IELTS Speaking Task 2

The second part of the IELTS speaking test is the long turn; it is referred to as the long turn because the examiner will give you a task card containing the topic and instructions, you will then have about one to two minutes to discuss everything contained in the task card. You are basically doing a monologue for about 2 minutes with no help from the examiner.

The most common concern I encountered was “What if I know nothing about the topic?” The topic that will be given are general information topic

IELTS Speaking Task 1 Questions

You may have heard that the IELTS speaking interviewer uses a set of pre-determined questions on a topic to ask you for the first task.  Basically the interviewer will ask a series of questions about your background, but he or she is only able to ask you questions within that “frame”.

Yes, the frame or the examiner frame is true. Does this mean you can find out from other candidates who have previously taken the exams what the questions you will get in your exam? No, the use of frame does not mean that the interviewer will be asking the same set of questions to all candidates on the same day. 

IELTS Speaking Task 1 – Introduction and Interview

It is a certainty that you will be asked at least a few general questions about your background.  This does not mean you should memorize all possible answers regarding your background.  Sounding like the answers had been memorized will get a mark down.

Remember that all the questions you will be getting in this part of the speaking test are general questions about your background; the only hindrance in this part of the exam will be your willingness to talk about yourself, people and things related to you. Show some enthusiasm when answering questions and give even a little bit of detail when answering questions.

Keep Talking and Be Positive– IELTS Speaking Test

First impressions are very important, the speaking test will last a maximum of 15 minutes; you don’t have enough time to change a bad impression.  The first part of the speaking test is where the examiner will be asking personal questions about the candidate; when answering, be as informative, descriptive and positive as you can be.

Do not answer with a simple yes or no to a question and wait for the next one.  Try to be as helpful as you can by providing additional information; if your interviewer asks about your house, don’t just give the address and wait for the next question to come; describe the house, the color, the levels, rooms and bathrooms. Keep talking until the interviewer either stops you or ask a follow up question.

When describing anything or anyone, try to be as positive as you can be. Focus on the positive aspect of whatever it is you are trying to describe, tell your story in a more

IELTS Speaking Fears

Most people don’t see the IELTS speaking test as the hardest, but most would agree that it is the most terrifying of all the sub-test.  This fear may stem from the fear of the unknown; the most common concern I hear is that the interviewer could be extremely intimidating, even purposefully intimidating. 

Intimidate, a verb meaning to frighten into submission, compliance or acquiescence. It also means to fill with fear.  I see no reason for any examiner to deliberately intimidate any candidate; they get no added benefits whether the candidates pass or fail and thus give them no reason to intimidate.  If the candidate does feel fear towards the examiner, it means that the candidate is afraid of what has been imagined about the examiner. 

Since we established that there is no need to fear the examiner, we can proceed to relax and think about the actual IELTS Speaking test.  You should be prepared for the interview; here are some tips to consider when preparing for the IELTS Speaking test:

What to expect from IELTS Speaking

There are no distinctions between the general training module and the academic module in the speaking test.  The speaking test is an oral interview between the candidate and the examiner.

All speaking test are recorded and last around 14 minutes. The speaking test consist of 3 parts, all 3 parts are designed to fulfill functions in terms of interaction patterns.  In the first part, the examiner will do a quick introduction and will ask some personal questions about the candidate, a scenario similar to meeting someone new; this part will typically last for no more than 5 minutes.

How IELTS speaking is being Scored

 I used to do a lot of speaking mock exam, it was a long process but I got to know our students better.  I would ask them after the interview what they think they needed to work on or what their concerns were. 

The students tend to worry about the topic they might get for the second task.  “What if I don’t know anything about the topic?” was the biggest concern.  Second was probably pronunciation.  It is therefore good to know how you’re being graded and what the examiners are looking for.

5 tips for IELTS Speaking

The speaking test is comprised of 3 tasks.  In the first task, the interviewer will introduce himself/herself to you and proceed to ask questions about yourself, and this usually last about 5 minutes.  In the second task, you will be given 2 minutes to discuss a specific topic; a pen and paper will be provided and you’ll be given 1 minute to prepare for your monologue; after the 2 minutes, the interviewer will then ask a few questions about what you just discussed. The third task a simple question and answer.

·         Don’t be nervous – a lot of the problems people encounter with the speaking test is only due to the fact that they were too nervous.  When I was conducting a speaking mock exam, I had a hard time listening or understanding the students.  They tend to speak too fast or too slow and sometimes even mumble, just relax.