IELTS Speaking,
coached by
examiners.
Part 1 interview, Part 2 two-minute monologue, Part 3 extended discussion — the 11–14 minute test that most Vietnamese students find the most stressful. Coached by mentors who have sat on the examiner's side of the table.
The IELTS Speaking test — three parts, 11–14 minutes, face-to-face with an examiner. Fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation all assessed.
Speaking is the most anxious skill — and the most coachable.
IELTS Speaking is the skill Vietnamese students fear most — and paradoxically the one that responds fastest to coaching. The test is only 11–14 minutes long, has a predictable three-part structure, and is marked against four clear criteria (Fluency & Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range, Pronunciation). Every one of those criteria is drillable.
Part 2 is where bands are won
Part 2 gives the candidate a topic card and one minute to prepare a two-minute monologue. Students who have never practised this format run out of things to say after 45 seconds and cap at band 5.0. Students who have drilled the "past-present-future-feelings" framework speak for a confident 2 minutes and hit band 7.0+.
Our coaching
Every Times Edu Speaking student does a full mock Speaking test every session — recorded, reviewed and scored against the four criteria. By week 6 most students can deliver a confident, natural Part 2 monologue on any topic and engage in extended Part 3 discussion without preparation.
Interview. Monologue. Discussion.
Each part tests different skills and requires different preparation.
Interview (4–5 min)
Familiar topics — home, work, studies, hobbies, daily routine.
Long Turn (3–4 min)
Topic card with 1 minute prep + 2 minute monologue + follow-up.
Discussion (4–5 min)
Abstract discussion extending the Part 2 topic into deeper analysis.
Fluency & Coherence
Natural speech flow, connectors, self-correction ability.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary range, idiomatic language, paraphrase ability.
Grammatical Range
Complex sentences, conditionals, passive, reported speech.
Pronunciation
Individual sounds, stress, intonation, connected speech.
Filler Elimination
Reducing "um, uh, like" and replacing with natural pause or reformulation.
11 – 14 minutes. Face to face.
The Speaking test is the only IELTS component conducted live with a human examiner.
Interview
Examiner asks 4–5 questions on 2–3 familiar topics.
Long Turn
Candidate receives topic card, prepares 1 min, speaks 2 min.
Discussion
Examiner asks follow-up questions extending the Part 2 topic.
Four Criteria
Fluency, Lexical, Grammar, Pronunciation — each scored 0–9.
Why even strong students lose marks here.
These are the three traps we see most often — and every one is fixable with focused coaching.
Running out of ideas in Part 2
Students who have not drilled the topic card framework run out of things to say after 45 seconds. We teach the "past-present-future-feelings" structure.
One-sentence Part 3 answers
Part 3 rewards extended, developed answers. Students who give 10-word responses cap at band 5.0. We drill the "opinion-reason-example-contrast" framework.
Vietnamese pronunciation patterns
Specific Vietnamese-English pronunciation issues (final consonants, th/s, l/r, word stress) are coachable. We target the 10 most impactful pronunciation fixes for Vietnamese speakers.
From diagnostic to test day.
Speaking was my nightmare. 5.5 three times in a row. Times Edu recorded every mock, played it back, and showed me exactly where I was losing band. Twelve sessions later: 7.5.
What families always ask about Speaking.
My child freezes when speaking to an examiner. Can you help?
Yes — speaking anxiety is our most common intake issue for IELTS. We use progressive desensitisation: starting with low-pressure conversation, building to timed Part 2 drills, then full mock tests. Most students overcome the freeze within 4–6 sessions.
How do you fix pronunciation?
We target the 10 highest-impact pronunciation fixes for Vietnamese speakers — final consonant deletion, /th/ vs /s/, word stress patterns, intonation curves. We do not try to eliminate accent — we focus on intelligibility and the specific features the IELTS rubric rewards.
Is the Speaking test the same for Academic and General Training?
Yes — identical format, identical marking criteria. The only difference between Academic and General is in Reading and Writing.
How many mock Speaking tests should my child do before the real exam?
At least 8–10 full mock Speaking tests over 8–12 weeks. Every mock should be recorded and reviewed against the four criteria. Frequency matters more than duration — 2 mocks per week is better than 1 long session.
Ready to boost your Speaking score?
Book a free 60-minute Speaking diagnostic. Worth $60 — free for the first 50 families.