📌 Mastering English Tests — Series 3
🎤 Speaking Skills: The Ultimate Guide to Scoring High
By Prof. Dr. Arshad Afzal
Retired Faculty Member, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, KSA
Website: themindscope.net
🌟 Introduction
Among the four language skills—Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking—Speaking is the most feared and misunderstood. Many English learners can read fluently and write beautifully, yet struggle to express themselves confidently in front of a human examiner—or even a microphone.
This fear is natural. Speaking is performance-based, meaning:
- You are judged instantly
- Your errors are visible immediately
- You cannot hide behind a dictionary, spell-check, or long reflection time
But here is the secret:
Speaking is not about perfect grammar. It is about communication, clarity, confidence, and coherence.
This article is your complete handbook to mastering speaking tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, DUOLINGO, PTE, Cambridge English, and university interviews. With the techniques below, you will transform from a hesitant speaker into a confident communicator.
🎯 What Examiners Actually Assess
Every major English test evaluates the following core criteria:
| Skill | What They Expect |
|---|---|
| Fluency & Coherence | Smooth speech + clear logical ideas |
| Pronunciation | Understandable speech + natural intonation |
| Lexical Resource | Rich vocabulary + topic-specific words |
| Grammar Accuracy & Range | Mix of tenses + complex sentence structures |
📌 Key Insight: You do not need a “native-like accent.” You only need to be clear and confident.
💡 The Psychology of Speaking Success
Students often ask:
“Sir, how can I speak confidently without fear?”
Confidence comes from predictability. Speaking tests follow patterns. When you know how to structure answers, your mind stays calm.
These three golden frameworks will save you in any situation:
🔹 Framework 1: The 3-Step Answer
Useful for direct, simple questions:
1️⃣ Start with a clear answer
2️⃣ Explain one reason
3️⃣ Example from real life
Q: Do you enjoy traveling?
A: Yes, absolutely! I love visiting new cities. It allows me to explore different cultures. For example, last year I visited Turkey and enjoyed learning about its history.
🔹 Framework 2: PEEL
Perfect for opinion questions:
| P | Point – your opinion | | E | Explain why | | E | Example or experience | | L | Link back to question |
Q: Should schools teach financial education?
P: Yes, they definitely should.
E: Young people need to learn managing money early.
E: For instance, students who understand savings avoid debt later.
L: So teaching finance is essential for a responsible society.
🔹 Framework 3: Storytelling
For personal, past experiences. Use:
- Past tense
- Transition words: first, then, finally, after that
Q: Tell me about a celebration in your family.
A: First, we decorated the house… then everyone arrived… finally we enjoyed a big dinner together.
📌 Stories = Human Connection = Higher Score
🧠 Vocabulary Strategy for Speaking
Examiners love precision.
Instead of:
➡️ I was very happy
Try:
✔️ I was delighted / thrilled / over the moon
Instead of:
➡️ a lot of
Try:
✔️ numerous / countless / a great deal of
Instead of:
➡️ people are different
Try:
✔️ individuals vary in their preferences and priorities
🔥 Power adjectives for Part 2 long answers:
- fascinating, memorable, relaxing, unforgettable, breathtaking, challenging
🔥 Discourse markers to organize your speech:
- Actually, to be honest, fortunately, unfortunately, from my perspective, as far as I remember, speaking of that…
🔥 Complex connectors:
- although, whereas, nevertheless, consequently, in contrast, on the other hand
Using high-level connectors instantly raises your score to Band 7+
🎙️ Pronunciation & Intonation Tips
You don’t need a British or American accent.
BUT… you must sound clear and expressive.
✔ Pause after each idea
Instead of:
I live in Lahoreitsabigcitywithlotsoftraffic
Speak in thought-groups:
I live in Lahore. / It’s a big city. / There is a lot of traffic…
✔ Stress meaning words
“I’d really like to visit Japan next year.”
✔ Sound alive — avoid flat tone
Use rising ↗ and falling ↘ intonation:
“It was amazing! ↗”
“But unfortunately… ↘ it rained.”
🎧 Practice with:
- BBC Learning English
- VOA Learning English
- TED Talks
🏆 How to Score High in Speaking Part 1
These are easy warm-up questions: about your life.
Strategy:
- Keep answers short but developed
- Use 1–2 extra sentences always
❌ Wrong:
“Yes.” OR “No.”
✔ Right:
“Yes, because… + example”
5 Common Topics:
- Home
- Studies / Work
- Hobbies
- Travel
- Technology
Sample Question Bank included below.
🎤 Speaking Part 2 — The Cue Card
You must speak for 1–2 minutes nonstop.
🧩 Winning Structure: BEGIN–BODY–END
BEGIN → Introduce topic quickly
BODY → Describe: what, where, when, who, why
END → Conclude with feelings or future plans
Example cue card:
Describe a book you enjoyed
Quick Outline:
- Title + author
- What it is about
- Why it interested you
- How you felt
- How it changed you
Speak in a story style, not bullet style.
🧩 Speaking Part 3 — Discussion
This is opinion + analysis.
Examiner expects:
- Abstract thinking
- Social reasoning
- Future predictions
- Complex grammar
Sample:
“How has technology affected relationships?”
✔ Good Answer:
- It has improved connectivity
- But reduced face-to-face interactions
- Future may need digital-life balance
Use:
- Second conditional (If + would)
- Contrast structures (although, whereas)
🛠 Practice Drills (Daily Routine)
| Time | Exercise |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Read aloud newspaper paragraph |
| 5 min | Speak on one question from Part 1 |
| 7 min | Record a cue card response |
| 3 min | Listen to your recording & correct errors |
💡 Recording yourself is the fastest path to improvement.
🔐 Advanced Tips for Band 8–9
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Short answers | Extended detail |
| Basic grammar only | Mix of tenses |
| Common vocabulary | Topic-specific vocabulary |
| Monotone | Expressive voice |
| Memorized answers | Natural & spontaneous |
📌 Avoid sounding like you memorized a script.
Examiners detect that immediately.
🧭 Sample Question Bank (50+ Questions)
Part 1 — (Personal)
- Do you like your hometown? Why?
- What kind of music do you prefer?
- Do you enjoy learning new languages?
Part 2 — (Cue Cards)
- Describe a person who inspires you
- Describe a technology you often use
- Describe a memorable journey
Part 3 — (Analytical)
- Do young people read less nowadays? Why?
- How do movies influence our culture?
- Should governments invest more in public parks?
🌍 Speaking for Real-Life Contexts
Even outside tests:
- Speaking skill builds career success
- Improves networking
- Enhances leadership
- Reflects personality power
When you speak well, people listen.
When people listen, opportunities open.
🧩 Conclusion
Speaking confidently is a learnable skill, not a talent.
With structure, practice, and feedback, you will grow rapidly.
Remember:
✔ Speak daily
✔ Use good vocabulary
✔ Tell stories
✔ Be natural
You deserve to speak English with pride.
Your voice is your identity — let it shine.
⭐ ’’Mastering English Tests—Series 3’’ completed!
Next: Series 4 — Listening (coming soon!)
For full lessons, templates, and live practice:
📌 Website: themindscope.net
— Prof. Dr. Arshad Afzal
Ret. Faculty Member, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, KSA
