We talk a lot about what to do when taking the IELTS, well here are a few things NOT to do in your speaking exam.
- Don’t memorize answers. When it comes to the speaking part, it may seem like preparing and memorizing an answer may be the way to go, but don’t do it! Examiners can often spot prepared answers and it may cause you to lose points. Worse still, the examiner may ask you even more difficult questions in response that you may not be prepared for.
- Don’t say nothing, and don’t leave a question blank. When you’re not sure of the correct answer, or a question is confusing it can be only natural to clam up, say nothing, or just skip the question. With the speaking part of the exam if you don’t understand the question or if it is a question involving a topic you don’t know much about, it is better to tell them that you don’t understand or to just start talking and try to answer than to be silent. What the examiner is assessing in the speaking part is how well you speak, so just keep speaking and you’ll be fine! The key to speaking is good communication – being silent isn’t communicating! If you are not sure then say just that – “I’m not sure exactly if this is what you mean but personally I think that…..” and before you get to your answer you have had time to think and produced a fantastic sentence – so, you might as well give it a shot! Don’t keep talking either – let the examiner come in with the questions – keep an eye on them and you’ll know when they are ready to speak again.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Even people who get a band 7 or 8 make mistakes and that’s an awesome score! Don’t let yourself become a perfectionist. In the speaking don’t get bogged down by trying to use perfect grammar when answering the questions. The examiners understand that you are speaking a language that is not your first and they aren’t looking for perfection. Fluency and pronunciation makes up 50% of your marks. Speak at a natural pace, speak clearly and keep your pronunciations precise. Focus on the question and what you want to say and if you have done enough practice then the words will come.
- Don’t be anxious. You’ve worked hard, you’ve studied, you’re as prepared as you are going to be right now. Go in and do your best. Stay calm, the calmer you are the easier it will be to recall what you need to do well. If you start to get frustrated, breathe deeply and slowly, in, then out. And say to yourself, “I’ve got this!”