Top Challenges in IELTS Speaking Part: A Beginner’s Guide

The IELTS is an important exam for those who dream of studying and working abroad. It is a test for checking their English skills and further comprises four sections. Out of these four, many test takers struggle with the IELTS speaking tasks. It is because the questions in this part are very different from the others. Hence, in this article, you will learn about ways such as solving an IELTS speaking mock test and others that can help you overcome the challenges in this section. So, read this article.

Overview of the Speaking Section in the IELTS

The speaking part in the IELTS test consists of a total of three task types. These are interview rounds, cue cards, and further discussion. The first task requires you to answer some questions about yourself, your life, your goals, and others. The next part provides you with a topic and a set of pointers, you need to speak about the topic for around 2 minutes. Lastly, in the third task, you will face questions related to the topic in the second task. These questions further assess your English speaking skills.

Now, take a look at some of the problems that you can have when attempting these tasks.

Challenges in the Various Tasks of the Speaking Module

The IELTS speaking part can be a bit tough. This is because there are many issues that students face while attempting this section. However, if you are aware of these problems then you can work your way around them with ease. Hence, here are some challenges that the speaking module poses:

Lack of Confidence

As you are appearing for a test, it is natural to feel nervous. However, you need to keep up your confidence when speaking. This will have a good impression on the examiner.

Prepared Answers

During the IELTS speaking tasks, avoid giving replies that seem like you have learned them and are reciting from memory. Keep your answers concise and natural. This way, you can make it interesting for the examiner to listen to.

Filler Words

It is a habit of nonnative speakers that they use filler words such as like and um, to fill in the gaps while speaking. Hence, you need to avoid using them as they are not a part of the conversation and do not show case any speaking skills.

Improper Question Analysis

Since, the time that you get is limited, it is possible that you might make a mistake while going through the question. This can result in an improper response. Hence, practice a lot of IELTS speaking mock test, to fathom the question pattern.

Lack of Skills

Another challenge that test takers face in the speaking part is lacking crucial grammar and vocabulary skills. These are vital if you wish to deliver an impressive speech. Thus, you need to work on these skills while practicing.

Irrelevant Answers

Sometimes it is possible that the answer you are giving is not relevant to the question. Due to this, you might not get the scores that you are expecting. To avoid this, analyse the question properly and then respond.

Attentive Listening

The first and last tasks, both require you to answer specific questions. However, if you are lacking the skills to carefully listen to the questions, then you will not be able to answer correctly. Thus, you also need to work on your attentive listening.

Reflective Responses

The last discussion task focuses on analysing your reflective responses. It checks how well you are able to handle a query. Thus, your response needs to be logical and exhibit your presence of mind. So, before replying, you need to think over the question and then say the answer.

Long Pauses

A short pause is good while attempting the IELTS speaking part. This gives you enough time to mule over your answer. But, taking too much time to think about your reply can result in you getting fewer marks. So, do not take too much time thinking about the reply. Instead, manage your time between thinking and responding.

Incomplete Answers

If you are not able to understand the question, then giving an incomplete answer will not fetch you any marks. So, you need to hear the question properly and then address all the parts of the question in your response. This, way you can also avoid giving an inappropriate answer.

Conclusion

In the end, these are some of the problems that you will encounter when going through the speaking section. However, with the right guidance and support, you can easily overcome them. Hence, you can also get help from the mentors at Gradding. This is a coaching centre that will provide you with all the right resources for your preparation. Further, they also have materials for IELTS reading practice, writing practice, and more. So, make sure to check them out.