IELTS Speaking: Should I correct myself or keep speaking?

IELTS Speaking test – it is good to correct yourself or should you keep talking? It is common that people might make mistakes with vocabulary and grammar during the IELTS speaking test. But what should you do if you make mistakes? Should you ignore your speaking mistakes or correct yourself?

Should you correct your mistakes in IELTS speaking?

The answer is NO. You should not stop to correct an error.

Why? Read below to have a full understanding why. IELTS Speaking success really does depend on understanding more about how the test is marked and how to maximise your score.

Minor Grammar and Vocabulary Errors

You should definitely ignore these errors. You won’t get extra points for correcting your mistake. You will only show the examiner that you struggle with fluency and need to keep stopping to correct your English. This shows a weakness of English. It is best to keep talking and get a strong score on fluency.

If you make a mistake in the past tense, for example, it doesn’t matter because there will be lots of opportunities for you to show the examiner your past tense ability in English. The examiner is looking at your overall English, not a single sentence or word. So, if you make a mistake, ignore it and keep talking to retain a strong fluency score.

Mistakes in Meaning

If you have made a mistake in the meaning of what you have said, then it is fine to correct yourself. This type of mistake is not a language mistake but an accident that you gave the wrong meaning. IELTS allows for this type of correction.

But you should not repeat word for word what you have just said – you need to re-phrase and continue to show flexibility in English. Below are examples:

Example Answer 1: I really think that people should force their children to do homework because it puts too much pressure on them. Sorry, I mean – I really think that people should not force their children to do homework because it puts too much pressure on them”.

This is not a good self-correction regarding your meaning. It would lower your score because it is a full repetition and breaks fluency.

Example Answer 2: I really think that people should force their children to do homework because it puts too much pressure on them. Sorry, I mean – they should not force them because it could cause mental health problems for the child like chronic stress.

This is the right way to correct a mistake based on meaning. You are paraphrasing and useful different language as well as altering the meaning to be precise. Native speakers do this and it’s fine in IELTS. Your fluency is still strong.

Using Words from Your Own Language in IELTS Speaking

It is best to avoid using words that are not English in an English language test. You are being marked on your ability to communicate in English and you should remember that at all times.

However, sometimes words from your own language sometime pop into the answer without you thinking. Particularly when you are referring to something that is unique to your own language such as sari, guzheng or bibimbap. In such cases, it is best to immediately explain the meaning of the word (paraphrase it in English) in a natural way. Below are examples of how you can do that.

Question: Do people ever wear traditional clothes in your country?

Answer: Yes, they do. Many women in India still enjoy wearing a sari, particularly at weddings. A sari is a long piece of fabric, often silk, which is wrapped around the body and then draped over the shoulder. It’s very flattering to wear. 

Question: Did you ever play a musical instrument as a child?

Answer: Yes, I did. When I was young, I had lessons on the guzheng which is a large stringed instrument made of wood. The sound it produces is rather mystical and reminds me of misty mountains. I stopped playing when I left school.

Question: What is your favourite food?

Answer: Without doubt, bibimbap. It’s a rice dish with a variety of vegetables, such as carrot, cabbage, courgette and many more,  served in a hot stone bowl with chilli paste. It’s a really popular food here in South Korea.

As you can see from the example answer above. The paraphrased explanation of the word adds really high band score vocabulary to your answer. Also when you use “x, which is …”, you are also adding a clause and that will help your grammar score. So, never miss the opportunity to immediately explain any word you accidentally say in your own language. Although the rule really ought to be to avoid doing so in the first place.

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Comments

  1. Angela Fernandes says

    Hello Liz,

    I’d like to know if the topics you’ve mentioned under ‘speaking’…the same for the general test as well?

    • There is no specific GT Speaking test. There is only one Speaking test which everyone takes. This means Academic and GT take the same Speaking test. This applies to the Listening test as well. They are 100% the same.

  2. I am a native English speaker and had my speaking test just yesterday. It was awful! I was extremely tense, couldn’t generate ideas, wasn’t clear as I spoke too fast, and really battled to just get the words out (getting tongue tied and so on). I fear I may have “failed” and the humiliation of being a native English speaker who scores less than a non-native speaker is consuming me! How does one combat the nerves on test day?

    • This happens to lots of people which is why they book two tests. The first test is to practise and the second test is once they feel more familiar with the test room and the set up. You also need to be sure that you have prepared all topics possible and have developed ideas for them. This site contains recent topics used in the test and common topics – that should be enough to help you feel more confident. Ideas should be about your past memories, your experience, your opinions and also about common opinions held in your country. The speaking test is not formal, so just go in to the test room with a chatty, friendly frame of mind and act as though you had bumped into that person in the street and started chatting. Remember, it’s just 14 mins of your life – turn into an actor and act the part 🙂 However, wait for your test results to see how you did – don’t judge your performance too hastily. I hope some of these tips help 🙂

  3. I know you are the best techer in the world

  4. Hi Liz

    Thanks for sharing tips and tricks for the exam.

    I just had a quick question about speaking.

    I recently moved to the US and my exam is due on Feb 1st. I don’t have much knowledge about my current locality as I didn’t get much chance to explore. So in case, any questions on my current location. Can I state the reason and speak about my previous location?

    Please clarify this!!

    • The information you provide after the recording device is switched on, is not marked. You can talk about what you want. Your ideas and information do not affect your score.

  5. You should correct your self in the speaking

  6. Yes, but it should be prompt. Don’t wait for too long.

  7. Yes, mistake are abound, in such an English speaking test, but care must be taken to minimize such. All the same, and the examiner knows that it must be what is required.

  8. Please if the examiner ask a question that you knew nothing about it, is it advisable to answer know. For instance, have you ever played musical instruments before?

    • I am confused. Does this mean you do not know if you have played a musical instrument or not? Have you forgotten if you had lessons? This is confusing for me. I’m sure you know if you previously played a musical instrument:
      – “Yes, I used to play the X when I was ….”
      – “No, I’ve never learned a musical instrument, but I wish I had. I always liked ….”

  9. great advice …..Well am sure the examiner knows we all prone to make mistakes

    • It is possible to have some “slips” in language accuracy which can happen to even native speakers and still get band 9 – the marking criteria allows for this. But it is essential not to correct those slips which will damage your fluency.

  10. Thanks mam

  11. ChristineB says

    Thank you for giving us advice

  12. My suggestion is not correct whatever comes in mind ,speak it because examiner is not counting how many mistakes or error you have done .If you want to correct your mistake in grammar or vocabulary then it might be hamper in your fluency which is 25 % of the total marks. Examiner knows that everybody does mistake in grammar while speaking even native speakers.So, I think that you have to speak at natural pace.Conversely, I do correct sometime when I speak.

  13. I guess it is completely acceptable to correct yourself while speaking. It is so common to make errors or fumble even during our day to day conversations and even a native speaker tends to correct it. In my opinion, it is completely normal to correct yourself. It also makes you sound natural rather than a memorised answer.

  14. Gordon Sakyi says

    I believe that we should correct the mistake right away but how to correct the mistake is another issue we should be concern about it.

    I think you can paraphrase the statement with the corrected grammar.

  15. Abdul Zorgani says

    In my opinion, correcting mistakes of oneself is good provided that fluency is maintained at the same level.

  16. Newton omon says

    Correct your mistakes immediately you observed and continue speaking.

  17. ChristineB says

    My suggestion is to continue speaking but try to correct yourself next time.

  18. Hello everyone.
    My answers:
    1. I vote to keep speaking, and the reasons for that are: the test itself is a stressful event, even native speakers are making mistakes, and to be honest, the speech with a few mistakes sounds more natural.
    2. According to the definition of IELTS, it is an International English Language Test System, so using the language which is different from English is not recommended, I assume. However, if a mistake has occurred, I think to continue talking without correction is a good strategy.

  19. I think if anyone makes mistakes and can correct them very easily which won’t create a negative impression on examiner’s mind regarding fluency then, it’s ok to correct these mistakes but if one makes more mistakes when correcting mistakes then, it’s better to continue one’s talk.
    From my point of view, one can use some proper nouns in one’s own language in terms of providing examples, but one should make the examiner understand what that particular word indicates.

  20. N-Ekene says

    I believe the best thing to do when you make any mistake while speaking is to correct it immediately. No one penalises you for doing so. Instead it shows you are observant and articulate. Therefore, in order to avoid such errors with vocab or grammar, we are advised to listen to ourselves while we speak.
    Coming to the second question, I think it’s advisable to speak everything in the language you are being tested on. If it’s inevitable, then it has to be a simple word. For example name of a thing. But when it comes to Writing/Essay, I believe nothing stops you from explaining your native adage or proverbs in English Language but the mother tongue will be in brackets.

  21. If we correct our error whether it is pronounciation, using wrong word or grammar it shows we understood the error and able to correct it.

  22. Correct yourself and continue speaking

  23. It is good to correct it before it is too late.

  24. Felicity says

    Correct mistake politely and move on

  25. Mistakes are common in speaking,but I think it is unpardonable in IELTS if you do not correct them,since a small grammatical error could affect the meaning of a statement made

  26. Hi Liz , I think that a good way of speaking is being without affecting nice flow of our ideas, which means still we have to keep natural way of communication with examiner.
    Further, way of talking should stimulate the listener to engage with the topic interestingly, as the dialogues have good ideas and sentence structures. However, sometimes we make mistakes , since we have lack of knowledge or practice in language. Either situations can be recognized by examiners easily. Therefore, my opinion is better to reduce repetitions , because those count as person searching for vocabularies and sentences.

  27. It is always better to correct as you prove that you know the correct word or grammer.

  28. Mozhgan says

    In my opinion if the number of mistakes are low it’s a good idea to correct yourelf during the speaking exam because it shows your ability to correct yourself in a foreign language so it’s not a big deal and also it can avoid decreasing your score.

  29. Nazia Rizwan says

    Yes you can stop and correct… It’s better than losing scores on wrong vocab and grammar. But I think, you can excuse yourself when you come to know that you spoke a wrong word or made a grammatical error and correct it.
    With regards to using words in your own language… I think we can do that also as long as you can appropriately explain its meaning in english to the examiner. But excessive use should be avoided.

  30. Cephas says

    No matter how good one is in speaking english, mistakes are inevitable and as such i think there is no law against correcting oneself. However, care must be taken to ensure that there is no mistake again in the correction, otherwise it will be a disaster.

  31. Nikita says

    Hi Liz I always have a problem in speaking and listening. I scored either 6or 5.5 in both modules can you plz give me advice and tips that how I can improve my score to get 6.5

  32. Riyas Jameela says

    I think it is always better to be genuine and natural. Always think what would you do when you communicate in your own language. You do make mistakes in your own mother tongue too and you correct it and apologize for the same, isn’t it? Making mistakes is natural, correcting it too, but proceeding without correcting it will give the impression that you have no command over the language. Of course, here I refer to the ‘natural’ mistakes you make while you speak. If the extent/frequency of the mistake you make is really high, neither correcting nor ignoring will help you. The examiners are trained to asses all these situations, and asses the level of your English, I believe.

    About the second part too, think whether you use words from a foreign language when you speak in your own language. Using words from English or other linking languages of the the region may be common, which is a different case. Even in other cases, you sometimes use words from other languages, but with explanations to make sure that the other person understands it well. The purpose is to make the communication more interesting and effective. For example you may have to speak about a film, cuisine, or a custom from your own region, where avoiding the local name/word or the details of the etymology may spoil the spirit of he conversation.

    I strongly believe that the rule for speaking test is being natural as far as possible. You have some one in front of you who is interested to know about you and listen your stories and views. Forget that it is an exam, be natural, honest and friendly. You will be scored your best.

  33. Ruchika says

    I think if you made any Vocabulary mistake then don’t worry and just continue speaking because speaking test is to check how well you can express your ideas . Definitely it is to check your pronunciation and range of vocabulary but they won’t penalise you if in whole certain word goes wrong in terms of vocabulary.

  34. Ruchika says

    I think if you made any Vocabulary mistake then ignore it and just continue further because speaking test is to check how well you can express your ideas . Definitely it is to check your pronunciation and range of vocabulary but they won’t penalise you if in whole certain word goes wrong in terms of vocabulary.

  35. Themba says

    I think,it would be wise to continue talking while building up better and coherent conversation as each part is timed of which they maybe no room for correction as it eats away time allocated.

  36. Fremah says

    I think it is best to correct your mistakes before proceeding and it is not good to use your own language.

  37. Nirmi Alagan says

    Definitely it is important to correct the mistakes before continuing the talk as it helps to notify the the examiner that you are aware of the mistake and you have the capability to correct yourself.

    For the second question, it is not right to use your own word as because sometimes the examiner does not know the meaning of it, it is better to avoid such words, however in case if you do not know the correct word in English, you can explain the meaning of it. Therefore, the examiner can understand what you are trying say about.

  38. Sinju George says

    If you recognize it that, you have done some serious mistake you can correct it, otherwise leave it,

  39. I believe that since the speaking test is an evaluation of your speaking, if I make mistakes in regular everyday speech, I correct myself, so I should do same in my speaking test, as a natural speaking would do.

  40. Gellinah Ndlovu says

    I think if you make a mistake you should just continue and ignore it

  41. César Augusto Díaz Castilla says

    Definitely it is good to correct yourself. One sign of being a high proficient speaker is being aware of your own mistakes and correct them. If you just continue taking it will affect your score but if you correct yourself you won’t lose marks.

    About the second question. Do not use even a single word of your own language, that’s obviously a huge mistake

  42. Naturally, the mind wants to ensure that one is making sense and especially where earning marks are concerned, the urge or pressure to correct oneself comes automatically, just as much as when you speak in one’s native language. I feel that once or twice should be allowed and that correcting oneself a lot in so short a time could then show as a lack of mastery in the speaking test…

  43. Well as long as it’s just a slip, it’s ok to rectify it if you can which shows the examiner too that it was a slip really. It would be best not to keep correcting yourself so much that it affects your fluency score.
    As for as the native term, it would be quite interesting to mention it once or twice but care must be taken to explain the term to help with the coherence factor.

  44. I think you should correct your mistake because the examiner wants to see when you get wrong with native people how can you fix your mistake.

  45. Julius says

    I think self correction in IELTS speaking test is not a bad idea as long as a candidate does that professionally. For example, a candidate may make correction and says “sorry” I meant to say….. or repeats the correct word(s)/phrase(s) after an error.

  46. Syed Kamrul Hasan says

    Good day… I guess one should continue speaking during the test whether it is right or wrong…

  47. Ndukaife Ngozi says

    I think one should correct him or herself and continue speaking

  48. Chioma Okoye says

    In my opinion, if you correct yourself, you will disrupt the already flowing conversation and you may be disorganized. Continue speaking and prove to the examiner that you are good to go.

  49. Sinqobile says

    You should correct yourself.eg what l meant is ……or what I mean is ……

  50. Chika Nwaka says

    Hi Liz happy new year, I think it’s good to stop correct yourself and continue speaking or do that using a different English

  51. Charles Rolland says

    Good day Liz. Thanks for the good work. I really appreciate. Self correction is better in my opinion.

  52. Timothy says

    I believe we are not configured to speak perfectly without a prior thorough rehearsal. Correcting your errors while speaking in a speaking test will let the examiner know that you really know what you are saying. We sometimes make mistakes while speaking our first language and we quickly correct them.
    In my own opinion, it’s good to correct your errors immediately you notice it.

  53. I read in the IELTS report that one of reasons decreasing speaking score is self correction.

    Please, does using idioms raising the speaking grade or not?

    • Emily Morrison says

      Using idioms can raise your score but only IF used correctly, unless you are 100% sure it is correct and in the right context I would avoid it

  54. Gbemisola Savage says

    I think it is alright to correct oneself as soon as one notices it. And thereafter continue and one should be mindful.

  55. You don’t have to correct your mistakes, just continue speaking but avoid making further mistakes.

  56. Yes, we should correct mistakes made while speaking. This shows mastery of the language.

  57. Getrude says

    I think it is best to correct yourseld during speaking exam

  58. Blessy Somi says

    Hi Liz,

    In my opinion, its better to correct small language errors that comes while speaking. But it’s not a good practice to correct all the times and restart the answering from the very beginning. If so, it will make the examiner feels in-comfortable with the answer.

    Since, this is a language testing exam system, its better not to use other languages other than English during the test. In some cases, while mentioning some events may be we want to specify its name in other languages. In my point of view, it’s not an issue to mention the name in languages other than English, otherwise it will not make sense.

  59. UCHECHI IKEJIOFOR says

    I think you are expected to correct yourself immediately by repeating that sentence using the correct word. This will enable the examiner know that you know the right word and that the wrong statement made was a sleep of tongue

  60. I think I should correct myself to rather than continue

  61. Individually I think correct mistakes while doing the test is wise. Because it proved it these are unintentional. And you have capacity to understand and correct these. Do not hope that these mistakes ‘ll be skip as some examiners can not keep up with your speed they are native and they have a chance to listen many times as they want through the recoder device!

  62. Nixon Mathew Shajan says

    We are all prone to make mistakes, especially in an exam set up. The examiner can only judge me for the language I produce. Therefore, in the multitude of words, an incorrect word or a word from my own language might pop up, out of impulse.

    Correct it immediately, if you can, but to remain conscious about it for the rest of your test will be at the cost of losing focus and control for the remaining part of your response.

    Suppose I make a grammatical mistake which I’m aware of: If I can correct it immediately, fair enough, or I’d rather just keep going. Worrying about a mistake already made isn’t going to help at all. Grammar is, of course, an important criterion, but not the only one.
    Moreover, restarting a sentence doesn’t seem to be a good idea in this case.

    I believe it’s the same if you use a word from your own language. The ultimate objective here is to present yourself as someone who can communicate in English with the same level of comfort and fluency as your own primary language.

    IELTS Speaking, for the most part, is all about spontaneity and improvisation. Your only focus during the exam must be the question asked. Don’t get unnecessarily conscious about other stuff. It will stress you out all the more.

  63. I have a big problem with speaking.
    I’m arabian from Egypt and my motger tongue is arabic so that i can’t speak fluently.

  64. Pooja bhardwaj says

    I would say never go back n correct yourself, rather continue speaking confidently. There are chances that he has not noticed that you have made a mistake, why to bring it to his notice then?!!
    And i suppose that one can definitely you words from hi own language untill n unless he explains it in english that fine, after all we are being assessed for our english only!!!!

  65. SACHU M SANU says

    HAI MRS.LIZ,THANK YOU FOR YOUR GUIDANCE.I THINK IT IS BETTER TO DO CORRECTIONS THEN AND THERE ,FOR EFFECTIVE LEARNING.

  66. Odebode Ojo says

    I have read in many books by different authors that it is good to correct yourself when you make mistakes, it shows the examiner your knowledge of grammar and tenses.

  67. Shoyeb Ansari says

    If we stuck on vocabulary we can describe it by using phrases such as “oh the word I’m looking for has just slipped my my mind’ or “Mm I think I’ve put my self into the corner. Let’e start over again”. Or “Mm.. I think I can covey this point in a better way”

  68. Neelam Nishad says

    Even when native speaker speaks they make mistakes,it is speaking test mistakes may happen,but it should not be repeated,we should not be mute ,and also shouldn’t try to correct ,we should not panic instead should answer the upcoming questions.. without mistakes.

  69. It’s OK to correct oneself once any mistake is made because it shows the examiner that you really know what you’re doing.

  70. Nelson says

    Self correction

  71. Getrude says

    I think it is possible to correct your vocabulary during speaking exam as soon as you realise that you make a mistake.

  72. I think it’s okay to correct yourself and keep talking as long as you don’t dwell on the mistake you made.

  73. Misan D says

    Hello Liz,
    Thanks so much for the beautiful work you do.
    I pray that you enjoy good health this year and beyond.
    I think that we ought to correct ourselves when we make a blunder. Since the words we say is what forms the examiners perception of how well we speak the language.

  74. Franklin says

    1. In my opinion, ignore the error and continue talking; but if you must correct it, do it on few occasions.

    2. I think if it happens, maintain your fluency and keep talking.

  75. Debdutta Ganguly says

    I think this is alright to correct myself and continue speaking. My common sense says that at least it would be better than speaking incorrect sentences. In that way the examiner will understand that I know the correct grammar or words but somehow it has come out wrongly. It is understandable that people do mistake under pressure situation.

  76. Oyatullokh says

    Of course, I’ll try not to exert an influence on my fluency, but anyway I’ll correct myself, not always but from time to time

  77. Agadhaa says

    And answer for this questions:
    1. It’s good to correct mistakes if I make errors while speaking and I think it’s always better not to make more mistakes.
    2.Avoiding usage of words from other languages than english is the proper way as ot is an english language testing system. If I use a word from my mothertongue i should correct it and I must explain the meaning in english.

  78. Hi Liz,
    Thank you for your great blog!
    As far as I’m concerned, the candidate can correct himself in case he committed a mistake while speaking. However, it should be minimum, i.e., the fewer corrections the better mark you will get.
    Regarding the use of our own language during the test, I think we can, but we must pronounce it with English letters, so it looks like an English word.

  79. Sourabha says

    1.
    I think we should rephrase ourselves. IELTS examiner is there to help you to get a better band. Even if you sometimes not able to give you good answers, they give you a chance to speak for more than a minute in part 3 to check your speaking skills.

    So, it is good to stop immediately, start your answer from the beginning. It is better to show that you know correct words.

    2.
    If we used a word which is not English.
    Case a: obviously, we should never use NON-ENGLISH words. Instead of that, we should use the meaning of that word.
    Case b: even if you SPOKEN that word in your language, you can define that word to the examiner. For instance, I like to go to “Satsang”, which is a spiritual meeting in my area.

  80. Thanks Liz,

    If I make a mistake while speaking I will excuse myself and use the right word or grammar, then continue my talk.

  81. I guess one must correct oneself if any error has been made in vocabulary or grammar in speaking part.

  82. HENRIETTA ELIJAH says

    1. I think it’s okay to correct any identified speaking error just the way we correct ourselves during normal conversations.

    2. Since the test is on English Language, I don’t think it’s appropriate to use my own language and if that error occurs, I think it’s wise to correct it immediately it’s noticed.

  83. Ye Min Hein says

    1. I thought that I should ignore the mistake and keep talking.
    2. No, It is not ok to use my own language in the test. Because the examiner can’t understand what I mean.If it happens, I should correct that mistake.

  84. Ahmad Satari says

    ‪In the IELTS Speaking test, it is okay to make mistakes and correct yourself. This shows the examiner that you realised you made a mistake. However, if you correct yourself too much, it will have a negative effect on your fluency.‬

    The IELTS Speaking test is supposed to represent a normal conversation between two people and you should therefore not use overly formal language. You can’t use slang or anything from local language . It is an exam that supposed to be in English language.

  85. Eunice Annan says

    It’s appropriate to stop and correct during the speaking test. It helped me get my target score.

  86. Hassan says

    First of all, thank you so much Mrs. Liz with such kind of your helping to the people who want to get high marks in IELTS.

    I think in speaking if a person makes mistake should cover with different sentence and should not stop speaking.
    In speaking should not say in local language only English if someone say local language I think it should cover by English word.

  87. Petty jangazya says

    I think you do not need to stop talking and start correcting your grammar mistakes, sometimes the interviewer might not even notice the mistake but if you keep repeating it will catch there attention.
    I feel its ok to use one or two words from your language as long as you explain what it means.

  88. Onyinye says

    Ignore the mistake and keep talking, but avoid further errors.

  89. Amardeep Singh says

    1-If the mistake is prominent ,it’s good to correct .On the other hand ,if it is a minor error,it can be overlooked .Minor mistakes are usually unnoticed, if not made obvious.

    2-Since it’s an English test ,words from own language should be avoided.However,certain words ,peculiar to customs/culture etc,can be used .

  90. Vivian says

    Hello Liz,
    I think it is better to correct a language error in the speaking test so that the examiner will be aware that the candidate recognized his/her mistake and is willing to make corrections.

    I don’t understand the second question.
    Thanks.

  91. Sahil Chopra says

    1) Stop and Correct the mistake as this will give the impression that we know the language but if we continue talking and ignore out mistake then it will give the impression that we do not know that we have committed an error.
    2) I think its not ok to you any word from our own language, we shall not forget the test is to check our command on English language.

  92. Felicia says

    I feel one can just continue to speak not minding the mistake made, in order not to make the examiner notice the mistake.

  93. i think it is ok to correct mistake during talk as it is not formal interview.
    but we should have to correct it smartly. we should not have to show that tense of losing bands.we should have to solve it naturallyand we do not need to pretend that i am rectifying something .but it is my thought now let’s see what Liz mam will say.

  94. Based on my previous official IELTS test results and other mock tests at IDP, their comments say that I have many hesitations and self-corrections that appear as if I’m looking for words to say and affecting my spontaneity in speaking English thus I only got 7. My former speaking coach would say not too focus so much on the errors and to continue talking.

  95. Kiranpreet kaur says

    Hello mam,
    First of all, thanks for your lessons.

    1. I believe that we can self correct once or twice and it should be made with in a second, but we should not do this more than twice because it will affect our fluency and break concentration from the given topic .

    2. We can use some words from own language which do not have proper translation in English. For instance, some sweets like Rosgula.

  96. 1. According to my knowledge it is fine to self correct one or two times throughout the speaking test in case of grammar or any minor word mistake with fluency. We should not correct whole sentence.

    2. We can use any word from our local language but we need to explain the meaning of that word in the English language. In this way examiner can get to know about proper meaning of that particular word. There is no negative impact of using local word until it is explained well. It is incorrect if we will not explain it properly in English language in front of examiner.

  97. I don’t know. I’ll be waiting for your answer.
    I’ve taken the date of 16 jan.

  98. It depends on how soon you realize you made a mistake In case you use a word from your language, chances are, your examiner may not understand what you meant.

  99. Felicity says

    Hi Lizzy, thanks for all the mails,honestly they’ve been very helpful, well my thought about the above is ,the person should keep speaking, not to stop, instead if you realise your mistake, correct it immediately by saying something like,” ooh I mean this …… Or that …. Then continue ,No stopping.

    Again I think it’s not OK to use one’s own words, correct immediately as stated above and continue

  100. Nirmala says

    Hi Mam,
    1)I think we should stop and correct our mistakes and then continue speaking.

  101. If I am not mistaken , candidate can correct his or her mistakes in speech no more than two times.

  102. Anne Cathy says

    I think u should continue if stopping to correct u will be disrupting the exams and the flow of ideas to further expand yr answer.hence lowering yr scores

  103. Adarsh Kumar G M says

    We tend to make mistakes during speech, though not a lot, there will be some vocabulary/grammatical errors and I think it is best to correct them and move on and I also think that, this corrections / making errors needs to be reduced as the examiner might feel that we are being clumsy and also have trouble in understanding / initiating conversation.

    In my humble opinion, We need to correct our mistakes but this correction/making mistakes needs to be reduced as it leads to confusion in train of thought and also scoring less.

    Thanks

  104. Chenar says

    Yes ,it’s better to correct your mistakes incase u know how to correct it.

  105. Ezinne Uzoagba says

    In my opinion, you should correct all grammatical errors. Say something like, “I’m sorry, I take that back. What I meant to say was… “

  106. Hello Liz,

    Can you please help some of sample exams for Computer based IELTS General Training.

    • Idowu balogun says

      I think the appropriate thing to do is stop and do the correction then continue

  107. Eggyweggs says

    no, don’t correct yourself, focus on fluency. If you use a word from your language you must define it in English.

  108. Dhammike says

    I have done few mistakes and I corrected during the test. But I dint go to correct same thing. but I expressed same idea using different words without indicating that I have done mistakes

  109. Nusrat says

    i am stuck during speaking ? sometime do not have ideas about topic , sometime grammatical error.

    • Kizza Aloysious says

      If someone makes a mistake during the speaking test, I think it’s healthy not to correct it. It’s better to proceed.
      The examiners are experts, better to prove to them in the next parts.

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