Speak English Confidently in the IELTS Speaking Test

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Hi this is Keith from English Speaking Success and one of the biggest challenges students have is finding the confidence to face the IELTS examiner.
So, how do we speak English confidently?
Well, let's fix that - let me give you today, right now, 8 things you can do to build your confidence when speaking English.

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:28 Pretend
00:01:43 Start easy
00:03:40 Push your comfort zone
00:04:59 Prepare well
00:05:49 Use a mask
00:07:07 Become an English speaker, not an English student
00:08:17 Forget the native speaker
00:09:31 Develop the skill of confidence

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Build your confidence with these 8 steps

1) Pretend

Now, the quick solution to speaking confidently is to fake it, till you make it.
Pretend you are confident, and your mind will begin to believe it.
Visualise and anchor.
Sometimes this works, and if it does, great!

But there is much more we can do.


2) Start easy

Confidence comes from small successes, built continuously over time.
So start practicing speaking from an easy level.
Imitation is a good place to start - it builds pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar.

How do you do it?

1. Begin repeating phrases from a low level audio (don’t read, listen).
2. Repeat and change a word
3. Repeat and change 2 words
4. Choose more and more difficult audios to practice with.

This is just imitation but it is the foundation and a great place to start today.
Practice a little, everyday.


3. Push your comfort zone

We can also build confidence when we face our fear
To face our fear, we need to push ourselves out of our comfort zone
It’s easy to practice repeating at home, but you need to also practice in the street, online, in difficult situations.

Join up to one of the services below.

iPractice speaking with italki https://www.italki.com/affshare?ref=I...

Cambly - https://cambly.com

https://www.hellotalk.com/

http://www.gospeaky.net

https://www.conversationexchange.com


Take one small step.

Connect with one person and start speaking.
Once you get a speaking partner - change every week. Push the comfort zone.
Now and again practice being uncomfortable speaking English


4. Prepare well

I learnt this one when I had to become a presenter and give academic presentations for work.

So, the more you prepare, the more confident you may feel.
A good way to prepare is to practice answering recent IELTS questions.
Practice, don’t memorise.


5. Use a mask

When we speak another language we sound different, and may even look different.

Use your mask, not to hide, but to show the kind of person you want to be in this language, a confident person.


6. Become an English speaker, not an English student

Confidence is identity
For me, Identity is at the heart of this problem. Many students see English as a subject outside us.
Actually it’s not outside us, it’s a part of us. Even with little English, we use it to…

… give opinions,
…say what we feel,
…say what we like,
…shout when angry.

Of course it is a part of us!

When we see our identity not as just ‘English students’, but as 'English speakers’ everything starts to change.

Of course, we need to keep studying and most importantly practicing speaking. Improve our skills. Get a teacher or speaking partners that can focus on encouraging us.

However, psychology is at the heart of confidence, and I think creating a new identity as an ‘English speaker’ is a great first step.


7. Forget the native speaker

Don’t compare yourself to the ‘native-speaker’, accept where you are, and then start building from there.
Don’t lose yourself.
Be yourself. You can be shy, quite, loud, nervous. That’s fine. Don’t try to be like a native speaker. Just be you and let your English identity grow.


8. Develop the skill of confidence

Confidence is something we have to practice
Have you noticed what happens when people say - ‘don’t be nervous’ - it usually doesn’t work.
No straight away.
Funny how we never say to people - just play the piano - you can’t - you need to practice

Well, may be with confidence it’s the same.

You can develop it by doing all of the above things…

But the key thing is to keep doing all of these. It won’t happen overnight, it takes time.

Follow these steps and build your confidence