English Proficiency Speaking Test question type aim to gauge your ability to express yourself on a particular topic. Basically they evaluate you on your knowledge of the language, knowledge of the topic, your confidence and the time you can spend speaking on a particular topic.
Here are some top tips and strategies for you to score high in English Proficiency test speaking section.
A good command on English is compulsory
Now the problem with most English proficiency test takers is that they do not have a good command over the English language. There are many students who have ideas on a certain topic but they have a very loose command on grammar, sentence structure, punctuation or vocabulary. As a result, their answers do not make much sense when they speak or write which gives a very negative impression to the examiner.
So the first tip I would give you is to improve your knowledge of English language. If you’re not confident about your knowledge of grammar, sentence structure, punctuation and vocabulary then start learning the basics and make sure you can write and speak your sentences correctly. Do not rush for proficiency exam without having the knowledge of English because you will get a little credit for grammatically incorrect or sentence structure wise incorrect answers.
The second speaking topics preparation tip is to read and listen sample questions/ answers and speak them out loud. It is really important to speak your answers loud before the exam in order to get some practice of speaking and train your brain to speak on a topic when prompted.
Here are some useful directions to prepare for English speaking tests:
- Read sample questions and answers on the internet.
- Find sample question and answers and speak them out loud on a daily basis as a part of your preparation.
- Reading and listening to different topics will give you an insight into the questions that are asked in the test.
Make A Daily Practice Routine
Another useful advice for your speaking test is to make a daily routine with your friend or a partner. This is how you do it:
- Your friend can ask you a question and you can answer him.
- You can prepare your answers by writing the main points only and then answering the question in your own words.
This is how many institutions prepare their students for their interviews or their English proficiency tests. The teacher breaks out the students into smaller groups and they talk to each other on a given topic.
The next tip I’ll give you is to improve your general knowledge about a variety of topics. why it is important is because English Proficiency tests has a wide range of topics. It is important that you have some knowledge or information about various social, cultural, political, scientific or educational topics . If you have very limited information about such topics, then it will be hard for you to answer the questions.
For example, if you do not have a favourite book, movie or picnic spot and you haven’t ever thought about these topics; it will be hard for you to answer a related question. Having said that, you need to improve your knowledge about sports, culture, personal likes and dislikes, scientific inventions, education, technology etc.
Use Strong Vocabulary To Answer Questions
Another important thing that you are tested on in your speaking test is the use of vocabulary. You can learn vocabularyrelated to different topics. For example, you can find vocabulary related to environment, sports, seasons, internet, technology etc on google and make a word bank of your own. The use of strong vocabulary words will improve the quality of your answer and as a result you will get a really good score.
How To Find Information On Important Topics
Next, you need to note down the main points of information related to different topics that is because you won’t get the same topic that you prepared, so be ready to deal with different questions under one main topic.
For example, if the topic is culture, some questions might be like this:
“Describe some interesting cultural facts of your country.”
OR
“Compare the food culture of your country with that of another country.”
OR
“Is it advisable to make friends across cultures”
- It is advisable not to memorize your answers because you won’t be able to reproduce it in the same way.
- Just keep in mind the main points of information.
- Jot them down so that you can remember them and then reproduce them in your own words.
Keep track of your time while answering the questions
One good strategy to prepare for you speaking test is to time your answers according to the time allowed for each question in the test. So that you are able to practice just like the real test.
So when you practice speaking your answers as a part of your preparation you should take note of how much time you can speak easily on a particular topic. I would recommend that you speak for at least one minute on any of the extended speaking test topics. You do not need to speak very fast or rush through your answer. You can speak comfortably, although there should not be very long pauses in your conversation or answer.
Get More Exposure Of English Language
The last advice I would give you for your speaking test preparation is to immerse yourself in English. By which I mean that you need to expose yourself to the English language as much as you can. Listen to podcasts, news, plays, movies etc watch videos and mock or real interviews of english proficiency test candidates online. You will easily find a lot of them on YouTube.It is really helpful to watch actual interviews on the internet.