Dreaming of pursuing your career or fulfilling a life of adventure overseas? Your chances of migrating and working abroad would increase if you have the IELTS test with a desirable band score. IDP is here to guide you in taking and help you with your IELTS test preparation.
Along with our IELTS preparation materials, we offer helpful tips for you to ace your IELTS Speaking Test:
1) Keep it simple - Speak to express not to impress
Make your responses simple and direct to the point. Don’t pretend to be fluent in English by uttering deep words that are not commonly used in conversations. The goal is to express your thoughts clearly for the examiners to understand.
If you feel like your answers are too short, provide examples to strengthen them. Add substance and evidence to your responses instead of making them too wordy. Practice answering questions in a simple but comprehensive manner until you see for yourself that you are responding to express rather than to impress.
2) Accent is not a problem
Filipinos like yourself are likely good at commanding the English language given our history. Because we speak the language so well, Filipinos are sought for outsourcing activities abroad. However, you may notice that you have an accent different from those who speak English abroad. Do not be discouraged as this is perfectly normal.
Continue devoting your time to practicing your answers. Your accent will not be a problem for you as long as your answers are complete and understandable. If you are still hesitant, we recommend that you opt for the face-to-face Speaking Test with our IELTS examiners as they would be able to understand different accents better than the AI machine.
3) Think in English to Speak English
A good way to master your English-speaking skills is to think using the language. It also helps if you practice talking in English instead of your mother tongue. You can do it every day leading to the day of your IELTS test to further improve your skills.
We also recommend that you surround yourself with books, tv shows, or films that are in English. Doing so would improve your vocabulary and help you familiarize your thoughts with the language. Having a friend be your speaking partner would also be beneficial in improving how you communicate in English. Before you know it, you’ll be better at formulating thoughts and speaking the English language.
4) Avoid Fillers
Fillers like ‘uhm’ and ‘ah’ are often associated with a lack of mastery in speaking the language. While fillers are normal, it is still recommended that you practice avoiding them.
We recommend that you pace how you speak as fillers often occur when you talk too fast. Instead of using filler, pause for a bit to form your following sentences. This makes you appear more articulate with how you speak.
Lastly, we recommend that you record yourself practicing, seeing what areas you often find yourself using fillers and to improve from there. Practice and practice until your use of fillers decreases for the speaking test.
5) Do not memorize your answers
Memorizing your answers would not develop your mastery of the English language for the speaking test. While you might be able to answer specific questions confidently without stuttering or using fillers, it also makes you unprepared for questions you didn’t consider during your practice.
To ace your test, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with your answers instead. Practice answering the questions, then answer them again with added revisions and improvement. You’ll be better at formulating and delivering your ideas during the speaking test.
6) Use IDP's free IELTS Preparation Materials
IDP is here to ensure that you’ve got the right preparations to ace your IELTS test. We offer free IELTS test preparation materials to our test-takers to improve their chances of achieving your target band score. We also give practice tests and review materials to help improve your English-speaking skills.
IDP is here to help you with your IELTS test preparation
Receive free IELTS preparation materials along with exclusive review promos and discounts when you book your IELTS test with IDP.
Take advantage of these materials while you prepare for your IELTS test. Book your IELTS test now to kickstart your journey overseas.