The IELTS Speaking section is the fourth component of the . However, unlike the聽Listening,听Reading, and聽Writing sections, it can be completed up to a week before or after you take the other tests. Read on for some general IELTS Speaking topics, what IELTS speaking questions are like, and a few tips for the overall test section.
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About the IELTS Speaking Section
The IELTS Speaking test is 11 to 14 minutes long, and has three parts:
Part 1 鈥� Introduction and Interview (4 to 5 minutes)
The examiner will ask you questions about yourself, and general questions on subjects like your family, what you do, what your home is like, and your hobbies, studies, and interests. If the examiner is looking for more information, they’ll ask “why?” or “why not?” questions.
Part 2 鈥� Long Turn (3 to 4 minutes, including prep time)
The examiner will give you a task card asking you to discuss a particular topic. You鈥檒l have one minute to prepare your thoughts (you can also take notes), and then up to two minutes to speak. Once you’re done, the examiner will ask you one or two follow-up questions. Topics are general, and will often ask you to tell a story about yourself or a time in your life.
Part 3 鈥� Discussion (4 to 5 minutes)
The examiner will ask you more questions about the topic from Part 2. This is your chance to expand on your thoughts, share opinions, and introduce more abstract ideas into the conversation.
Since it鈥檚 structured like an interview, the Speaking test can be stressful. Fortunately, there are some easy steps you can take to reduce your stress and get a high score. Follow the 10 IELTS Speaking tips below, and you鈥檒l be ready to excel.
Because the IELTS speaking section is a lot like an interview, these interview tips for international students might be helpful, too!
Our Top Ten IELTS Speaking Tips
10. Pick a Good Study Buddy
When you take the IELTS Speaking test, it鈥檚 likely your examiner will have a stronger grasp of the English language than you. So, it鈥檚 a great idea to practice for the test with someone who also speaks English at a higher level. This will encourage you to stretch your speaking abilities.
Make sure you don鈥檛 pair up with someone whose English proficiency is much higher than your own, though. That can lead to feeling discouraged and having doubts about your abilities.
9. Speak More than the Examiner
Although IELTS frames the Speaking test as a conversation between you and the examiner, this isn鈥檛 really the case. A better way to think of it is that you’re being interviewed. The examiner is there to prompt you with a question, and then listen intently to your answer.
So, how do you make sure you鈥檙e speaking more than your examiner?
8. Elaborate!
Don鈥檛 respond to a question with a single short sentence. Build on your answer. Use different grammatical structures to keep your thoughts flowing, like:
- These usually begin with if听辞谤听unless: 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 leave now, we鈥檒l be late.鈥�
- You’ll use these when discussing the future: 鈥淚鈥檒l become a surgeon when I finish my degree.鈥�
- These are auxiliary verbs that express necessity or possibility: 鈥淵ou can borrow my car.鈥�
- When you’re talking about what other people say, the tenses, word-order, and pronouns may be different from the original sentence, like: 鈥淪he said that she liked ice cream.鈥�
Ultimately, it鈥檚 better to use more complex wording and make a few mistakes than use only short, simple sentences.
7. It’s Like Telling a Story
Picture this: one of your IELTS speaking questions is: 鈥淲hat sport do you like to play?鈥� However, you don鈥檛 play any sports. So, how can you talk about something you have no experience with, or don’t enjoy?
One of the most helpful IELTS speaking tips is to turn things into a story. While it鈥檚 useful to pull from your own experiences in your answer, there鈥檚 no rule saying you need to tell the truth. You鈥檙e just being asked to tell a story. One option is to make something up. Or, talk about why you don’t play sports; there could be a really interesting story there! IELTS general speaking topics can be about anything. Use this to your advantage by turning it into a fun story.
6. This Isn’t A Test of What You Know
One of the most difficult things about this test is that you won鈥檛 know the IELTS general speaking topics ahead of time. While it鈥檚 true you can prepare for common topics, you won鈥檛 know the exact questions until you’re in the test.
There鈥檚 a chance you鈥檒l be asked a question about a topic you have little-to-no knowledge about or experience with. While this can be intimidating, the good news is what you know about any one topic matters very little in an IELTS Speaking test.
The examiners are more interested in聽how聽you answer a question than聽what聽you know. Why? Because it shows you鈥檙e resourceful and can still answer, even if you don’t have much knowledge of the topic.
5. Push Your Limits (But Know the Words)
This point builds off of the previous one about the importance of聽how you speak during the test. Even if you know everything there is to know about a topic, you won鈥檛 achieve a high score if you only use simple language. Don鈥檛 be afraid to use more complex vocabulary. That said, make sure you understand the words you’re using, as the examiner might ask you to explain them.
4. Gather Your Thoughts
Like in a job interview, it鈥檚 okay to take time to think over a question before you answer. This can help you avoid rambling. If you鈥檙e worried about leaving an awkward silence, you can let your examiner know you need a moment to collect your thoughts.
Some sample phrases you might use:
- 鈥淭o be honest, this isn鈥檛 a topic I talk about very much. Let me take a moment to consider your question.鈥�
- 鈥淚鈥檓 feeling a bit nervous today. Can you give me a moment to collect my thoughts?鈥�
- 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry, I didn鈥檛 catch that. Can you repeat the question please?鈥�
Note: you can ask your examiner to repeat a question if you didn鈥檛 understand it or want to buy yourself a bit of time. However, make sure you don鈥檛 do this for every question or your examiner may think you don’t understand most of what they鈥檙e saying.
3. Once More, With Feeling
While we don鈥檛 recommend answering your examiner鈥檚 IELTS speaking questions with tears streaming down your face, it’s important to put some emotion in your voice. Speaking in a monotone can make you look inexperienced, and could hurt your score.
Instead, think of how you鈥檇 express yourself if you were answering in your first language and apply those feelings to your answers. You can also watch English-language TV and movies to get an idea of what different English speakers sound like, to best answer IELTS speaking questions. (However, avoid sounding like someone on reality TV. They’re often more dramatic and emotional than most English speakers.)
2. Look Confident
You’ll likely feel nervous before and during the IELTS speaking test. This is completely normal. However, even if you鈥檙e feeling anxious, it鈥檚 important to show the examiner a confident attitude.
A strong first impression can help build rapport with your examiner, so make sure you dress neatly, are on time, and greet your examiner with a smile and a firm handshake. If you accidentally say 鈥淕ood morning鈥� instead of 鈥淕ood afternoon,鈥� don鈥檛 worry. IELTS examiners will often overlook simple mistakes due to nerves.
1. Set a Good Pace
We tend to associate speed with skill when speaking a language. The more fluent you are, the quicker you鈥檒l be able to speak, right? While there is some truth to this, it鈥檚 best not to fall into the speed trap during the IELTS Speaking test. If you speak too fast, you may come off as incoherent. On the other hand, speaking too slowly may cause your instructor to lose interest in what you鈥檙e saying. The best approach is to keep a steady, consistent pace.
We hope these IELTS Speaking tips were helpful, and wish you the best of luck on the test!
For more study tips, check out our list of the聽5 Best IELTS Preparation Books for International Students, and our guides on IELTS Listening,听Reading, and聽Writing.
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