Do you need help with your OET speaking? In this video we're going to look at intelligibility
from the OET speaking criteria and how you can improve in this area, so keep watching!
Hello it's Jo here from SLC, here to help you pass your OET exam. In this video we're going to
take a look at intelligibility from the speaking criteria, we will show you how to score highly
in this area. We're going to look at what the descriptors actually mean and how you can improve,
let's check it out! So basically intelligibility means the ability to produce comprehensible
speech, so this means that your pronunciation is easily understood, stress, rhythm and intonation
are used effectively and that your accent doesn't have a negative effect on the listener.
So how can you improve in this area? Let's take a look at what the examiner is looking for when
you do your OET speaking role play. It's really important that you pronounce words very clearly,
especially vowel sounds, final consonants and also use the correct word stress
for example, the vowel sound "a" in carefully or "i" in dialysis and for consonants the
"r" in right or the "w" in womb and notice the stress in these words: unCOMfortable, sciAtica.
Pitch and project your voice well, so no mumbling, slurring speech or fading out at the end of your
sentences. Notice the negative effect of mumbling and fading out in this sentence:
It's important that you complete the course of antibiotics for full 10 days, okay?
Now notice the clarity in this example:
It's important that you complete the course of antibiotics for the full 10 days, okay?
Focus on your intonation and the word stress to emphasise meaning.
Listen to this sentence and notice the stress words and the rising intonation at the end.
It's REALLY important that you remember to take the medication AFTER eating, is that alright?
Let's check out some practical activities that you can do to improve your pronunciation.
Keep an organised vocabulary notebook, write down difficult medical terms with pronunciation
in a system that works for you phonetically for example, "sciatica".
You can use online dictionaries with sound files to repeat and practice making the sounds;
Macmillan, Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries are good for this.
And ask people to correct your pronunciation while at work or out socially in English for examples,
colleagues, patients and friends in healthcare. Make a list of the kind of sounds that you find
difficult to pronounce for example, the "l" and "r", so for example lice and rice,
or the "i" and "ee", ship or sheep, then practice and get feedback if you can.
Another thing the assessors will be looking out for is voice projection and pitch,
remember they don't receive a video only a sound file so it's vital that your speech is clear.
Things to remember are: speaking at a good volume level, remember your test is recorded and should
be clear. Practice recording yourself on your phone and play it back to see if your voice is
loud enough and clear. Some people have very deep voices and others are higher pitched,
what matters is that you vary your pitch, rising and falling as you speak. Listen to the range of
pitch in sentences by watching online videos of consultations and copy the way they speak. You
can also use voice recordings of yourself to check that you're not mumbling, so speaking like this,
or slurring your speech. If your sentences are mumbled or fade out you will not seem confident
to the assessor. Compare your recording with online videos and notice areas where you
specifically need to improve, then record yourself again and see if you do better,
so copy, record, compare and repeat. Now let's take a look at intonation and word stress. So
your intonation should help enhance meaning such as rising intonation at the end of your questions
expecting yes or no answers for example, "would you be able to manage that?" "Is that okay?"
Practice your word stress to draw attention to the important part of your advice
for example "It's so important that you keep taking your medication twice daily, Mrs Brown".
Listen to intonation by watching videos of medical consultations, note how it varies to
help understanding, you can also watch and repeat the intonation in question forms.
Listen and note how medical professionals use a softer tone of voice when expressing empathy
and a firmer tone of voice when stressing to a reluctant patient that they should do something
for example, "I can appreciate how difficult this might be for you - soft tone - but I must
stress how important it is for you to cut down your weekly alcohol intake" - firm tone - Let's
talk about accent. Some of my students worry that their accent will cause strain for the listener,
it's okay to have an accent, in fact I think it's part of your personality but it should
be understandable to the listener. One way to improve is to ensure that your rhythm is not
uneven. Listen to the natural rhythm of native English speakers by watching medical video clips,
podcasts and things like that, try and imitate the rhythm in your speech. Your native language may
have a very different rhythm so a lot of listening and repeating phrases can help with this.
You also might want to check that your accent is intelligible by asking an English teacher,
a colleague or a friend to give you feedback. In our modern times we have world english and
there's no need to reproduce a perfect English accent, as long as your accent
doesn't cause strain for the listener, it's absolutely fine. Top tips for intelligibility.
Practice speaking clearly, it's important to focus on sounds that are difficult specifically
for you in your study time, think about copying intonation and rhythm from audios and videos
and don't forget it's really useful to record, review and repeat to improve.
So thanks for watching, don't forget to subscribe for more videos like this,
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we've got loads of great videos coming up on the speaking criteria. Don't forget to
check out our website and see how we can help you prepare for the OET exam, see you next week, bye!