English for Exams Karen Kovacs

IELTS Speaking Exam: Part 3
You are going to hear questions that are typical of Part 3 of the exam. Listen to each 
question and give your answers. Record your answers.
Listen to your recording, assessing your use of the vocabulary, gram m ar and 
pronunciation you have studied in this unit. Re-record your answers, trying to improve 
your perform ance in the areas where you were weaker.
Now listen to the sample answers.
19
CD2
7 0
Speaking for IELTS

---

Exam technique: Fluency
Unit 8
Exam tip : Fluency, together w ith coherence, makes up a quarter of your mark. The 
examiners w ill judge you to be 'flue nt' if you:
• speak continuously - that is, you do not leave big pauses or hesitate too often
• speak at a good rate - that is, not too slowly.
Improving fluency takes time. The most im portant thing is to 
speak as much as possible.
Doing a ll the speaking activities in this book w ill certainly make you more fluent. Here are
some other ideas:
• 
Having good pronunciation improves your fluency because it allows you to speak more 
quickly w ithout making you unclear. The pronunciation of single sounds and single 
words, word and sentence stress, and connected speech are a ll crucial. Study the 
pronunciation points in this book carefully.
• 
Having a wide-ranging vocabulary allows you to be more fluent because you do not 
have to hesitate, trying to find the right word. Having good gram m ar has a s im ila r 
effect. If your gram m ar and vocabulary are good, you can focus more on your ideas.
• 
Find out if there is an English conversation class in your local area. If one exists, join it. 
Speaking English regularly, and in front of other people, w ill improve your confidence 
as w e ll as your gram m ar, vocabulary, pronunciation and, of course, your fluency.
• 
Meet up with an English-speaking friend and study this book with them. In addition, 
agree that fo r one hour every week you w ill speak only in English. Be s tric t with 
yourselves: do not speak even one word of your m other tongue or any other language, 
and do not consult your dictionaries. This w ill force you to express yourself in English 
even if it is som etim es difficult.
• As you do daily tasks, talk to yourself in English (aloud or in your head). Think, 
How 
do you say that in English?
This w ill give you extra practice in thinking in English, and 
w ill make speaking it less of an effort. The exam iner w ill also judge how much 
e ffo rt
it 
takes you to speak in English. If you seem to be unpractised at using English to express 
yourself, you w ill not score w e ll for fluency.
Fluency is largely a m atter of 
confidence. 
A confident speaker is more fluent because they
are less self-conscious. Practising speaking English w ill make you more confident. In
addition, think about your 
body language 
and ensure you 
look
confident:
• 
Smile when you firs t meet the exam iner and when you introduce yourself.
• 
Look the examiner in the eye as you speak. Do not look down.
• 
Do not sit with your arm s crossed as this w ill make you look defensive and nervous.
• 
Do not fidget.
• Ask a friend to interview you. Do they think you appear confident and relaxed? Why or 
why not?