0 00:00:08,670 --> 00:00:14,930 How clearly can you speak in English? When you talk to someone in English, can they understand 1 00:00:14,930 --> 00:00:22,340 you? Pronunciation is one of the things that is assessed in the IELTS Speaking Test. But 2 00:00:22,340 --> 00:00:30,279 what does good pronunciation involve? Well, it’s all about communication. You don’t 3 00:00:30,279 --> 00:00:35,680 have to sound like a native speaker, but you do need to speak clearly so that people can 4 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:41,920 understand you and you can get your message across. Let’s look at how you can do this 5 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:44,390 successfully. 6 00:00:44,390 --> 00:00:50,170 In your Speaking Test, the examiner will be listening to your pronunciation. Let’s see 7 00:00:50,170 --> 00:00:54,170 what this involves. 8 00:00:54,170 --> 00:01:00,809 Firstly, you should pay attention to how you pronounce individual sounds. For example, 9 00:01:00,809 --> 00:01:04,000 pear, or bear? 10 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:11,090 Next, you need to place stress correctly in words and sentences. For example, in the word 11 00:01:11,090 --> 00:01:18,979 ‘university’ the stress is on the third syllable - ‘uniVERsity’. In the sentence, 12 00:01:18,979 --> 00:01:27,200 ‘I teach at the University of Queensland’, the stress is on these words: ‘I’, ‘teach’, 13 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:33,950 ‘University’ and ‘Queensland’, because these are content words. They contain meaning, 14 00:01:33,950 --> 00:01:39,840 so they’re important. We don’t usually stress little grammar words, like ‘at’, 15 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,460 ‘the’, and ‘of’. 16 00:01:42,460 --> 00:01:51,399 Now, what about pause? It’s okay to pause between ideas. You don’t need to rush. But 17 00:01:51,399 --> 00:01:56,729 try not to pause in the middle of an idea. 18 00:01:56,729 --> 00:02:03,819 Intonation is also important. It’s useful for emphasising keywords. Also, if you are 19 00:02:03,819 --> 00:02:10,399 telling the examiner about an exciting experience, try to make this apparent in your voice. Try 20 00:02:10,399 --> 00:02:19,629 not to sound like a robot. “It was so exciting”, “It was so exciting!” 21 00:02:19,629 --> 00:02:26,670 Finally, think about speaking in ‘chunks’. By that I mean, speak in phrases rather than 22 00:02:26,670 --> 00:02:34,810 individual words. For example, when we say ‘fish and chips’, we don’t say ‘fish 23 00:02:34,810 --> 00:02:39,599 - and - chips’, we say ‘fish 'n' chips’. 24 00:02:39,599 --> 00:02:42,739 Now let’s see some examples of good pronunciation. 25 00:02:42,739 --> 00:02:48,830 Examiner: Let’s talk about something different now. What do you like to do in your free time? 26 00:02:48,830 --> 00:02:54,129 Candidate: Okay, well I don’t have a lot of spare time at the moment because I am quite 27 00:02:54,129 --> 00:03:01,030 busy with study but when I do have time off I like to get outside and do something active. 28 00:03:01,030 --> 00:03:07,790 I enjoy outdoor pursuits like hiking and camping. I love going to wild and beautiful places. 29 00:03:07,790 --> 00:03:11,939 Examiner: Do you think it’s important for people to have hobbies? 30 00:03:11,939 --> 00:03:17,959 Candidate: Yes I do. Everyone needs them. When we are working or studying, free time 31 00:03:17,959 --> 00:03:25,890 activities are vital for relaxation and relieving stress. Then later in life when we retire, 32 00:03:25,890 --> 00:03:31,370 having interests will become crucial. Suddenly we will have lots of leisure time, so we 33 00:03:31,370 --> 00:03:38,260 will need to have things we enjoy doing to stay active and enjoy our retirement. 34 00:03:38,260 --> 00:03:55,290 Did you notice how the candidate pronounced the word 'busy'? Be careful not to say 'beezee', that first vowel sound must be short. And what about stress? The candidate used the word ‘pursuits’. Notice how the stress 35 00:03:55,290 --> 00:04:02,819 is on the second syllable, ‘purSUITS’. She also used stress to emphasise keywords, 36 00:04:02,819 --> 00:04:08,010 for example, ‘when I DO have time off’. 37 00:04:08,010 --> 00:04:13,500 Did you notice her intonation when she said ‘vital’? Her voice went up slightly to 38 00:04:13,500 --> 00:04:21,459 help to emphasise this keyword and make it sound important, ‘free time activities are 39 00:04:21,459 --> 00:04:25,910 VITAL for relaxation and relieving stress’. 40 00:04:25,910 --> 00:04:32,110 There was a nice example of chunking, too, when the candidate used the phrase ‘a lot 41 00:04:32,110 --> 00:04:36,750 of’. She ran those words together. 42 00:04:36,750 --> 00:04:44,240 And finally, did you notice how the candidate paused between her ideas? You might like to 43 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:50,750 watch the video again so that you can focus on these aspects of her pronunciation. 44 00:04:50,750 --> 00:04:57,280 Remember, when answering the examiner’s questions, try to pronounce the words clearly and use 45 00:04:57,280 --> 00:05:01,280 the aspects of pronunciation featured in this lesson.