Understanding the Essentials and Excelling in Each Section of the IELTS Speaking Exam
IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System, and it is an internationally renowned English language exam. This exam is conducted in more than 140 countries across the world. IELTS is managed by the British Council, Cambridge Assessment English, in cooperation with IDP.
IELTS is a test that students take all around the globe to prove their English competence for admission, a job, or any other reason (related with English language comprehension). IELTS is required for entrance to training or academic programs in countries like Study in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Furthermore, IELTS is accepted by over 3000 universities in the United States and other institutions across the world.
IELTS exam is divided into four sections: Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Listening. The score band is between 0-9, and the final score is evaluated after considering all four sections. This article will briefly discuss the techniques, tips, and tricks with which candidates can finish the speaking section effectively and efficiently. But before that, let’s understand the basic structure of the IELTS speaking test.
The IELTS Speaking Test Structure
The primary focus of the first section is to evaluate your English-speaking proficiency. There are three parts in the speaking section, each of 5 minutes duration, making the overall section 15 minutes in duration. The speaking section of IELTS remains similar for both IELTS General and IELTS Academics tests, i.e., you will have to express your opinions and thoughts about the given topic by speaking English for each part. One minute will be given before each question to the candidate to prepare.
Part 1
Questions for an informal interview about yourself, your family, your job, studies, or your interests.
Part 2
A subject card with three things to discuss will be handed to you. You will have one minute to prepare speaking points and two to three minutes to talk constantly, covering all aspects of the assignment.
Part 3
You have a more in-depth conversation about the subject. In Part 2, the examiner will ask you more questions on the topic.
The overall speaking section can be challenging for many candidates, especially for the people belonging to non-English speaking countries. However, using the following way, you can improve your speaking section score.
1. The biggest mistake people make in the speaking section is of breaking the sentence with the sound of umm, hmm, etc. This can drastically decrease your score since they want candidates to effectively and clearly communicate in English without hesitation. You must avoid making such sounds, taking pauses between the speaking, and reduce all the things which break the continuity of the speaking part. However, speaking in a good flow without any break in between can be challenging for the students, and it is for that reason they are required to practice it. With a good amount of practice, you can improve your speaking flow.
2. Grammar is the backbone of the English language, and no university will give scholarship or even admission to the student who cannot speak with correct grammar. Wrong grammar can leave a big negative impact on your IELTS score, and it is for that reason, it is crucial to keep in mind that wrong grammar does not become a problem in the speaking section. While taking the test, bear in mind that you will be graded on how well you use paraphrase as well as your use of tense. As a result, it’s critical to use them appropriately.
3. Almost every student knows the importance of pronunciation. Good pronunciation can make you sound good and confident, which can leave a very good and strong impact on the examiner as well as on other people. However, bad pronunciation can make things worse as well. Bad pronunciation can make you sound under-confident and can leave a bad impact. It is for that reason, pronunciation is crucial in the speaking section of the IELTS.
Using the above tricks and tips, you can improve your score in the speaking section that can lead you to get the best study abroad programs and can even make you eligible for the scholarship for abroad study for Indian students.