The IELTS Academic and General Speaking section is different from the other parts of the exam. This section is conducted as an interview with an IELTS examiner. This test is recorded, and further analysed for scoring.
The interview is divided into three parts. Each part has a separate task for you to do so that the examiner can assess your English-speaking ability in various areas.
The total time allotted to the speaking section is around 15 minutes in total. You will have the first 5 minutes for an introduction session with the examiner. They will ask you general questions about work, studies, interests, home etc.
The next part is the individual long turn. You will be given a card with a specific topic on it. The card will also include some details about the topic that you need to incorporate into your speech. This entire section is 3-4 minutes long. The first minute will be for you to prepare your speech. You can make notes and get ready to start speaking. Then you must speak for the next 2 minutes about the topic at hand. They might ask you a few more questions about the topic briefly at the end of your speech.
The last part of the speaking test is the discussion session. The examiner will discuss any issues or highlights of the topic in the second part with you, and you must respond accurately and appropriately. This part is 4-5 minutes long.
STRATEGIES
- Try to speak in a very natural tone. Do not alter your voice or accent. In IELTS, having a diverse vocabulary is important, so learn common words prior to the exam. However, do not use bigger and more complex words to impress the examiner, unless you are completely sure of their meaning and relevance to the topic. There could be a chance you misunderstand and mispronounce certain words so it’s better to avoid those.
- Try not to memorize sample answers or sample formats before going in for the exam. A memorized speech can easily be noticed by the examiner and it will make you sound unnatural and monotone.
- Do not speak in a hurry. It’s fine to take natural pauses to think over what your next sentence is going to be. There are phrases you can use as connectors or as buffers for when you have to take a second to think like:
- Let me see
- That’s a good question
- I haven’t thought about it in that way
- However, I do think
- You raise a good point
- Don’t repeat the phrases or the questions that are mentioned in the card or that the examiner uses. Try to use your own words to the best of your ability. Even if you just paraphrase what the examiner says, it’s better than repeating exactly what he’s saying. For example, if the examiner says “Tell me about the city where you grew up”, a response starting with “Let me tell you about the city where I grew up” is not a good start.
Scoring
You are marked based on 4 measures:
- Fluency and coherence – This standard judges if you can speak at a normal pace and how well you can do that without much hesitation. It judges your ability to put your thoughts in a logical order and use a variety of cohesive techniques (such as linking words, pronouns, and conjunctions) as needed.
- Lexical resource – The range and variety of vocabulary you have used in your response as well as how accurately you have used them.
- Grammatical range and accuracy – The range and variety of grammar you have used in your response as well as how accurately you have used them.
- Pronunciation: This assesses your ability to be understood with your words, and tone by a native English speaker without that much effort.
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