Examiners look at five different things in order to
determine a candidate's score:
1.
Pronunciation
2.
Grammar
3.
Vocabulary
4. Fluency and Coherence
Notice
that Fluency and Coherence are grouped together although they are different
things. Each of these four carries equal value. The examiner gives you a
whole-number sub-score for each of these and then calculates the average of
the four.
Both
whole number and half band scores, such as 6.5 are given for the Speaking
test.
No separate score is
given for each of the three Parts of the test. When I was an examiner, I
wrote the four sub-scores on a piece of paper at some time during Part 1 and
these four scores were changed up or down as the test progressed.
If the average
score is not a whole number or a 0.5 number, for example, 5.75, the examiner goes
down to the next whole number or 0.5 number.
Example 1
Pronunciation
5
Grammar
4
Vocabulary
5
Fluency & Coherence
5
Average = 19/4 = 4.75
=
Band 4.5
Example 2
Pronunciation
6
Grammar
5
Vocabulary
6
Fluency & Coherence
5
Average = 22/4 = 5.5
=
Band 5.5
Example 3
Pronunciation
7
Grammar
7
Vocabulary
8
Fluency & Coherence
7
Average = 29/4 = 7.25
= Band 7.0
In
China, about 50% of all candidates get a 5.0 or 5.5 for Speaking. In 2007,
the average score for the Speaking test in China was 5.26
for Academic candidates and 5.74
for General Training candidates. (See HERE
for the report.)
See here for the IELTS Speaking
band descriptors (public version). This
page gives a description of what the examiner is looking for in order to
make a judgment on your Band level. Note that the Pronunciation criteria
have been changed but it is not public knowledge what the new criteria are.
Overall, clear and understandable pronunciation is the main thing.
Secondly, the correct use of the following
features will determine the pronunciation grade:
basic word pronunciation;
linked speech sounds;
correct and appropriate sentence
stress (i.e., which word or words in a sentence are stressed more than
others); and,
appropriate use of intonation (rising
and falling) to emphasize meaning.
Slightly inaccurate (= unclear)
pronunciation is usually understandable if the correct words and grammar are
used but slightly inaccurate
pronunciation combined with other errors can result in language that is not
understandable at all.
American pronunciation is acceptable. But try
not to suddenly change between standard British and standard
American pronunciation too much, or to mix the two too much. This is because
the examiner will not be expecting such sudden changes.
Basic grammar, especially the verb
tenses.
Know how to make the tenses and use them correctly.
Complex sentences:
Don't just use simple sentences all the time. Instead, often use sentences
composed of parts that are joined together with conjunctions and other linking
words. (This is a "must" for a Band 6 or above in this sub-score.)
Complex structures: Show that you have
(at least some) knowledge of higher level grammar.
For
grammar, examiners first notice if candidates can make sentences using
simple grammar correctly. The frequency
of basic errors
is what examiners first notice. The majority of these errors involve verbs,
especially verb tenses. You should especially take care to answer questions
using the same verb tense as the question. This not just concerns
correctly forming verb tenses but is also based on of whether your choice of
verb tense is suitable for what you are trying to say. Of course, in
addition to verbs, there are also lots of other possible grammatical
errors.
Even a
candidate who gets an 8 for grammar is allowed to make a very small number
of errors but most of these are made when attempting to speak the more
complex grammatical structures and these errors are not so bad that the
listener misunderstands the speaker's meaning. On the other hand, a Band 3 candidate makes
frequent grammatical errors (in almost every sentence) at the most basic
level.
The examiner also especially looks to see how
often and how well the candidate can make complex
sentences.
The examiner also looks at your range of, or variety of connecting words. A complex sentence is a sentence that has two or more
parts, each containing a verb, that are joined by words such as ‘and’,
‘but’, ‘because’,
‘although’, ‘which’,
‘that’, ‘who’
etc. Note that frequently using ‘and’ will not help your score
for complex sentences very much although it is better than always speaking
simple, short sentences.
COMPLEX
SENTENCES IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF
THE GRAMMAR SUB-SCORE AND YOU SHOULD STUDY THIS TOPIC.
You
cannot get a 6 for grammar if you don't make it obvious that you can speak
using many complex sentences.
The
following is an example of a complex sentence using two joining words (关连词),
which and because.
“I
need to learn English, which is very
important because it will help me get
a good job.”
Below
is a diagram showing a complex sentence with two linking words.
A Band 4 candidate
rarely attempts a complex sentence.
A Band 5 candidate tries to make
only a few complex sentences, usually just using ‘and’ or ‘but’ as
conjunctions. When they try to use more difficult joining words or
phrases, they often make mistakes.
A Band 6 can make complex
sentences with a (limited) range of joining words and phrases but there
still might be several, but not so serious errors.
A Band 7 can make a wide range of
complex sentences with only a few errors.
And a Band 8 makes a wide range
of complex sentences with almost no errors.
Examiners
also look at the candidate’s grammatical range, that is, whether the
candidate can accurately use the more difficult grammar, or complex
structures such as 过去完成式
(the past perfect tense), 被动语态
(the passive voice), 情态动词的完成时
(perfect modals), 非真实条件句(conditional
sentences or ‘if...would’ sentences), and 间接引语
(reported speech). As with
basic verb tenses, the point here is not just the correct construction of
the grammatical structure but the appropriate usage of it.
A
Band 8 candidate can effortlessly use these and similar grammatical structures with very
few or no errors.
A
Band 7 can use these but might make a few minor errors.
A
Band 6 tries to use some of these but
makes several errors. However, these are usually errors that do not impede communication. The
key point here is to try and to be
correct most of the time but not necessarily correct every time. If you
never attempt more complex grammatical structures because you are afraid of
making any mistake, it will give you fewer points than if you at least showed
the examiner that you know about the existence of these structures.
A
Band 5 cannot use (or is afraid to attempt to use) many of these higher-level
grammatical forms. If a Band 5 candidate does attempt a more complex
grammatical structure, he or she makes errors most of the time and sometimes
attempts to remake sentences, trying to get the grammar correct.
Most candidates in
China get a 4 or 5 for grammar. It seems that the majority of students in
China don't include much grammar study in their IELTS preparation. This
is a serious mistake–
it is very difficult to get a 6 for Speaking (and Writing) or an overall 6.5
or above in the whole IELTS test if you don't do much extra grammar study
(beyond what you learned in school) or at
the very least, a review of your grammar. You need to not only know how to
make the different verb tenses and the more complex grammar structures, you
also need to understand the correct usage of the different
grammatical structures. And you need to know it well enough to produce
it quite quickly in natural speech.
Most candidates in China get a 5 or a 6 for
vocabulary.
Examiners
look at several aspects of vocabulary:
the
range and variety of vocabulary,
i.e., how well the candidate can use words from the simple, everyday level
up to the 'expert' level when talking about different topics; how much the
candidate can display an accurate and appropriate usage of idiomatic
expressions; and how much the candidate speaks a variety of words which
express the same idea, rather than repeating the same word
several times. [If you vary your choice of word in
an attempt to show the extent of your vocabulary, don't make the common
mistake of using different words that have a similar meaning
but not the same meaning. Similar words
sometimes introduce new concepts that are not what you
intend to say. There is nothing wrong with a moderate repetition of
the same word – that's natural in the speech of educated native English
speakers.]
the
suitability, or appropriacyof
the words that are used, and the accuracy of
meaningthat is expressed by the words used. Some
candidates try to impress the examiner by using so-called 'big' or
'impressive' words but they use these words inappropriately or incorrectly.
You will lose points for this – you would do better if you only spoke
simpler words but ones that you know are suitable and correct.
The reason is that communication is the number one goal –
if
you use words inappropriately or incorrectly then the examiner might have no
real idea of your meaning. Of course, you willget
points if you use 'impressive' vocabulary appropriately and show that you
know the exact meaning of these words.
the
candidate’s ability to talk about
unfamiliar topics;
and
the candidate’s ability to communicate a meaning when he or she
doesn’t know (or forgets) the exact word to use. This is called 'paraphrasing'.
This
is an important language skill.
Fluency and
Coherence are two different things but are grouped together because neither
fluency nor coherence alone is considered as important as pronunciation,
grammar or vocabulary. Fluency and coherence areboth
concerned with "the flow of language" –
fluency
concerns the physical flow of language while coherence concerns the logical
"flow of interconnected ideas".
You
need to satisfy the requirements for both fluency and coherence to
get a particular score for this combined item. For example, if the
examiner thinks you are a Band 7 for Fluency but only a Band 5 for
Coherence, you will only get a sub-grade of Band 5 for the combined 'Fluency
and Coherence' sub-score.
Fluency
For
fluency, examiners notice three related things; continuity,
speed and smoothness.
Continuity
This refers to your
ability to just, ‘keep talking’, without too many unnatural
pauses. (Natural pauses are the very short pauses that we make when we speak
in order to: show the completion of an idea; think of the best word;
consider an answer to a question; or to give dramatic effect.) Long pauses
are unnatural and usually result from the speaker searching for vocabulary
or making a complete sentence in his head before speaking.Pauses at inappropriate places in your speech are also
unnatural.
Many candidates who
have long, unnatural pauses in their speech often do this because they are
checking their grammar before speaking. In other words, they are overly
worried about making grammatical mistakes. Similarly, those candidates who
translate from Chinese to English before speaking also speak with long
pauses. In the test itself, you should
concentrate more on letting your speech 'flow out' rather than worrying too
much about grammar. Yes, keep grammar in mind, but in the test you should rely
more on the habits of correct grammar that you had practiced in your
preparation before the test. You will get a better score this way.
Some
candidates break the continuity of their speech by correcting themselves too
much. If a candidate corrects himself or herself too frequently, this could
result in a loss of continuity. Therefore, you should not self-correct more
than 2 or 3 times in the whole test and only do it if you think you made a
major mistake that could cause confusion in the listener or if you think the
mistake just 'sounds terrible'. Furthermore, you should do it quickly so
that the continuity of your speech doesn’t seem too disrupted.
Similarly, avoid
unnecessary repetition of what you have just said. (This is usually done by
Band 3 and Band 4 speakers who do not have confidence in their English.)
One way to avoid
unnaturally long pauses is to communicate to the examiner, by speaking, what
you are thinking as you prepare to answer a question or, in Part 2, as you
prepare to say the next thing. For example, instead of sitting there
silently while you think of how to answer a question, you could say
something such as: “That's an
interesting question!” or “That's a difficult question!” or
“I've never thought about that before.” or “Let me think
about that.”
A
very important point is this:
many candidates lose points for fluency because they stop talking for
unnaturally long periods of time in Part 2 –
you are expected to speak continuously in Part 2. The main reason why some
candidates do this is that they simply can’t think of enough things to
say, or can’t think quickly enough of something to say.
Speed
If
your speech is unnaturally slow, you will lose point for fluency. In the
test, if you know that your pronunciation is fairly clear and accurate,
you should push yourself to speak a little faster than you would in a
normal, non-test conversation.
But
if you know that your pronunciation is not so clear or accurate, DON'T
push yourself to speak faster because that could cause the examiner to not
understand your pronunciation at all! You will lose big points if the
examiner cannot understand you at all.
Some
teachers tell (all) students NOT to speak fast in the test. This is a
mistake, I believe, because sometimes all the students then think
that they should speak slowly. Only those students with poor pronunciation
should speak slowly, but only slowly enough to be understood clearly.
The candidate who speaks a little slowly in order to be clear will lose a
little on the fluency sub-scale but that is far better than losing big
points in the pronunciation sub-score for being totally incomprehensible.
Smoothness
Smoothness
is actually related to speed. If you don't use the two methods mentioned below
to "smooth" your speech, it will be harder to speak at a natural
speed. Two
of the main ways to make your speech smoother are: a) to link your words and, b)
to use contractions.
a) Linked
Speech
In
natural spoken English, most words are not spoken as single words but are linked
with the preceding and following words. If you try to say each word
individually, it will not sound ‘smooth’ and it will almost certainly be too
slow. One of the main examples of linking is the pronunciation of words that
begin with a vowel sound. For example, the sentence, “I’m an accountant”
has two words that begin with a vowel, "an" and "accountant"
and the sentence is spoken as:
What
you see in this example is that a syllable in English doesn’t begin with a
vowel sound (unless it’s at the beginning of a sentence or after a comma
or another natural pause). Instead, the syllable begins with theprevious
consonant before that vowel. This is why we have the word, ‘an’ –
to create a consonant just before a vowel sound.
That
sentence has five syllables, with the sentence stress on the syllable, ‘ccoun’.
When you say this sentence, it almost sounds like one word:
b) Contracted
Speech(缩写式)
In
natural spoken English, we use the contracted forms of some verb
constructions very often, or even most of the time. Examples of contractions are: “I’m”
= “I am”; “He’ll” = “He will”; and, “I’d” = “I would”.
We use the full forms to show emphasis or when we want to speak especially
clearly for some reason, such as when stating a name.
The
contracted forms are a faster way to speak and they are spoken in a
smoother way than two separate words. Therefore, using contractions improves
your fluency.
In
the IELTS Speaking test, you should try to use the contracted forms at least 50%
of the time. But don’t worry if you use the full form sometimes (caused by
your old habits of speech). Certainly, don't correct yourself if you use
the full form. Using the full form is not considered to be 'wrong' – it
is simply more natural and therefore more suitable to use the contractions most
of the time.
Speaking
contracted English is not well taught in English classes in China, probably
because there is no speaking test in high school.
(On
this website, I often use contracted English in order to give a conversational
and less formal tone to my writing. Normally, contracted forms are not used in
serious writing but it is suitable to use contracted forms in written English
that has a conversational tone, for example, in a letter to a friend.)
The verb
‘cohere’ means, ‘to stick together as a mass or a group.’In other words, the different parts of a whole are connected
or linked. When referring to language, ‘coherence’ is mostly about the linkage
of ideas.
Coherent language
is easy to follow because the ideas are
linked using special linking words and phrases (=
"connectives"). In other words, the absence of key linking
words or phrases can make your language less coherent.
Obviously, before
you can show the language of linking ideas, you have to say several things,
not just one thing. In other words, the first way to get some points for
coherence is to speak extended answers, with extra information, not answers
that only address the basic question, without adding anything extra. First
answer the question directly, then develop your answer with extra
information that is related to the question.
Extended (or
'developed') answers are also more coherent because they help the listener
(or reader) better understand your meaning. For instance, adding an example
of what you mean helps the listener understand. The more "understandable" or
"clear" your answer is, the more it can be called "a coherent" answer.
Another aspect of
coherent language is the logicalplacementof
the ideas. That is, the ideas are stated in
a logical order. For example, if you are explaining something that
has several steps, you normally first talk about the first step and continue on to
the last step. In this case, the linking words at the beginning of the
sentences should be words such as ‘First’, ‘Second’, ‘Next’,
‘Then’, and ‘Finally’.
Here's an example
of using a short linking phrase to connect the second sentence (the second
idea) to the previous sentence (the first idea).
“If
you've got a lot of money and especially if you think you can get a good job
when you come back to China, studying for an MBA overseas could be a good
idea. On the other hand, it
might not be the wisest decision if your family has to make financial
sacrifices to allow you to study overseas because many returning MBA's can't
find good-paying positions in China.”
The
words, ‘On the other hand’
is the linking phrase. It tells the listener (or reader) that the second
sentence is an alternative idea to the first sentence. (There are
different linking phrases, representing different meanings.) This linking
phrase does two things: it serves as an introduction to the second sentence
and it links to the idea of the first sentence. Overall, the linking phrase
makes it easier for the listener to understand your meaning in the remainder
of the second sentence.
Good coherence is
important in language because if a speaker makes errors in pronunciation,
grammar or vocabulary (or all three), or if there is background noise (such
as when talking on a telephone), the listener can probably still understand
the meaning because he or she was given an introduction to what you are
going to say. In addition, when you are speaking about something complex, it
is a good communication skill to give
the listener special help in following what you are saying so that the
listener does not have to strain too hard to follow you. (This also applies
to your writing in the Writing test.)
Using good
coherence is especially important when a speaker speaks for a long time, as
in Part 2 or when a speaker is explaining something rather complex or
abstract, as in the answers for many Part 3 questions.
In the Speaking
test, many candidates speak in a way that can be generally understood, i.e.,
they speak in a way that is not particularly unclear, illogical or
inconsistent.This is often
because they just say simple things. In addition, the IELTS examiner might
understand you because he or she knows what to expect when you give an
answer, based on the examiner’s experience. However, the examiner’s
job is to also consider how well you would be understood by a typical
English-speaker overseas. In order to get a good sub-score (6 or above)
for coherence, you have to clearly
demonstrate that you know how to correctly use several different joining
words and phrases.(To
get a 6 for Coherence, you will be forgiven for making a fewmistakes
in the correct usage of joining words and phrases –
just show that you have knowledge of this and are trying!)
Using
connectives to link sentences is the most important aspect of coherence but
there are other examples of the logical linking of language that come under
the heading of ‘Coherence’. One example is, when you reply to
a question, closely link your answer to the question–
link it grammatically (using the same verb form as the question) and link it
logically by first answering the question and then giving
other details.
By
giving extra details, you will be making your language more coherent ( =
easy to understand) because these extra details help the listener to
understand more clearly what you meant in the first part of your answer. In
fact, by giving extra details to your basic answer, you can demonstrate good
coherence in two ways: a) by simply giving extra ideas that are related to
the first idea in your basic answer and, b) in the way you connect
these extra ideas to your basic answer by using phrases such as “For
example, ...”
, “In
other words, ...” etc.
Another
important aspect of coherence is to understand what the question really
means so that your answer actually suits the question. See my
comments about the answers that the Portuguese girl gave in the video of
her interview. It helps to understand what IELTS examiners expect in your
answers and this understanding is best gained by reading many of the pages
on this website.
Show
the examiner that you can use the 'short
form' of answers to 'Yes/No' questions. These short forms are clearer
and more emphatic than simply saying, "Yes" or
"No" and are, as a result, more coherent.
Although you should answer questions
directly, that does not always mean that you should answer questions
immediately. For example, if you are asked a rather complex question in
Part 3, it's very suitable to begin your answer with
an introductory statement
before you address the actual question. One example of this is to say,
"Well,
it depends on the situation."
And then answer the actual question with words such as, "If .... then ..... but, on the
other hand, if ... then ... ". The key point is not to speak
indirectly.
Showing your coherence skills
becomes more important as you progress through the test from Part 1 to Part
3. In Part 2, where you describe something in detail for 1.5 to 2 minutes
and therefore speak several sentences on the one topic, it is important to
show connections between these sentences. And in Part 3, showing good
coherence is especially important because many (or most) of the questions
require answers that link several ideas or several statements. See
here for notes on coherence in Part 3. These notes are also applicable
to Part 2.
