IELTS Speaking: Band Descriptors Explained

Understanding the IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors Hello, IELTS students! Welcome to another insightful episode of the IELTS Podcast. Today, we delve into the intricacies of the IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors, a crucial aspect for anyone preparing for the speaking test. These descriptors are vital in understanding how your speaking abilities are evaluated and what is required to achieve a high score. Get the full tutorial here: https://www.ieltspodcast.com/audio-tutorials/band-descriptors-explained/ IELTS Speaking Bands Overview The IELTS Speaking test is scored on a scale from 0 to 9, with each band representing a specific level of English proficiency. There are four key criteria used to assess your speaking skills: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. Each criterion contributes equally to your overall speaking score. The descriptors for these bands are publicly available and are remarkably similar to what the examiners use during the test. While the examiner’s version may have a few more details, the public descriptors are sufficient for understanding the expectations for each band. Fluency and Coherence At a band 9, the test taker speaks fluently with rare repetition or self-correction. This is comparable to the speech of a native speaker. Even when hesitations occur, they are related to the content rather than searching for words or grammar. In contrast, at band 7, while the speaker can talk at length without much effort, there might be noticeable hesitations and occasional self-corrections. The key difference between these bands is the fluidity and coherence of speech. A band 9 speaker demonstrates a natural and seamless use of language, whereas a band 7 speaker, although competent, might show signs of effort in maintaining coherence. Lexical Resource A band 9 speaker possesses a vast vocabulary and uses idiomatic language naturally and accurately across a range of topics. This level of precision in language use is characteristic of highly proficient speakers. At band 7, the speaker can flexibly use a good range of vocabulary and can discuss various topics, but with occasional errors in collocation and less common vocabulary usage.