EAP Talk - English Learning

FOUR MAIN CRITERIA OF IELTS SPEAKING: WHAT ARE THEY?

What are they?
1. Fluency and Coherence
- The ability to speak long sentences without much difficulty
- Ability to use Discourse Markers; Conjunctions to make compound sentences
- Coherent sentences: this means that your answer must be the right heart of the question; the answers are closely linked and not disjointed.
- Stable speaking speed, no interrupt: a moderate speaking rate will help the examiner easily hear your answer.
- In addition, when you speak continuously and without interruption while answering, the examiner can see your ability to use the language.
- Number of self-corrections
- Focus: Flow of speech, clear ideas, and use of linking words.

2. Lexical Resource
- The ability to use vocabulary focused on Topics that you encounter when taking the exam
- The ability to explain concepts that you do not know in English
- Paraphrase ability
- Focus: Using appropriate and varied words, including idiomatic expressions.

3. Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- The examiner will rely on the sentence structures you use when answering the question to assess whether you have met the requirements correctly.
- You should not only use simple sentences but combine complex sentences
- Avoid mistakes about tenses, basic grammar
- Focus: Tenses, complex sentences, articles, prepositions, etc.

4. Pronunciation
- The ability to pronounce vowels and consonants
- Press the correct stress
- Has intonation
- Do not speak too fast or too slow
- When speaking, you need to pause in the right place
- Focus: Intonation, stress, rhythm, and individual sounds.

HERE IS THE PICTURE OF IELTS SPEAKING CRITERIA AND BAND DESCRIPTOR (PUBLIC VERSION):

THE INTRODUCTION: EAP TALK PLATFORM - AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR SPEAKING

What is EAP Talk?
EAP Talk is a novel website-based artificial intelligence (AI) English-speaking assessment system, with a focus on English for academic purposes (EAP) speaking skills.The system comprises several key components for enhancing academic spoken language proficiency, namely, Reading Aloud, Presentation, Discussion Expressions, Word and AI Chatting.

Main functions:
(Each picture)

THINGS YOU HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT IELTS & IELTS SPEAKING

What is IELTS?
IELTS stands for the International English Language Testing System. It is a standardized test designed to assess the English language proficiency of people who want to study, work, or migrate to countries where English is the main language of communication.
There are two main types of IELTS:
IELTS Academic – for people applying for higher education or professional registration.
IELTS General Training – for those going to English-speaking countries for secondary education, work experience, or immigration purposes.

How about IELTS Speaking?
IELTS Speaking is one of the four sections of the IELTS test. It is a face-to-face interview between the test taker and a trained IELTS examiner and lasts 11–14 minutes. The purpose is to assess your spoken English skills in a real-life conversation setting.

📋 Structure of IELTS Speaking:
It is divided into 3 parts:
🔹 Part 1: Introduction and Interview (4–5 minutes)
The examiner introduces themselves and asks you to introduce yourself.
You'll answer general questions about familiar topics such as:
Your hometown
Studies or work
Hobbies and interests
Example:
"Do you enjoy reading?"
"What do you usually do in your free time?"

🔹 Part 2: Long Turn (3–4 minutes)
You will be given a task card with a topic and some bullet points.You have 1 minute to prepare, and then speak for 1–2 minutes. The examiner may ask one or two follow-up questions.
Example topic:
Describe a book you have recently read. You should say: what it was about, when you read it, and explain why you liked it.
🔹 Part 3: Discussion (4–5 minutes)
A more in-depth discussion related to the topic from Part 2.
You’ll be asked to give opinions, justify them, compare ideas, and speculate.
Example:
"Do you think people read fewer books today? Why?"
"How can reading benefit a child's development?"

More importantly, there are four criteria assessing your own speaking scores (from 1 to 9):
* Fluency and coherence
* Lexical Resource
* Grammatical Range and Accuracy
* Pronunciation