Speaking

In any speaking exam, your main enemy is not your grammar or vocabulary problems. It's not even your fluency or pronunciation. All these things are important and the examiner is marking you on them but, the biggest problem you face is overcoming nerves.

It's easy to say "relax" but, for Cambridge exams in particular, what many students don't realize is that the speaking exam is actually one of the easiest to pass. So what else can you do?

TIPS FOR SPEAKING

You will do the Speaking test with a partner, and there will be two examiners. One is the interlocutor, who will ask you questions and give you a global mark. The other is the assessor, who will just listen and give you marks by using the assessment criteria. 

• If there is an odd number of candidates, the last group may be a group of three (not two). In this case, the test will last for 17 minutes instead of 12 minutes for two candidates. 

• Listen to what the interlocutor says and to what your partner says. • Respond to what your partner says. Be prepared to ask them questions to start the discussion.

 • Don’t worry if you think your partner is better at speaking English than you, or is not as good as you, or has a different personality. The examiners mark you individually. 

• Try to answer the interlocutor’s questions with more than just one word.

 • Always make the best use of the time you have to show your language skills, but don’t interrupt your partner. It’s important to let them finish.

 • Speak clearly, so that both examiners can hear you. 

• Ask the interlocutor to repeat the instructions, or a question, if you have not understood. 

• Always try to answer the questions. The examiners can’t mark you if you don’t say anything. 

• Don’t worry if you think you’ve made a mistake. The important thing is that you communicate with your partner and with the interlocutor.

 • Don’t worry if the examiner stops you. It is important that the tests are not too long.

 • Try to relax and enjoy the test. Remember that the examiners want you to do your best

Tricks to help you feel confident

While you're waiting to go in, speak English to the people waiting with you.

That way you're not going in "cold" – suddenly having to switch from your own language to English. 

Think of it like doing warm up stretches before going for a run

Forget about grammar and vocabulary today

.Concentrate on answering the questions, listening to the instructions and your partner (for tasks where you have to interact with another student).If you've been studying for the exam for months beforehand, you know all the grammar and vocabulary you're going to know.

So, there's no point worrying about that on the day of the exam!

If you make a mistake, correct it and move on.

Don't let it interfere with your fluency. You get marked down for hesitation and long pauses. But, correcting your mistakes, or even, asking the examiner or the other candidate to repeat or clarify something can gain you marks. It's called a 'repair strategy' and it's a sign of good communication skills.

Tricks for success in the exam

• Be interesting! Remember the examiner has been going through the same routine all day and he or she is bored. There are standard questions at the beginning of the exam about where you live, your free time and school subjects, for example. The examiner has probably heard the same answers all morning. If you're taking the exam in your own country, this is especially true as most candidates live in the same city. Before the exam, think of some interesting fact about the place you live, or a hobby you have that is a bit different, or give an opinion about your school subject. Just one or two sentences are enough to get the exam off to a good start.
• Interact with the other candidate. Not everyone can get top marks for grammar, vocabulary or pronunciation, but there's no reason not to get a 5 for 'interactive communication'. This mark is for initiating conversation, responding to what your partner has said, and trying to move the discussion towards an outcome.Acknowledge something the other candidate has said and develop it – just like a conversation in the real world. Try to avoid just giving stock phrases like "I agree with you" and then moving onto a different topic. Say why you agree (or disagree) and discuss the point. For example 'That's what I think too because…'. You can ask the other candidate why they have that opinion too.
• Be yourself! It's OK to make jokes or use humour. Just because it's an exam doesn't mean everything you say has to be super serious. If your personality comes across, then it means the examiner is more likely to think of you as someone who expresses themselves well in English.
  So, take a deep breath and remember – in under twenty minutes, it's all going to be over!

HOW TO ORGANIZE MY SPEECH GREETING Hello everyone, my name is…OPENING Did you know that…?                              Have you heard that…?State your topic:  Today I’m going to talk about…

The focus of my talk today is on…

I’m going to talk about ...

I’d like to talk about ...

Why this topic is important:

_____________ is really important because…

ORDER YOUR IDEAS

First of all, ...

Firstly, ...

Then, ...

Secondly, ...

Next, ...

Finally, ...

Lastly, ...

To sum up, ...

In conclusion, ...

Use these expressions to add more ideas from the same point of view:

In addition, ...

What’s more, ...

Also, ...

Added to this, ...To introduce the opposite point of view you can use these words and expressions:

However, ...

On the other hand, ...