Are you preparing for IELTS? Lots of people sign up for preparation classes, but other people prefer to study on their own. Solo study has lots of benefits. It allows you to create your own study plan, to suit your own specific needs. You can set your own speed, and focus on areas where you need the most improvement. 

However, solo study for IELTS speaking practice can present unique challenges. Unlike other sections of the test, the speaking section involves interaction and conversation with another person. Without a study partner or tutor, it can be difficult to gain experience to prepare yourself for a real speaking test. And practicing by yourself means you won’t get feedback on your speaking, or areas where you need to improve. 

Luckily, technology has filled this gap, so that solo IELTS speaking practice is more accessible and effective than ever before. So, let’s get into the IELTS speaking criteria and see how you can boost your score!

An overview of the IELTS speaking exam 

The IELTS Speaking exam assesses your English-speaking proficiency through a one-to-one interview with an examiner. There are three parts, each with a specific purpose. 

Part 1: Introduction and Interview (4-5 minutes)

In this section, you’ll have a casual conversation with the examiner. They will ask questions about yourself, and familiar topics like hobbies, family, work, or daily life. The goal is to see how well you can talk about yourself, share your thoughts, and have a relaxed conversation. It also gives you a chance to warm up and feel more comfortable speaking in English before moving on to the longer questions.

Part 2: Individual Long Turn (3-4 minutes)

Here, you’ll receive a cue card with a specific topic. You’ll have one minute to prepare, followed by two minutes to speak on the given topic. Topics can range from memorable events to a favorite object, a challenging situation, or personal achievements. The examiner may ask follow-up questions to get you to discuss your topic a little more.

Part 3: Two-way Discussion (4-5 minutes)

The final part involves a two-way discussion with the examiner. It assesses your ability to express opinions, justify views, and have complex conversations. The discussion explores more complicated ideas, social issues, or academic topics related to your Part 2 topic. Be prepared for tough questions that make you think deeply and require you to explain your ideas in detail. In this part, you have the chance to show how well you can express your thoughts. 

IELTS speaking criteria

To get a high score on the IELTS Speaking test, it’s really important to understand the IELTS speaking criteria and to show your confidence.  Examiners are looking at four key parts of your speaking. It’s useful to be aware of these in order to give the best answers to the examiner’s questions.

1.   Fluency and Coherence: Speaking fluently and naturally while forming your ideas in a clear and organized way.

2.  Lexical Resource: Using a wide variety of vocabulary and in the right style.

3.  Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Showing complex and accurate use of grammar in your speech.

4.   Pronunciation: Speaking clearly with correct pronunciation, intonation, and stress patterns so that others can understand you easily.

So, now you know what you need to do to score highly in the IELTS speaking test. It’s time to get studying! It can be hard to study speaking alone, but ELSA can help you with your IELTS speaking practice. Let’s take a look: 

How Speech Analyzer can help you prepare for IELTS

Preparing for the IELTS Speaking test can feel overwhelming, especially when you don’t have a practice partner. ELSA’s Speech Analyzer is there to help! ELSA gives you the full test experience. The more you practice, the more confident you will feel on the day of your test! You can work on each part individually or try the entire exam in one go. 

With Speech Analyzer, you’ll get lots of IELTS speaking tips. You can refine your pronunciation, improve fluency, and expand your vocabulary. It’ll help enhance your grammar and sentence structure too. You can get the feeling of the exam from the comfort of your home. Once you´ve done your speaking test questions, you’ll get real-time feedback. Elsa´s Speech Analyzer uses advanced speech recognition and AI technology to analyze your spoken English in the following ways: 

Pronunciation Improvement

Use the Speech Analyzer to improve how you say words and sentences by focusing on specific sounds, stress patterns, and word connections. ELSA’s Speech Analyzer gives you feedback and suggestions that will guide you toward more accurate pronunciation. You can also find a selection of helpful video tutorials to perfect your pronunciation.

Vocabulary Expansion

Showing a range of vocabulary is essential in your speaking exam. It can be difficult to track what vocabulary you use when self-studying. ELSA’s Speech Analyzer will help you by suggesting some high-impact synonyms to increase your range, and telling you which words to be careful of using. It will also let you know when you’re doing a great job with your top-performing words which will help you meet the IELTS speaking criteria!

Fluency and Intonation Practice

Improving your fluency and speed is a key part of sounding natural in the exam. Record your responses to various topics within the given time limit. Elsa´s Speech Analyzer will give you an idea of where you can add more energy to a word or where it might be best to reduce the emphasis. You might need to hesitate from time to time but you can also use the Speech Analyzer to see just how natural you sound.

Grammar and Sentence Structure

ELSA’s feedback will tell you what your grammatical range is and give you some direct examples of where you’re doing well. Remember it’s all about showing what you know! Using correct grammar and appropriate sentence structure will help you boost your score and meet the IELTS speaking criteria.

If you’re facing the challenge of practicing alone or you want to maximize your study time, ELSA´s Speech Analyzer is the answer. It provides a supportive and interactive platform that guides you towards success, gives you lots of IELTS speaking tips and helps you boost your English speaking skills in preparation for your exam!

Download Speech Analyzer and start your IELTS preparation journey today.