IELTS : Speaking :
IELTS speaking is the last part of the exam conducted at the end of the day. Usually the exam lasts between 10 – 15 minutes and consists of an interview between the examiner and the student.
IELTS speaking is known to have 5 main parts, which we have outlined below.
Introduction.
The examiner will ask the candidate to introduce themselves, this is seen as an ice-breaker. The questions will be simple ones regarding home life, work and interests.
Further conversation
The student will be asked to discuss a new topic at length. This could be regarding their culture, place of work or study, country or hometown. This involves much greater levels of description and narration.
Stimulation
Students are given a cue card. This will contain a topic and some basic information. The student must use the card to elicit information and to use it as a basis for discussion. Marks will be awarded for those who demonstrate a broad understanding of vocabulary and understanding of the topic. You will be expected to discuss the topic for 4-5 minutes with the examiner.
Attitudes and viewpoints
Students are asked about their plans for further study or they may be asked to elaborate on a topic that was discussed earlier giving an opinion on a particular standpoint.
Conclusion
The interview is concluded with final comments from both examiner and student.
Phase 1—Introduction
Introduce yourself clearly into the microphone. Remember to bring all of your ID and documentation.
Phase 2—About Yourself
Present yourself in a clear friendly manner. Try to give the examiner something to work with, the more interesting information you can give the examiner the more details they will have to use in the following sections, it will elicit more advanced conversation which will give you a higher mark. Try to avoid ‘yes – no’ answers, remember you are being tested on your ability to communicate.
Phase 3—Asking Questions
After being given the cue card you will have a minute to make sense of it. Your role will be to discuss the topic with the examiner using the information presented.
The cue card will resemble something like this :
Example : Talk about a famous person
You should think about:
Who he/she is?
Why is he/she famous?
What you know about the person?
For the task you will have 1 minute to think about what to say and 4-5 minutes to talk about the topic. You need to be able to demonstrate you can discuss a topic chosen by the teacher, and present the topic in an interesting and fluent manner.
This is a conversation exercise between you and the examiner. It will allow you to explore more abstract ideas.
REMEMBER:
Having a partner is a great way to practice the IELTS speaking. Ask your partner to prompt you with questions, this will help you to practice thinking on your feet.
