The three parts of the Speaking test
The test is a face-to-face conversation with an examiner, lasting 11 to 14 minutes.
- Part 1 (4–5 minutes): questions about familiar topics such as your home town, studies, work, food or weekends. Aim for answers of two to four sentences.
- Part 2 (3–4 minutes): you get a cue card, one minute to prepare, and then speak for up to two minutes on the topic.
- Part 3 (4–5 minutes): a discussion of wider, more abstract questions linked to the Part 2 topic.
You are marked on four criteria: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation.
Fluency versus accuracy
Many students try so hard to avoid grammar mistakes that they speak slowly, stop often, and correct themselves mid-sentence. That lowers Fluency and Coherence, which is a quarter of your band.
A better balance:
- Keep talking. A small slip that you do not stop for is better than a long pause.
- Use natural fillers sparingly ("Well, I'd say...", "That's an interesting one...") rather than silence or repeated "umm".
- Develop answers with a reason and an example instead of trying to sound impressive with rare words.
Accuracy improves with practice; fluency improves when you stop being afraid of the examiner.
Pronunciation tips for Tulu, Konkani and Kannada speakers
Pronunciation is not about sounding British or American. It is about being easy to understand. Speakers from coastal Karnataka are usually very clear, but a few habits are worth working on:
- V and W: many speakers use one sound for both, so "west" and "vest" sound alike. Practise rounding your lips for W ("we, wine, world") and touching your top teeth to your lower lip for V ("very, voice, travel").
- TH sounds: "think" and "this" often become "tink" and "dis". Put the tip of your tongue lightly between your teeth and practise pairs like "three / tree".
- Final vowels: because Tulu, Kannada and Konkani words often end in a vowel, an extra sound can creep onto English words ("ask-u", "fact-u"). Record yourself and listen for it.
- Word stress: English stresses one syllable strongly: PHOtograph, phoTOgraphy, photoGRAPHic. Wrong stress can make a word hard to recognise even when every sound is right.
- Intonation: a flat, even rhythm can make you sound unsure. Let your voice rise and fall to show interest, contrast and the end of an idea.
Practising when you have no partner
Hostel roommates have their own exams and family members may not want to discuss urban planning at dinner. You can still practise properly alone.
- Choose a prompt from the 186 Speaking prompts on IELTS Learning, covering Parts 1, 2 and 3.
- For Part 2, use the cue-card timer: a real one-minute preparation, then two minutes to speak. The timer trains you to fill the full time without rushing.
- Speak your answer and let the platform transcribe it.
- Read the AI feedback on your transcript: repeated words, very short answers, grammar slips and missing development all show up.
- Answer the same question again, using the feedback.
The transcript is especially useful because you can see your own speech, including fillers and repeated phrases, in a way that is hard to notice while talking.
Topics that suit Mangaluru students
Part 1 and Part 2 often ask about places, food, festivals, weather and people. You have a lot to say: the beaches at Panambur and Tannirbhavi, the monsoon, Kambala, Yakshagana, the Dasara celebrations, fish curry and neer dosa, or a relative who works in the Gulf. Practise describing these in English with detail and feeling. It is much easier to be fluent about something you know well.
When to book a teacher session
AI feedback helps you practise often, but Speaking is a human conversation. A 1-to-1 online session with an IELTS teacher (about 20 minutes, from ₹299) lets you:
- experience a full Part 1 to Part 3 interview with follow-up questions;
- get a human view of your pronunciation and intonation;
- practise staying calm when you do not understand a question.
Many students book one session early to find their weak points and one or two close to the exam.
Start practising today
IELTS Speaking practice in Mangaluru can start this evening. Try the Speaking section in the free sample mock test, and learn five new words a day with Daily Vocabulary to use in your answers. When you are ready for every prompt and mock, register for Full Access at ₹999 for 2 months.