Do you know what one should do to fail IELTS Speaking? We have prepared a list of the most common mistakes candidates must be aware of and avoid on the day of the exam.
- Silence is golden but not in the case of IELTS Speaking
It is fine if you think for a few seconds before speaking, but being silent for longer than five seconds may not be to your advantage. Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem: while you are thinking, say, “That’s a good question …” or, “Wow, I really haven’t thought about that before …”
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- Grind away the topics
If you think the best way to succeed in IELTS Speaking is to cram the answer, you will be disappointed. The memorized answers are quite obvious, and examiners are specially trained to recognize them. You will not only lose your scores, but you will also get more complex questions from the examiners, that will allow to test your English speaking skills and define your real level.
- Brevity is the soul of wit
but if your answers are too short or you just say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, a low score is guaranteed! In this part of the test, it is important to give more detail! Provide the examiner with enough information to make your interaction more like a live conversation.
If you are asked, for example, “Where are you from?” the answer “Lviv” will not be enough. Better say: “Lviv, which is one of the major cities in Ukraine. It’s wonderful place, with a lot to see and do.” As a rule, 2-4 sentences are enough.
- Constant repetition carries conviction
However, if you use the same word over and over again, the examiner will think that you have limited vocabulary. Here is an example:
‘It was an interesting experience because I met interesting people and we did interesting things.’
Use different words to express the same meaning. Say:
‘It was an interesting experience because I met amusing people and we did fun things.’
- In your answer, repeat the question
Don’t be a parrot! In the wild, a parrot is a bird that can mimic but it does not understand human language. In IELTS, ‘a parrot’ is a candidate who repeats the question in the form of a statement. For example:
Question: ‘What’s your favourite dish to cook?’
Answer: “My favourite dish to cook is borsch”
By all IELTS criteria, it rewards those who are able to vary the language. Paraphrasing words or question structures is the fast track to a higher score. It is better to answer, “Most of all I like cooking borsch” or “I often cook borsch because I love it most of all”.
- Speak a lot, even if it is off topic
Many candidates tend to deviate from the question in the midst of the exam. Talking more is not the same as saying right. Remember that questions are usually direct and simple and do not require more than 3-4 sentences to answer. The main thing is to answer the question, not to say much.
- Find out the examiner’s opinion
Some candidates, having read reviews and tips on the Internet, believe in the fact that speaking well means the examiner agrees with your opinion. Some even ask the examiners questions. There is nothing further than the truth. The examiner will politely redirect the question back to you if you try to kill the clock by saying, for example, “I don’t know. What do you think?” Examiners are not interested in your opinion; they just want you to demonstrate your speaking skills. Focus on answering the question and doing it grammatically correct.
- Shoot down the examiner with your grammar!
This is not what we meant. Many candidates think that they need to show the examiners how good their grammar is to get high marks. Again, the danger is that you try to use grammar that you are not 100% sure of and then lose control of the sentence. As you prepare for the exam, familiarize yourself with expressions that help you express and contrast opinions, emphasize your ideas, etc.
- Use as many cool words as possible!
You have to insert very long, complicated words in each sentence to get a high test score. Isn’t it cool? Not at all. If you listen to native speakers, it just won’t happen unless you’re at a conference of university professors. The truth is that you really should try to show the examiner that you have a range of vocabulary, but you should not try to use words that you do not quite understand. If you are trying to use complicated words that you do not quite understand, it is very likely that you will make a lot of mistakes and lose your points. If you are not 100% sure about the meaning and form of the word, do not use it.
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