Pronunciation 

This criterion assesses the speaker’s pronunciation.

  • Accurate Pronunciation: Evaluates the correct use of sounds (phonemes), stress, and intonation.
  • Sustained Accuracy: Assesses the speaker’s ability to maintain accurate pronunciation throughout the entire speaking test.

Essentially, this criterion examines how accurately and consistently the speaker pronounces words and uses intonation to convey meaning effectively.

Key Things to Focus On When Trying To Improve Pronunciation

1. Chunking 

  • Meaningful Word Groups: English speech naturally divides into groups of words, often separated by short pauses.
    • Example: “[when I was a child] – [I lived in Africa]”
  • Importance of Chunking:
    • Aids in clear and effective communication.
    • Helps establish a natural rhythm and stress pattern in spoken English (stress-timed rhythm).
  • Difficulty with Chunking:
    • Speakers who struggle with chunking may sound robotic, with unnatural pauses and a lack of natural rhythm.

Essentially, chunking refers to the natural grouping of words in spoken English, which significantly impacts the rhythm, flow, and overall clarity of speech.

2. Rhythm 

  • Stress-Timed Language: English is characterized by a stress-timed rhythm, where stressed syllables are given equal time, while unstressed syllables are reduced or “swallowed” (e.g., “gonna” for “going to”).
  • Contrast with Syllable-Timed Languages: In contrast, syllable-timed languages (like Spanish or Italian) emphasize each syllable equally, resulting in a more mechanical and less fluid delivery.
  • Importance of Stress-Timing and Elision: These features contribute to the natural rhythm and flow of English speech, enhancing clarity and meaning.

Essentially, English speech has a distinct rhythm that emphasizes stressed syllables and reduces unstressed ones. This stress-timed rhythm, along with features like elision (omitting sounds in connected speech), is crucial for achieving a natural and fluent English pronunciation.

3. Stress and Intonation 

  • Importance of Stress and Intonation:
    • Stress: Highlights key words and emphasizes meaning (e.g., “it’s my pen, not yours“).
    • Intonation: Conveys meaning, expresses attitude, and guides the listener (e.g., rising intonation for questions, falling intonation for statements).
  • Inappropriate Use:
    • Overuse: Stressing every word or using a rising inflection at the end of every phrase can make speech sound unnatural and hinder communication.
    • Monotone Delivery: Lack of stress and intonation can make speech sound flat and uninteresting, making it difficult for the listener to understand and engage with the speaker.
  • Higher Bands (6 and above): Speakers are expected to demonstrate a range of pronunciation features, including stress and intonation, with a degree of control and flexibility.

Essentially, stress and intonation are crucial for effective communication in English. By using these features appropriately, speakers can convey meaning more effectively, express their emotions, and engage their listeners more effectively.

4. Sound Production:

  • Accurate Pronunciation: Clear and accurate pronunciation of sounds is crucial for effective communication.
  • Common Sound Errors:
    • Phoneme Errors: Mispronouncing sounds (e.g., “was” for “vas”).
    • Vowel Errors: Incorrect vowel lengths or qualities.
    • Consonant Errors: Omitting or mispronouncing consonants or consonant clusters.
    • Word Endings: Swallowing or omitting sounds at the end of words.
  • L1 Interference: The speaker’s native language can significantly influence their pronunciation, leading to errors and potential difficulties in communication.
  • Minimal Pairs: Errors with minimal pairs (words that differ by only one sound) can cause significant confusion (e.g., “pig” vs. “big,” “work” vs. “walk”).

Essentially, accurate sound production is fundamental for clear and effective communication in English. Speakers must pay attention to the correct pronunciation of individual sounds, as well as the overall clarity and accuracy of their speech

5. Accent and Intelligibility:

  • Natural Variation: All speakers of English have an accent.
  • Focus on Intelligibility: Examiners assess how much the speaker’s accent impacts the listener’s ability to understand them.
  • Band 8 and Above: At this level, accent has minimal impact on intelligibility.
  • International Comprehensibility: Examiners must assess intelligibility from an international perspective, considering the potential challenges for listeners from various English-speaking backgrounds.
  • Strong Accents: May require increased listener effort and should be considered alongside other pronunciation features (stress, intonation, rhythm).

Essentially, while accent is a natural aspect of language, examiners evaluate how effectively the speaker’s accent allows their message to be understood by a broad range of English listeners.