If you have experience preparing for an international promotion, studying abroad or moving to a new country, you know how important it is to be proficient in English. And an English test is the only way to prove it.
The IELTS is a test that is often required for study in English-speaking countries or for finding employment abroad. In particular, the IELTS Speaking Test is a key measure in these requirements.
What is IELTS?
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is an authoritative and widely recognized English test that is taken by more than 3.5 million people worldwide each year. It is used as an indicator of English proficiency by more than 10,000 institutions, including top English-speaking schools, mainly in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Even in American educational institutions where TOEFL has been the mainstream, IELTS is now being actively adopted.
IELTS Speaking Test: Format
With IELTS, you need to acquire the four English skills of writing, reading, listening and speaking. The speaking section of the test is divided into three parts:
- Part 1: Questions about yourself and daily life (4-5 minutes)
After introducing yourself and verifying your identity, you will be asked general questions about familiar themes such as daily life and family structure.
- Part 2: Topic speech (3-4 minutes)
The examiner will give you a task card with points to cover on a specific theme. After one minute of preparation time, you will give a 1-2 minute speech on the subject. The examiner will then ask you some questions and you will answer them.
- Part 3: Discussion (4-5 minutes)
You will be asked to state general issues and opinions regarding the topics mentioned in Part 2.
IELTS Speaking Test: Scoring Criteria
The IELTS Speaking Test is graded according to the following criteria: fluency and consistency, vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and accuracy. The following is a brief description of each criterion:
- Fluency and consistency: degree of repetition and rephrasing, speaking speed, ability to connect sentences
- Vocabulary: thematic knowledge of vocabulary, accurate use, effective paraphrasing
- Pronunciation: accuracy and clarity of word pronunciation
- Grammar knowledge and accuracy: proper use of syntax, correct understanding and use of grammar
For fluency and pronunciation, in addition to shadowing and reading aloud English sentences, it is recommended to practice with native English speakers.
IELTS Speaking Test: Preparation with Cambly Teaching Materials
Cambly has a curriculum that specializes in IELTS preparation, so by practicing with an instructor who has strengths in IELTS preparation, you can improve your English-speaking ability more effectively.
The IELTS speaking curriculum consists of four parts: IELTS Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3, as well as IELTS Speaking Mock Tests, to practice with past exams. The more you practice taking the actual exam, the higher your score will be. In each lesson, you will work with a native tutor on thematic vocabulary, advice for improving your score, practice and analysis of answer examples.
For an example of slides used in Cambly lessons, you can check the first lesson of each course from the curriculum course page. Subsequent lesson slides will be available for review after the lesson is complete and can be reviewed at any time.
IELTS Speaking Test: Preparation with Cambly Tutors
Cambly has many tutors who have a particular strength in IELTS scoring. To practice with a tutor who understands the IELTS exam trends and scoring criteria, find them by the following methods:
- Find a tutor for the IELTS curriculum course
Select the course you want to take from “Cambly Course” [LL1] in the tutor search, and the tutors who are experienced in teaching that course will be displayed. Look at the instructor’s profile and find the one that suits you best.
- Find a tutor with experience as an examiner at IELTS
You can also find the right person through the tutor search feature. Search for “IELTS examiner” in the search field on the right to narrow down the profiles. You will see the relevant tutors in the search results.
3 Steps to Improve Your IELTS Score
Finally, here’s some more advice on how to be confident while speaking English. Take these three steps to reinforce your lessons and make sure you get a good score on the IELTS Speaking Test:
- Step 1: Lesson Preparation
Each course has a preparatory slide to work on before the lesson. Preparing in advance will give the lessons more depth and help them go more smoothly. If you don’t understand a word or expression, check the meaning and usage in advance, and think about the expected answer to the question. If you know what kind of content you want to answer and the vocabulary and expressions required for the answer, you will be able to approach the lesson more comfortably.
- Step 2: Positive Attitude
During the lesson, try to come up with an example sentence with the tutor using the newly learned words. Use it and actively make it your own. Ask your tutor for feedback and corrections until you can say what you are thinking in a natural way.
- Step 3: Lesson Review
Cambly records all lessons and allows you to play and review the recordings after the lesson is over. The sentences corrected by the tutor will also be recorded, so practice while reviewing the parts that were difficult to understand or the sentences you want to remember during the lesson.
If you don’t understand something in the lesson, use the lesson slides to review it or ask the tutor questions through Cambly’s messaging feature. In addition, even if the lesson is completed once, you can ask the tutor to take it again. Re-taking after reviewing will really help to ensure your understanding.
Let’s work together to improve our IELTS score to achieve our dreams and goals!
