3. Restate the task to include the topic that you ate going to speak about.
For the task in Strategy 1 above, you might choose to focus on the skill of touch-typing. Your restatement could be:
/ have learned how to touch-type, and this has been very important during my studies.
4. Work through your mental list of requirements.
For the task in Strategy 1 above, your list might be:
• Name the skill. You have already named the skill in your restatement of the task statement.
• Define the skill. Ask yourself if you need to define your topic. Will the listener know about the topic you have chosen?
• Explain the importance to you of the topic you have chosen.
• Include details and examples from your own experience.
5. Know your goal.
When studying, record your speech and make a transcript, writing it exactly as you said it. Then make improvements to it: correct mistakes, eliminate long hesitations, and replace words or rephrase sentences to avoid repetition. Practice reading the corrected version aloud, and time yourself. Read it again while timing yourself, and stop reading at 45 seconds. How far did you get?
You will find that 45 seconds is only enough time for you to restate the task with your topic and to give one or two examples and one or two details. Eliminate unnecessary examples and details from your transcript and read it again with a timer. Once you have eliminated enough to be able to read your response aloud in about 35-40 seconds, and the topic does not suffer from a lack of examples or detail, you know your goal. The remaining 5-10 seconds are for the natural hesitations and corrections a speaker generally makes when talking.
6. Get ready for the next item.
It is easy to get anxious if you run out of time and have not finished what you intended to say, or if you finish what you want to say and there is still time left. Take a deep breath to help you relax and get ready for the next part of the test.
For the task in Strategy 1 above, you might choose to focus on the skill of touch-typing. Your restatement could be:
/ have learned how to touch-type, and this has been very important during my studies.
4. Work through your mental list of requirements.
For the task in Strategy 1 above, your list might be:
• Name the skill. You have already named the skill in your restatement of the task statement.
• Define the skill. Ask yourself if you need to define your topic. Will the listener know about the topic you have chosen?
• Explain the importance to you of the topic you have chosen.
• Include details and examples from your own experience.
5. Know your goal.
When studying, record your speech and make a transcript, writing it exactly as you said it. Then make improvements to it: correct mistakes, eliminate long hesitations, and replace words or rephrase sentences to avoid repetition. Practice reading the corrected version aloud, and time yourself. Read it again while timing yourself, and stop reading at 45 seconds. How far did you get?
You will find that 45 seconds is only enough time for you to restate the task with your topic and to give one or two examples and one or two details. Eliminate unnecessary examples and details from your transcript and read it again with a timer. Once you have eliminated enough to be able to read your response aloud in about 35-40 seconds, and the topic does not suffer from a lack of examples or detail, you know your goal. The remaining 5-10 seconds are for the natural hesitations and corrections a speaker generally makes when talking.
6. Get ready for the next item.
It is easy to get anxious if you run out of time and have not finished what you intended to say, or if you finish what you want to say and there is still time left. Take a deep breath to help you relax and get ready for the next part of the test.