Lindsay McMahon
"The English Adventurer"

Do you know what the examiner is listening for?

The most common misunderstanding IELTS candidates have is that they have to sound like a British or American person on the exam in order to get a high pronunciation score.

This is not the case! In fact, you can still have an accent from your first language, as long as your English is clear and easy to understand.

What the examiner really listens for is your flexibility in different features of pronunciation. These include rhythm, intonation and stress. All three of these things are vital for scoring an 8 in pronunciation.

English is a rhythm-based language. Stress is the most important part of this. Stress is when the important words are longer and louder than the smaller, less important words.

Intonation is when your voice goes up and down, reflecting your emotion. Watch a clip of an American soap opera, and listen for their dramatic and exaggerated stress and intonation. Then, try to copy them and sound the same!

Basically, guys, you must sound relaxed and confident, and also sound interested in what you are saying.

Think of it this way: the whole Speaking exam lasts for 11 to 14 minutes. You can do anything for that long!

You simply must put some emotion in your voice, just like actresses and actors. You have to be just a little dramatic.

An interesting activity for this is creating an English character for yourself.

That is how you get an 8 for Pronunciation!

There is also an activity you can do that will not only improve your pronunciation and fluency, but also your reading skills.

In our online IELTS course, 3 Keys IELTS, we give you all the strategies you need to score highly in all parts of the IELTS Exam.

What do you think of today’s advice?

Let us know in the comments section below!

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