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Speaking at a glance
This is the fun part of the test, for many reasons. You get to rest before it, you are a
little tired from previous 3 parts and therefore more relaxed. The examiners are
trained to smile
no matter what, so you feel as if you were speaking to your best
friend.
First sub-part of Speaking test is an interview, which means that the examiner asks
you
questions about yourself, your work, studies, parents, brothers/sisters, pets, etc.
This is an easy task to prepare for.
In the second sub-part of Speaking test you receive a card with 3-4 questions. After
one minute, that you have to think about something to say, you
should give a little
speech for one to two minutes, which answers those questions. In the end the
examiner might ask you a couple of additional questions.
In the third sub-part of the test you have a discussion with examiner. The
topic is
somehow related to the one from section two, but it is about more abstract ideas. You
have to express and justify an opinion.
The examiner will record your session on tape. Don't worry about it; the
tape is to test
the examiner and not you.
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Tips for the Listening Test
In general
The Listening Test is probably the one people get most scared of. To help yourself
overcome that fear, start watching TV programs in English. It is better than radio or
audio books, because you also see images that help you understand
the words you
hear.
Listening – a skill, not a gift!
From my experience, in many cases Listening is the least developed skill. So if you
feel especially weak in that area - pay attention to the following tips, that will help
you improve your Listening ability. Remember – nobody is born with it, it’s just a
skill and you learn it. If you think your Listening needs no improvements – skip the
“Teach yourself the words” part, move forward to the next tips.
