Self-correction in IELTS Speaking: Why It’s Important and How To do It

Reading Time: 4 – 5 Minutes

Self-correction in IELTS speaking refers to the ability of a speaker (candidate) to identify and correct their errors or mistakes while speaking. It is an essential aspect of the IELTS speaking test and even effective everyday communication because it demonstrates a speaker’s awareness of their language use and their willingness to improve their accuracy and clarity.

Self-correction plays a significant role in demonstrating an IELTS speaking candidate’s language proficiency and communication skills. In the context of IELTS speaking, test-takers who can self-correct effectively show their awareness of linguistic features, such as grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

Moderate and strategic self-correction can positively impact a candidate’s IELTS speaking score by showcasing their ability to identify and rectify mistakes independently. This demonstrates their commitment to improving their language skills and communicating effectively. However, candidates need to strike a balance between self-correction and fluency, as excessive or ineffective self-correction can disrupt the flow of speech and negatively affect coherence. Test-takers should focus on making corrections only when necessary to maintain clarity and demonstrate a strong command of the English language.

The various stages are the following:

1. Monitoring: The speaker listens to their speech and identifies any errors, hesitations, or unclear expressions.
2. Error recognition: The speaker acknowledges the mistake and understands why it occurred, whether due to grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation issues.
3. Repair: The speaker corrects the error by rephrasing, repeating, or adjusting their speech to convey the intended meaning accurately.

In language tests like IELTS, demonstrating the ability to self-correct can positively influence a candidate’s speaking score, as it reflects their ability to identify and rectify mistakes independently. However, it’s important to note that excessive self-correction can affect fluency, so maintaining a balance between accuracy and fluency is crucial for effective communication.

 

What does self-correction in IELTS speaking look like?

Here are a few examples of self-correction in the context of IELTS speaking:

Example 1:

Candidate: “I enjoy to reading… I mean, I enjoy reading novels in my free time.”

In this example, the candidate initially uses an incorrect verb form (“enjoy to reading”) but quickly self-corrects by providing the accurate form (“enjoy reading”).

Example 2:

Candidate: “My hometown is a small, uh, sorry, a quiet and peaceful village in the countryside.”

The candidate replaces the vague term “small” with more precise descriptions (“quiet and peaceful village”) to better convey their intended meaning.

Example 3:

Candidate: “The last movie I watched was… oh, not movie, sorry, it was a documentary on climate change.”

In this case, the candidate mistakenly says “movie” but then corrects themselves by specifying the accurate term, “documentary.”

Example 4:

Candidate: “My favorite way of traveling is… traveling by train. No, actually, I prefer traveling by plane.”

The candidate first states that their favorite way of traveling is by train but then realizes their actual preference is traveling by plane and self-corrects their response.

Example 5:

Candidate: “In my opinion, the government should invest more in uh, uh, I mean, in renewable energy sources.”

Here, the candidate fills a hesitation with a self-correction, successfully conveying their intended message about the government’s investment in renewable energy sources.

These examples show how self-correction can help candidates demonstrate their language proficiency and communication skills in the IELTS speaking test.

What does excessive self-correction look like?

While self-correction can demonstrate a speaker’s awareness of their language use, excessive or ineffective self-correction can negatively impact fluency in IELTS speaking. Here are a few examples:

Example 1:

Candidate: “My favorite, uh, my, my favorite hobby is, is uh, playing, no, I mean, is to play, playing soccer with my friends.”

In this case, the candidate’s multiple self-corrections and hesitations disrupt the flow of their speech, making it less fluent.

Example 2:

Candidate: “In the future, I plan to, uh, I’m not sure, maybe study abroad or, or perhaps, uh, start my own business, you know.”

The candidate’s uncertainty and repeated attempts at self-correction result in a lack of coherence, impacting their fluency.

Example 3:

Candidate: “The best way to reduce traffic congestion, uh, traffic jams, I mean, uh, congestion, is by promoting public transportation.”

While the candidate attempts to self-correct and find the most suitable word, their excessive hesitation affects the fluency and coherence of their speech.

Example 4:

Candidate: “I think, uh, no, I believe that technology has a, uh, a huge, a big, no, a significant impact on our daily lives.”

The speaker’s multiple self-corrections and hesitations create a disjointed and less fluent response.

Example 5:

Candidate: “In order to protect the environment, we should encourage people to, you know, to, uh, recycle, reuse, and reduce waste, or something like that.”

Here, the candidate’s vague and hesitant self-correction undermines the clarity and fluency of their speech.

These examples demonstrate how excessive or ineffective self-correction can disrupt fluency in IELTS speaking. Test-takers should aim to strike a balance between accuracy and fluency, making corrections only when necessary to maintain clear and coherent speech.

 

Effective strategies to self-correct in IELTS Speaking

Actively Listening

By actively listening to their speech, test-takers can identify grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation errors, enabling them to make necessary corrections. This is the initial and most important step towards successfully correcting one’s errors in IELTS speaking.  

Pausing and Rephrasing

Pausing briefly and rephrasing sentences can help candidates maintain fluency while addressing mistakes. This demonstrates their ability to self-correct without disrupting the flow of their speech.

Using Fillers

In some cases, test-takers may need additional time to self-correct. They can use fillers such as “Let me rephrase that” or “What I meant to say was” to maintain the flow of speech while addressing the error.

Repeating with Correct Pronunciation

If a word is mispronounced, candidates can repeat it correctly to demonstrate their awareness of the error and their ability to self-correct.

Clarifying Meaning

Providing synonyms, definitions, or examples can help test-takers clarify their intended meaning when the initial word or expression does not effectively convey it.

 

The negative impacts of over-correcting yourself

Excessive self-correction can negatively impact your band score on the IELTS speaking test. While self-correction is an important skill to demonstrate your awareness of linguistic features and your commitment to accurate communication, excessive self-correction can lead to several issues that may lower your overall score:

1. Disrupts Fluency: Overcorrecting can disrupt the flow of your speech, making it less fluent and coherent. This can affect your score in the Fluency and Coherence assessment criteria.
2. Reduces Comprehensibility: Excessive self-correction may make it more difficult for the examiner to understand your message, impacting your score in the Pronunciation assessment criteria.
3. Impacts Lexical Resource: Repeatedly correcting vocabulary choices can give the impression of a limited lexical range, potentially affecting your score in the Lexical Resource assessment criteria.
4. Affects Grammatical Accuracy: Continuous self-correction might indicate a lack of control over grammatical structures, which can lower your score in the Grammatical Range and Accuracy assessment criteria.

 

In conclusion

While it’s important to correct yourself when necessary, excessive self-correction can result in a lower band score due to its impact on various assessment criteria, such as fluency, coherence, pronunciation, lexical resource, and grammatical accuracy. Test-takers should strive to balance accuracy and fluency by correcting only when necessary to maintain clear communication and demonstrate their language proficiency effectively.

 

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