In the IELTS speaking test, your speaking ability will be scored based on four categories. These are known as Fluency and coherence, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and accuracy, and Pronunciation. Read on for an opportunity to get more familiar with each of these categories. For more information, you can also refer to these band descriptors which IELTS examiners use to score the Speaking section of the test. Now, let's look at these four categories in detail.
Fluency & Coherence
Can you discuss your thoughts in a clear, logical way? Fluency refers to your ability to get your ideas across rationally, and coherence refers to the extent to which others can understand your ideas. To get a Band 9 score in the Fluency and Coherence category, you should be able to speak continuously without stopping to remember words or grammar, while simultaneously developing a complete, practical response to IELTs speaking questions.
If you are frequently hesitating to put a grammatically correct response together, your fluency will be negatively impacted. You should be focused on using English to effectively communicate the content of your message at all times, not on finding the right words themselves. To score well in the area of coherence, your ideas need to flow together sensibly to your listener. You can make use of cohesive features, like transitions, and common discourse markers to improve your cohesion, and also buy yourself a little more time to think of your best response.
Lexical Resource
Your lexical resource concerns your ability to effectively tap into your "mental dictionary" or lexicon. If you tend to speak with an expansive, varied vocabulary, you will surely do well in the lexical resource category. Note that both the appropriateness and accuracy of your vocabulary choices are considered here, so you must be sure to choose the correct word for both its meaning AND the context in which it appears.
On the other hand, if you have a limited vocabulary, or are inexperienced with finding the right context for some words, you may need some additional practice in this area. Remember, just knowing what an English word "means" does not ensure that you are using it correctly, as English words often have connotations which are not necessarily found in the dictionary. By the way, you'll understand what we're talking about more as you go through our IELTS speaking samples. Continuing on, repeating the same words that you are comfortable using again and again is another common mistake to avoid, as it will indicate to the examiner that your lexical resources are limited. Finally, the examiner will expect you to be able to correctly paraphrase IELTS speaking questions by using your own words to repeat the question. That means listening and understanding the phrasing of questions is important, too.
Grammatical Range
Unsurprisingly to most, your grammar will also be considered as part of your IELTS speaking score. To do your best in this category, you should become familiar with as many IELTS speaking topics as you can, so you can focus more on your grammar, then you can attempt to demonstrate your grammatical ability and range as naturally as possible. Avoiding mistakes will not be enough to get a high score in this area, as the examiner needs ample opportunities to hear you using more complex or difficult grammatical structures and features. Your goal should be to show off your grammatical knowledge while appearing comfortable using a variety of sentence constructions and verb tenses.
However, as many second-language speakers know, this is easier said than done. If you're confused about how to use some grammar points, or you aren't sure whether you're making mistakes when speaking, consider recording your spoken responses next time you practice answering IELTS speaking test questions. While listening, you may find that there are some mistakes you didn't even know you were making. Discovering these will allow you to figure out how to break bad habits BEFORE the examiner hears you making them on the test. If possible, get a native speaker, instructor, or a friend with good English to help you correct your mistakes and explain grammar rules. Be sure to go back and review as well - even the most basic grammar lessons.
Pronunciation
Last but not least, examiners will score your pronunciation. Those with the highest scores in this category will pronounce words well enough for native speakers to understand them perfectly at all times. Pronunciation problems which limit your ability to be understood when speaking will reduce your score.
It's important to remember that English pronunciation involves more than just the sounds of words. Native speakers will also be listening for proper tone, stress, and flow in your words as well as within sentences. When test-takers are unfamiliar with the natural rhythm and intonation patterns of English, the only surefire way to improve is to hear and use as much spoken English as possible throughout the day. You can speak English and listen to your response every day right here at BestMyTest with our IELTS speaking practice questions.
Realistically, doing this may not be possible for everyone. Even so, you can still make the most of your limited time by listening to recordings of native speakers. To practice improving your pronunciation, you'll need to channel your inner parrot. Try stopping the recording and repeating short portions exactly the way you heard them a few times. Listen for rising and falling tones, pauses, and even the speaker's emotion. Doing this will allow you to develop your own pronunciation within different contexts, as well as train yourself to hear and replicate the real sounds of native-like English.
Free IELTS Speaking Test Resources
Improving your speaking skills with free resources is a little more challenging than the other three IELTS sections. It's true that speaking English can help you improve, but what really helps is having conversations with a fluent English speaker. Someone that can help correct your mistakes. Of course, a fluent English speaker isn't always available, so we'll go to the next best thing. Free IELTS speaking resources.
IELTS Speaking Questions
To get an idea of what the IELTS speaking test is like for each part, you can watch the official IELTS YouTube videos below completely free. They contain a ton of useful information and IELTS speaking samples.