Do you want to improve your OET speaking for the exam?
Then keep watching because we're going to be looking at fluency.
Hello I'm Jo from SLC here to help you pass your OET exam. In this video we're going to look at
one of the OET speaking criterias of fluency. We will look at what this criterion actually means
and how you can improve in this area. Don't forget to check out our website, link below to see how
we can help you with your OET preparation. Now let's get started! So what exactly does fluency
mean? Well, fluency is simply the ability to communicate well and be understood without strain
so this means that your speed and flow of speech is even, speech is also continuous without
excessive hesitation and that your communication is easily understood by the listener.
So how can you improve in this area? Let's take a look at rate of speech first.
It's really important that your rate of speech is appropriate, the speed of your speech will impact
how easily you are understood. Listen to these three examples, which one do you think is best?
“Hello. I’m nurse Sam. I’m one of the nurses on duty,
and I’ll be looking after you today. I can see from my notes
that you were brought in last night with chest pains. How are you feeling today?”
“Hello. I’m nurse Sam. I’m one of the nurses on duty, and I’ll be looking after you today.
I can see from my notes that you were brought in last
night with chest pains. How are you feeling today?”
“Hello. I’m nurse Sam. I’m one of the nurses on duty, and I’ll be looking after you today.
I can see from my notes that you were brought in last night with chest pains.
How are you feeling today?”
That's right, number three, clearly. Number one was far too fast and speaking too quickly can make
you difficult to understand and information might become lost or unclear for the listener. Number
two was speaking too slowly and this also may cause some difficulties for the listener and can
interrupt the flow of the conversation and number three was a nice normal speed and easy to follow.
Another feature of fluency is hesitation and use of fillers, let's take a look at some examples.
Basically, you just need to change the dressing again if it gets wet or dirty.
Well, you see, the reason that it is important to do some regular exercise is that it will help
lower your cholesterol. Umm,
Well, the doctor is with another patient at the moment, but he will be coming to see you shortly.
Hesitation and fillers are naturally found in speech and they allow speakers time to think,
which is valuable for your OET exam, however do be careful not to overuse them as they may
make you sound too hesitant, too informal or even make you more difficult to understand.
Now, making mistakes while you speak is totally normal, don't worry if this
happens in your OET exam I do it all the time and I'm a native speaker of english
but it might involve some self-correction, that is a feature of fluency as well, let's take a
look. It happens when we are under pressure or if we change our mind about what we want to say
in the middle of speaking, take a look at this example, look at how the speaker self corrects.
Yes, that’s right. You need to apply the cream three times a week,
I mean three times a day, sorry.
Speakers are often aware of the error they have just made and they correct their language
to clarify the information, while some self-correction is necessary
repetitive self-correction can have a negative impact
on the flow of the conversation and possibly cause confusion for the listener, listen to this.
You need to change the dress, sorry, dressing, if it’s dry or dirty, sorry,
I mean wet or dirty. If you have problem, a problem, you can um you can back….come back.
Did you notice the negative effect? Let's take a look at some practical
activities that you can do to improve your fluency in general.
Practice as much as possible, one of the best ways to improve your fluency is through practice.
Look for opportunities to practice your English at work, language exchanges... if you don't currently
live in an English-speaking environment, look for language exchanges or events online where you have
the opportunity to practice. Listen. Observe how fluent speakers manage their conversations,
you can listen to how they use hesitation,
fillers and self-correction and how occasional interruptions in fluency don't really matter.
Ask for feedback about your rate of speech, your use of fillers or hesitation, or how
easily you are understood. After conversations ask for feedback in these areas to raise your
awareness about any weaker areas you may have. And what about improving for your OET speaking test?
Let's take a look at some ideas. It's a good idea to record your practice,
when you listen back try to identify any weaknesses that you might have in this area,
do you speak too fast or too slowly?, how much hesitation is there in your conversation?,
do you hesitate when you are searching for words or as part of a natural conversation?,
do you use a lot of fillers or overuse a particular one?
Identify your weakness so that you can try to reduce it in following practices.
Practice your introductions, this can help you to make a confident start in your role play,
practice giving explanations and other common tasks such as reassuring the patient or giving
advice, it's also a good idea to practice any task where you feel less confident,
such as persuading reluctant patients or finishing a role play appropriately.
Create a language bank of functional phrases that are easily adapted to any exam,
finding out information, giving advice emphasising the importance of something
are examples of common tasks you may have in the speaking exam. Practice them regularly so that
you are well prepared for the exam. Top tips for fluency, practice, practice as much as you can
and look for opportunities to speak in English and observe and listen to other fluent speakers.
Practice common tasks from the role play so you are well prepared for the exam. Record and notice
your weaker areas so you can improve them and ask for feedback from the people you practice with.
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we've got the perfect preparation course for you. See you next week, bye!