Most people don't know that there are videos of IELTS speaking tests on the official website ielts.org. The site also shows you the official score that each candidate was given.
Here's a quick guide to finding the videos:
I've been using three of these videos in the speaking band descriptors lessons on my member site.
We've been analysing the speaking performances of Tina (band 5), Alexandra (band 7) and Khush (band 8). All three candidates could improve their speaking scores if they followed some simple advice!
I took the exam a couple weeks ago and here it is:
Listening - 8.5
Reading - 8.5
Writing - 7.5
Speaking - 7.5
Overall - 8
Here is an interesting fact (about my experience/performance):
I spent about 35 mins on task 1 and the remaining 25 on writing the task 2 essay. I got nervous and got down to writing the report right away without first taking some time to read and understand the question, analyse the data. So halfway through the report i got confused over the export figures for 3 types of vehicles, which were given both in numbers of sales of each type of vehicle and in percentages of total sales that each individual type of vehicle accounted for in three separate years. So over the years, the sales figure for one type of vehicle rises, whereas the vehicle's share of total sales (the percentage) decreases. So i got tricked here and made a mistake. And it cost me some time to try to correct this. (And i don't think i was able to correct it)
Anyways, my scores are great, and i have learned so much from this blog.
Thank you very much
Posted by: shokhrukh | January 24, 2020 at 20:00
@shohkrukh
Congrats!
And may I quote you: Oh my god! Absolutely true! That's (the relationship between pronunciation and listening) what I've been thinking about lately. My listening has improved a lot as I started pronouncing words (and a group of words combined) the way native speakers do.
Posted by: Kata | January 25, 2020 at 01:26
Thank you so much sir for letting us know where these IELTS official speaking videos are.It is very difficult to reach there without knowing these.
Posted by: Pachu | January 25, 2020 at 01:37
Thanks Kata!
Yeah, i think speaking the right way improves your listening, and now i think maybe writing improves your reading, too. Because i think writing develops your ability to see things from the perspective of a writer, which i think is important when you are given a piece of writing and asked to understand the message that the writer is trying to communicate. You can understand the choices that the writer is making and follow through. It's like how superior Rachmaninoff's interpretation of Chopin is and how high your chances to solve a certain mathematical problem are if you are trained or has an experience as a problem creator.
Anyways, just my thoughts.
Posted by: shokhrukh | January 25, 2020 at 09:04
Here's an excerpt from wikipedia:
"One advantage Rachmaninoff had in this building process over most of his contemporaries was in approaching the pieces he played from the perspective of a composer rather than that of an interpreter. He believed "interpretation demands something of the creative instinct. If you are a composer, you have an affinity with other composers. You can make contact with their imaginations, knowing something of their problems and their ideals. You can give their works color. That is the most important thing for me in my interpretations, color. So you make music live. Without color it is dead."
Posted by: shokhrukh | January 25, 2020 at 09:08
FROM SIMON:
Congratulations shokhrukh. I've seen many of your comments below my lessons, so I know that you've worked hard for those scores! I'm really happy that my lessons helped.
Best of luck with the next step in your career!
PS. I like the Rachmaninoff story :)
Posted by: Simon | January 27, 2020 at 14:22
Thanks Simon
Posted by: shokhrukh | January 31, 2020 at 14:28
Hi Simon,
Recently I saw a book that mentioned we should use complex sentences with linking verbs as we can as rather than use simple sentences in speaking part 1. The author says that he has been an examiner in China for 5 years. I believe in you and please if it is possible tell to learners why he is wrong.
thank you sir
Posted by: Mr.Free | February 03, 2020 at 05:32
Hi Mr. Free,
He isn't wrong. My argument is that 'complex sentences' are easy, and most people (even English learners) make them without thinking. For example, a sentence with the word 'because' or 'although' will be a complex sentence.
Don't go into the speaking test worring about complex sentences. Instead, focus on answering the questions well.
Teachers are making their students worry too much about 'complex' grammar, and this has a negative effect on fluency, coherence, ideas, answering the question etc. This is the point that I'm making!
Posted by: Simon | February 05, 2020 at 13:48
Your instructions really motivate me to follow your friendly use blog everyday.
Thanks for valuable tips Mr.Simon
Posted by: Mr.Free | February 06, 2020 at 05:37