Ielts speaking section

Ielts speaking section

L1

What is in the Speaking test? ST is the same for both Academic and General Training candidates

• Time allowed: 11 to 14 minutes
• Procedure:
• ST is the last IELTS section you will sit. An examiner calls or brings you into an examination room from a waiting area. You and the examiner are alone in the examination room, sitting facing each other, with a desk between you.
• The examiner switches on the recorder at the beginning of the test. The purpose of that is to ensure that the examiner has conducted the test correctly.

STRUCTURE OF TEST The test consists of 3 parts, each with a different format

PART 1	PART 2	PART 3
INTRODUCTION AND INTERVIEW 4 – 5 MINUTES YOU COME INTO THE EXAMINATION ROOM AND ARE INVITED TO SIT DOWN. YOU AND E. EXCHANGE GREETINGS AND E. CONFRIMS YOUR IDENTITY. THE EXAMINER ASKS A FEW INITIAL Q. TO HELP YOU RELAX AND THEN GOES TO ASK Q ABOUT YOUR LIFE, YOUR INTERESTS AND OTHER FAMILIAR TOPIC AREAS.	INDIVIDUAL LONG TURN 3-4 MINUTES INCLUDING 1 MIN TO PREPARE E. GIVES YOU A CARD WITH A TOPIC WRITTEN ON IT. YOU HAVE 1 MIN TO THINK AND PREPARE WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SAY. THEN YOU MUST SPEAK ABOUT THE TOPIC FOR 1 OR 2 MIN. AFTER YOU FINISH TALKING, E. MIGHT ASK 1 OR 2 FOLLOW-UP QS.	TWO-WAY DISCUSSION 4 TO 5 MIN E. ENGAGES YOU IN A DISCUSION ABOUT TOPICS THAT HAVE THE SAME GENERAL THEME AS PART 2. WHILE SOME QS. ARE REASONABLY STRAIGHTFORWARD, OTHERS ARE MORE COMPLEX. THE LEVEL OF COMPLEXITY INCREASES THROUGHOUT THE TEST, i.e. PART 3 IS THE MOST DIFFICULT SECTION OF THE TEST.

SCORING

MARKS ARE AWARDED IN 4 AREAS:

• FLUENCY AND COHERENCE
• LEXICAL RESOURCE (VOCABULARY)
• GRAMMATICAL RANGE AND ACCURACY
• PRONUNCIATION
• YOU WILL RECEIVE A BAND SCORE BETWEEN 0 AND 9 DEPENDING ON YPUR PERFORMANCE. SCORES CAN BE REPORTED IN WHOLE OR HALF BAND SCORES, EG 7.0 OR 7.5

TEST – TAKING TIPS

• SPEAK AS MUCH AS YOU CAN (MORE THAN THE E.; DO NOT GIVE ONE-WORD ANSWERS)
• SPEAK AT A REASONABLE VOLUME AND SPEED (NO WHISPERING OR SHOUTING; DIRECT YOUR VOICE AT THE E. NOT THE RECORDER; SPEAK CLEARLY)
• MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION (VISUAL IMPRESSION)
• neat, casual, comfortable clothes;
• manage your posture (do not fold your arms across your chest or clasp your hands on your hand)
• eye contact, non-verbal behavior (no gigglingor fidgeting)

KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT (TIME MANAGEMENT, PROGRESSIVE DIFICULTY)

• KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT (TIME MANAGEMENT, PROGRESSIVE DIFICULTY)
• DO NOT ASK THE E. PERSONAL QS, RESULTS OR SCORE, FEEDBACK)
• DO NOT PANIC IF ASKED ABOUT AN UNFAMILIAR TOPIC

(TRY TO SPEAK ON DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY CONNECTED THINGS TO THE TOPIC, IT’S BETTER TO SAY SOMETHING THAN NOTHING.

REMEMBER: ITS YOUR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE IS TESTED, NOT YOUR KNOWLEDGE)

• DO NOT MEMORISE (NO FIXED SPEECH IN ADVANCE)
• TRY TO RELAX (SLOW, DEEP BREATHING/SAYING RELAXING POSITIVE THINGS TO YPURSELVES/ VISUALISING RELAXING IMAGES)

PART 1: INTRO AND INTERVIEW

• IDENTIFY YOURSELF
• DISCUSSION OF FAMILIAR TOPICS RELATED TO YOUR PERSONAL BACKGROUND

PROCEDURE:

• RECORDING (DATE, PLACE, CANDIDATE’S INFORMATION AND EXAMINER)
• PROOF OF IDENTITY
• WHAT SHOULD I CALL YOU?
• SHORT, DIRECT Qs – BRIEF, RELEVANT As

PART 1. POSSIBLE INITIAL TOPICS

• YOUR HOME (FAMILY HOME AND SURROUNDINGS: APPEARANCE, LOCATION, SIZE, ETC)
• YOUR HOME TOWN (PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, NOTABLE FEATURES, POPULATION/SIZE, HISTORICAL BACKGROUND)
• YOUR JOB (MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES, THINGS YOU LIKE AND DISKILE ABOUT IT, HOW LONG YOU HAVE BEEN DOING IT, ETC)
• YOUR STUDIES (SUBJECTS STUDIED, WHY YOU STUDYING, THINGS YOU LIKE/DISLIKE, WHAT QUALIFICATION WILL YOU GAIN)

PRACTICAL TASK

QUESTIONS ABOUT HOME	RESPONSES
QUESTIONS ABOUT JOB/STUDIES	RESPONSES