How to Ace the IELTS Speaking Exam: A Guide to the Four Criteria. By Mehrdad Sabir
How to Ace the IELTS Speaking Exam: A Guide to the Four Criteria
By Mehrdad Sabir
The IELTS speaking exam is a face-to-face interview with a certified examiner that lasts for 11 to 14 minutes. It consists of three parts: an introduction and interview, a long turn and a discussion. The exam aims to assess your ability to communicate effectively in English in a variety of situations and topics.
But how is your performance evaluated? What are the examiners looking for? And how can you improve your score?
In this blog post, I will explain the four criteria that are used to grade your speaking skills on a scale of 0 to 9. These criteria are:
- Fluency and coherence
- Lexical resource
- Grammatical range and accuracy
- Pronunciation
I will also provide some tips and examples on how to meet each criterion and impress the examiner.
Fluency and coherence
Fluency and coherence measure how well you can speak at length, without pauses, hesitation or repetition. It also assesses how logically and clearly you organize your ideas and connect them with appropriate words and phrases.
To achieve a high score in this criterion, you should:
- Speak at a natural and comfortable pace, not too fast or too slow.
- Avoid long pauses, filler words (such as um, er, like) and self-correction (such as I mean, sorry).
- Use a range of cohesive devices (such as pronouns, connectors, conjunctions) to link your sentences and paragraphs.
- Develop your answers with relevant details and examples.
- Answer the questions directly and fully, without going off-topic or giving irrelevant information.
For example, if the examiner asks you:
Tell me about your hometown.
A good answer would be:
I come from Mumbai, which is the largest and most populous city in India. It is located on the west coast of the country, facing the Arabian Sea. Mumbai is famous for its vibrant culture, diverse cuisine and entertainment industry. It is also the financial and commercial hub of India, attracting millions of people from different regions and backgrounds. I love living in Mumbai because it is a dynamic and cosmopolitan city that offers many opportunities and experiences.
This answer is fluent and coherent because it:
- Speaks at a steady pace, without pauses or hesitation.
- Uses cohesive devices (such as which, it, also) to link the sentences.
- Provides relevant details and examples (such as location, fame, attractions) to support the main idea.
- Answers the question directly and fully.
Lexical resource
Lexical resource measures how well you can use vocabulary to express your ideas and opinions. It also assesses how accurately and appropriately you choose words for different contexts and purposes.
To achieve a high score in this criterion, you should:
- Use a wide range of vocabulary that is relevant to the topic and task.
- Avoid repeating the same words or using simple or common words too often.
- Use synonyms, paraphrases or collocations to show variety and flexibility in your word choice.
- Use idioms, expressions or slang only when they are suitable for the situation and tone.
- Avoid errors in spelling, word formation or word choice that affect communication.
For example, if the examiner asks you:
What are some of the advantages of learning a foreign language?
A good answer would be:
Learning a foreign language has many benefits for personal and professional development. Firstly, it can enhance your cognitive skills, such as memory, creativity and problem-solving. Secondly, it can broaden your cultural horizons, as you can communicate with people from different backgrounds and perspectives. Thirdly, it can boost your career prospects, as you can access more opportunities and markets in a globalized world.
This answer shows a good lexical resource because it:
- Uses a wide range of vocabulary that is relevant to the topic and task (such as enhance, cognitive skills, broaden, cultural horizons).
- Avoids repeating the same words or using simple or common words too often (such as good, nice, learn).
- Uses synonyms, paraphrases or collocations to show variety and flexibility in word choice (such as benefits/advantages, learning/studying/acquiring).
- Avoids errors in spelling, word formation or word choice that affect communication.
Grammatical range and accuracy
Grammatical range and accuracy measure how well you can use grammar to construct accurate and complex sentences. It also assesses how correctly you use punctuation, capitalization and sentence structure.
To achieve a high score in this criterion, you should:
- Use a variety of sentence types and structures that suit the purpose and tone of your speech.
- Use different verb tenses, aspects and moods to express different meanings and time relationships.
- Use different types of clauses (such as main clauses, subordinate clauses) to combine ideas in complex sentences.
- Use different types of modifiers (such as adjectives, adverbs) to add information or emphasis in simple sentences.
- Avoid errors in grammar that affect communication or cause confusion.
For example, if the examiner asks you:
Do you prefer reading books or watching movies?
A good answer would be:
I prefer reading books to watching movies because I think books are more engaging and stimulating. When I read a book, I can imagine the characters, settings and events in my own way. I can also interpret the messages and themes according to my own perspective. However, when I watch a movie, I have to accept the director's vision and interpretation. I feel that movies are more passive and limiting than books.
This answer demonstrates a good grammatical range and accuracy because it:
- Uses a variety of sentence types and structures that suit the purpose
and tone of speech (such as statements, comparatives, subordinate clauses).
- Uses different verb tenses, aspects and moods to express different meanings and time relationships (such as present simple, present continuous, modal verbs).
- Uses different types of clauses (such as main clauses, subordinate clauses) to combine ideas
in complex sentences (such as When I read a book, I can imagine...; However, when I watch a movie, I have to accept...).
- Uses different types of modifiers (such as adjectives, adverbs) to add information or emphasis
in simple sentences (such as more engaging and stimulating; in my own way; more passive and limiting).
- Avoids errors in grammar that affect communication or cause confusion.
Pronunciation
Pronunciation measures how well you can produce sounds, stress, rhythmand intonation in English. It also assesses how clearly and naturally you speak and how easy you are to understand.
To achieve a high score in this criterion, you should:
- Pronounce words correctly, without mispronouncing vowels, consonants or syllables.
- Stress words appropriately, without stressing the wrong syllable or word in a sentence.
- Use rhythm effectively, without speaking too fast or too slow, or pausing at the wrong places.
- Use intonation appropriately, without sounding flat, monotonous or unnatural.
For example,
if the examiner asks you:
How do you usually spend your weekends?
A good answer would be:
I usually spend my weekends relaxing at home or hanging out with my friends. Sometimes I go shopping or watch a movie at the cinema. I also like to do some exercise or yoga to stay fit and healthy.
This answer shows good pronunciation because it:
- Pronounces words correctly, without mispronouncing vowels, consonants or syllables (such as relaxing, hanging out, shopping).
- Stresses words appropriately, without stressing the wrong syllable or word in a sentence (such as reLAXing, HANGing OUT, SHOPping).
- Uses rhythm effectively, without speaking too fast or too slow, or pausing at the wrong places
(such as I USually SPEND my WEEKends RElaxing AT home OR HANGing OUT with my FRIENDS).
- Uses intonation appropriately, without sounding flat, monotonous or unnatural (such as rising intonation for questions, falling intonation for statements).
Conclusion
The IELTS speaking exam is not only about what you say but also how you say it. By understanding the four criteria that are used to grade your speaking skills - fluency and coherence; lexical resource; grammatical range and accuracy; pronunciation - you can prepare better for the exam and improve your score.
Here are some tips on how to practice for each criterion:
- Fluency and coherence: Record yourself answering sample questions or talking about different topics. Listen back to your recordings and identify any pauses; hesitation; repetition; lack of cohesion; irrelevant details; or incomplete answers. Try to improve them by speaking more smoothly; using cohesive devices; providing relevant details; answering fully; staying on topic.
- Lexical resource: Expand your vocabulary by reading; listening; watching various sources of English such as books; podcasts; videos; etc. Learn new words; synonyms; paraphrases; collocations; idioms; expressions; etc. that are related to common topics or tasks. Practice using them in sentences or speech that are appropriate for the context; purpose; tone; etc.
- Grammatical range and accuracy: Review grammar rules; structures; forms; etc. that are relevant for different levels of complexity.
