“Say more, but risk mistakes. Or say less but be more accurate?”

I was asked a very interesting question last night by a student about their speaking exam.

The question was

“ I like to speak a lot and I can say a lot, but then I make more mistakes. So is it better in the exam to say more and make more mistakes or to say less and be more accurate?”

My answer is that I don’t think that’s the correct question to ask about yourself. The question to ask yourself as a speaker before the exam is

“At what pace can I speak while keeping control of my ideas, grammar, vocabulary and meaning.”

IELTS doesn’t reward speaking more or less, but rewards controlled, natural communication.

I would always advise that students practice giving a clear answer which expresses

* their main point (idea)

* gives a clear example of what they mean (example)

* develops an explanation of the effect of consequences

I suspect the student who asked me the question knows they have to say enough to give the examiner sufficient evidence of their level and is worried about balancing “saying enough” with “getting it right”. And that’s totally understandable.

Speak at your pace, using the language you have.

I absolutely would not advise students to

* speak quicker than they are able (your grammar control may collapse)

* speak slower to try to improve accuracy (you could lose fluency)

* attempt to give ideas they don’t have the language to express

So to answer my student’s question:

“Should I speak more and accept more mistakes, or speak less and be more accurate?”

Neither.

Because that’s not the right decision to make.

The real answer is:

Practise giving clear, structured answers at a pace and language level you can control.