What I would do if I had to improve my IELTS Speaking in 30 days

Here’s exactly what I would do.

1. I would learn the most common IELTS Speaking topics.

The topics in IELTS Speaking are not unlimited. Some topics appear again and again, especially in Part 1. For example, you are very likely to talk about things such as your hometown, work or studies, family, hobbies, food, technology, travel, and education. So I would start by making a list of the most common topics and becoming familiar with the vocabulary and ideas connected to them.

2. I would learn 3–4 useful expressions for each topic.

I wouldn’t try to learn 20 new words for every topic. I would choose a few useful expressions and collocations, rather than single words, that I could actually use when speaking. For example, for work, I might learn:

• job prospects

• work-life balance

• career opportunities

• a demanding job

For education, I might learn:

• higher education

• academic performance

• practical skills

• career prospects

The important thing is to learn words and collocations that can be used naturally in several different questions.

3. I would practise using this language in different questions.

After learning the expressions, I would start using them. If I learned work-life balance, I wouldn’t just memorise the meaning. I would practise using it in different questions:

1. Do you enjoy your job?

2. What makes a good job?

3. Would you like to change your job?

4. Why do some people work too much?

This is how the vocabulary becomes active. You need to use it repeatedly, not just recognise it.

4. I would practise developing my answers.

I would then work on making my answers longer and more developed. I would use simple linking expressions such as because, since, as, due to the fact that, for example, and as a result to explain my ideas.

Instead of:

“I like my job because it’s interesting.”

I would practise developing the idea:

“I like my job because it’s interesting. I get to meet different people, and I also have a good work-life balance, which is really important to me.”

The goal isn’t to make every answer long. It’s to make sure I can explain and develop my ideas when necessary.

5. I would add more fluency markers and linking devices.

Once I was comfortable with the basic language, I would add a few flexible expressions that can help me organise my ideas naturally.

For example:

• From my point of view...

• From my perspective...

• However,...

• Compared to...

• As a matter of fact,...
  
  Again, I wouldn’t memorize complete answers containing these expressions. I would practise using the expressions with my own ideas.

6. Finally, I would stop controlling the questions.

This is probably the most important stage. I would ask a teacher, friend, or AI to give me random speaking questions from different topics. I wouldn’t choose the questions myself. I wouldn’t know what topic was coming next.

This would make me more alert and help reduce the stress of not knowing what the examiner is going to ask. More importantly, I could see whether I could actually use the vocabulary and expressions I had learned when I was under pressure. That’s also why I wouldn’t spend my 30 days memorizing “perfect” answers.

In the real test, you don’t know exactly what the examiner will ask. You need to be able to take the language you have learned and use it with different questions and ideas.

So if I had 30 days, my plan would be:

Learn the common topics → learn a few useful expressions for each → use them in many questions → practise developing answers → add flexible linking expressions → practise with random questions.

I would do this consistently for 30 days.

And if you try this yourself, I’d genuinely like to know how it works for you. I would do this consistently for 30 days. And if you try this yourself, I’d genuinely like to know how it works for you.

If you need someone to listen to your speaking, identify the things that are holding you back, and give you clear advice on what to work on, you can also book a 1-to-1 session with me. Sometimes, having someone listen carefully to your speaking and tell you what to focus on can save you a lot of time and guesswork.

Talk soon,

Iman