Are you afraid of IELTS speaking because of your accent? Actually, it might not be the major reason for the reduction in marks! This passage presents 3 of the most common mistakes which candidates often overlook, yet those traps are very important to be kept in mind!
1) Don’t recite the content!
When you are reciting something, it may result in a lack of interaction or wrong focus:
Examiner: Could you tell me about a book you recently read?
Answer: The little prince is a book written by a French writer, which was published in 1943. It is one of the best-selling books ever published with more than 300 translations in different languages and dialects.
You should talk about what you think about the book or how the book inspired you, instead of introducing the book like a history examination which only focuses on providing background information.
2) Don’t skip the question even if you don’t know how to answer it!
Examiner: Could you tell me about one mysterious city that you know?
Answer: I don’t know about any mysterious cities. Sorry.
You should never refuse to answer a question and instead, you may try the following strategy:
Answer: I don’t know about any mysterious cities, but I do know a city named Venice which is so fascinating that everything there is a work of art.
Even if you are not answering ‘the mysterious city’ question directly, you are still following the topic ‘city’ which is still acceptable.
3) Don’t ask for a change of question!
Examiner: What is your ideal home like?
Answer: I don’t know what an ideal home is. Can we change the topic?
It is an examination where candidates should not ask directly for a shift in question.
By bearing the above tips in mind, you can be more confident in interacting with the examiner!
