Please assess my speaking, target band is 8

[terry3218]

Hi, kindly assess my speaking, any feedback will be valued. These are speaking task 2 on the following topics:

Speaking 1:
Talk about a change you would like to make in your life, you should say:
- What kind of change it would be?
- When would you like to make it?
- Why?
- What is the main reason for this change?

http://www.ieltsnetwork.com/download/file.php?id=531

Speaking 2:
Describe something you own which is very important to you.

You should say:
where you got it from
how long you have had it
what you use it for

and explain why it is important to you.

http://www.ieltsnetwork.com/download/file.php?id=530

[lmoore]

Hi, Terry3218,

Thank you for sharing your recording of your speech. Here is some commentary for your first recording.
Overall, I would say that you speak with great confidence and with very few errors. You use complex grammatical structures, like “has been proven” and longer sentences, which indicate you have a solid understanding of English syntax.
Regarding your use of higher-level vocabulary, I was glad to hear that you did not over-use them. You didn’t try to sneak in big words that you really don’t know how to use well, and it didn’t sound overdone or forced in any way. You demonstrated that you understand and can use larger words, however, when you said “exorbitant” and “lethargic,” however. So the interviewer won’t have doubts about whether you can handle more sophisticated vocabulary.
Here are a few pointers:
As you move through your speech and address the different questions, try to incorporate more transitions. It was easy to follow you because you restated the questions in your answers, but it would have been even easier had you used transitions or sign posts, such as “Turning now to the main reason for this change. . .”
Watch the /th/ sound in words. It sounded like you said “tink” instead of “think” at one point. Make sure your tongue is between your teeth when you say this. When you said “lethargic,” it sounded like “lethERgic.” Make sure the “ar” sound is like a you’re saying the letter “r,” not the sound that “r” makes, like in “her.”
One grammar note: You said “It’s mainly because of I am so skinny.” Here you would delete the “of” and just say, “It’s mainly because I am so skinny.” If you’re going to say “because of,” you need to follow it with a noun. For example, “Because of my skinniness, I want to build more muscle.”
Best wishes as you continue to practice!

[lmoore]

Thanks again for sharing the second recording. I’m not sure what I would do without my laptop, so I understand your connection to your tablet-PC.
Here are some notes:
-Good introduction with, “I’m gonna talk about.”
-Nice transition with “Speaking of. . .” to move from the first question to the second.
-Be careful how you say “purchase.” It should sound like “purchis.” The “i” is short. When you said the word, it sounded like a long “a” sound, like “purchaaase,” or the second syllable sounded like the word “chase.”
-I’m not too sure about your use of “subsequently.” That word means afterward. For example, “I found out my parents were coming to visit. I subsequently made the decision to go home and clean my apartment instead of going out to dinner with friends.” You said something along the lines of “If it wasn’t for this tablet-PC and the ebooks that I read on it subsequently, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” Perhaps you could have said, “If it wasn’t for my purchase of this tablet-PC and the ebooks that I read on it subsequently. . .”

Best wishes as you continue to practice!

[terry3218]

thanks lmoore for such a thorough feedback. I really am grateful to you for it. But I didn't understand what you mean by this however, when you said “exorbitant” and “lethargic,” however. ?
Nonetheless, thanks once again.

[lmoore]

I just meant those are good high-level words to use.

[terry3218]

I just meant those are good high-level words to use.

Thanks a bazillion. Have a nice day