IELTS Speaking & Writing: The Hard Parts Made Easier

Many IELTS participants feel reasonably confident when preparing for the Reading and Listening sections of the test because your job is simply to understand the information and select the correct answer.

However, when they reach the Speaking and Writing sections, the experience becomes a whole new ball game of producing one’s own ideas clearly and quickly in English. 

This shift from passive to active is where their blood pressure begins to rise, but it doesn’t have to be that way!       

Speaking Output

What It Means:

Think about it: when you last read an English passage or watched TV, were you stressed?

Probably not, because you didn’t have to do much other than process the input. 

The Speaking test can feel difficult because you must think and speak at the same time while the examiner is listening carefully to what you say. Anyone can feel nervous in this situation and they may reach for some fancy words or grammar that they don’t really know in hopes of impressing the examiner.

Unfortunately, this can backfire if these fancy moves turn your sentences into a muddled mess.

REMEMBER - The examiner is listening for your ideas expressed in a clear and orderly way; he doesn’t want to be trying to figure out what you just said!

What to Do:

The best way to prepare for the speaking test is to make speaking English a regular habit. Short daily practice, even 5-10 mins/day is far more helpful than occasional long study sessions.

Use this simple pattern: give a clear answer to the question, explain what you mean, and give a short example if possible. Make it a template (like a sewing or construction pattern) that you can rinse and repeat until you can do it in your sleep; it may get boring but at least you’ll know it and you can always get fancy later! 

PRO TIP: 

The Example:

Harshit memorizes a lot of difficult words before the test. During the speaking exam he tries to use these words, but he pauses often to search for the “perfect” one, and his train of thought goes out the window (along with his confidence).

Maria practices speaking about everyday topics with a friend several times a week. During the test she answers the questions directly and explains her ideas using clear, natural language. Even though her vocabulary is mid-range, she speaks smoothly and confidently and her answers are easy  to understand.

Rule of Thumb:

Whether in an exam or daily life, if you have to think twice about what you’re saying, make it simpler!

Bonus Points!

My students have found recording your speaking practice to be very useful, because when you listen to it later, you will notice your mistakes and repeat them less often.

Writing Output

What It Means:

Like the Speaking category, Writing is often difficult for IELTS candidates because you must think of ideas, organize them, write correct sentences, and finish within the time limit.

While it is tempting to try to write very complicated sentences to impress the examiner, this often causes grammar mistakes and unclear writing, which will actually confuse the examiner!

What to Do:

Remember the speaking sentence template we talked about above? You can do the same thing with writing!

Use a simple essay structure: start with a short introduction of the topic and the two ideas you’re going to say about it, followed by two paragraphs saying what you want to say          about each idea, and end with a brief conclusion. This makes your writing easy for the examiner to follow.

Regular writing practice is also your key to success. Instead of writing a long essay once in a while, try writing short snippets several times a week. Over time, organizing ideas becomes faster and more natural.

PRO TIP: Write about your daily activities! For example if you have just finished doing the dishes, grab your notebook (or even the back of an envelope!) and use your template to write a mini-essay about that - it’s the practice of training your brain to write sentences that will give best results.

The Example:

Carlos studies vocabulary lists and reads English articles but he rarely writes anything, let alone essays. During the test he spends a long time thinking about how to begin his essay, and the buzzer goes off before he’s done.

Sofia’s family is starting to think that a pen is glued to her hand because she always seems to be writing! She follows the same simple structure each time and when test day arrives, she quickly organizes her ideas and completes her essay within the time limit

Rule of Thumb:

Writing short sentences within a template regularly will give your brain the structure it needs to make  it easier on test day.

Bonus Points!

Try speaking about your ideas for one minute before writing them. This can help you organize your thoughts so you can put them on paper more easily. 

The Bottom Line

The Speaking and Writing categories often feel harder than Reading and Listening because you must create your own ideas and express them clearly in English, all while the clock is ticking. The good news is that these skills will improve quickly with regular practice and a simple structure, and test day will be something to celebrate!