What is the importance of vocabulary in IELTS?

Introduction:

Speaking fluently and accurately is, for non-native speakers, quite a hard nut to crack in IELTS, but it can be uncomplicated if you turn a blind eye to the mistakes that are so easily made by students, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Speaking part 1 is the section where you get the opportunity to create your first impression. So, make sure that you do it effectively. This blog will reflect ten major flaws made by candidates, combined with the techniques to amaze the examiner, and the parameters of evaluation.

Understand the evaluation criteria

The IELTS speaking test is ruled by four key measures: fluency and coherence, pronunciation, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. Let’s examine all the criteria in detail.

1. Fluency and coherence: You need to know that fluent English is not fast English. Fluency relates to the rhythm and smoothness of your speech, containing logic and rationality.
2. Pronunciation: The utterances of words display your knowledge of spelling the word correctly. Avoid saying any word that seems difficult or unknown to you while pronouncing. It is better not to speak a particular word than to misspell it.
3. Lexical Resource: Demonstrating a range of vocabulary gives the examiner an idea of your command of the English language. Using a diverse set of words gives an advanced touch to your speech.
4. Grammatical range and accuracy: Grammar happens to be the rudiment of the English language through which you can articulate error-free statements. Parts of speech and figures of speech are the building blocks of this language. This helps the examiner judge whether the spoken sentence is right or not.

Why is caution necessary in speaking part 1?

Caution is, however, essential in all parts of the IELTS exam, but particularly in the Speaking part 1, because in the introduction, the examiner is more focused on knowing about your likes and dislikes on very common aspects of life, such as hometown, study/work, clothes, technology, and many more.
The first minute of your introduction part is very vital due to the judgment the examiner makes from your answers. This round of speaking can be considered to be a preparatory round, where the examiner tries to settle down your nerves by asking you simple questions. For example, what do you usually do on your birthday? When such questions are asked, students fail to present naturally and hence commit faults. Therefore, First part of your speaking test is crucial to let the examiner become involved in your speech.

Ten most typical mistakes to avoid

To let your speaking be free-flowing, you should not carry out the errors mentioned below:

1. Learn answers by heart: Speaking is all about giving responses spontaneously and naturally. When you try to remember answers to all the questions, you are bound to fumble if you forget any word from the memorized answer. So, be impromptu.
2. Pronunciation: The utterances of words display your knowledge of spelling the word correctly. Avoid saying any word that seems difficult or unknown to you while pronouncing. It is better not to speak a particular word than to misspell it.
3. Speaking in a low pitch with low confidence: Your voice modulation and volume matter a lot. If you speak at a lower sound, it indicates that you are not fully sure of what you are speaking. Keep altering the tone as per the significance of the word in that statement.
4. Diverting from the topic: The question asks about your thoughts and opinion, but you begin talking about people and other subjects. This often happens either due to over-preparation or due to anxiety. Listen to the question properly and answer only what is asked for.
5. Giving answers in one word or one line: In speaking part 1, the response generally starts by sharing the individual's opinion, followed by a valid reason. Just saying ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ without providing a proper reason sounds impolite and reduces the interest of the examiner in your answers. Ensure to back your viewpoint with a strong justification.
6. Persistent repetition of words or statements: Many a time, students, out of nervousness or lack of clarity, keep on repeating the same words or statements when trying to form a new sentence in their minds. Speech like this hampers the bands and doesn’t allow the examiner to listen with excitement.
7. Using the same linking words and phrases repeatedly: The use of transition words like but, because, however, moreover, etc. helps to maintain coherence, but anything in excess is always harmful. Try applying different phrases and linkers to bring creativity to your speaking.
8. Repeating the questions in the exact manner: To take time from the examiner to think, candidates commonly repeat the question, which is a very wrong practice. Doing this alerts the examiner and forces them to end up giving you a low score. Repetition retards the fluency.
9. Bad or improper pronunciation: As IELTS is taken by those who are non-native speakers, the pronunciation of many words may not be familiar to you. Thus, speak the words that you know and not do otherwise. Ignore trying to say new words at the last minute.
10. Mistreatment of complex vocabulary and fillers: Students learn a lot of difficult words, which is nice, but overusing those leads to making conversation uninteresting. Also, employing fillers such as ‘umm’, ‘ahh’, ‘well’, and so on decreases the charm of your speech.
11. Absence of eloquence: Fluency is at the forefront when it comes to the assessment part. When the examiner is unable to comprehend your answer due to a lack of fluency, then the bands are bound to decline. Maintain rhythmicity in your speaking.

How to impress the examiner in the Speaking part 1?

Creating a lasting impression in the mind of the examiner is as easy as ABC. Just keep a few things in consideration while speaking your answers for the first round. :

• Be natural: Know that this exam wants you to demonstrate your proficiency in the English language and hence, will not validate your answer. How you speak matters more than what you speak. Avoid copying the slang of the native speaker. This drastically slows your flow of speaking.
• Be polite and calm: Being courteous shows respect and leads to a better and healthier conversation. Keeping yourself at peace will bring you more ideas to present.
• Wear a smile: A smile on your face portrays your positivity and also helps you relax your nerves.
• Maintain eye contact: Continuous eye contact with the examiner compels him to build confidence in your speech.
• Use a range of vocabulary to tell your opinion: When answering about the opinion on a particular topic, ensure that you speak by employing varied phrases such as, in my opinion, according to me, as far as my perspective is concerned, and many more. This will support you in eliminating or limiting your use of repetitive words.
• Do not overexpress: Speak what is asked about. Try not to talk about everything that you know, as in the introduction round, an answer followed by 1-2 sentences of clarification statement will do.
• Employ correct grammatical structure: In a rush to speak complex sentences, students overlook the grammar rules, which puts the examiner off from the start, and the rest of the parts just remain a mere formality.

Conclusion

To be a fluent and confident speaker in the IELTS exam, you need to go after the simple steps mentioned in this blog and ignore all the typical inaccuracies as mentioned in this blog to get 7+ bands in the IELTS Speaking test. Part 1, the introduction round, is just the beginning, and so, play your game intelligently by being undisturbed. You should also consider taking feedback from the certified IELTS faculty. Visit your nearest study abroad consultants in Ahmedabad and they will guide you throughout your IELTS journey.