Page 101 - IELTS Preparation band 5.0-6.5

,. Keep a list of topics and useful words and phrases in a
For all parts, record yourself speaking and ask a teacher 1
Speaking notebook or file, and add to this list whenever
you can. native speaker to point out:
• how clearly you speak;
Part2 • any individual sounds or words that you don't pronounce
• Practise talking on your own on a topic for two minutes. clearly;
There are plenty of examples of topics in IELTS practice • how effectively you group words and phrases;
materials. You can also use the topics in Units 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
• how well you use stress to emphasise words;
and 8 of this book, but think of a different idea from the
• whether you need to use more or less intonation.
one you used in the classroom.
• Make a collection of topics for your IELTS preparation.
Brainstorm some ideas and vocabulary, and keep a On the test day
record of this under a topic heading in your notebook.
Remember these important points because they may affect
• Study the model talks in the units. They will show you
your mark.
how to structure a Part 2 talk and how to link ideas.
• listen carefully to the examiner's questions and
Make a note of any useful vocabulary and linkers.
instructions
• Record yourself and practise using some of the Useful
Each answer you give should be relevant. If you cannot
language in this section. Also try to include some of
understand the examiner, ask him/her to repeat the
the grammatical structures that you have learned on
question.
this course, such as conditionals, relative clauses, time
• Smile at the examiner and look interested
conjunctions, etc. When you first practise, allow yourself
Communication works better for everyone if people are
the time you need.
interested in what they are saying.
• As the test date approaches, use Practice Tests and try
• Make sure the examiner can hear you
to spend only a minute preparing for your talk. When the
If you speak too softly, too quickly or not clearly enough,
test date is near, make sure you have a fairly good idea
the examiner may mark you down for pronunciation and
of how much you need to say to fill two minutes.
may be unable to judge your true language level.
Part 3 • Provide enough language for the examiner to
assess
• Build up a list of abstract Speaking topics in your
Examiners can only rate what they hear. Even if you know
notebook and record some vocabulary that you can use
a lot of English, you won't get a high mark if you don't
to talk about them. Start by re-reading the articles in
say enough to demonstrate your true language ability.
this book and checking the relevant Vocabulary reviews.
Topics like language, the media, the environment, health • Use your imagination
and nutrition, etc. are common Part 3 topics. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions. If
you don't have any experience of the Part 2 topic, think
• Develop your ideas by reading some articles on
about something you have read or seen on television, or
international topics such as city life, pollution, nature, the
make something up. Similarly, if you don't have a view on
rich and poor, etc.
a Part 3 question, imagine one that someone else might
• Practise expressing views on topical issues, using some have.
of the structures on page 90. Write a list of questions,
• Be prepared and be confident
with a friend or classmate if possible, and then practise
The Speaking Test materials are designed to help
answering them, e.g.:
you talk as much as possible. During the test, the
1 Should parents pay for their children's education? examiner will cover a number of different topics and will
I think it depends on how rich the parents are. If they encourage you to speak. If you are well prepared, you
have a lot of money, they can afford to pay, but if they should feel confident enough to do your best.
don't, it isn't fair to expect them to pay.
2 Should air travel be more expensive than it is?
3 What are the benefits of knowing more than one
language?

Speaking reference @