IELTS examiners are often asked to help students by revealing the scoring criteria, or perhaps giving a few ‘insider tips’ which IELTS preparation courses wouldn’t ordinarily include. While revealing the exact scoring criteria (rubrics) is simply not allowed, and tips and tricks are no substitute for hard work and plenty of practice, there is perhaps some insight which be gained by learning about what an examiner is looking for.
In this first of two articles discussing the IELTS examiner’s perspective we’ll explore the speaking test. In part two, we’ll look at the writing test. For a description of the IELTS test itself, as well as some general preparation strategies, see previous articles from the team at Aim for English.
Officially, you will be assessed on four aspects of your speech in the IELTS speaking test:
- Your fluency
- Your grammar
- Your vocabulary
- Your pronunciation
Fluency basically means ‘the ability to keep going’. Try to give nice long answers to questions (never one-word answers), and try to avoid too much hesitation (errrrrr, ummmmm). Also, don’t just answer the question – try to give one or two extra bits of information. If the examiner asks you what your favourite food is, for example, you could also mention how often you eat it, or where your favourite restaurant is that sells this type of food.
To improve your fluency, practice is the one and only solution. The more you speak, the more natural you’ll sound, and the more you’ll be able to ‘keep going’.
People often worry a little too much about Grammar in the IELTS speaking test. Yes, it’s important, but sometimes people are so focussed on using correct grammar that their fluency and vocabulary suffer. It’s better to speak naturally and fluently and confidently with a few grammatical errors than to attempt to use 100% perfect grammar but sound unnatural and use simple vocabulary. It’s all about finding the right balance (and practising!). The examiner is looking for correct grammar, but also grammatical range. This means you’ll get a higher score if you can show you’re able to use a range of tenses, complex sentences, passive and active forms, and other grammatical structures. Study these forms well, then practice using them as much as possible. There’s no point being able to get full marks in a multiple-choice garmmar test if you’re not able to use the grammar naturally when you’re speaking.
Vocabulary assessment is quite simple. You should use a wide range of vocabulary, and you should use it correctly. However, the IELTS test is not a good opportunity to experiment with new vocabulary, so stick to words that you know are correct. Try to avoid ‘boring’ words (e.g. good, bad, nice, big, small) and use more advanced, interesting words (e.g. beneficial, detrimental, appealing, enormous, minuscule)- these will stand out and impress the examiner. Unlike in the writing section, it is OK to use less formal words (e.g. kids, guys, stuff, hang out), and using these words can help you to sound more natural – after all this is the way natives speak. Also unlike the writing, it’s good to use contractions such as ‘don’t’, ‘won’t’ and ‘gonna’ in the IELTS speaking test.
When it comes to pronunciation, to get a band 6 or band 7 the examiner will need to understand everything you say very easily. You don’t need to have a native speaker accent, but you need to be clear and easy to understand. Speaking nice and slowly can help, and make sure you don’t whisper! During the test don’t worry too much about pronunciation, but do everything you can before the test to fix any issues you may have. Take a pronunciation course at a school like Aim, copy native speakers’ speech (from films perhaps), record yourself speaking, and (yet again) practice practice practice.
These are the four main assessment areas in the IELTS speaking test, but there are several other aspects of communication which you should also be aware of, including confidence, body language, and your answers to the questions.
It’s easy for me to say, but confidence really is the key. You are far more likely to get a higher score if you are confident. Nervousness often leads to short answers, simplified vocabulary, more grammar mistakes, and quieter speech.
Linked to confidence is body language. While the examiner will not give you a score for body language, like any other human being he or she will notice it. You don’t want to appear arrogant or over-confident, and you don’t want to seem shy and withdrawn from the conversation. Sit up straight, make regular eye contact with the examiner, and use hand gestures when you’re speaking. And smile! Don’t fiddle with hair or pens as this can be distracting, and after you’ve written your notes in part 2, put the pen down!
You may have noticed that you don’t receive a score for the answer to the question. However this doesn’t mean you can just talk about anything and still get a good score! The key here is to give detailed answers, and try (wherever possible) to be interesting. It’s OK to tell an amusing story, or talk about an embarrassing event. If you can stand out from the crowd and be interesting, then an examiner is more likely to reward you with a higher score if you are ‘borderline’ between 2 bands.
If you’ve worked hard on perfecting your grammar and learning plenty of good vocabulary, and have practised speaking as much as possible, then the IELTS speaking test doesn’t have to be something to panic about. IELTS examiners are not monsters, and it is not their job to make you feel uncomfortable. Try to enjoy the experience, and you’ll soon be on the way to IELTS success.