One of the skills that is assessed in the IELTS speaking test is fluency.

Fluency is speaking at a natural pace without hesitating too much.

But fluency doesn't mean speaking quickly. Sometimes, speaking too fast can make it harder

to be understood.

Another aspect of fluency is the smoothness of your speech. This means that you don't

always stop to try to think of the right word.

Listen as the golfer in the next clip talks about her career:

Golf is a very interesting game. Um It can be very frustrating and annoying and um but

then, you know, it can be just, it can be really fun and challenging which makes it

fun I guess. When I'm not competing um, I try to practise every day for at least 6 hours

and if I play 18 holes er I'll still try and practise for another 3 or 4 hours.

You may have noticed that she used expressions such as 'um' , 'like' , 'you know' and 'I

guess'. These are called fillers. It's natural to use fillers but be careful not to overuse

them. Listen to her again:

On top of that I guess I have err like work outs, and um gym work outs and I try to do

that 3 to 4 times a week. So they're pretty long hours. In January this year I went to

the ladies European tour qualifying school and I managed to secure a conditional card

for the season so I decided to turn pro. This meant that, you know, I'd give up my amateur

status and I'd be playing for money I guess is the main difference.

Fillers are used to tell your listener that you haven't finished, but you are thinking

of what to say next. They don't carry meaning like words do.

Now let's listen to a speaking test candidate using fillers:

Mm, ok, well, one of the buildings I really like in Sydney is the Queen Victoria Building.

Um, I've been here for a year only in Sydney, so I haven't had the chance to actually visit

many public buildings, but I know this one very well. Um, I like it because, um, it's

got a very interesting old style, and, er, it's very elegant, it's very spacious. I don't

like the modern type of buildings, you know, with many storeys and er, very modern and

contemporary. Um, I like the Queen Victoria Building, um, because it's elegant.

To begin her talk she uses several fillers:

Mm, ok, well, one of the buildings I really like in Sydney is the Queen Victoria Building.

Saying 'Mm, ok, well', helps her get started on the topic of her favourite building. She

is thinking of what to say and not how to say it.

She uses 'um and 'er' to give her time to think of what to say next at points in her

speech, such as at the beginning of a sentence when she's linking information back to what

she's just said:

…one of the buildings I really like in Sydney is the Queen Victoria Building.

Um, I've been here for a year only in Sydney…

Next, she uses fillers just after the words 'because' and 'and' to give her time to think

of reasons.

Um, I like it because, um, it's got a very interesting old style, and, er, it's very

elegant, it's very spacious.

She also uses the filler 'you know' , but this time to show that she is sharing knowledge,

in this case that modern buildings have many storeys:

I don't like the modern type of buildings, you know, with many storeys and very modern

and contemporary.

Let's listen to another clip where she uses 'you know' in the same way while answering

a question about eating habits in the future:

Well I think they will because, um, you know, the rhythm of life, the pace of life is becoming,

you know, more and more, um, stressful and, um, faster, so I think there is less time

to eat, then we have to eat, um, in smaller amounts, but with the same quantity of vitamins

and nutrients.

She uses expressions with similar meanings - 'the rhythm of life', 'the pace of life'

- to help her talk flow.

Using synonyms, opposites and related vocabulary gives continuity to her talk.

It makes it possible to continue talking without repeating the same words.

Listen again:

Well I think they will because, um, you know, the rhythm of life, the pace of life is becoming,

you know, more and more, um, stressful and, um, faster, so I think there is less time

to eat, then we have to eat, um, in smaller amounts, but with the same quantity of vitamins

and nutrients.

Being able to talk on a variety of subjects confidently will make it easier to maintain

fluency.

Listen to this man, who is a concert master in a symphony orchestra, talking about his

violin:

Um, this violin, it was made around er, they figure around 1810 in Cremona, in Italy. And

Cremona, of course, is er, where all the … kind of the … it's the best lineage

of makers are from Cremona. Stradivarius, of course, which is the most well-known violin

maker, originated from Cremona. And so, this kind of is a descendant of the Cremonese line

of making. And um, I've been lucky enough to own this violin. My parents bought it for

me when I was 14, I think. So, very, very lucky to have a very nice, 200, almost 200-year-old

Italian instrument.

He was thinking of better ways to say what he meant and was able to easily change what

he was saying mid-sentence. Listen again:

Um, this violin, it was made around er, they figure around 1810 in Cremona, in Italy. And

Cremona, of course, is where all the … kind of the … it's the best lineage

of makers are from Cremona.

Maybe this is not perfectly correct English, but it is acceptable spoken English because

it remains fluent. Hesitating to correct your grammar disrupts your fluency. Only by practising

can you improve your fluency. A teacher or native speaker will help you with your accuracy.

Fluency is not only your ability to speak smoothly and continuously but also your ability

to speak at an effective speed.

Speaking too slowly or too quickly is unnatural. Aim to speak at a relaxed and natural pace.

Let's listen to this student talking about public transport in Sydney. Listen to the

speed of her speech. Does she speak too quickly, too slowly or just right?

Er, it should be less expensive. I must say Sydney um Sydney's transport is really expensive.

Er, it should be less expensive but, um, one of the problems is the frequency of transport.

Sometimes you have to wait, like, twenty minutes for the bus to come.

Her speech rate is just right. She is neither too quick nor too slow. The pace is reasonable

and appropriate, and she sounds natural.

You should practise modelling the pace of your speech on that of a native speaker.

Listening carefully to a large range of English speakers is one of the most effective ways

to help you achieve fluency yourself.

Once you are used to the natural pace of English, you should record your speech and check whether

you're speaking at that pace.

Fluency is most important in part 2 of the speaking test, the long turn. It's when you

have to speak for one to two minutes on your own.

That's all for today. For more about fluency, go to our website. The address is: australianetwork.com/studyenglish.

Good Luck with your studies. Bye for now.