Bài giảng chi tiết, đầy đủ về IELTS speaking, giúp học viên nắm chắc nội dung, yêu cầu và phương pháp làm bài thi IELTS speaking IELTS viết tắt cho International English Language Testing System, tạm dịch là Hệ thống Kiểm tra Anh ngữ Quốc tế với 4 kỹ năng Nghe, Nói, Đọc và Viết. IELTS là cuộc thi kiểm tra trình độ thông thạo Anh ngữ quan trọng và phổ biến nhất thế giới cho mục đích học tập, làm việc và định cư với hơn hai triệu thí sinh dự thi.
Lesson 1: Structure & Procedure of IELTS Speaking test In this lesson you will learn the following points about IELTS Speaking test: o the purpose of IELTS Speaking test o the structure of the test o the length of each part o the procedure on the test day I Purpose of IELTS Speaking test The Speaking test is an oral interview between you and the examiner The purpose of the Speaking test is to determine how effectively you can communicate in English Structure of the test IELTS Speaking test is divided into parts Each part is different in terms of the given tasks and how you and the examiner will communicate Part Part Interaction Introduction & Interview 4-5 minutes Task and language The examiner greets you and then introduces himself (herself) to you The examiner checks your ID The examiner asks you some questions about topics that are familiar to you Part 3-4 minutes Individual long turn The examiner gives you a card with a topic written on it and some prompts to help you with your answer You are also given a pencil and a piece of paper to make notes if you wish You have one minute to think about the topic and prepare your answer Then, you must speak about the topic for one to two minutes The examiner may stop you if you speak longer than this After you finish talking, the examiner may ask you one or two follow-up questions Part Two-way discussion 4-5 minutes The examiner asks you some questions to involve you in a discussion The questions the examiner asks have the same theme as Part The language required in the discussion is generally more abstract than in the other sections II Procedures on the test day The Speaking test takes place on other day and in other place than other parts of IELTS After you have registered for IELTS, the test administrator will inform you about your interview time and place When you come to the test centre for your Speaking test, the test administrator will tell you the room number when your test will take place Close to the time of your test, you will be shown to a waiting area The examiner will call you into the test room and ask you to sit at a table facing him/her When you come to the room, the examiner will turn on a recorder and start your Speaking test Don't worry about that - all interviews are recorded to make sure the Speaking test is fair III IELTS Speaking marking criteria IELTS Speaking scores are calculated using criteria: Fluency and coherence (FC) = how clear and structured is your speech To increase score for FC: o connect your sentences by linking words and signpoints o extend your answers, add all the relevant details o speak smoothly and continuously o use pausing correctly Lexical Resource (LR) = how good is your vocabulary To increase score for LR: o use a wide range of vocabulary o discuss different topics freely, using appropriate words o speak formally or semi-formally o choose words accurately o use idiomatic language Pronunciation (P) = how naturally you sound To increase score for P: o pronounce words as clearly as possible o record your speech and work on the words that you spell incorrectly o stress words and sentences correctly o use correct intonations o try to be easily understood by the examiner Grammatical Range and Accuracy (GRA) = how good is your grammar To increase score for GRA: o avoid grammatical mistakes o try to use more advanced grammatical structures (passive voice, direct speech, different tenses and conditional sentences etc) IELTS Speaking score calculation Each of these criteria receives a score from to points After that, an arithmetic mean is calculated to determine the section's total score For example, if your marks are: FC - 7, P - 8, LR - and GR - 6, your total score will be (7+8+7+6)/4 = For example, if your marks are: • Fluency and Cohesion: 7.5, • Pronunciation: 7.0, • Lexical Resource: 7.0, • Grammatical Range and Accuracy - 7.5 Then your total score for IELTS Speaking is (7.5+7.0+7.0+7.5)/4 =7.25, which will be rounded to 7.5 Lesson 2: IELTS Speaking Part I Introduction The purpose of this part of the Speaking test is to: • confirm your identity (introduction) • demonstrate your ability to respond effectively to general questions about yourself (interview) At the start of the Speaking test you will be greeted by the examiner and invited to sit down At this point, the examiner will begin recording the interview Don't worry - this is to ensure that the interview is conducted fairly for all candidates Then, you will be asked to show some identification and the examiner will also ask you your name and what you prefer to be called (i.e your first name or nick name) Introduce yourself in a relaxed and friendly way Make a good impression by smiling and being confident Be aware of your body language – sit up straight and always look at the examiner (eye contact is considered in Western cultures) Do not tell the examiner that you feel nervous – the examiner already knows this :) II Interview During this part of the Speaking test you will be asked some general questions about yourself These questions relate to your personal background To answer these questions well, see the recommended strategies below Here some very common topic areas that you might be asked questions about: • job & studies • home • country • family, friends and relationships • interests or hobbies • music • the Internet • advertising • media • reading • daily routine • food and cooking Strategies: a Learn some topic vocabulary and see IELTS Speaking sample questions to be more familiar with IELTS Speaking part b Don't give too short answers - answer with 2-4 sentences c Be natural and spontaneous, don't learn whole answers by heart d If you feel you got stuck, you may ask yourself a "leading question" (like why? or how?) to help yourself to continue Example: Examiner: Do you like fruit? Candidate: Umm, yes [Why?] I like fruits because they are good for our health and because I like their fresh taste e If you feel you need some time to think about your answer, you can say the following phrases: "Oh, that's an interesting question ", "I have actually never thought about that " or "It's a tricky question!" This way, you will get extra 3-5 seconds to think of your answer f Use linking words Listing Giving examples Generalising firstly, secondly, thirdly for example in general first, furthermore, finally for instance generally to begin, to conclude as follows: on the whole Next that is as a rule Reinforcement in this case for the most part Also namely in most cases Furthermore in other words usually Moreover Result/consequence Highlighting what is more so in particular in addition therefore particularly Besides as a result/consequence especially above all accordingly mainly as well (as) consequently Reformulation in the same way because of this/that in other words not only but also thus rather Similarity hence to put it more simply Equally for this/that reason Expressing an alternative Likewise so that alternatively Similarly in that case rather Correspondingly under these circumstances on the other hand in the same way Deduction the alternative is Transition to new point then another possibility would be now, in other words Contrast as far as x is concerned in that case instead with regard/reference to otherwise conversely as for this implies that on the contrary it follows that if so/not in contrast turning to Stating the obvious in comparison Summary obviously Concession (smth unexpected) in conclusion clearly even though to conclude naturally however in brief of course however much to summarise as can be expected nevertheless Overall surely still Therefore after all yet IV Easy ways to extend your Part answers I am often asked by students how long answers should be in Part There is no definitive answer to this, but they should not be too short and not too long That’s a confusing answer, I know Let me explain more They shouldn’t be too short because you want to show the examiner that you can actually use English, so ‘I’m a student.’ is not really long enough However, they should not be too long either, because Part is on familiar topics (family, work, hobbies etc.) and you don’t normally talk for minutes when someone asks you where you are from Also, you will have lots of opportunities to give longer answers in Parts and As a general rule, if you only give a single sentence with a single clause like ‘I’m from Ireland.’ then your answer is too short I also don’t think Part answers should ever have more than three sentences Somewhere in between is just right The main point is that you should not worry about length too much in Part Your use of English is much more important Below are a few ways that you can easily extend your answers from a short sentence to a more comprehensive answer that will sound better and hopefully get you a higher score Feelings and Opinions You can easily extend your answer by saying how you feel about the question you were just asked It will also make your answer more interesting What you like to in your spare time? Short answer: ‘I like shopping.’ Longer answer: ‘I like shopping because I love trying on new clothes and I always feel more confident when I’m wearing a new outfit Contrasting Details One of the easiest ways you can extend your answer is to simply use the word ‘but’ to contrast details How long have you worked there? Short answer: I’ve worked there for three years Longer answer: I’ve worked there for three years, but I’m going to change careers next year Combining Details Instead of giving a very short answer you can add in some extra details with ‘and’, ‘with’ or ‘also’ Do you live in a flat or a house? Short answer: I live in a house Longer answer: I live in a house with my two brothers and my mum We’ve also got a dog and a cat Past Comparisons You can talk about what you ‘used to’ and how that has changed now in the present Do you play sport? Short answer: I play football Longer answer: I used to love basketball, but now I play football more because that’s what my friends are into Adding Reasons Always try to explain why you think or something in the test You can this using ‘because’ or ‘so’ Do you like your job? Short answer: Yes, I really love my job Longer answer: Yes, I really love my job because I get to help people with their problems everyday Future If something will change in the future, you can use one of the future structures, like ‘will’ or ‘be + going to’ Do you work or study? Short answer: I’m at university at the moment Longer answer: I’m at university at the moment, but I’m graduating next year and I will hopefully get a job in advertising Contrast Opposite Opinions You might be asked a question where you have to talk about your opinion or another person’s opinion Use ‘even so’ or ‘although’ to show that you have considered both sides Is your hometown a nice place for tourists to visit? Short answer: Yes, it has a really nice beach How was your intonation? Did you extend your answer enough? Did you speak clearly? Try again and keep practicing until you are really confident about talking about the common topics Don’t #1- Give Yes/No Answers This might sound very obvious, but you would be surprised how many people simply answer with ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ This is probably because many of the questions would naturally lead to a yes or no answer, but you must remember that you are in a test and you have to show the examiner how good your English is Giving yes or no answers does not allow the examiner to judge your ability and you will get a low mark no matter how good your English is Some people give yes or no answers because they are very nervous and they want the test to be over as soon as possible The examiner is not there to trick you and most of them are nice people who want you to your best, so don’t be afraid to tell them you are a little nervous and this will normally relieve the tension Don’t # 2- Go Off Topic Some students try to tell you their life story or the entire history of their hometown when you ask their name and where they are from Remember that these are very simple questions and if you have given more than 3-4 sentences you are probably giving irrelevant details For example, I recently asked a girl what she did in her free time and she told me everything there was to know about badminton I did not ask about the rules, history, great players, positives and negatives of the sport, just which sport she liked and why Don’t # 3- Give No Answer You don’t get to choose the question and if you don’t know the answer to a question, or you simply don’t like the question, you don’t have a choice- you must answer it Remember that Part is about YOU There will be no question you don’t understand because they will all be about you If you don’t understand one word in a question, it is acceptable to ask the examiner to explain what that one word means It is also acceptable to ask the examiner to repeat the question if you didn’t quite understand what they said However, not abuse this privilege and use it for every question; only use it when absolutely necessary If you really have no idea, be honest with the examiner and tell them you don’t really know and then have a guess It is not an examination of your knowledge, it is a test of your English, so it is perfectly acceptable to make something up if you are really stuck Don’t # 4- Speak Very Quietly This is one of the most annoying things for the examiner because no matter how good your English is, if we can’t hear you, we can’t give you a high score This has a lot to with confidence and shyness Make sure that you are not talking to the floor and speak a little louder than normally The examiner will also be recording the test, so it has to be loud enough for the recording device to pick up your voice Try recording yourself and play it back If you can’t hear yourself clearly then you need to increase the volume of your voice a little more Don’t # 5- Be a Perfectionist The examiner knows that you are speaking in a non-native language and does not expect perfection Even people who get a make small mistakes, and people who get Band and make quite a few mistakes If you are constantly thinking about the perfect grammar and vocabulary, it will reduce your fluency and pronunciation Fluency and pronunciation make up 50% of your marks, so there is no point in trying to use perfect grammar and vocabulary, if you are losing half your marks in the process Speak as naturally as possible, with a focus on speaking at a natural speed and clear pronunciation and the grammar and vocabulary will look after itself VI Useful languages and expressions Giving examples • For example/ For instance, … • A good example is … • Maybe you’ve heard of … Giving reasons • There are several/ a couple of reasons why … • That’s because … • To begin with/First/Firstly, Second/Secondly, Last/Lastly… Describing frequency • Every other day, … (= Frequently) • Once in a while, … (= Occasionally) • Once in a blue moon, … (= Rarely) Adding more • Also, … • Another thing (as well) is … • What else? Oh, I … • Besides, … • On top of that,… • Not only that, … also… • Aside from that… Comparing with the past • But when I was (a bit) younger I used to … • But in my school days I used to … • But back in the day I used to … (= In the distant past) Comparing self with others • But some of my friends … • But I know there are others who … • But it takes all sorts, I suppose (= Everyone is different.) Expressing a hope • But I’d like to try it if I ever get the chance • But it would be nice to try it someday • But hopefully luck will shine on me one day (= Hopefully I’ll get the chance.) Expressing details • (More) specifically/ To be (more) specific,… • Actually/ In fact,… Lesson 3: IELTS Speaking Part I Introduction This section aims to prepare students to talk for between one and two minutes on a given topic as well as on what kind of questions to expect in part two of the speaking test Below is an example of a topic in part two of the test Describe a friend who you think is a good leader You should say: who this friend is how you first met how other people behave towards him or her; and explain why you think he or she is a good leader II Practising making one-minute notes From experience, this is something that students don’t really take advantage of and therefore don’t give themselves the chance to prepare adequately for One problem is that in the minute provided students either: a) don’t write any notes at all, b) don’t know what to make notes about, or c) are unable to write short key notes (they often try to write whole sentences!) The fact is they only have one minute – not a lot of time Therefore training in making short key notes using one or two words only for each point they want to make is essential III Mind mapping (illustrate with an example as follows on board) From the answers given above elicit the missing questions, i.e.: What you like doing in your free time? Where you play tennis? How often/when you play tennis? Why you enjoy playing tennis? Who you play tennis with? What equipment you need? Isolate the beginning word of each question: WHAT? WHERE? HOW? WHEN? WHY? WHO? Ask students to remember the words above Give out a new topic from the above list Students ask questions on the given topic in the same way (mentally only) Students make notes of their answers to the above questions with one or two-word answers Therefore, in the minute in which they have to make notes they will: • ask themselves mentally six questions • record short answers as notes When speaking they will structure their talk on the short answers For example, using the mind map illustration in the one minute available to make notes the student could have written: tennis leisure centre twice enjoy sport/social friend/team racquet Bear in mind that the given topic will already have two or three small sub-questions on the card However, this method is really effective at getting students to focus in the little time they have to prepare and also allows them to structure their talk This in turn usually leads to a clearer, coherent, confident talk.Try this method over and over again on a variety of topics over the whole course, for example: Describe your favourite food … what where when why who IV Strategies Speaking for minutes on an unfamiliar topic scares most IELTS students and that’s why IELTS speaking part is one of the most feared parts of the exam The problem seems to be running out of things to say or not knowing what to say because you are unfamiliar with the cue card suggestions A common error is thinking you have to talk about exactly what is written on the card You don’t! Having spoken to several IELTS examiners and students who achieved very high marks in their speaking test, I can assure you that you don’t have to cover everything on the card The band descriptors also don’t mention anything about answering all the suggested parts of task Following the suggested sentences on the card is fine and many candidates very well following them but others run out of ideas More importantly, if you have a structure to follow for every question you can practice and prepare more effectively My strategy is to talk about what you feel comfortable talking about In other words, talk about the things you think will get you the highest marks If you like the suggestions on the card, then talk about them But if you don’t, or you want some extra things to talk about, then follow the strategy below When you get the cue card you will be given one minute to write down some ideas You are going to use this time wisely by using the following structure On the piece of paper provided write down five headings with a little space between each one Introduction Past Description Opinion Future Conclusion Now you will start to write keywords beside each of these headings Let’s look at each in a little more detail Introduction Start off by saying ‘I’d like to talk about (X).’ Then say ‘I chose this topic because…’ and you will be able to say why you choose this topic If you can’t think of a reason just make one up, although it’s always better to talk about real experiences Or you can say: There are many/several … , but … comes to my mind first/ the most … one is… Past Now pause and use a linking word like ‘anyway’ or ‘anyhow’ to transition into talking about the past This will allow you to demonstrate that you are confident using a range of past structures For exampleUsed to + infinitive to talk about past habits or states that are now finished Would + infinitive to describe past habits Past simple to talk about things you did in the past that you no longer or are no longer true Past continuous to talk about the background of a story or how you felt at a particular time Past perfect to say something happened before something else in the past Description Now pause and say ‘So let me tell you about (X) in a little more detail.’ This is your opportunity to impress the examiner with specific vocabulary Get to know the common topics and have some specific adjectives ready If you use an adjective to describe something, make sure you expand on it or explain it with examples Again, if you can’t think of specific examples, it is fine to make these up Make sure your examples match the adjective and you will be fine Opinion Now you can pause and say ‘If you ask me/In my view/I would say + (opinion on topic) This give you a chance to express how you feel about the topic It could be your personal opinion or it could be a comparative or superlative Using a wide range of phrases to express your opinion will help you get a higher mark If you want to give a stronger opinion you could say: I strongly believe that… As far as I’m concerned… I’m strongly against… I’m strongly in favour of… I’m skeptical of the idea that… I must admit, I think… When it comes to giving reasons, use the useful languages and expressions in Part in the previous lesson Future Finally you can display your ability to use future tenses Start off by saying ‘With regards to the future….’ A range of tenses will help you gain extra marks For example you could use: Present continuous to talk about fixed arrangements Be going + to + infinitive to talk about future plans Will or won’t + infinitive is used with predictions based on opinions or experiences It can also be used to talk about hopes and assumptions The future perfect- will have + past participle- is used to say something will have happened or will have been completed by a certain point in the future Conclusion For this part, you can say: So, that’s a bit about my … Anyway, that’s my … So, to cut a long story short, … (= To sum up) That’s it! Six simple headings that will allow you to speak for at least two minutes without any difficultly The most important thing is that you practice using this strategy with many different topics Get some past IELTS speaking part questions and ask a friend or classmate to give you them at random You can start off slowly by using this post to help you, but after a lot of practice, this strategy will become natural for you and you will be able to answer any part question with confidence There is no magic formula or trick to getting the IELTS band you want but there are good strategies you can use and, more importantly, strategies you can use to help you practice Lesson 4: IELTS Speaking Part I Introduction The purpose of this final part of the Speaking test is to push you to the limit of your ability The examiner needs to this in order to accurately assess the full extent of your English language skills You won’t be expected to give a long talk in answer to each question, but your answers will need to be longer than in Part You can develop them with explanations and examples How I extend my answer? In part the examiner will mostly ask for your general thoughts on an issue; advantages and disadvantages; problems and solutions; how the issue has changed from the past until now; and how the issue will change in the future You should therefore practice thinking and talking about your opinion on common everyday issues like health, the economy, education and the environment There is no set word limit for what a good part answer, but it should not be too short and not too long Too short and you will have failed to develop your answer properly; too long and you may go off topic and/or make mistakes As a rule, I advise my students to try to answer with 3-4 sentences Technique #1- Paraphrase Question A good way to extend your answer is respond with a paraphrase of the examiner’s question Paraphrasing is when you repeat the sentence but with synonyms so that it has the same meaning This technique is very effective because it not only gives you time to think in a natural way, but it also focuses your mind on answering the question For example: Examiner: What can people to try and reduce water pollution? Student: So, what can individuals to ensure water is kept clean? I think… Examiner: How can events like the Olympics improve international relations? Student: Hmmmm, how can sports bring people from different countries closer together? I believe… Again, this should not be used for every answer and only when you think it is appropriate Technique #2- Explain why Many students state their opinion but don’t extend their answer by stating why they feel that way Some students have told me that they are afraid of patronising the examiner and assume he or she will know why they have stated their opinion Assume that the examiner has no knowledge at all about the topic Pretend you are speaking to a child who knows nothing of the topic and this will help you explain how you feel Example: Examiner: What can people to reduce water pollution? Student: I believe the best way to keep water clean is to curb water use at home (Why?) The vast majority of water is used in the home, (why?), for cooking, cleaning and washing, (why?) therefore by reducing the amount of water we use, (why?) the government can conserve the water supply and keep it clean By asking ourselves ‘why’ we continue to explain our opinions and this leads to more developed answer Technique #3- Give Examples This seems an obvious one but it is something many students don’t In order to really develop your answer an example is normally needed A lot of my students complain that they don’t know or can’t think of any examples If you can’t think of one just make one up You will not lose any marks for making up an example and this will only lead to you gaining marks for giving a well developed answer A good technique is to use an example from a newspaper article or recent study Example: Examiner: Have the modes of transport people use in your country changed much over the last few decades? Student: Absolutely, they have changed a lot In the past most people used bicycles, but now they predominantly use motorbikes For example, a recent survey found that 72% of people in Ho Chi Minh City now own a motorbike I just made that statistic up and it is perfectly acceptable for you to the same thing in the IELTS speaking test The examiner will never disagree with you or ask you to prove any of your examples Technique #4- Make Concessions We make a concession by admitting that there are limits to our opinion or there may be another side to the argument We use words like ‘however’, ‘on the other hand’ and ‘despite this’ to make concessions Some students don’t like doing this because they think it weakens their argument or opinion In fact, by showing you are aware of other opinions you actually strengthen your argument Example: Examiner: To what extent you think advertising affects people’s shopping habits? Student: Personally, I don’t think that it affects the way people shop at all When people need something they make up their own mind rather than thinking about adverts However, it must have some influence, if companies pay lots of money for ads Reading this guide won’t help you unless you put the ideas in to practice Every part question is different and therefore requires a different response Try to answer it as naturally as possible and use the techniques above to extend your answer if needed Below are some tips to help you get the best score you can possible get in Part Most of these tips are about the psychology of Part because I have found that students are not mentally prepared for this section and good students often get lower score because of this Don’t try to finish quickly Speaking for up to 15 minutes in a foreign language is tiring You might not have slept the night before, you are stressed and you might have also done other tests that day In short, you will be exhausted and your body will want you to take it home and tuck it into bed as quickly as possible Lots of students give very short answers because they simply want their test to be over as soon as possible Know that the examiner will keep asking you questions (and the next ones will probably be more difficult), so it is much better to give a full answer and answer the question to the best of your ability, than to simply give a short answer and hope that it ends quickly Know that the examiner is trying to stretch you Part is really just a warm-up and Part is a monologue, so Part is the examiners chance to really test you and stretch your language abilities to the very limit The main thing to remember is that they will ask you questions you won’t be able to answer as well as you hoped They will often increase the difficulty until you can’t answer the question They are not trying to be cruel, this is just the best way for them to test your knowledge of grammatical structures and vocabulary Think about a personal trainer or athletics coach forcing an athlete to perform more and more strenuous exercises to judge their true ability If you know this is going to happen you will not get stressed out and you will answer the questions more confidently and get higher scores Don’t be afraid to ask questions There will be words in some questions that you don’t understand The rule is that you can ask the examiner to explain what one word means, but you can’t ask them to explain what a whole sentence means You can also ask them to repeat the question, if you didn’t quite get what they said Please don’t abuse this privilege and try to use it for every question Useful expressions: I’m sorry, I didn’t quite get that Could you say it again, please? Sorry, could you repreat that question, please? Sorry, can you explain that question in a different way, please? I’m sorry but I don’t quite understand the word “X” Can you explain it to me? Sorry, can you explain what “X” means? Always give an answer There will be at least one question that you have no idea how to answer Don’t worry, this is normal- see point number one The most important thing to is to at least make an attempt You have been speaking for 15 minutes and one question is not going to lower your mark for the whole test However, the worst thing you can is to simply not attempt an answer If you have this mindset, then you won’t push yourself to the limit of your abilities It is also fine to admit that you have no idea Simply say “I’m really not sure about this question, but if I had to answer, I would say… ” The examiner will be much happier that you attempted an answer, rather that just saying “I don’t know” or blankly look at them (which happens more than you would think) You can also give yourself time to think about the question by saying ”That a difficult question, just give me a second to think about that.” or ”I’ve never thought about that, to be honest, give me a moment.” However, don’t this for every question, only the ones you need to actually think about Think about what structure the examiner is testing The examiner needs to know that you are capable of using a wide range of structures Don’t worry about inserting as many structures as possible into your answers because they will ask you specific questions to test specific grammar structures Let’s look at the examples above: • How have mobile phones changed the types of relationships people make? – opinion/past/present • Some people think that children should not be allowed to use mobiles, you agree?- evaluating someone’s opinion • How has mobile phone use changed in the last 10 years.- past to present (perfect tenses) • How will mobile phones change in the future?- future/prediction • If you could add any new feature to a smart phone, what would it be?- hypothetical ... recorder and start your Speaking test Don't worry about that - all interviews are recorded to make sure the Speaking test is fair III IELTS Speaking marking criteria IELTS Speaking scores are calculated... your total score for IELTS Speaking is (7.5+7.0+7.0+7.5)/4 =7.25, which will be rounded to 7.5 Lesson 2: IELTS Speaking Part I Introduction The purpose of this part of the Speaking test is to:... food and cooking Strategies: a Learn some topic vocabulary and see IELTS Speaking sample questions to be more familiar with IELTS Speaking part b Don't give too short answers - answer with 2-4 sentences