Tips on improving the range of vocabulary you use in your IELTS speaking test
Speaking 4: IELTS speaking tips to help with pronunciation
The face-to-face nature of the IELTS speaking test encourages you to develop the skills you will need to interact successfully with English speakers. Pronunciation is one of these skills – and one of the four test criteria for IELTS, along with fluency and coherence, grammatical range and accuracy, and lexical resource, which are all covered elsewhere.
This video looks at a variety of pronunciation features, such as individual sounds, word stress, sentence stress and intonation. It also highlights the pitfalls that come with memorising long answers before the test and indicates how techniques such as chunking can be used to improve performance.
Word stress, sentence stress and intonation
Stressing the wrong syllable in a word is a common error, especially as the stressed syllable often changes within word families. For example, we stress the “pho” in “photograph”, the “to” in “photography” and the “gra” in “photographic”. Similarly, people often make mistakes with the way that words are emphasised within a sentence (sentence stress) or struggle with changing the pitch of their voice (intonation) to convey meaning.
While some of you could be tempted to memorise long responses in advance of the test, this can result in a monotone delivery and potentially lower test scores. Instead, you should practice as much as possible to improve your pronunciation in speaking tests.
Tips for improving performance
Compare pronunciation
A useful first step for anyone working on their IELTS speaking pronunciation is to determine how word and sentence stress, intonation and rhythm differ between English and their own first language.
Listen to multiple sources
Listening to a variety of authentic English sources – such as BBC Radio or The Voice of America – can help . Even when you’re not listening closely, having the radio or television on in the background can help you attune to the rhythm and intonation of another language.
Experiment with revision types
You may also benefit from using ‘chunking’, a way of packaging information for the listener. This involves delivering ‘chunks’ of information to communicate a thought or idea with short silences in between. To test this in practice, you might like to record yourself and listen back. This will also help you hear if you are rushing, not speaking clearly or missing appropriate pauses.
Learn more about the other criteria
Tips on how to use a variety of complex sentence structures to show a range of grammar in IELTS speaking.
Fluency and coherence are the criteria relating to a candidate’s ability to speak at length while organising their ideas logically and using appropriate signposting.