3 ways to practice IELTS Speaking to excel with an 8.0 in speaking skills

Hello, Preppies! Today, PREP wants to share with you some experiences and simple ways to practice IELTS Speaking. The goal of self-studying IELTS Speaking is to help you easily achieve a score of 8.0 on the speaking test. PREP hopes this article will be very helpful for those of you who are self-studying IELTS Speaking at home.

I. Practice IELTS Speaking at home - Answer the questions in the correct order

The first thing that PREP wants to mention is that many of you with lower bands like 4-5 often have a habit of ANSWERING QUESTIONS IN THE WRONG SEQUENCE: "Direct answer - Explanation - Example." Because of this way of answering questions, your answers will confuse the examiners.

My experience in self-practicing IELTS Speaking is as follows. Whatever the examiner asks, you need to answer accurately the question. For example, if they ask if you are studying or working, the first thing you need to say is that you are a student/learner at a certain school. Or if you are working, then after that, mention your position and the place where you work/study.

The position of work and the location where you work/study is part of the explanation for your answer. If you give a direct answer and then lose track of your thoughts, it will not be as bothersome as wandering off-topic without focusing on the main point.

However, in some cases, you may genuinely not care about the issue the examiner is asking about. You can tell them, "I'm not really interested in this matter." Then provide them with a reason for that. For example, if they ask, "Do you like arranging flowers?" the saving answer would be, "I'm not very interested in this job. Because, at home, my mother usually does it, and during that time, I am playing football with my friends." That's enough.

So, to practice IELTS Speaking at home effectively, apply this IELTS learning method.

II. To achieve an IELTS score of 8.0, you need to develop a natural speaking style

According to the experience of professional teachers at PREP, to achieve a high band score of 7.5+, you need to have a natural speaking style with the examiner, especially in Part 1 and Part 2.

• In Part 1, the examiner will ask you everyday questions, so don't complicate your answers. Respond in a conversational style as if you were talking to family members or friends about that topic. Remember, you are taking an English test, not a comprehensive science test.
• In Part 2, you need to tell a personal story in a very authentic way to score high. During the exam, close your eyes and recall the story you need to tell in the first 30 seconds. Then, in the remaining 30 seconds, think about which fancy vocabulary words to jot down on the rough paper. Don't waste time inventing a story or building its content; use that time to note down vocabulary instead.
• Finally, in Part 3, this is where you demonstrate your knowledge and speaking abilities. To achieve a high score, you need to be familiar with specialized vocabulary for each academic topic. You can accumulate this knowledge through reading exercises or in the topics covered in Writing Task 2.

So, practice IELTS Speaking naturally by starting self-studying at home. This will make your answers sound natural, and your test performance will be highly effective.

III. Effectively practice IELTS Speaking is primarily about building vocabulary

To effectively practice IELTS Speaking at home, the most important thing is to enhance your vocabulary every day. It is a prerequisite for improving your test performance and achieving a high band score. Without vocabulary, you will never be able to conquer a high band score.

Vocabulary is the most determining factor for your score, especially in Part 3 (I mean scoring for band 7.5+). PREP advises you to study vocabulary according to specific topics. Additionally, delve deeper to perform well in Part 3. Once you have a certain vocabulary base, explore various ways to practice IELTS Speaking at home to thoroughly prepare for the exam.

A small tip to make your vocabulary more relevant to the topics is to study vocabulary through talk shows on specific subjects. Watch Ted Talks, Academic English, etc., on YouTube. These channels are highly useful and will greatly enhance your natural speaking style.

If you are asking about study materials, you have used some resources such as:

• Vocabulary Cambridge For IELTS
• Academic Vocabulary In Use

These materials are readily available for search and download from the internet. Therefore, you can easily self-study IELTS Speaking at home.

Above are three ways to practice IELTS Speaking shared by PREP students. We hope you can refer to them in detail. Alongside that, expand your knowledge to achieve an 8.0 band score in IELTS Speaking. During the process of self-studying IELTS Speaking to reach your 8.0 goal, if you need advice or support, please contact PREP. They will help you develop a suitable learning plan tailored to your goals and current abilities perfectly.