During the speaking portion of your CELPIP exam, you may feel overwhelmed or nervous because you want to do a good job but you don’t really know what to expect. The goal of this blog is to hopefully better prepare you for what to expect during the speaking part of your CELPIP exam so you can pass it with confidence!
Before we get further into the essential do’s and don’ts of your speaking part of the test, let’s go over what to do with your voice in general. You should speak at a “normal” level, meaning you shouldn’t speak too quietly or too loudly. If your natural voice is louder than others, try to speak more softly so the rater can better understand what you are saying. If you have a natural voice that is quiet, speak a little be stronger so the rater can clearly hear what you are saying.
With that out of the way, let’s go through some of the important do’s and don’ts for your upcoming CELPIP exam.
Tone and Accent
If you are worried that your accent will be a barrier for you during your exam, don’t be! Your tester will know you have an accent and they won’t take away any points from you for having one. You just have to articulate your words as clear as you can. All they are expecting from you is to speak understandable English.
In terms of the tone, use inflections properly. For example, if you are asking a question, use a higher inflection at the end of your sentence to indicate that a question was just asked. Also use proper inflections for exclamations, disagreements, refusals, etc. Try to avoid using a monotone voice to convey your messages.
Pretend like the tester is a friend you talk to every day to take away some of the stress you might be feeling. Articulate your message as clear as you can so they know exactly what you are saying and speak with confidence!
Use Vocabulary You are Comfortable with
What you should try to do is use adverbs, action verbs, adjectives, and prepositions properly so you can show the tester that you have a good grasp on the English language and can use different techniques in various situations.
What you should try to avoid is using bigger and fancy words to try to impress your tester. Speak with natural words that you would use. If you use a word you don’t know the meaning of, the tester could stop you to define the word you just used.
You should also be confident when you speak. If you make a mistake, don’t stress over it. You will be able to correct yourself if you are aware of any mistakes you make during the exam.
Manage Your Time Properly
You will have 10 seconds before each prompt so use that time to collect your thoughts and relax. When the timer is going down during your exam, don’t let it rush you. Say all the sentences that you can in a clear and concise tone and in a normal speaking volume. After you get through the first prompt with confidence, the rest of the test should be very easy to complete!
All credit goes to YAZ Education Center
