10 tips : IELTS Speaking test

Tip 1: Don't memorise answers Tip 2: Don't use big and unfamiliar words Tip 3: Use a range of grammatical structures Tip 4: Don't worry about your accent Tip 5: Pause to think Tip 6: Avoid using fillers Tip 7: Extend your answers Tip 8: Smiling helps pronunciation Tip 9: Don't speak in a monotone Tip 9: Don't speak in a monotone Tip 10 - Practice common IELTS topics

Tip 1: Don't memorise answers Don't memorise answers, especially in Part 1. Memorised language doesn't give the examiner an accurate measure of your English-language skills. The examiner will be able to tell if you have memorised your answers and this may influence your final band score.

Tip 2: Don't use big and unfamiliar words You may want to impress the examiner with big and complex words in your Speaking test. But to be safe, avoid using words you are not familiar with. There is a higher chance of making mistakes by either mispronouncing words or using them in the wrong context. Mistakes can affect your final band score.

Tip 3: Use a range of grammatical structures When IELTS examiners assess your speaking skills, they mark you against the following assessment criteria: Fluency and coherence Lexical resource Grammatical range and accuracy Pronunciation Try and use a range of grammatical structures using complex and simple sentences to express what you want to say. Know your own errors and practice speaking to friends in English, or record yourself to see if you can spot errors. If you hear an error, make sure to correct yourself. You are assessed on your ability to use different grammatical structures accurately, so it's important to practise speaking about the past, the present and the future using correct tenses.

Tip 4: Don't worry about your accent With a face-to-face Speaking test, the IELTS examiner understands a wide range of accents so will be able to understand what you say, unlike an AI machine. If you can communicate well, then there is nothing to worry about. But do be aware of sounds that you have difficulty with and make sure to use stress and intonation as English is a stress-timed language. Practice with friends and they will tell you if they can't understand what you are saying.

Tip 5: Pause to think There is no harm in taking a brief pause to think about what to say. We all do it to process questions. You can use phrases to give you time to think during the Speaking test - phrases such as: That's an interesting question I have never thought about that, but... Let me see That's a good point That's a difficult question, but I'll try and answer it Well, some people say that is the case, however I think... Let me think about that for a minute

Tip 6: Avoid using fillers Speak confidently and avoid using filler words. We generally use fillers when we don't know what to say, however, this shows the examiner that you can't access the appropriate language or ideas so it's important to avoid them and to use the phrases we gave you in Tip 5. Avoid the following fillers: Like You know Umm... Ahh... Ehh... Well Yeah...

Tip 7: Extend your answers Try and answer the examiner's questions in full. Extend your answers and don't wait for the examiner to prompt you with a question. When your answers are short, this shows the examiner that you cannot talk in detail about a topic. If the examiner says 'Why?', they are prompting you to give a reason for your answer and to extend more fully.

Tip 8: Smiling helps pronunciation Smiling can help calm your nerves which in turn helps your pronunciation. Make sure to enunciate clearly, opening your mouth wide enough so that sounds come out clearly. When we smile, our mouth is bigger and the tone of our voice is more friendly. Using clear enunciation and tone will show the examiner that you can use a range of pronunciation features.

Tip 9: Don't speak in a monotone Sometimes when we speak, we produce a flat sound, a monotone, with little variation. This makes it more difficult to express what you say and makes it more difficult for the listener to identify what parts of your message are important. Putting emphasis on certain words and pausing at sections in your speech can make your conversation with the IELTS examiner more engaging. When we emphasise certain words it makes it easier to compare and contrast ideas by stressing key words. It also increases the flow of conversation, so remember: Don't speak in a monotone Vary the stress and intonation to add emphasis Use your hands to gesture and help the rhythm of the conversation

Tip 10 - Practice common IELTS topics Common topics you can practice for the Speaking test include: Tourism and travel Education Transport Environment Family life Sport and recreation Crime and punishment The internet Advertising and retail

TOPIC : TOURISM AND TRAVEL EXAMINER - Describe the advantages and disadvantages of tourism in the modern world. Do you think that benefits of tourism outweight its drawbacks?

TOPIC : EDUCATION EXAMINER - Describe a period of time from your studies that was the most difficult for you so far. You should say: When it was Why was it hard What you were doing at that time

TOPIC : ENVIRONMENT EXAMINER - Describe an environmental problem or event. You should say: What is it? Where is it happening? What problems does it cause?

TOPIC : TRANSPORT EXAMNIER - What form of transport do you prefer to use? Why?

TOPIC : FAMILY LIFE EXAMINER - Tell me something about your family. In what way is your family important to you?

TOPIC : SPORT AND RECREATION EXAMINER - What kind of sport do you prefer? Tell me about your hobbies. Is there anything you like to do in your leisure time?

TOPIC : CRIME AND PUNISHMENT EXAMINER - Some people think that offenders should be put in prison. Others, however, believe that providing offenders with education and training is more effective than putting them in prison. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

TOPIC : THE INTERNET EXAMINER - How important is the internet to you? How often do you use the internet? Do you think you use the internet too much?

TOPIC : ADVERTISEMENT EXAMINER - Are advertisements important? Do you watch advertisements on television or on internet? Are there many advertisements in your country?