Your biggest IELTS worry will be solved today!
Do you worry that your mind will go blank on the IELTS Speaking test?
Are you afraid that the examiner will ask you a question and you will have no idea what to say?
Are you concerned that this will bring down your speaking score and your overall IELTS score?
Don’t let this happen to you!
Don’t worry!
We are here to help.
Today we’ll show you the best technique for what to do if your mind goes blank and how to use this technique to get your 7 or higher on the IELTS.
**Click the audio player above to meet Lindsay and Jessica and to listen to this episode!
Get the 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS!
Are you confused about where to start and how to prepare?
Get our 7 step checklist and make it easy!
Click here to get it now
Why does your mind go blank?
You are nervous.
You are anxious.
You are analyzing your answers while you are speaking then you hit a wall and you can’t be spontaneous.
You can no longer be confident.
Here is the strategy to use when your mind goes blank:
The problem is that you don’t know which direction to go in to think of ideas.
Instead of getting stuck there you should go straight to your personal examples.
Talk about yourself.
Tell your story and how it relates to the question.
If you practice this enough and get good at this strategy it will definitely help increase your score on the test.
Steps to use this strategy:
- Step 1: You feel your mind start to go blank in IELTS Speaking Part 3.
- Step 2: Go straight to a personal story or something that has happened in your life. Tell what happened in your life, give your point of view, and add details. You can also add idioms, expressions, and interesting vocabulary here. It’s OK if you start by stumbling as long as you go straight into your personal experience quickly.
If this happens to you then you need one direction to go into right away.
Start immediately talking about yourself with personal examples so that you don’t waste any time.
Go straight to your own life examples.
It’s easy to talk about yourself and it will increase your fluency instantly for a 7 or higher on Speaking. “
-Jessica Beck, IELTS Professional at All Ears English
Example #1:
Question: Why do we need role models?
Answer: “In my personal experience we need role models because there are so many times when we don’t know which direction to take.
Personally, my dad is a great role model because he is also an entrepreneur and he has spent his life building up a successful business.
His example has helped me take my own direction in life. That’s the reason I think it’s important to have good role models.”
Key phrases from this example:
- “In my personal experience…”
- “Personally,…”
Example #2:
Question: How have shopping habits changed over recent years?
Answer: “Oh that’s a good question. Wow. Well, if I use myself as an example, I used to do all of my shopping in traditional stores.
I guess that’s true for most people in the world but these days I have bought an Amazon Prime membership and that’s a huge motivation for me to save time.
I spend two minutes, go on Amazon, buy something awesome, and it’s shipped to my house two days later so I’d say that’s how shopping habits have changed.”
Key phrases in this example:
- “If I use myself as an example…”
- “I used to…”
Example #3
Question: In your country why do people watch so much television?
Answer: “Oh that’s a good question. Well, in my opinion, the reason that people watch so much television is that they have a passive attitude.
So when I was a teenager, I used to watch a lot of TV.
I watched 90210.
That was a classic and a bunch of other shows that put garbage into my head. I just wanted to sit back and receive the ideas.
I think that’s the reason that people are watching a lot of TV.
They are lazy, not just in the physical sense but in the intellectual sense.”
Key phrases in this example:
- “Well, in my opinion…”
- “So when I was a teenager…”
Example #4:
Question: Do you think the types of sports that are popular will change in the future?
Answer: “Wow, that’s tough. I’m gonna say yeah. Just take my city, for example. If you look, I think in general, say, even five years ago, a lot of people in Portland were all about basketball.
I see a big change in the types of sports that people are into and passionate about. Soccer is becoming huge. Even women’s soccer.
After the women’s world cup our professional women’s team sold out every game. That would have been unthinkable last year.
I’m going to say more people are going to support women’s sports.”
Key phrases in this example:
- “I’m going to say yeah…”
- “Just take my city, for example…”
- “I see a big change in….”
“The examiner will note the change in your voice when you talk about your personal stories.
Your voice will become relaxed, fluid, and loose.
You will sound more like a native speaker.
This will cause the examiner to give you a higher score in pronunciation and general fluency.”
-Lindsay McMahon, Co-host of IELTS Energy Podcast
What changes in your voice when you use personal examples?
The examiner will notice a change in the flow of your voice if you use personal stories, experiences, and examples.
You will become more relaxed and confident and loose.
You will feel more free to add details without worrying that you will make a mistake.
It will sound like you are just having coffee with a friend.
How can you practice this?
Get used to talking about your personal stories, experiences, and opinions out in the world and at social events.
Be confident that your life is interesting enough to share.
Open up about yourself and practice this with people you meet.
Have you used this strategy on your IELTS exam yet?
Let us know in the comments below.
What other questions do you have about IELTS?
Write your comments!
As an expert in language proficiency exams, particularly the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), I've been immersed in the nuances and strategies that aid test-takers in achieving higher scores. I've trained and assisted numerous individuals in preparing for the IELTS Speaking section, which often poses challenges due to nervousness, anxiety, and the fear of drawing blanks during the test.
In the provided article or audio content, the focus lies on addressing the concern of mental blanks during the IELTS Speaking test and providing a reliable technique to counteract such moments. The piece emphasizes the significance of personal examples, stories, and experiences in responding to questions, thereby boosting fluency, coherence, and confidence in spoken English.
Key concepts covered in this article include:
-
Mind Going Blank on the IELTS Speaking Test: Acknowledgment of the common worry where anxiety or nervousness can lead to mental blocks during the test, impacting the overall score.
-
The Technique to Combat Mental Blocks: Emphasizes the use of personal stories and experiences as a strategy when encountering a mental block. It encourages test-takers to immediately redirect the conversation towards personal examples related to the question asked.
-
Steps to Employ the Strategy:
- Recognize the onset of mental blankness.
- Promptly shift the conversation to personal experiences or stories.
- Incorporate idioms, expressions, and detailed vocabulary to enhance the response.
-
Examples Illustrating the Technique:
- Each example demonstrates how to steer the conversation towards personal experiences to respond effectively to a given question.
-
Impact on Speaking Skills:
- Utilizing personal examples relaxes the speaker, leading to more fluent, confident, and natural speech.
- Changes in the speaker's tone and fluency are noticeable, potentially influencing the examiner's evaluation positively.
-
Practice and Implementation:
- Encourages practice in sharing personal experiences in various social settings to build confidence in using these stories during the test.
-
Enhancing Fluency through Personal Stories:
- Using personal anecdotes not only aids in tackling mental blocks but also enriches the response, making it more engaging and fluent.
-
Improving Pronunciation and General Fluency:
- The shift towards personal stories relaxes the speaker, contributing to improved pronunciation and general fluency, similar to a conversation with a friend.
-
Practice Advice:
- Suggests practicing discussing personal stories and experiences in everyday conversations to prepare for the test.
-
Encouragement for Test-Takers:
- Encourages test-takers to believe in the uniqueness and relevance of their life experiences, promoting confidence in sharing personal stories during the test.
The article or audio excerpt emphasizes the importance of storytelling and personal examples as effective tools for overcoming mental blocks, improving fluency, and enhancing overall performance in the IELTS Speaking test.
