Have you ever heard of stage fear? It is very devastating for the first timers appearing in front of someone unknown. The IELTS test is usually for the non-native speakers of English.
Unless a person has been in an educational and home environment where English speaking is encouraged since his birth, it is highly unlikely for him to use English regularly, and if it is not a regular use, he will never be fluent in speaking the language.
This is the average case for most people living in a non-native English speaking country. In countries like this, you need to be very highly self-motivated, goal driven and ambitious to the teeth to achieve a high band score in English. We will have a look at some IELTS Speaking Tips to achieve a high band score.
Tips
We will divide the tips in a few different phases. Let us have a look.
Securing a Teacher
This is the phase where you plan when you want to register for your IELTS exam. Our suggestion to you is that you find a speaking tutor. If you search online, you will find that there are tutors working freelance to help you improve. This is your chance to work with a native speaker and work on your conversational skills. This is a must. If no local is available, then you should find someone online.
Now, if your English is so poor that you would need a translator to talk to a native English speaker, then find a local tutor through your nearby IELTS coaching centers. Check his official scores. Do not fall for scammers. Always, make sure you are getting what you are paying for. Look for a teacher with a writing and speaking high band score, preferably 7.5 and above.
Now that you have someone who can assess you, take a few assessment tests for the speaking section with him. At the end of the test, your tutor will tell you where to improve and give you a list of weaknesses. This is where you begin.
Working hard with your tutor
If your assessment score was anything below 6.5, accept that your English is POOR! Accept it! This is step one of this part. Now, please follow the instructions below and practice everyday as many hours as you can.
Continue the instructions for at least 90 days and for three hours everyday. Send your work to your teacher three days a week to get an updated assessment and work from there.
- For the next 90 days you will listen and read about a lot of things. From those topics, take any one you like, and speak at length. Do not measure the time taken at first.
- First week just keep speaking as much as you can on a topic. When you feel that this topic is done, move to another topic.
- In the second week, record and start timing your speaking practice sessions. Speak for about two minutes. Do not cross the limit.
- Try to finish your talk with a nice conclusion. This will prove that you are controlling your speech, not the other way round.
- Always control what you want to say and how much you want to say.
- In the third week, start speaking on the given topics and questions given in your practice materials. You can buy a lot of materials online. Buy books with lots of samples.
- Practice over and over again on different topics given in the practice materials.
- See how you are performing in the mock tests. Ask your tutor how to improve if you are making some mistakes unintentionally but do not notice them yourself. You need someone else to notice the mistakes for you. These mistakes need help from your teacher. Learn the theories.
- When you practice next time, keep the mistakes in your mind, and if you do them again, correct them instantly. Do not fear correcting yourself. This proves that you know.
- At the end of the first 6 weeks, start taking a weekly speaking mock test with your teacher.
- At the end of 10 weeks take 2 speaking mocks every week. This will help you get used to speaking in English for a long time and very regularly. You will only understand the benefit of these instructions after you have followed them to the letter.
On the exam day
Remember, nervousness is a genuine problem. Although it begins in your mind, it shows physical symptoms. You will have shortened breathing, blurred vision, dry throat, and so many other things.
Therefore, you have to use the force of your mind to remove all the useless thoughts. Breathe deeply. You will see in many videos doctors tell people who have panic attacks to breathe in and out in a paper bag or plastic bag to prevent hyperventilation.
Hyperventilation causes short breathing and can cause you to lose your physical stability. If you have a medical history of panic disorder or chronic panic attacks, or social anxiety, talk to your physician before you go to your IELTS exam hall.
When you are in the exam arena waiting for your call, this is the time when you may get panic attacks. Even the normal people with no panic attack history become very nervous. Talk to people to get your mind off of the exam. Think about funny things that happened in your life. You can also read a newspaper or a magazine that you have brought with you to the exam arena.
Try to talk to yourself as if you are giving you courage. It is not a good thing to get tense from expectations about the cue cards, because it is impossible for you to know what topic will be chosen for you. So, just try to take it easy.
Think that you are going to meet a friend who will help you get a good score in the speaking exam. No one is going to eat you alive. Have a positive mindset because ‘You are Unstoppable Today’.