From A to Z how to get high score in IELTS Speaking Part 2

2.1. Use 4 questions from the exam as an outline

One of the methods to easily pass the speaking test is to use the 4 questions given by the examiner to create an outline for your answer.

For example:

• Nó là gì?

• Công việc bao gồm những gì?

• Công việc được thực hiện ở đâu?

• Và giải thích tại sao công việc này có thể làm cho thế giới của chúng ta trở nên tốt đẹp hơn!

The questions will help candidates systematically and comprehensively view the information. Each question will guide your thinking so you can quickly and appropriately outline your answer to the topic. This will help you avoid the situation of not knowing where to start and what to say, especially not being afraid of saying too little or too much.

Building IELTS Speaking Part 2 strategies

2.2. Use opening sentences for the test

If you find yourself in a situation where you have an outline but don't know how to start smoothly, refer to some formulas collected by IDP below.

• Well, the … I want to talk about something called…., which is….., specializing….

• I’m going to talk about a time when I …

• First of all, I’d like to say…

• It is generally accepted that…

>>> Reference: Tips for practicing IELTS Speaking for beginners to achieve high scores

2.3. Orienting answers to questions by topic

One way to do Speaking Part 2 is to outline the entire test.

Describing a person: Describe the person, name, age, position by answering the questions: Who is that person? What do you know about this person? What kind of person is this? explain why that person is… (depending on the topic)

For example:

• Anh ấy là một sinh viên.

• Anh ấy đang học tại Đại học Ngoại thương trên đường Chùa Láng, quận Đống Đa

• Anh ấy có thể nói nhiều ngôn ngữ.

Describing an object: You can tell a story or speak in a list format

For example:

• Làng của tôi có một con sông hiền hòa, những khu rừng xanh tươi và một cánh đồng lúa rộng lớn.

• Tôi lớn lên ở vùng nông thôn xinh đẹp. Mỗi buổi sáng tôi đi dạo dọc theo bờ sông và vào cuối tuần tôi đi vào rừng gần đó để hái nấm với chị gái tôi…

Describing a place: Need to answer: What is that place, Where is that place, How do you feel about that place.

For example:

• Hiệu sách nằm ở Hà Nội, nó được gọi là Nhã Nam.

• Tôi sẽ nói về thư viện mà tôi yêu thích nhất.

Describing an event, time: Need to describe the time, the moment when the event took place.

For example:

• Cuối năm nay, tôi sẽ trở về quê hương.

• Vào một lúc nào đó vào tuần tới, chúng tôi sẽ đi cắm trại.

The way to develop ideas by topic needs to ensure a logical flow of thought. You can quickly outline and make the test rich and lively in terms of information. You can refer to more Speaking learning resources through IELTS Speaking – Academic & General Training materials as well as read more sample Speaking Part 2 essays.

"Follow" these Speaking Part 2 methods will help your speaking test be more coherent and fluent.

3.1. Make use of the 1-minute preparation time

For the IELTS Speaking Part 2 test, the initial 1-minute preparation is considered extremely important. It acts as a lever, contributing to your performance throughout the IELTS Speaking Part 2 test. Use this time to jot down notes about the topic you are given, trying to write down ideas until the examiner asks you to start your part of the test. Specifically, IDP suggests the following way to organize ideas in 60 seconds:

Create an information matrix according to the criteria boxes What, Who, How, When...

Quickly outline ideas using a tree diagram, with bullet points corresponding to the questions.

Each candidate has different ways of thinking and solving problems, you can create an outline in your own way, as long as the outline ensures enough ideas, is clear, and is quickly listed. Especially, try to write down as many ideas as possible, without worrying about spelling because the examiner does not check what you write.

Creating a mind map is a smart way to do IELTS Speaking Part 2

3.2. Adjust your speaking speed

A highly rated way to do Speaking Part 2 is to adjust your speaking speed reasonably. Avoid speaking too fast right at the beginning of the test due to worries about running out of time or forgetting ideas, as it can lead to your speech being abruptly stopped due to forgetting the outline, panic.

The strategy that IDP advises you is:

Try to speak at a stable, natural speed, not too fast causing swallowing sounds, mispronunciation reducing your pronunciation score. Conversely, you should not speak too slowly, reducing the fluency and coherence score assessed by the examiner throughout the test.

Breathe evenly and keep your speaking pace stable throughout the test.

Don't forget that you have your notes, you can glance at them to regain ideas for your speech.

>>> See more: Complete set of 30+ latest IELTS SPEAKING part 1, 2, 3 topics

3.3. Start the test by rephrasing the question

The opening is always important, especially with the IELTS Speaking Part 2 test, you can impress the examiner with an introduction about what you are going to say by rephrasing the question. One way to start your answer is the sentence pattern: “I am going to talk about + rephrase the question”.

You should impress the examiner right from the opening sentence of your speech

3.4. Conduct the test like telling a short story

Many candidates feel confused when they have to speak fluently while ensuring engaging content. To overcome this issue, a recommended way to do Speaking Part 2 is storytelling. Answering in a storytelling manner makes your test natural and helps you avoid running out of ideas. However, you still need to develop ideas coherently, logically, and grammatically correct to get the highest score.

3.5. Keep speaking until the examiner signals to stop

The test is limited to 2 minutes, but you should use this maximum time, don't stop if you haven't seen the examiner signal to stop speaking. Especially if you use the storytelling method mentioned above, try to keep speaking to showcase your ability.

Stopping the test before time runs out may cause the examiner to underestimate your speaking ability. During practice, try to speak fluently for 2.5 to 3 minutes and use the tips suggested by IDP.

You should prepare some IELTS Speaking Part 2 answers in advance to be more confident during the actual test

For the IELTS competition in general and IELTS Speaking Part 2 in particular, besides mastering knowledge, you should cultivate many skills and pocket the strategies summarized by IDP, such as:

Practice a lot before entering the exam room:

You should practice speaking by topic or practice with teachers and companions. This is an important key to help you improve every day and enhance your adaptability with IELTS Speaking Part 2.

>>> You might need: List of 10+ free and paid Speaking practice websites

• Review grammar and enrich vocabulary for a better test: Note to use the correct IELTS vocabulary, not overusing it excessively. Speaking correctly and sufficiently will help you master all questions.

• Record your practice on a recorder to listen back and self-assess, score: This process helps us self-cultivate skills, promptly recognize mistakes, and find ways to overcome them with each practice session.

• Practice effective speaking note-taking before the exam: Note-taking is one of the highly rated ways to do Speaking Part 2. It will help you quickly shape your speech.

• Posture, demeanor, attitude: Pay attention to sitting politely while maintaining comfort and confidence. Keep a serious, agile, friendly demeanor. A cheerful, open attitude. This will help you have a better test spirit and leave a good impression on the examiner.

• Refer to some high-scoring speaking samples: If you have a specific goal to achieve a high IELTS score then refer to high-scoring speaking samples to gain experience and learn effective idea development.

Practice and continuously evaluate before the IELTS speaking test.

Hopefully, the above information will help you understand more about how to do Speaking Part 2 and help you prepare for the IELTS exam effectively. If you want to take a free IELTS mock test, please register here: https://idpvn.wufoo.com/forms/zf56snq0lj7s2i/