Speaking tips

This section is going to help you to prepare for speaking exams, which for many
learners are the exam that is most feared! This section will give you lots of tips and
advice so you can do as well as possible in any speaking test. Remember that
everyone gets nervous in exams, especially oral exams. So, don’t worry, our tips will
help you feel more confident in a speaking exam.

 Listening to as much English as possible will help to improve your speaking.

Listening to songs, podcasts, films, TV series or video clips will help you to feel
more confident about speaking.
 Speak as much English in class as possible. If you speak English regularly in
class, you will find it easier to speak in an exam.
 Slow down! It’s not a race. Before you speak, think carefully about what to say
and speak a little slower than normal.
 Use language you know is correct. Use words and expressions you have used
before.
 If you don’t know a word, think of another way to say it. For example, if you
know the word ‘expensive’, but can’t remember the word ‘cheap’, you could say:
It’s not expensive.
It’s a good price.
It’s not a lot of money.
 Listen to yourself while you speak and if you hear a mistake, correct it. Native
speakers make mistakes and correct them all the time.
 Look at the examiner’s or other student’s face and eyes when you speak. Do
they understand you? If not, say it again with different words.
 If you don’t understand the question or the activity, ask the examiner. Say:
‘Could you repeat that, please?’
 Always say something. Don’t just say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Explain your answer with
a reason. Say ‘Yes, I agree because....’
 If you can choose the question or topic, choose one you know something
about. It’s easier to talk about something you know.
 Speak clearly so that the examiner can hear you. If you find this difficult,
practise with a friend at home. Stand at opposite ends of a room and speak to each
other in English. Or speak to each other in English on your computers.
 What can you prepare before the exam? Ask your teacher. For example,
questions about personal information. Prepare what to say at home and practise with
a friend, in front of a mirror or record yourself on your phone or computer. 
 Speaking tips
 In some exams, there are two examiners. One who talks to you and one who
listens. Say hello and goodbye to both examiners, but during the exam, focus on the
examiner who talks to you.
 This is your opportunity to show the examiner what you know. Use your best
language and pronunciation.
 Remember that everyone feels nervous in exams. So, take some deep breaths
before the exam and try to relax.
 Finally, remember that the examiners are normal human beings, not aliens!
Communication strategies
I. When you don’t know an exact word

If you don’t know or can’t remember an exact word – don’t worry! There are lots of
things you can do to communicate without saying the exact word. These are very
useful strategies that even native speakers use.

 General words
If you can’t remember the word ‘surgeon’, you could say a more general word like
‘doctor’.

 Examples
If you don’t know the word ‘cutlery’, you could give examples such as ‘knife, fork
and spoon’.

 Relative clauses to give a description

(It’s a person who ... / thing that ... / place where ... )

If you don’t know the word ‘briefcase’, you could say ‘It’s a thing that people use to
carry papers to work’.

 Describe the purpose or function (It’s used to + infinitive / for + -ing)

If you don’t know the word ‘scissors’, you could say ‘They are used to cut paper’ or
‘They are used for cutting paper’.

This strategy works well with objects that have a clear use or function.

 Synonyms (words that mean the same)

If you don’t know the word ‘tiny’, you This strategy works well with nouns
could say ‘very small’. and adjectives.

 Antonyms (opposite words)

If you don’t know the word ‘weak’, This strategy works well with
you could say ‘not strong’. adjectives.

 Approximations (It’s a kind of ... / It’s a sort of ...)

If you don’t know the word ‘bungalow’, you could say ‘It’s a kind of house’ or ‘It’s a
sort of house’.
 II. Opinions

Here are some expressions you can use to give your opinion and ask for your
partner’s opinion. You will need to use these expressions in a discussion activity.

Giving your opinion

I think... / I don’t think ...

I believe... / I don’t believe ...
In my opinion,
For me,
Personally, I think ...

Asking for someone’s opinion

Do you agree?
What do you think?
What do you think about ... (this)?
Do you think that’s right?
What’s your view?
Are you OK with that?

III. Agreeing and disagreeing

Here are some expressions you can use to agree and disagree. You will need to use
these expressions in a discussion activity.

Agreeing

That’s right! Yes, I agree! mean!

Absolutely! I totally agree! You're right. That's a
Exactly! I couldn’t agree more! good point.
Me too! I see exactly what you

Disagreeing

I don’t agree! Absolutely not! That’s not right!

I totally disagree! I’m not sure about that.

Partly agreeing

I agree up to a point, but ... That’s partly true, but ...

I see your point, but ... I'm not so sure about that.

It is always a good idea to justify your opinions. Don’t just say ‘I agree’, but say ‘I
agree because I think that ... (explain your reason).’
Communication strategies
IV. Showing interest

It is very important to show that you are interested in what your partner is saying. Use
these expressions to show you are interested. Remember! When we are very
interested or surprised our voice is higher and louder.

Normal response

Uh-huh.
That’s interesting.
Oh, I see.
Right.

Stronger response

Really?
Wow! That’s amazing!
That’s incredible!
No way!
You’re joking!

Do you understand?

When you are speaking to someone it is important that you understand each other. If
you don’t understand something, ask your partner to explain what they mean. If they
don’t understand you, explain what you mean. Use these expressions to help you.

When you don’t understand

I don’t understand.
Could you repeat that?
Could you say that again?
What do you mean, exactly?
I’m not sure what you mean.
Can you explain that?

Explain what you mean

What I mean is ...

In other words ...
 V. Suggestions

In some speaking activities you have to make suggestions and/or respond to

suggestions. Use these expressions to help you.

Making suggestions

Why don’t we ... (+ verb without ‘to’) ?

Shall we ... (+ verb without ‘to’) ?
Would you like to ... (+ verb) ?
Let’s ... (+ verb without ‘to’)
What about ... (+ -ing) ?
How about ... (+ -ing) ?

Responding to suggestions

Yes, OK.
That’s a good idea.
That sounds great!
No, I don’t think so.
I’m not sure about that.
I’d prefer to ... (+ verb).

VI. Taking turns

In an exam you have to take turns with your partner because you both need to talk.
Make sure you speak for long enough and that your turn isn’t too short. Use these
expressions to help you.

Take turns

You start. Shall I go first?

I’ll go first. Do you want to begin?

Make your turn longer by giving examples

What I mean is ... For example ...

So, in other words ... Such as ...

Avoid silence and get time to think

So ... Well ...

Erm ... Let me think ...

In English-speaking cultures we avoid long silences or pauses. We look at the other

person and show that we are listening to their turn. We also indicate when we want to
speak and use expressions to keep our turn.
 Communication strategies
VII. Speak without words! (non-verbal language)

Remember that your gestures and body language can help you communicate. These
tips will help you to get your message across, without any words at all.

 Mime what you want to say.

 Nod your head to show that you understand.
 Remember! In English-speaking cultures it is polite to look at the person you
are speaking to in the eye. It is not rude.
 Look confused when you don’t understand. This tells the person you are
speaking to that you would like an explanation.
 Accuracy and Fluency
I. Accuracy

Speaking with a high level of accuracy means making very few mistakes. This is
easier said than done. So, what can you do to improve your level of accuracy when
you speak English?

 Even native speakers make mistakes when they speak in their own language,
but they are always listening to themselves and correct themselves. Here are some
tips to help you speak correctly.
 Don’t worry about making mistakes, it’s normal, but ...
 Listen to your English when you speak and if you notice a mistake, correct it.
If you don’t notice any mistakes, don’t worry.
 Make a ‘my typical mistakes’ page in your notebook. Write down mistakes
you often make and when you speak, listen out for those mistakes. If you always say
‘I must to go’, then write it down next to the correct version ‘I must go’ and listen out
for this mistake when you speak.
 Use grammar you know. If you use new grammar you don’t know for the first
time in an exam, you will make more mistakes and find it more difficult to correct
yourself.
 Use words you know. Revise the vocabulary you learn in class and try to use
new words again to help you remember them. If you don’t know an exact word, use a
different word that you know.
 Record yourself speaking and listen to yourself. Correct your mistakes and
remember the good language to use again.
 Take your time and think when you speak! If you speak too fast and don’t
think about your language, you will make mistakes. However, don’t speak too slowly
– you don’t want to sound like a robot.
 Accuracy and Fluency
II. Fluency

Fluency in a language means speaking easily, reasonably quickly and without having
to stop and pause a lot. Becoming fluent in a language can take many years, but here
are some tips to help you sound as natural as possible in speaking exams.

 Good speakers communicate and get their message across smoothly, even
though they may make mistakes. Communication is the most important part of
speaking and it is important to communicate your ideas as naturally as possible. Here
are some tips to help you speak more fluently.
 Use every opportunity in class to speak English. Speak to your classmates and
your teacher in English. The more English you speak, the easier you will find
speaking.
 Be confident about speaking in English. You do know a lot of English – use
your English and show the examiner what you know!
 Be very clear about the message you want to communicate. That is your goal.
 Don’t worry about making mistakes. The important thing is to communicate
what you want to say.
 Practise at home with a speaking game. ‘Speak for one minute without
stopping about ...’ Choose a topic, e.g. video games, and talk in English for one
minute about video games without stopping.
 Use little expressions like ‘Er’ or ‘Erm’ to fill the gaps while you are thinking
about what to say.
 Use communication strategies to make your English sound more natural.
Typical speaking tasks
I. Talk about yourself

This is a very common task at the beginning of a speaking exam. It is something you
can prepare at home and practise. If you know what to say, you will feel more relaxed
and confident at the start of the exam

Here are our top tips for talking about yourself in an exam.

Do:
 Think about the types of topics and questions you may be asked before the
exam. School, family, free time, daily routines and future plans are common
topics.
 Practise answering simple questions about yourself. Work with a friend to
practise or record yourself and listen to the recording.
 Listen carefully to the questions. If you don’t understand the question, ask your
teacher to repeat it.
 Give complete answers in full sentences.
 Look at the examiner. His/her face may tell you when you’ve said enough and
he/she is ready for the next question.
Don’t:
 Memorise your answers. It’s good to have ideas ready, but it’s better not to
memorise long replies to typical questions.
 Just reply with ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
 Panic if you are asked an unexpected question. Take a few seconds to think
before you answer it.
Here are some examples of things you can say about yourself:
My name’s ... I’m ... years old.
I’m from ... / I live in ... I go to ... school.
I was born in ... I like ... because ...

I don’t like ... because ...

In my free time / After school, I ...
My best friends are ... because ...
My favourite (school subject, actor, pop group, sport) is ... because ...
I have ... brothers and sisters.
In the future, I’d like to ... because ...
 II. Describe a photo or picture

In some speaking exams you have to talk about photos or pictures. The video and
tips below will help you to do really well in this type of speaking exam.

Here are our top tips for describing a photo or a picture in an exam.

Do:

 Look at your picture carefully and take a few moments to think before you start
talking.
 Talk for all the time you are given. If you have one minute to do the task, use
every second.
 Practise the useful language below so you can explain which part of the picture
you are talking about.

Don’t:

 Panic if you don’t know the words for all the things in the picture.
You don’t need to know all the words for everything in the picture if you know what
to say when you don't know an exact word.  
 Get distracted and start talking about something else. Focus on the photo or
picture.
 Panic if your mind goes blank. Take a deep breath, look at the picture and start
again.

If you are asked to describe a photo or a picture in the exam, here is some language
you can use:

What is in the picture?

In the picture I can see ...

There’s / There are ...
There isn’t a ... / There aren’t any ...

Say what is happening with the present continuous

The man is ...ing

The people are ...ing
It’s raining.
 Where in the picture?

At the top/bottom of the picture ...

In the middle of the picture ...
On the left/right of the picture ...

next to behind on top of

in front of near under

If something isn’t clear

It looks like a ... He could be ...ing

It might be a ... Maybe it’s a ...

III. Discussion

In speaking exams you may be asked to discuss a topic and give your opinion.
Watching other students doing this sort of task will help you learn how to do it
too. So, watch the video first and then read the tips below to make sure you get top
marks in your next speaking exam!

Here are our top tips for discussions.

Do:

 Think about your opinion before the discussion starts.

 Say what you really think about the topic and explain why you think that.
 Listen to what your partner says and say if you agree or disagree.
 Make sure you know the language for agreeing and disagreeing. 
 Be polite if you disagree.
 Ask your partner what he/she thinks.
 Use every second you are given to do the task.
 Finish the discussion by summarising what you have spoken about.

Don’t:

 Only give your own opinion but also respond to your partner.
 Worry if you don't agree with your partner. That's fine!
 Talk about things that are not relevant to the topic.
 Let the discussion stop. Keep it going! 

There are many suggestions of language you can use in discussions to agree and
disagree in the section called Communication strategies.

Example discussion topics

You will probably be given a topic that has pros and cons, or advantages and
disadvantages. Here are some example topics:    

 The internet is the best way to do your shopping.

 Young people under 15 shouldn’t use mobile phones.
 All young people should stay at school until they are 18.
 There shouldn’t be any advertising on TV during children’s programmes.
 Famous celebrities shouldn’t complain if the paparazzi take photos of them
every day.
 It is the children’s responsibility to look after their parents when they get old.
 Dogs should be banned from cities.

IV. Information gap activity

Information gap activities can be difficult, but we have lots of tips to help you get
top marks in this type of speaking exam. Watch the video first and then read the
tips below.

If you have a speaking exam with another student, you may be asked to do an
information gap activity. This means you look at some information and your partner
looks at different information and then you talk and exchange the information.

Here are our top tips for information gap activities.

Do:

     Listen carefully to the instructions.

     Ask your teacher to repeat if you don’t understand exactly what you have to
do.
     Look at your partner and check that he/she understands you when you speak.
     Be ready to repeat or explain things if he/she doesn’t understand you.
     Listen to your partner’s answers carefully and show interest in what your
partner says.
     Take turns with your partner.

Don’t:

     Talk a lot more than your partner.

     Ignore what your partner says.
     Worry if you and your partner have different levels of English. 
     Look at your partner’s worksheet and copy the answers!

Examples of information gap activities

Example 1: information exchange

Student A: Look at the information about films at the local cinema. Listen to your
partner’s questions and use the information to answer them.
Student B: Look at the information about films at the local cinema and ask your
partner questions to find out more about the films.

Example 2: picture difference

Students A and B: Look at your picture. Describe it to your partner. Listen to your
partner talking about his/her picture. Find five differences between the pictures.

Example 3: role play

Look at the information on your role card and talk to your partner. Find a solution to
the problem.
Student A: You are a guest staying at a hotel. The hotel website says it is a luxury
hotel, but in your room the sheets and towels are dirty, the bathroom is too small, the
street outside is very noisy and ... (you decide two more problems). You want to
change to a better room and you want a discount. Talk to the receptionist and solve
the problem.
Student B: You are a hotel receptionist. There is a guest staying at the hotel who
complains about everything, even when there isn’t a problem. You can move a guest
to a different room, but you can’t change the price of a room. Talk to the guest and
solve the problem.
 V. Tell a story or personal anecdote

In some speaking exams you may have to tell a story that you make up or a true
story about something that happened to you. This is sometimes called a personal
anecdote.

Here are our top tips for telling a good story or anecdote.

Do:

 Take time to think about the question and the story before you start talking. 
 Use narrative tenses – past simple, past continuous and past perfect.
 Use adjectives and adverbs to make the story interesting.
 Use sequencing words: first of all, then, after that, later on, finally, in the
end ...
 Give your story an introduction. Say briefly what your story is about.
 Give the background to your story. Say when and where it took place and what
you were doing at that time.
 Say what happened step by step. Use words like so, because and although to
connect the actions until you reach the end of the story.
 Keep the action moving!
 Finish your story or anecdote by saying why it is important to you or why you
remember it.
 Look at your listeners.

Don’t:

 Take too long telling the story or your listeners will get bored.
 Use a flat or bored voice.
 Look down or look around the room.
 Examples of storytelling tasks

 Tell me about a holiday you had.  Tell me about a birthday you

remember.
 Tell me about a difficult journey
you had.  Tell me about a time when you
lost something important.
 Tell me about a perfect day
you’ve had.  Tell me about a time when you
gave someone a surprise.
 Tell me about a special event in
your life.
This sheet is to help you plan and structure your anecdote. Write short notes in the boxes. Don’t
write full sentences. Remember that you should practise telling your anecdote without looking at
your notes.
 VI. Oral presentation

Giving an oral presentation as part of a speaking exam can be quite scary, but
we're here to help you. Watch two students giving presentations and then read
the tips carefully. Which tips do they follow? Which ones don’t they follow?

It’s not easy to give a good oral presentation but these tips will help you. Here are our
top tips for oral presentations.

Do:

 Use the planning time to prepare what you’re going to say. 

 If you are allowed to have a note card, write short notes in point form.
 Use more formal language.
 Use short, simple sentences to express your ideas clearly.
 Pause from time to time and don’t speak too quickly. This allows the listener to
understand your ideas. Include a short pause after each idea.
 Speak clearly and at the right volume.
 Have your notes ready in case you forget anything.
 Practise your presentation. If possible record yourself and listen to your
presentation. If you can’t record yourself, ask a friend to listen to you. Does your
friend understand you?
 Make your opinions very clear. Use expressions to give your opinion.
 Look at the people who are listening to you.

Don’t:

 Write out the whole presentation and learn every word by heart. 
 Write out the whole presentation and read it aloud.
 Use very informal language.
 Only look at your note card. It’s important to look up at your listeners when
you are speaking.
 Useful language for presentations

Explain what your presentation is about at the beginning:

I’m going to talk about ...

I’d like to talk about ...
The main focus of this presentation is ...

Use these expressions to order your ideas:

First of all, ... Secondly, ... Lastly, ...

Firstly, ... Next, ... To sum up, ...
Then, ... Finally, ... In conclusion, ...

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

In addition, ... Also, ...

What’s more, ... Added to this, ...

To introduce the opposite point of view you can use these words and
expressions:

However, ...
On the other hand, ...
Then again, ...

Example presentation topics

 Violent computer
games should be banned.
 The sale of
cigarettes should be
made illegal.
 Homework should
be limited to just two
nights a week.
 Should school
students be required to
wear a school uniform?
 How to become
the most popular teen in
school.
 Dogs should be
banned from cities.