The 4 incredibly useful IELTS Speaking books you shouldn't overlook!

Speaking has never been an easy skill, especially in the IELTS exam where candidates have to engage in direct conversation with examiners. Therefore, you need to equip yourself with a solid knowledge base and practice the skills thoroughly before entering the official test. Today, PREP will reveal the 4 best IELTS Speaking books! Let's take a look right away!

I. Succeed in IELTS Speaking and Vocabulary

1. Overview

Succeed in IELTS Speaking & Vocabulary is one of the IELTS Speaking books, including exercises and audio files for listening and practicing sub-skills aimed at achieving a perfect speaking performance. For example, identifying mistakes, determining the topic of a given recording, and using intonation while speaking.

This IELTS Speaking book is divided as follows:

• Chapter 1: Provides an overview of the Speaking test structure and scoring criteria.
• Chapters 2, 3, and 4: Cover common topics, how to approach different question types, and common mistakes made by candidates.
• Chapter 5: Contains 10 common topics and corresponding practice questions.

2. Suitable learner

This IELTS Speaking book is particularly suitable for those who have basic speaking abilities, can form complete sentences, and express ideas at a 4.0 Speaking level.

3. Advantages

• Succeed in IELTS Speaking & Vocabulary is useful for both those aiming to conquer the Academic and General IELTS exams.
• This IELTS Speaking book provides continuous tips for the IELTS Speaking test, helping learners improve their skills during practice and exams.
• The accompanying audio files are of high quality and include recordings with various intonations, assisting learners in developing their listening skills by familiarizing themselves with different voices.

4. Disadvantages

• This IELTS Speaking book is entirely written in English, which may be challenging for beginners preparing for the IELTS exam.

5. Study guide

• Because Succeed in IELTS Speaking and Vocabulary is a specialized book for Speaking skills, most of the practice activities are designed as pair work, labeled as "Practice with your partner." Therefore, you can study with a partner or in a group to enhance interaction. However, if you prefer self-study, there's no need to worry because you can still perform these activities individually.
• Record your own presentations and compare them with the provided sample answers in the corresponding practice sections. This helps you identify areas that need improvement and upgrade your skills.
• In addition to providing strategies for handling IELTS Speaking tasks, this IELTS Speaking book also emphasizes practicing supplementary skills such as listening, pronunciation, and vocabulary. Therefore, when studying, you should not only focus on practicing speaking tasks but also incorporate additional skill exercises as instructed in the book to develop your Speaking skills comprehensively.

II. Basic IELTS Speaking

1. Overview

Basic IELTS Speaking Book - the best book for IELTS Speaking that provides a format similar to the actual IELTS exam with all three sections included. The lessons in this IELTS Speaking book will teach you in detail how to speak efficiently and accurately, along with various strategies for answering questions. This IELTS Speaking book includes the following main contents:

• General introduction to the IELTS Speaking exam and the necessary preparation strategies.
• Methods for handling different types of questions in each section of the exam.
• Sample tests and suggested answers.

2. Suitable learner

This IELTS Speaking book is designed specifically for English learners at a basic level (around 3.0 - 3.5 IELTS) who are familiarizing themselves with the IELTS exam. After studying all the knowledge and exercises in this IELTS Speaking book, you can achieve a Speaking band score of 4.0 - 4.5.

3. Advantages

• Detailed and systematic lessons: The lessons are structured starting from the introduction, followed by the main lessons and then sharing strategies for answering questions. The topics and accompanying sample speeches are also provided. Finally, there are specific questions for you to practice a complete speech.
• Useful reference materials: Basic IELTS Speaking provides many grammar structures and useful vocabulary for practicing, starting from simple sentences to longer speeches. Moreover, the sample speeches are at band 8 and 9, making them a valuable reference.

4. Disadvantage

• Written entirely in English: because this this IELTS Speaking book is written entirely in English, it requires readers to have a certain foundation of knowledge to understand the content. 

5. Study Guide

When self-studying Basic IELTS Speaking, you can follow these steps to study the different question types in the IELTS Speaking exam:

• First, learn the structure of each section in the IELTS Speaking exam. Read the sample questions for each section to understand the flow of the exam.
• For each topic, study the vocabulary listed in this IELTS Speaking book. Then, think of situations where you can use that vocabulary and practice forming complete sentences.
• Study the suggested grammar structures in this IELTS Speaking book and adapt the content of your sentences to fit your own speech. Repeat the sentences multiple times to become proficient in using those structures.
• Practice reading the sample answers. Pay attention to pronunciation and intonation. You can record and listen to yourself to identify any mistakes.
• Practice answering questions based on your own ideas. Avoid relying too much on the sample answers and express your own thoughts to remember them better. You can record and listen to yourself to detect any mistakes and make timely corrections to track your progress.

However, sometimes it's not enough to listen to yourself and find your own mistakes because you may not even know where you went wrong. Understanding this concern, prepedu.com has introduced the Virtual Speaking Room (VSR). Using AI technology to analyze the speech of Vietnamese speakers when speaking English, the system relies on that data to detect the mistakes you are making:

• For pronunciation, AI will analyze your pronunciation syllable by syllable to show you where you are pronouncing incorrectly.
• For vocabulary and grammar, the system will highlight word usage errors or grammar mistakes in the sentences, and then suggest corrections for you.

By practicing speaking for 30 minutes a day in an environment that simulates the actual exam and receiving detailed scores for pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar using the leading technology of the Virtual Speaking Room (VSR), you will definitely improve your reflexes and learn how to process language quickly to achieve fluent responses in just 30 days of summer.

III. IELTS Speaking Recent Actual Tests

1. Overview

The book IELTS Speaking Recent Actual Tests not only provides real test questions but also serves as a comprehensive guide that helps learners form their answers, starting from developing ideas to providing useful phrases and expressions that can be used in each part of the Speaking test.

2. Suitable learners

This IELTS Speaking book is suitable for individuals who already have the ability to form grammatically correct sentences and express their opinions in a simple manner (with a writing score of 4.0 IELTS or higher according to the IELTS band score).

3. Advantages

• Detailed presentation: This IELTS Speaking book is written under the assumption that readers have no prior exposure to the IELTS Speaking test. Therefore, the author provides step-by-step instructions for every skill needed to answer the questions. By diligently studying this IELTS Speaking book, learners can confidently achieve a band score of 6.0+ on the IELTS Speaking test.
• Over 40 common topics: This IELTS Speaking book covers vocabulary and phrases at a band 6.5 level across 40+ topics from Part 1 to Part 3. Question type categorization: Particularly for Part 1 and Part 3, the book structures the answers based on question categories. This helps learners easily start forming their sentences and guides expanding their ideas while ensuring clear and persuasive content.

4. Disadvantages

No accompanying audio: For the Speaking skill, the best learning experience is to practice speaking in a simulated environment or at least listen to recorded Speaking samples. However, this IELTS Speaking book does not come with an accompanying CD - this is a significant drawback. Learners should supplement their study with materials that include more sample audios to learn pronunciation and fluency.

5. Study Guide

• IELTS Speaking Recent Actual Tests is a self-study curriculum suitable for those starting their Speaking journey. Therefore, this IELTS Speaking book requires a considerable amount of study hours to complete and is not suitable for a last-minute cramming approach. You need to invest about 40 minutes per day for a period of 3-4 months to complete the study plan outlined in this IELTS Speaking book.
• You should study and master the foundational knowledge in the early chapters before moving on to more advanced Speaking materials with additional sample essays. This way, you can practice effectively in the later chapters by solving the exercises before taking the actual test.

IV. Lessons For IELTS Speaking

1. Overview

The book Lessons for IELTS Speaking helps learners tackle the most challenging aspect of the Speaking test, which is providing a method for answering the question types in the three parts of the test. Additionally, this IELTS Speaking book serves as a compilation of supplementary knowledge on grammar, vocabulary, functional language, and linking ideas. It indirectly guides learners to increase their band score in the four scoring criteria of the Speaking test.

2. Suitable learners

This IELTS Speaking book is suitable for individuals who are at the 3.5-4.0 Speaking level, have familiarized themselves with the question types in the IELTS Speaking test, but still lack proper strategies for answering or require additional vocabulary for expression.

3. Advantages

• Detailed vocabulary and grammar presentation: "Lessons for IELTS Speaking" focuses on providing carefully selected vocabulary and grammar for each topic, ensuring thorough preparation for learners before the IELTS Speaking test.
• Scientifically designed logical sequence: Each lesson is designed in a highly logical sequence, starting with the introduction of important vocabulary and sentence structures related to a specific topic. It then presents sample questions for learners to practice speaking, incorporating the introduced phrases and vocabulary. This process familiarizes learners with the necessary knowledge before engaging in a complete speech, avoiding confusion and hesitation.

4. Disadvantages

• Not suitable for last-minute cramming: Throughout this IELTS Speaking book, there is information, process instructions, and practice exercises on vocabulary, grammar, and speaking with provided questions. Therefore, it requires learners to study and practice according to the instructions over a longer period of time.

5. Study Guide

• When practicing with "Lessons for IELTS Speaking," it is important to follow the suggested sequence, which means studying vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation thoroughly before moving on to speaking practice. To answer the questions in the IELTS Speaking test, you need to be equipped with sufficient language resources and well-developed ideas. If you skip the initial stages and jump straight into speaking practice, success in the Speaking test may be difficult to achieve.
• Speaking is inherently interactive and relies on natural language expression, so it would be beneficial to have a practice partner to engage in back-and-forth interaction.
• During the initial stages of speaking practice, before delivering a complete speech, spend about three minutes outlining the main ideas and keywords you want to use. Once it becomes a habit, you will be able to generate ideas quickly and express yourself more easily within a short period of time.

VI. Conclusion

Above, PREP has compiled the 4 best IELTS Speaking books that you should not overlook! Let’s quickly get yourself a copy to start practicing! Best of luck with your exam preparation!