Speaking tips

Are you struggling with pronunciation? It’s very important to correct this early on, because pronunciation counts for 25% of your final speaking score in IELTS!

Is this what you have to live with every day?

• People keep asking you to repeat yourself
• You hate what you sound like in English
• You know you mispronounced a word, but you’re not sure how to pronounce it correctly
• You’re afraid to use a word because you don’t know how to pronounce it

These are all signs that your pronunciation needs some work.

One of my go-to ways to improve is by listening to Luke’s ENGLISH Podcast!

Luke’s ENGLISH Podcast has been created in 2009 and 850+ episodes have been recorded since (and counting!). Luke is a DELTA-qualified teacher with 20+ years of experience, so you know you’re learning from the best. He is easy to find – do a search online for Luke’s English and all the various places where you can listen to his podcast online will come up.

One of the things I love about his podcast is his clear British accent. It makes it super easy to follow along, and his humorous and light style keeps things fun!

How to improve your pronunciation

Here’s how you can level up your pronunciation with Luke’s ENGLISH Podcast

1. Listen daily: Even just 10-15 minutes a day can do wonders. Luke’s pronunciation is very clear, so try to soak it in.
2. Mimic Luke’s speech: While listening to an episode, pick a word or a phrase and repeat it out loud. Try to match how he says each word.
3. Use transcripts: Follow along with the transcripts to connect the sounds with the words on the page.
4. Check out his episodes on vocab: For some extra practice listen to episodes that focus on vocab. He reads stories out loud and explains the vocabulary in them, so you kill two birds with one stone – pronunciation and vocab!

Give it a shot, and you won’t believe the improvement in your pronunciation. Leave a comment below if you’ve listened to Luke’s podcast, and what you thought of it!

One major problem test takers face is being thrown off by a question on a subject they don’t know much about or aren’t interested in. For example, if you don’t follow sports or art, a question on these topics can catch you off guard. This is why practicing speaking on unfamiliar subjects is so important.

You need a solid vocabulary and the ability to chat about a bunch of different topics confidently. One great way to boost your performance is by practicing speaking on topics you don’t like or aren’t familiar with. This can really help expand your vocabulary and make sure you’re prepared for any question that comes your way.

Understanding the Challenge

The IELTS Speaking test is all about showing that you can communicate in English on a variety of topics. Most students tend to stick to subjects they are comfortable with, but that can leave you unprepared for the unexpected. The topics you don’t like or know little about are probably the ones you rarely talk about. Because of this, you might lack the vocabulary and ideas needed to talk about them fluently.

Why Practice Unfamiliar Topics?

1. To Expand Your Vocabulary

When you step out of your comfort zone, you come across new words and phrases you wouldn’t normally use. This helps you build a richer vocabulary and ensures you can handle questions on a wide range of subjects in the Speaking test.

2. To Build Confidence

Confidence is super important for the IELTS Speaking test. Practicing tough topics makes you more comfortable discussing different subjects. When you aren’t tense or nervous, you are able to think and speak better, and that will positively impact your score.

3. To Improve Idea Generation

Talking about topics you’re not familiar with forces you to think on your feet and generate ideas quickly. This skill is really valuable during the test when you might face an unexpected question. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at coming up with ideas on the spot.

How to Practice Unfamiliar Topics in 3 Steps

1. Visit our list of the most recently asked IELTS questions
2. Choose a set of questions on a topic you DON’T like
3. Start talking, and when you run into trouble, learn the vocab you are missing

Bonus Tip: become a member of the IELTS-Blog VIP Club to read Band 8 answers on all the popular IELTS Speaking topics.

What are some Speaking topics you absolutely HATE? Let me know in the comments!