IELTS Conversation fillers

May 20, 2013 By Nestor 1 Comment

In the IELTS speaking test, you often need to think about what to say
next. But this does not mean that you cannot demonstrate your
command of English while you are thinking. When English native
speakers do not know what to say, they are not completely silent. They
use conversation fillers – words and phrases to fill the space. Here are
some examples:

Well,

So,

Let me think.

Hmm, that’s a tough one.

Umm, you know,

I’ve never really thought about that.

That’s a tricky question.

I guess …

I suppose …

IELTS Speaking: 10 Common

Mistakes to Avoid
November 29, 2011 IELTSAcademic
1. Silence
Different cultures have different attitudes to silence, but for
English speakers the attitude is one of near-zero tolerance. It’s
fine to hesitate for a few seconds before speaking or between
ideas, but silences of longer than five seconds will go down
badly. Happily, there’s a solution to this problem and that’s to
learn some filler expressions such as That’s a tough
question and Let me see.

2. Memorised answers
The examiner is very likely to notice if you try to recite an answer
from memory, and there is a penalty for this. The telltale signs of
a memorised answer include speaking in a ‘written’ style of
English, unnatural intonation, and the candidate attempting to
‘rephrase’ the question to the one they want to answer. Any
questions you try to memorise answers to are very unlikely to be
asked, so it is much more effective to practice speaking about a
wide range of topics before you take the test.

3. Overuse of transition signals

It’s helpful to use a few signposting words like first, for
example or on the other hand. But if you overload your speech
with these you could actually damage your score. Sounding
natural, not like a signposting robot, should be your goal in IELTS
Speaking. There are also many words characteristic of formal
writing such as furthermore, moreover and in addition that are
hardly ever used in speech and could actually make you sound
less natural if you say them.

4. Parrotting the question

In the wild, a parrot is a bird that can mimic but not understand
human speech. In IELTS, a parrot is a candidate who repeats the
question back in statement form: Q: What’s your favourite sport
to watch on TV? A: My favourite sport to watch on TV is football.
As the scoring criteria of IELTS heavily reward those who can
vary speech, paraphrasing the words or structure of the question
is a fast-track route to a higher score: I’m always watching
football on TV.
5. Answering the wrong question
You will lose marks for coherence if your answer completely fails
to address the question. Ask yourself before you begin speaking if
you are sure you have understood, and do not be afraid to ask the
examiner for help. But be sure to avoid…

6. Saying ‘I don’t understand’

There are much better ways to check for meaning, so learn them!
You can use a straightforward request like Could you say that
again, please? or ask a checking question such as Do you
mean…? that shows you have at least partly understood the
question.

7. Saying too much or too little

If you say too little, you miss the opportunity to show off your
ability. If you say too much, you risk sounding less coherent and
making more mistakes. As a general guide, answers of two to four
sentences are fine in Part 1. There are clear instructions about
the length of speaking time in Part 2. You should aim to say three
to six sentences after each question in Part 3.

8. Poor pronunciation
Great ideas are worthless if the listener can’t make out your
words. There’s a good reason pronunciation accounts for 25% of
the score in IELTS Speaking and that’s because it’s fundamental
to spoken communication. Before taking IELTS, you should find an
opportunity to practice with native or native-level speakers and
get an honest appraisal of your pronunciation. If they have trouble
hearing your words, it’s very likely the examiner will too.

9. Flat intonation
Even when you pronounce words clearly, flat intonation will make
it difficult to follow what you say. We vary intonation, pitch,
volume and speaking speed in order to maintain the listener’s
interest and direct attention to our important ideas. Even IELTS
examiners, who are trained to listen carefully to everything a
candidate says, will find a flatly-intoned response difficult to
follow and your response may be marked down for both
pronunciation and coherence as a result.

10. Asking for the examiner’s opinion

You are there to answer the questions, not ask them. The
examiner will politely redirect the question back your way if you
try to stall for time by saying I don’t know, what do you think? If
you really don’t have any ideas, just say I’m afraid I know nothing
about this topic and wait for the next question.