Mastering fluency in your IELTS speaking exam

Speaking with fluency in your IELTS exam is tricky, mainly because you are under pressure in the context of an exam, and therefore, using fillers is very tempting and easy to do.

With practice, it is possible to significantly reduce these and even remove their usage entirely. Fillers (um, ah, ahm, like) are just utterances of hesitation and we use them all the time, but for your IELTS exam- we need to learn how to un-use them.

The following strategies are excellent remedies in removing fillers:

1. Slow down
2. Take a pause instead of using a filler- this will become a learnt habit the more you practice
3. Speak with sincerity in order to be more fluent. If you think about someone who is speaking about something that is true to them, it reels off more easily, it is more digestible, it swims along- rather than someone who is too vigilant about what they are saying, too self-conscious, resulting in fragmented speech.

Watch this short video for the full lesson on mastering fluency in your IELTS speaking exam

Revision flash cards

Fluency also involves having enough vocabulary to comfortably use at any given moment. Having a range of vocabulary requires regular practice and active ways of studying. This means taking actionable steps to ensure you are learning when you engage with language, whether this is listening, reading or even watching. Read my article on how to study actively, and not passively.

Another way to develop your speaking skills is by using flash cards. Flash cards are an excellent way to pick up new language, and again, learn in an active manner. You can also develop your vocabulary with the aid of flash cards. This deck was created by myself, in a collaboration with the revision app; AnkiPro.