It’s never easy to aim for high Speaking scores in any English proficiency tests, such as IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, TOEIC, or even the Duolingo English Test. In the DET, your Speaking skill is evaluated in two sub-scores: Conversation and Production. Let’s explore the top seven daily activities to boost your Speaking skills and get your DET Ready in order to achieve higher Production and Conversation scores.
1. Talking to yourself daily
This is the easiest one because you don’t need to rely on anyone, anything, to talk to yourself. Simply prepare several topics that you are interested in and list down all related questions to the topic, and it’s time to start talking to yourself.
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This may be weird as we-don’t-do that in our everyday lives. However, it’s the most convenient way to advance Speaking skills at home without any fee.
2. Listening to English news and imitating it
Speaking and Listening always go together. Listening is the input, while Speaking is the output. Listening on a daily basis improves this skill for sure, and it also boosts your Speaking if you imitate speakers.
In detail, you should choose a video with clear subtitles, listen to it, and repeat every sentence. By doing so, you not only advance your Speaking but also improve your intonation.
3. Recording yourself
Identifying mistakes and correcting them is the key to English success. When you record yourself speaking English, you have unlimited opportunities to listen to your video recordings and point out possible pronunciation issues.
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In the beginning, you might choose basic and simple topics to discuss, such as Home, Hobbies, Memories, Shopping, Sports, Movies, Weather, and so on. The next step is to brainstorm all related questions to the topics and start recording yourself by answering all the questions you prepared earlier.
4. Thinking in English
Instead of brainstorming in your mother tongue, it’s time to begin thinking in English. Do not take it hard;simply start with basic questions and answers such as, “What should I have for this breakfast? – I should have instant noodles or beefsteak.”
Everything needs practice and repetition to become a master, so as your “thinking in English” skill. Therefore, let’s take small steps to build this daily habit and improve your Speaking because you are immersing yourself in an English environment that you created.
5. Participating in real English conversations
The first four daily habits are about you. You can do it by yourself alone. However, you need partners to practice English speaking. It could be anyone as long as they have a strong passion for upgrading their Speaking skills as well.
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Nowadays, it’s super easy to find English speakers. You can ask your classmates, housemates, foreign friends, and colleagues, or even join social communities to advance your skills.
6. Watching movies
Sometimes, we should not take it too seriously, so watching movies is a great way to uplift your Speaking skills and entertain yourself after a long day at work simultaneously. If you can watch movies without subtitles, go for it. If you cannot, it should not be a problem as long as you turn on English subtitles instead of your language.
7. Practicing on the DET Practice Platform
Whatever habits you want to build to increase your Production and Conversation in the DET, the best one is practicing on the DET Practice Platform directly. In the Duolingo English Test, there are several question types you need to focus on if you aim for higher Production and Conversation scores, including as follows:
Listen and Select
Listen and Type
Read Aloud
Write About the Photo
Speak About the Photo
Read then Write
Read then Speak
Listen then Speak
Writing Sample
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If you want to check how to improve each sub-score, including Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation, or Production, feel free to explore in this article, “How to improve your DET sub-scores?”.
Back to our daily habits, getting your DET Ready is easy nowadays as the DET Practice Platform has thousands of practice questions besides its instant feedback. Specifically, after submitting your answers, the system will share feedback regarding your performance for all question types. On top of that, we evaluate your Speaking and Writing skills based on Fluency, Lexical Sophistication, Lexical Diversity, Grammatical Accuracy, and Acoustic Features (Pronunciation). This is a video sample feedback for your reference.
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You have 24 free questions, 01 Interactive Reading set, and 01 Full Test every day to practice. Let’s go to the DET Practice Platform, create your free account, and start uplifting your Production and Conversation scores today. Getting your DET Ready is more efficient by identifying your mistakes and improving them.
