Are you an Indian PTE test taker or from Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, etc.? Did you pass your previous PTE online test except for the PTE speaking section? If yes, this article about the techniques by Edutrainex on PTE speaking for Indian speakers will be a game-changer for you.
PTE or Pearson Test of English is a computer-based English language test taken by aspirants or students planning to go to major English-speaking countries like Australia. This is a test accepted by many educational institutions all over the world. It is usual for Indian PTE test takers to struggle with the speaking section.
Many Indians achieve their target score in the reading, writing, and listening sections. But all the hard work goes in vain when it comes to the speaking test. Now, this is where Edutrainex comes to your rescue. Edutrainex is the best PTE online training platform that offers its training for Indians who plan to study abroad.
Now let us discuss the problems faced during the PTE speaking tests and ways to improve your PTE Speaking score.
What is the real problem in our Speaking?
India is a place of different cultures, languages, accents, etc. The diversity in language and accents all over India are sometimes visible when Indians speak English. They speak English with a different accent which might not be considered proper standard English by the PTE algorithm during the PTE online test.
Areas that need improvement for PTE Speaking for Indian Speakers:
Use of Consonants and Vowels in PTE Speaking for Indian Speakers
- In comparison to English, Indian languages have fewer vowel sounds. As a result, it is essential for Indian speakers conversing in English to be aware of the changes in vowel sounds. Some of the common vowel pairs Indian speakers face problems with are: “bed” & “bad” and “head” & “had”.
- Indian PTE test takers sometimes find difficulty with the pronunciation of consonants also. Some consonants have different pronunciations in English and Hindi. Sometimes Indian speakers use the sound [p] instead of [f]. For example, “fit” and “pit” and “fool” and “pool”. In most English-speaking countries, the sounds – p, k, t are pronounced with a puff of air like a small h. The release of air puff during the sentences will help in understanding the word or sentence better during a PTE speaking test.
Pitch and Syllables
- Word stress is one of the common mistakes that Indian English speakers commit. Indian speakers stress the starting syllable of the word whereas English speakers give stress to different syllables depending on the word. For example, ‘antibi’otic’, ‘ho’tel’, etc.
- Stress connects with a low pitch in various Indian languages. And stressed syllables are often spoken with a higher pitch in most English dialects. As a result, when some Indian speakers speak, they appear to emphasize the incorrect syllables.
- Some Indian English speakers adopt their first language patterns, breaking a sentence down into much smaller phrases and putting extra pauses where English speakers would not expect them. This makes it more difficult to understand the text.
Pronunciation and Intonation
- In English, falling intonation has a significant role in indicating finality. Instead of a distinct fall, speakers of Indian English commonly utilise a flat intonation pattern towards the conclusion of remarks. This feature may make it difficult to take turns smoothly. The audience may believe that there is more to come from the speaker. And that he or she is going to continue.
- Not using proper lip movements while speaking English is also one of Indians’ mistakes in PTE speaking test.
- Most of the time, Indians feel insecure while speaking English because of their lack of practice or knowledge. According to PTE coaching trainers at Edutrainex, lack of practice in English speaking will make you uncertain to speak in English.
In India, sometimes people don’t get proper English training in schools and colleges. As a result, they might lag behind in English grammar and phonics, leading to a poor score on PTE speaking test. The computer only recognizes proper and standard English with good grammar, phonics, and pronunciation.
Why do we lack in speaking scores?
Indians usually lack PTE speaking scores mainly because of the lack of guidance and feedback. They don’t have a proper mentor and appropriate practice tools to teach them the correct accent. They also don’t know how to speak English in the PTE exam.
Identifying mistakes and correcting those are very important in learning the English language. But this is a part where Indians fall back because they usually don’t notice the mistake and repeat the same in PTE online exams.
How to improve your PTE speaking for Indian Speakers?
Until now, we have discussed the problems faced by the Indian PTE test-takers in the speaking round and their reasons. Now let us see how Edutrainex online platform will help you rectify your mistakes and improve your speaking skills for the PTE exam. Proper training given by a professional PTE trainer from Edutrainex can get you a good score in PTE speaking.
PTE exam is an online test, where you are analyzed and assessed by a computer, not a human. So, the main thing during a PTE speaking test is that you have to make the computer understand what you are speaking. The computer only understands standard English pronunciations and grammar; thus, it is significant to improve your speaking skills before a PTE speaking test. Let us discuss some of the ways suggested by Edutrainex to master the PTE speaking test.
Steps to improve PTE speaking for Indian Speakers:
Practice
- Practice with voice-to-text software and test whether your sentences are correctly recorded as text. Edutrainex offers its students practice sessions to improve their speaking clarity.
- Try to speak at an average pace. Speaking too fast or too slow will give you a low score. If you speak too fast, the computer won’t be able to recognize the words and pauses properly. Pausing at correct places in a sentence is important for the PTE algorithm. It helps to judge your speech during PTE speaking test.
Speak Out Loud
- Speak with a purpose during a PTE speaking test. Make sure that you understand what you are saying instead of blurting out something. Purpose will give your voice a natural tone and help you stress the proper syllable of the words.
- During PTE speaking tests, your voices should be loud and clear. Mumbling your sentences won’t do. If you are in a test centre, you might get annoyed too easily when every other PTE test taker starts their speaking test. To avoid any discomfort in this situation, try practicing your speech with your radio or television in the background. Or you could always go with a noise cancellation earphone.
Lip Movement
- Lip movement is the backbone of English speaking. It would be best if you used your lips properly for your words to be clear and distinctive. Search for the proper pronunciations of the words you have doubts about and always practice the correct pronunciation.
Voice Modulation
- If you are going too fast or slow the computer won’t be able to understand your sentences. At the same time, if you are speaking like a robot the computer won’t give you a good score. For example, “In-my-opinion-it-is-the-best-that-can -be-done”. So, try to modulate your voice and sound natural during your test.
Connecting Words
- In PTE speaking test connecting words are not preferred because the PTE algorithm will not consider the usage of connective words. For example, “want to” will be pronounced as “wanna,” and “them” can become “em” or “dem”. So while practicing for the speaking PTE test, avoid using connected words. As it will reduce your PTE speaking score.
- While practicing for your PTE speaking test, make sure that you pause the sentences. And then give emphasis to the word properly.
Example:
Let’s take an example. Does it really matter whether people speak with an accent as long as they can be easily understood by many people? Now believe that in an increasingly globalized world we should accept variations in the pronunciation of that accent. However, there’s no point in speaking with an accent if people can’t understand you are there?
Given above is a sentence with no punctuation marks or pauses. Now let us make it more meaningful with pausing and chunking.
Does it really matter / whether people speak with an accent / as long as they can be easily understood //? Many people now believe / that in an increasingly globalized world / we should accept variations in pronunciation / that is / accent //. However / there’s no point in speaking with an accent / if people can’t understand you / is there //? (/ – short pause, // – long pause)
What to avoid?
- Avoid words like “amm,” “ahh,” etc. Don’t pause too long between the sentences and sound confident during the test.
- In PTE speaking test, stressing certain words in the sentences will indicate the importance of the words. Then let the PTE algorithm understand the emphasis on the word. To show the importance of the words try practice them slightly louder and slower than the other words in the sentence. For example: Have you seen the new film with Tom Cruise? Here, a main verb, 2 nouns and an adjective are the stressed or emphasised words.
- While practicing for the PTE speaking test, record your voice and hear it. Find the mistakes you make or ask the help of your Edutrainex mentor to listen to them and give feedback. Once you understand the mistake, rectify, and improve your speech.
Role of EduTrainex in polishing PTE Speaking for Indian Speakers
- The Edutrainex online training platform provides live PTE training sessions, mock tests, pre PTE tips, online tests, and other ways to crack this exam.
- Every day, there will be a variety of assignments and exercises for the students. These will help them improve their English ability, which is essential for success in the PTE Speaking.
- The intelli-assist of Edutrainex maintains track of each task, accuracy, and time management. It will allow us to talk with students about their pain points and prepare ahead.
- Edutrainex gives a model answer and graphical performance analysis and a complete PTE standard breakdown evaluation of the Speaking and Writing tasks. We give you post and pre-PTE examination consultations as well as preparation sessions.
What Next?
To summarize, Edutrainex’s online platform and live classes is the best option for your PTE exam preparation. We also provide you with expert guidance throughout your PTE journey, and we assure you of better results and improved collective performance. So, click here to start your PTE journey today!
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