IELTS Speaking Part 2 : How to talk longer

One of the first things most IELTS candidates begin to worry about when preparing for the speaking test is how to extend their speech in part 2.

My advice:
> Use the prompts on the card
> Don’t rush!

It is very important to discuss each point as much as you can before moving on to the next. This will make your answer a lot longer than when you give short and simple answers. It will also increase your “Fluency and Coherence” score.

It is also important not to hurry. Many of my students think they ought to answer all the question on the card before their time runs out. But the examiner won’t really mind if you get to the end of the 2 minutes before addressing all the prompts. You will not lose any marks if you don’t answer a question or more.

Because some candidates or teachers might not agree with that, I’ve already written to Cambridge and asked them about this. You can find my questions and their answer here:

Conversation with Cambridge ESOL regarding IELTS Speaking Task 2

So, when you’re practicing, focus on giving more details and extending your answers to each of the questions on the card, and don’t aim for a complete answer to all the prompts. Cheers!

speaking_part2_long-answer