Are you scared about your IELTS speaking test?

Are you worried that you won’t be able to answer the questions?

Are you afraid that you may be so nervous that you won’t be able to give good answers?

What if it stops you getting the score you need in IELTS speaking?

How can you improve your confidence for your IELTS speaking test? 

How can you walk into the exam feeling like you can get the score you need for IELTS speaking?

Confidence can be created. You can make yourself confident. It is a mindset.

Let’s look at four ways to feel more confident about your IELTS speaking test.

Check what your head is saying to you

We all have a voice inside our heads that says ‘you can’t do it’ ‘You are not good enough’

These self limiting beliefs stop us from feeling confident. But they are wrong.

Do not listen to that voice.

Tell it that it is wrong.

Tell it ‘I can do it’ ‘I am good enough’

Learn positive affirmations and say them to yourself.

I can speak English well.

I can answer the examiners questions

I have done mock tests and I know what will happen in my speaking test

The speaking examiner wants me to do well. He/she is not trying to trick me. 

Look confident and you can feel confident

Look at wild animals. When they want to fight each other, they make their bodies bigger. They make themselves taller and wider and they take up more space.

Look at your cat. It is small and cute, but when it wants to be scary it makes its fur bigger and changes how it stands so it looks more scary.

There is a ‘power pose’ that has been shown to change your hormones to make you feel more confident.

Stand up straight with your legs slightly apart. Hold your head high. Put your hands on your hips. How do you feel now? 

Walk into your speaking test with your back straight and your head high. Sit straight up with your arms out. Make yourself bigger. You are confident.

Record your confident moments

Keep a diary of your IELTS preparation. When you do any task, write down what you have improved and how.

With speaking, record yourself answering questions and listen. Write down what you did well. 

• What new phrases did you use?
• What grammar is better than last time?
• What words did you pronounce better this time?

When we give ourselves feedback, we usually focus on what we did wrong so we can learn how to improve.

However, we also need to look at what we did well. We need to congratulate ourselves on what we are good at because small wins increase our confidence.

The more small wins you record, the more confident you will feel

Don’t do it alone.

If that voice in your head is too loud, or if you can’t see good things about your speaking to write down, find someone to help you.

Find a speaking buddy and compliment each other.

Ask friends and family to celebrate your small wins with you.

Find a coach who will help you to see the good things about what you can do, celebrate with you and make you feel more confident.

If you would like us to be that coach and work with you to improve your confidence in the IELTS speaking test, ask about our IELTS Speaking Coaching package.

We will do mock tests with you and tell you what you are good at, as well as what you need to improve. We will work together with you to improve the different areas of your speaking and for each small win, we will celebrate together.

When you walk into your test with your back straight and your head high, you will feel confident that CAN achieve the score you need.