Most students get confused with if they should speak fast or slow in IELTS speaking. Students generally have mis-conception that if they speak more quickly, they will get better results. But generally, this is not the case. Your speaking would be assessed against several criteria’s which are- fluency, smoothness and correctness. Below, we are going to elaborate each criterion in detail so that students can get an idea how should they speak in IELTS speaking and what all things should be taken care of.
- Fluency – Fluency is the ability to keep talking. If you are aiming for IELTS band scores 6 or higher, then this is an important criterion to take care of. You should try to give long answers rather than just short answers. Fluency is not measured in terms of speed of the student speaking, but against smoothness and correctness.
- Smoothness – Smoothness is related to how often you can speak without pauses, hesitations or silences. Pauses, hesitations and silences interrupt the smoothness of your speech. It is crucial for you to avoid long pauses, while you are speaking as it will affect your smoothness. Try to avoid silences or hesitations as much as you can as it will help you deliver your message correctly.
- Correctness – Speaking is all about being understood. If your message is not understood by the listener, then know there is some gap which you need to correct. The flow of the speech should be smooth. Give some time to plan and organize your ideas so that you can arrange them correctly.
How should you speak – The speed of your speaking should be steady enough that your message is clear to the examiner. Avoid speaking slow as this way listener may get lost in what you are trying to say. On the other hand, do not speak too fast, as this way you may lose your coherence. Always keep a stead, when you are talking and avoid long pauses, do not correct yourself too much and always keep a logical order to what you are saying.
Most students get confused with the speaking speed and end up ruining their test. You should always go focused and fresh before going for speaking test. Do not try to speak too fast or too slow while speaking as you may lose coherence, accuracy and fluency.
You also have to remember:
- Before the exam – practice and listen
- Use natural English
- Correct yourself in case of a mistake
- Use vocabulary
- Listen to the grammar in the question
- Try to talk as much as you can
- Talk as fluently as possible and be spontaneous
- Be confident
- Develop answers
- Speak more than the examiner
- Do not learn prepared answers; the examiner is trained to spot this and will change the question
- express your opinions; you will be assessed on your ability to communicate
Enjoy!
