The reason why many people fear the speaking module of IELTS test is their lack of speaking practice in real-life situations. As a result, they feel lost as they don’t know what to say; they can’t even articulate how to say it either. Thus it is not just a matter of content knowledge that they lack but also of the psychological disadvantage which they have. However, since they have to take the test, let us focus on how they can prepare themselves with available resources in a short period of time. The following list is not all exhaustive but consists of some common and effective practices among the test takers.
Practice, practice & practice
No matter what preparation time you have ahead, spend the time practicing. Before starting, however, it will be wise to plan your work. Since it is a test practice, the content selection and topics have to be focused and relevant; i.e., don’t choose amusing topics as pastime activities.
Be serious & stay so
It is highly recommended for the competent users to adopt a serious nature of preparation. Any test preparation basically requires a well laid strategic work-plan and the consistency to carry through. But the guiding force behind all these is the seriousness, which in most of the cases wane away. So, stay serious all along.
Find a partner
For its interactive nature, even being a productive skill, speaking is not really a solitary activity; it is rather a reciprocal one. There are also several non-linguistic elements which can not be developed unless you practice speaking with someone. An important thing to make sure, however, is that your partner is going to take IELTS too; otherwise, there will be conflict of interest.
Join an online group
Usually, it is unlikely to get a partner for speaking who is also an examinee, but there are online groups and communities where people with similar needs are available. Even in social media like Facebook you can easily run into a probable partner.
Record yourself
If you haven’t already done it yet, it can be fun. The first time I heard my voice, I could not believe my own ears. It was awful. So, it is definitely a good idea to give it a try. You will have a better idea about a non-verbal shortcoming or may be an advantage.
Rehearse in a regular tone and tempo
Finally, in order to maintain a fluent response with no show of nervousness, practice a confident tone of voice in a moderate tempo — neither too slow, nor too fast. It will develop into a natural flow and then you will not have to worry about fluency.
© 2022 by Tanvir Rajib
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