‘It’s not what you said, it’s HOW you said it.’ IELTS Speaking Task 2

When everything is said and done, it's too late to say or do anything... so you'd better make it right to begin with!

For IELTS Speaking Task 2 you’re supposed to give a short speech (one to two minutes), also known as a long run. You’ll be given a card with the subject of your talk and the key points you’ll need to cover. You’ll also get a piece of paper and a pencil to make some notes while you’re getting ready.

The preparation time is one minute, but if you feel you’re ready before this time is up, you can tell the examiner about it and begin your talk earlier. However, I strongly advise you to use all the time you’re given since you can easily stop speaking too early. So, if you’ve jotted down all the ideas you want to mention and still have some preparation time left, think of other details you might discuss.

Well, let’s take a look at some of the common problems test takers face when dealing with this task.

Problem 1. You’ve got no idea what exactly to talk about. Say, you’re asked to tell about your favourite teacher, building you’re impressed by, or your beloved pet, – but you hated all your school teachers, don’t care for inanimate objects, or the sheer thought of an animal living in your house puts you off.

Solution 1. Be creative. Pretend you have just the thing/the person to talk about, make up all the details, feel free to add a funny story that’s related to your topic. Don’t worry, it’s not lying, and no one’s really interested in what you’re talking about; what’s essential is HOW you can do it.

Problem 2. Many test takers finish their speech too early.

Solution 2. One minute is the bottom limit and you should aim to speak for at least a minute and a half. However, many test takers run out of things to say in about a minute, and as a result they find themselves grasping for things to say long before the speaking time is over. To avoid his, you’ve got to train to use your preparation time appropriately and write down as many ideas as possible (remember, all of them should be strictly related to the key points described in the task card). You should also use a watch to practice speaking for about two minutes when getting ready for the exam.

Problem 3. In many cases unprepared test takers produce confusing speech.

Solution 3. Your long rung is not going to be too long, but it still requires some organization. Practice giving 2-minute talks using the following structure:

1.       Start with a simple introductory sentence (My favourite teacher is…).

2.       Discuss key point 1.

3.       Discuss key point 2.

4.       Discuss key point 3.

5.       Sum up with a clothing statement.

Problem 4. You don’t understand the task.

Solution 4. If this happens, don’t focus on the words you don’t know, but instead try to figure out their meanings based on the context (other words around the unfamiliar one). Even if it’s impossible, you should be able to guess the general meaning of the task, so take your chance, you have nothing to lose!

Problem 5. You have too many things to say.

Solution 5. Again, the examiner is interested not in your opinion but in your ability to express it, so, learn to organize your speech and be concise where necessary. Practice with a watch to give a full speech that lasts no more than two minutes.

Problem 6. Test takers digress from the topic and start speaking about unrelated things.

Solution 6. Being under the pressure of taking the test, it’s easy to get carried away and move onto other subjects. To prevent this, make relevant notes that fully address the task during the preparation time. In addition, during your long run, always keep an eye on the notes you made to make sure you stay on track.

Problem 7. You’re so panicked you can’t say a word.

Solution 7. You can always take a deep breath and start off with saying just that. Just go ahead and say “I’m so worried that I can’t say a word”. IELTS Speaking is all about making sure you can communicate in English and that’ll be a sign that you can! After that you might find it easier to begin your talk.