Are you feeling nervous about not knowing how to prepare for your response in the MUET speaking test? Don’t be!
This is what you need to do – read the question carefully to understand your task, prepare two content points and then add some ideas for your elaboration.
Saying that, you’re not alone in feeling nervous about the speaking test! Most students who are sitting for the MUET speaking test will feel the same way. The MUET Speaking test can be very worrying if you do not know what to expect. And on top of that, you are not sure of how to answer the question properly.
Nevertheless, with the right preparation you will be able to perform well in the test.
Also knowing how to present well can improve your speaking skills and most importantly boost your confidence.
In this blog, I will provide you with the five tips to help you improve your MUET speaking skills when in the examination room. By following the steps, you will be able to understand the question, come up with relevant ideas to talk about, and ultimately present your two-minute individual presentation with ease.
So let’s dive in and understand these tips in more detail. This is so that you can improve your MUET speaking test and achieve the band that you want!
Step #1 Read and understand the question carefully
There will be two tasks for you to complete in the MUET speaking paper. Part 1 is the individual presentation and Part 2 is the group discussion.
Once you get the MUET speaking question for Part 1, you will have two minutes for you to prepare for the individual presentation. This is what you will need to do during the two minutes preparation time.
The first thing you will need to do is for you to read and understand the question carefully.
Why it is important to read the question carefully
You will need to read and understand the questions first before anything else. This is so that you will know what to do.
Do not rush into answering the question without fully understanding it first. You might miss what the question wants and wrongly answer it. Misreading the question will lead you to giving a response that does not fulfil the task. So, take your time to read and understand the question so that you know exactly what to do.
The very first thing that examiners will be looking for is this. It is whether you are answering the question and fulfilling the task or not. What you talk about during your individual presentation should therefore be relevant to the task that you get.
So read the question carefully and understand the task before thinking of the points for you to talk about. You can ensure your understanding of the task and situation given by doing the following.
Step #2 Link your task to the situation given
Once you understand the question, it is important for you to link your task (as Candidate A for instance) to the situation given.
Let’s look at this sample question for Candidate A to present in the individual presentation.
Make sure you identify the key words in the task and in the situation. In doing so you are ensureing that your response fulfils the task set for you.
So as highlighted in this question above, these are the the key phrases. They are ‘rearranging your furniture’ (your task as Candidate A) as a way to ‘improve our homes’ (the situation given).
Why linking your task to the situation is important
It is very important that you link your task to the situation given. Doing this will ensure that your response fulfils the task. By linking the task and the situation, you will be presenting your response only within the scope that you should be talking about.
Also, when presenting later, always refer back to your task and situation. This is to make sure that you are talking about something that is relevant and correct.
Link your response to real-life situations
I would like to advise you to think about the context of the situation as you are preparing for your presentation. Always link to how the task and situation that you get relates to real life situations.
For instance, as you can see in the question your response should be about rearranging your furniture to improve your home. What you can do here is to link how rearranging your furniture affects your living situation as a family, your life in general and the lives of the people around you.
Chances are, you would have already gone through some experience such as this one. So make it easier for yourself by always relating your points to your real life situations.
Step #3 Brainstorm content points to fulfil the task
Once you get the correct idea about what you need to talk about, it is time for you to brainstorm on the points that you will use during your individual presentation.
2 minutes to present individually
After the two minutes preparation time, each candidate will have two minutes to present individually. As a teacher, I would advise you to prepare at least two content points for this. It is to make sure that you will always have something to talk about. Remember you would need to present for two minutes for part 1. And so the examiners will expect you to speak on the topic for at least two minutes and not less.
So have at least two content points. However it is not wrong for you to present only one idea during your presentation. But you will need to have supporting points and longer elaboration for that one content point.
Ideas that show maturity of thought
The content points that you present should also show some maturity of thought. When your ideas show some maturity of thought it will show that you:
- have done some critical thinking
- are able to give logical reasoning and
- shows that you have a deep understanding of the topic
Critical thinking would involve considering the topic from different point of views. You then present your arguments based on your own personal views but that are carefully thought of.
Have clarity in your arguments
Also, make sure that your content points are clear, very easy to understand and concise. To be concise means you are giving a lot of information but saying it in just a few words.
When presenting, always mention your content point earlier on in your presentation. Examiners would like grasp very quickly the main point that you are making. So, state your point earlier on. After that, elaborate on these points and further explain your views.
Write in bullet points only
When preparing your points, write in bullet points only. This would be written in the form of words or short phrases only. You can have a mind map or have your points written in a list. Either way will help you.
One thing you need to remember is not write in complete sentences. This is a huge mistake for you to make. It is because the two minutes that you get for the preparation time will only allow you to write a few sentences only. Candidates who tend to write complete sentences during this time will potentially face a huge problem. They will find that they will run out of sentences to read later as they are pesenting!
Base your presentation on the short phrases
So have your points written in short phrases. You can also add more words and phrases to these. Think of words and phrase that are relevant and useful to help you when you are presenting.
When it is time for your to present, refer to these points – one point at a time. Based on the bullet points, create sentences to clarify you ideas. Refer to the added word and phrases to create more sentences as elabortions.
This is the correct way to prepare for the points you’re making in the individual presentation.
Step #4 Think of examples to use
Examples are a great way to support your ideas and make your presentation sound more believable. Therefore, always add in an example for the point you are making.
Think about real life examples that you can use to help the listener understand your points better. One example is such as if you are talking about one of the negative effects of social media. You want to talk about that it may cause a person to waste valuable time. For this you could use examples such as how people spend hours, mindlessly scrolling through their social media feed. This will in turn lead them to facing more problems relating to time management.
Being up to date with current issues
Examples also are very important to show to the examiner that you are well aware of the current situation regarding the topic. One thing you will need to make sure is for you to use examples that are relevant and that will support your main ideas.
Do not use examples that are irrelevant. This will only make you seem like you do not really know what you’re talking about.
Step #5 Present your two minutes individual presentation
After these two-minutes preparation time, you are now ready to present your individual presentation.
Start your presentation by greeting the examiners and the other candidates. Here is a video from my YouTube channel that explains more on how to start your individual presentation.
Right after the greetings, introduce your task and link it to the situation mentioned. You are ready to present your individual presentation so do not worry too much about how well you’re going to do. You are now already prepared for this.
Last minute advice from a teacher
Present your content points clearly. Explain your points further and make sure that the examiners understand what you are trying to say. But most importantly your presentation should fulfil the task.
Speak clearly and confidently. Try to look relaxed and use appropriate hand gestures as you are presenting, but not too much! Try to engage with the audience (the examiners and the other candidates) by having eye contact. This would show that you really know what you’re talking about, have confidence and that you belong in the higher band.
Don’t forget to add in examples to support your points. Make sure your presentation for the whole of two minutes flows logically and that they are easy to follow.
Finally end your presentation with a one-sentence conclusion. To do this, in a sentence, simply restate your task and situation. You are now ready. Good luck in your MUET speaking test!
