Can I improve my speaking by myself?

There are many ways of improving your speaking by yourself.

For example:

recording yourself
listen and repeat (listen to clear audio and try to repeat what they say in the same way)
talking aloud to yourself
‘shadowing’ – copying other speakers (e.g. on YouTube) and trying to mimic the pronunciation features
doing daily practice (see my challenge below)
finding a speaking partner
learning about pronunciation features

My free 30-day IELTS Speaking challenge will

help you get used to speaking for 2 minutes non-stop
give you plenty of ideas for when you do the real exam
help you notice some things about your speaking that you could improve
build your confidence and fluency
increase your vocabulary
improve your grammar

Every day you have to

speak for 1 or 2 minutes on a topic
record yourself
listen to your recording

How to do the challenge by yourself

Print off the PDF of all the questions from the 30-Day Challenge Part 1 here.
Put it somewhere visible so that you get a daily reminder.
Get an App for recording on your phone. In the Members Academy we use Flipgrid.
Cross off the days/tasks as you go through them, so that you can feel a sense of progress.
Listen to your recording and write down one mistake you made.
Ask someone to listen for you.

What to listen for

It’s not easy to listen for your own mistakes but here are a few things that are easy to spot and improve:

Repetition – how can you say something different?
Hesitation – how can you fill the gaps when you’re thinking? (Use fillers like ‘well’ ‘you know’ ‘anyway!’ ‘so’…)
Grammar – check Past Tenses, 3rd person ‘s’, plural ‘s’
Natural speech – use contractions e.g. ‘I’m’ rather than ‘I am’
Vocabulary – could you choose more interesting adjectives e.g. ‘freezing’ rather than ‘cold’?
Linking words – are you just using ‘but’ and ‘so’? Could you try ‘even though’ or ‘Anyway…’?
Pronunciation – are there any sounds you have difficulty with? (click here for more advice on how to improve your pronunciation)

Do I need to answer all the bullet points in Speaking Part 2?

Nobody cares about the bullet points in IELTS Speaking Part 2!

Least of all the examiner.

The examiner DOES NOT CARE if you use them or not.

There is NO BAND CRITERIA for TASK ACHIEVEMENT in the Speaking Test.

Need more help with Speaking?

What to expect in the IELTS Speaking Test.

Find a list of the best websites and apps to help you prepare for the Speaking test by yourself.

How to use the phonemic alphabet to improve your pronunciation for IELTS (my YouTube video).

Do you need motivation, high-quality materials, a roadmap, feedback, guidance and an IELTS specialist teacher?

Upgrade to the Members Academy today.

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