expert to help you with your speaking.
There are lots of real practice questions out there. It’s important that you use these before
your test to give you an idea of what to expect on test day. This article will show you how to
use these effectively.
The following links are from the British Council and will give you real questions to practice
from home:
Practice Part 1
Practice Part 2
Practice Part 3
Marking Criteria
There are four parts to the IELTS Speaking marking criteria:
1. Pronunciation
2. Lexical Resource
3. Grammatical Range and Accuracy
4. Fluency and Coherence
You’ll find help with each part of the IELTS Speaking marking scheme below.
Pronunciation
I believe that pronunciation is the most important skill to master in the IELTS Speaking test.
Quite simply, without clear pronunciation, it doesn’t matter how good your fluency, grammar
or vocabulary are. If the examiner can’t understand what you’re actually saying, you will
struggle in all areas.
The articles below will help you work on your pronunciation skills.
Most students think that learning lists of ‘high-level’ words or idioms will get them the score
they need. In fact, it’s probably the best way to LOWER your score.
You should use vocabulary as a tool to help you communicate clearly, NOT to show off.
IELTS Vocabulary
IELTS Idioms
7 Ways Idioms Can LOWER Your Score
Fluency
Fluency is a really tricky area because it is so connected to grammar, vocabulary, and
confidence. Luckily, I believe that it is the area that can be ‘fixed’ quite easily.
Grammar
You can learn how to improve your IELTS Speaking grammar skills in the following video:
In Parts 2 and 3, it is impossible to predict which topics will come up. I carried out extensive
research on this and you can see the results here.
Find out how you can improve your IELTS speaking preparation by following the advice
given by students who scored a Band 7+ in their IELTS speaking test.
Is Accent Important?
This article will explain the reasons why your accent won’t affect your IELTS speaking score
(and what you should focus your time on instead).
It’s common for people to worry about getting an unfamiliar topic on the IELTS speaking
exam. However, this article will outline the reasons why this shouldn’t be your priority and
what to do if you do receive a topic you know little about.
Is it OK to ask the examiner questions? There are only two that you can ask him or her. The
above article shows you how.
I don’t believe in quick fixes and tips are just that. These tips are useful if you just need a
quick guide but do realise that you need more than just tips.
The above article will help you take a strategic approach to your preparation for your
speaking test.
Formal or Informal?
Many students think that they should speak in a very formal way. You don’t want to speak
very informally, but you don’t want to sound like a robot either.
There is a little more to it than that, as you will see below. However, you should always
remember that the examiners in the IELTS Speaking exam are simply testing if you can open
your mouth and communicate in English.