Part 1 — Casual vs academic speaking

Speak naturally — but speak academically

In academic speaking, contractions (don't, you'll) are fine — they make your speech flow naturally. What you should swap out is the everyday vocabulary that sounds too informal.

Everyday English	Academic English
kids	young people, children
loads, heaps	many, several, a large number
said no way	refused, declined
stuff	equipment
all right, OK	satisfactory, fine
hold on, hang on	wait

Tick the sentences suitable for the speaking test. Rewrite the others to make them more academic.

The kids in the survey said they needed more free time.
The price of coal increased over the given period.
Loads of people noticed a change in the government policy.
Most people said no way when they were asked to take part.
You'll get all the stuff you need for the science lab on the first day.
The research showed that most families found the accommodation to be satisfactory.
Consumers who want to buy a driverless vehicle will have to hold on for a few more years.

Part 2 — Academic collocations

Use word pairs that sound natural together

Collocations are words that ‘belong’ together. A researcher's work is highly regarded — not largely or extremely regarded. Build them up a few at a time.

Match adverbs 1–5 with adjectives a–e

carefully
highly
commonly
closely
densely

related
populated
selected
assumed
unlikely

Write sentences using the collocations from Exercise 2

Use each collocation in a full academic sentence. The first one is done for you:

The exchange students were carefully selected to represent their university.

Match verbs 1–4 with nouns a–d

raise
reach
face
attend

an agreement
a challenge
conferences
money

Complete the sentences with the collocations from Exercise 4

Local community groups ______ for the conservation project.
Researchers couldn't ______ about the age of the artifacts.
To succeed in an academic field, you should not only ______ but give presentations at them.
The interviewer ______ when the children refused to answer his questions.

Part 3 — Phrasal verbs: dos and don'ts

Most phrasal verbs are fine — a few are too informal

When you learn a new phrasal verb, check the dictionary label. Neutral = use anywhere. Informal/slang = avoid in academic speaking.

Tick suitable phrasal verbs. Rewrite the others with something more academic.

Underlined phrasal verbs in the original PDF — decide which are appropriate for academic speaking and replace those that are not.

2. After exams, students need to chill out.
3. Researchers will look into the cause of the decline.
4. The committee decided to carry out a full review.
5. The audience cracked up when the speaker forgot her notes.
6. Voters were asked to turn out in large numbers.
7. Disruptive students were kicked out of the lecture.

Part 4 — Introducing an idea

Three flexible openers for any spoken response

Use these to introduce the main point of a Re-tell Lecture, a Describe Image or a Summarize Group Discussion.

A significant factor in … is …

One important point is that …

When considering …, it is worth noting that …

Introduce the idea: ‘Product packaging has a great deal of influence on customers' decisions.’

A significant factor in ______ is ______.
One important point is ______.
When considering ______, it is worth noting that ______.

Part 5 — Linking ideas

Move on to a new idea without sounding sudden

In Re-tell Lecture and Describe Image you speak for 30–40 seconds — these phrases keep the listener with you when you change direction.

Worked example

"Another point worth mentioning is poor diet. This leads to the next point, which is the fact that labels on food are often not clear. Moving on from that, various solutions must be considered. A related issue is the cost of healthy food. Turning now to children, it is very important to start the day with a healthy meal."

Match the linking phrases 1–5 with the structures that follow them, a–d

Another point worth mentioning is …
Moving on from that, …
A related issue is …
This leads to the next point, which is …
Turning now to …

a noun / noun phrase (the new museum)
a noun phrase + a full sentence (the new museum, it is twice as large…)
‘the fact that’ + a full sentence
a full sentence (it is important to look at…)

Part 6 — Concluding & summarising

Finish with a clear closing phrase

A general closing statement signals to the examiner that your response is complete — important in Re-tell Lecture and Summarize Group Discussion.

Complete the closing phrases with: As · conclude · In · On · other · summary · To · up

In ______, …
To sum ______, …
______ summarise, …
To ______, …
______ conclusion, …
In ______ words, …
______ the whole, …
______ we have seen, …

Part 7 — Cause / effect, reason / result

Say the same idea ten different ways

Practise saying ‘It was raining → the celebration was cancelled’ using each phrase below — record yourself and listen back for natural rhythm.

For each phrase, write Reason or Result. Then build the sentence.

so …
As a result, …
As a result of …, …
Consequently, …
Because (of) …, …
Due to …, …
Thanks to …, …
Whenever this occurs, then …
Since …, …
For this reason, …

Part 8 — Similarities & differences

Comparison phrases: big or small difference?

Decide whether each underlined phrase describes a big or small difference

The agriculture sector is far more profitable than tourism.
The female birds are not quite as large as the males.
Our new professor speaks much more quickly than our tutor does.
The diagram online was practically identical to her work.
The 3D printing process is not nearly as difficult as the traditional method.
Local businesses are a little less busy than this time last year.
Yesterday's performance was nearly as exciting as today's.
Shanghai is a great deal larger than Jinan.

Part 9 — Giving examples & evidence

Six ways to introduce an example

Underline the phrase that introduces an example in each sentence

The city needs to think about how we consume energy. Take, for instance, our public transportation system …
There are many issues with the new cafeteria. These include access, affordability and staffing.
Fruits such as oranges and lemons are essential.
Many people had to wait weeks for results. In the case of one man, it was nearly two months.
Public buildings do not need to be unattractive. Town Hall Station is a case in point.
Several programs have been set up, one example being the new skate ramp.

Part 10 — Describing images

Describe Image: opening verbs & noun pairings

Always start with a general statement. Then give the most important detail first.

Nouns

The graph · the pie chart · the line graph · the bar chart · the flow chart · the infographic · the diagram · the photograph · the picture · the image

Verbs

indicates · presents information about · provides data about · depicts · shows · represents · compares · illustrates

Match each sentence with the type of image it could be describing (more than one possible)

Choose from: diagram · flow chart · line graph · map · photo · pie chart

Next to the industrial area, there is a large forest.
The station has three points of entry – two on the west side and one to the north.
Sales increased until 2009, at which point they began to fluctuate and then drop.
Nearly half of the people surveyed live with more than one family member.
The woman is filling in a form, which could be an application.
If the customer is satisfied with a replacement, the matter ends; if not, the manager is called.
There is a handle on the machine so that the operator can pick it up.

Match graphs a–f with sentences 1–6

Graphs a–f are described in the PDF. Match each sentence to the right graph type.

The number of people in the store reached a peak in the middle of the day.
There was a gradual increase in profit over the 10-year period.
Fruit imports suddenly declined after a period of stability.
Girls were more likely than boys to enrol in a drama course.
The number of cinema patrons fluctuated wildly throughout the summer.
There was very little change in the number of horses requiring veterinary care.

Tip: words like peak, decline, plateau, dip, rise, fall, drop can be used as both nouns and verbs (it reached a peak / it peaked).

Part 11 — Giving a hypothesis

When you have to guess, signal that you are guessing

In Describe Image you sometimes have to interpret what's happening. Words like looks as though, might have, perhaps, probably show that you're proposing — not stating fact.