Does the IELTS speaking test give you jitters? Are you conscious and afraid when you enter
the examination room for IELTS? Or maybe you haven't till now and you are trying to apply
for the IELTS exam. Then stay with me in this lesson, my name is Michelle and I'm going
to help you with some tips for the IELTS speaking test. I suggest that you first watch my video
on FAQs for the IELTS speaking test that will really give you a very clear picture of how
the speaking test is conducted. Here's the link for you, it will open in a new TAB please
go ahead and watch it and then you come back for this video. If you don't want to, then
just join me here right now.
So let's look at the first criteria for the IELTS speaking test on which you will be assessed.
The first criteria on which you will be assessed or marked is fluency and coherence. But what
really does this mean? We are going to discuss that throughout the lesson. Here are certain
things that you must be careful about while doing the speaking test. Let's look at the
first point speak mostly and easily. What does this really mean? It means just speak
at length. Speaking at length is same as fluency. Yes so what we are discussing today first
is fluency. But what is the aim? How can you speak at length? It's not so easy right? Your
aim should be to speak naturally. The most important thing is that you do not memorize
what you have to speak coz that adds some unnecessary stress to your personality and
it's quite evident for the examiner to know that you've memorized what you're speaking.
So it's suggested that you speak naturally whatever the question is. Think of the answer
at that moment and answer it there and then. Let's look at how we should do that. You should
build on your point of view. Don’t worry I'm giving you an example. So let's say for
task 1, this question will be for task 1.But what is task 1? So in task 1, the examiner
will have a personal interview or introductory round with you. You can call it more of a
personal interview where in the examiner will ask you certain questions about your life.
It will be based on three different topics. So let's say for this one, the question is,
did you enjoy your childhood? How will you answer that? Yes I enjoyed my childhood. No
then you are not being fluent. If you want to be fluent, you must speak more, which means
to speak at length and how by building on your point of view. I'll teach you how to
build on your point of view. So if yiou say that yes I enjoyed my childhood, don't stop
here because I grew up in the country side and next to my home there was a beautiful
apple orchard and I used to go there in the evening with my friends and we used to pluck
apples and sometimes we used to eat those juicy fresh apples and other times we sued
to simply collect them for later days. This is how you can answer and build on your point
of view. Try to speak at least for 10 to 20 seconds for each question in task 1. I'll
write it for you here. 10 to 20 seconds if you can manage and if you cannot then may
be at least 5 to 10 seconds if you are not very confident. Don't just go on if you are
not confident, pause so that the examiner can move to the next question. But it's suggested
that you speak at good length. Let's look at what is coherence. Speak coherently,
what does it mean? It means to organize ideas logically. What this means is when you are
given a particular topic, you should speak only on that topic. You can talk about your
other experiences but they should be related to that topic so that it forms a united whole.
Your ideas should form a united whole. Complete... united whole for your ideas. And what is your
aim for speaking coherently? It is that you must not go off topic. But how do we do that?
You can use prompts. But in which task do you get prompts. Do you get prompts in task
1? No if you have seen my video on FAQs you'll know that you are given prompts for task 2.
Yes you're given a cue card, written on it are certain prompts or you can say bullet
points. It's very important that you just don't read the topic. It's very important
that you don't just read the topic and then build on it. You must use the bullet points
to develop on the ideas. I'm going to give you an example for that to make it easy for
you. Describe a time of the day that you like. This is the question on the cue card, this
is the topic on the cue card and the bullet points are given below it. So what all do
you think you should cover in that? It's very important that you tell what time of the day
it is, alright. What time why do you like it? And who are you with in that time of the
day, who are you spending your time with? Maybe you are alone, may be you are out with
someone. So for task 2, if you are given this topic, describe the time of the day you like.
Let’s say you like the evening time. Somewhere between 1800 hrs. to 1900 hrs. You like that
time of the day. Why? So first you answer what time? This time, why do you like it?
Maybe you like it because you go cycling that time. But what's so good about it. Now you
are telling the activity. But why is it that you like that time because that time rejuvenates
you or re energizes you. So you can use these words as well. And who are you with? So you
can say that I go cycling with a bunch of friends in the evening and that's why it's
so much fun and you can elaborate on this by building on you point of view. So don't
think of these are two different things. You should join them when you are speaking, you
should be and you should be coherent. Now we are going to look at another thing that
you should do when you are in the speaking test.
Now let's look at the third thing that you must do in the IELTS speaking test for getting
a good mark on fluency on coherence and that is to use cohesive devices. Let's look here.
But what really are cohesive devices? So like I told you coherence is a very important thing
for unity in your text, in your spoken text. The same way cohesive devices connect your
text, as in whatever you’re speaking, connect your spoken text. So let's look at these.
To use linkers or connectors or discourse markers. For example... for example, yes for
example is a connector and.... and, and is also a connector, but and so on. But what's
you aim your aim is appropriate sign posting which means that you have to use the connectors
at the right place and not the wrong place. Don't worry I’m going to tell you how to
do that with an example here. Let's look at this example of excessive TV watching. That's
the topic you've got, which task do you think you can use it in? We can use it for task
3. Yes, you got it right. And what is task 3? Task 3 is an analytical discussion with
the examiner where you discuss about a topic in detail. So what are all the aspects of
the topic that you discuss? You discuss first of all, you introduce the topic, alright.
Then you give reasons for it. After that you tell its effects. Here and then you conclude
the topic. And the most important thing is that you always give a personal example. Yes,
this is the most important thing for this task 3. Please make sure that you cover these.
So let me give you an example for the same topic excessive TV watching. How do you start
it? First we'll introduce this topic by saying that, now a days, these days, now a days or
these days TV watching has become an addiction. So you are talking about the past using now
a days or these days. However, now you are comparing. However in the past, now you're
talking about the past, so you could say, However when I was younger not everybody had
a television. So we are talking about the present, past and comparing using different
linkers like however, these days, now a days and when I was younger. Let's look at the
next one. Reasons, you give reasons. So you could say that, the major reason for this
is, I think the major cause for this is, you can use one of these. What do you think is
the cause for excessive TV watching? I think it is because of the popularity of TV characters
and increasing number of TV channels. So you could say when you are using and you are adding
information. So you can use and for adding information. Let's look at the next one, effects.
You could say this has led to; this is a linker or the starter that you can use. This has
led to eyesight problems, obesity and other health issues. You can conclude it with a
personal example saying that,” I must tell you what has happened with me. My cousin only
watches cartoons, he will never study.” You could also say for instance or my personal
example is, this is how you can elaborate on task 3. Some important things that you
should never do in the IELTS speaking test for the first criteria and that is do not
memorize, sound natural. Overcome hesitation which is very important, avoid self-correction,
do not correct yourself because that affects your fluency and do not over use the connectors.
Use them in the correct way and for the second point that we did, do not go off topic.
I hope this lesson was really helpful and that we did not go off topic anywhere. I hope
to see you again in the second criteria for the IELTS speaking test. For other videos
look at my series for the IELTS speaking test and do subscribe to our channel so that you
don't miss any of the videos. This is Michelle signing off, bye.