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IELTS Speaking - Lexical Resource

IELTS
Study
Lectures for Speaking
Lexical Resource

IELTS Speaking — Lexical Resource

  • Speaking
  • Lexical Resource

What Is Lexical Resource?

The range of vocabulary and the precision with which meanings and attitudes are expressed.

Lexical Resource Criteria by Band (3~9)

Band
Lexical Resource
9
  • Uses vocabulary with full flexibility and precision in all topics
  • Uses idiomatic language naturally and accurately
8
  • Uses a wide vocabulary resource readily and flexibly to convey precise meaning
  • Uses less common and idiomatic vocabulary skilfully, with occasional inaccuracies
  • Uses paraphrase effectively as required
7
  • Uses vocabulary resource flexibly to discuss a variety of topics
  • Uses some less common and idiomatic vocabulary and shows some awareness of style and collocation, with some inappropriate choices
  • Uses paraphrase effectively
6
  • Has a wide enough vocabulary to discuss topics at length and make meaning clear in spite of inappropriacies
  • Generally paraphrases successfully
5
  • Manages to talk about familiar and unfamiliar topics but uses vocabulary with limited flexibility
  • Attempts to use paraphrase but with mixed success
4
  • Is able to talk about familiar topics but can only convey basic meaning on unfamiliar topics and makes frequent errors in word choice
  • Rarely attempts paraphrase
3
  • Uses simple vocabulary to convey personal information
  • Has insufficient vocabulary for less familiar topics

Key Concept 1 — Familiar/Unfamiliar Topics

Core Principle

  • Vocabulary ability increases along with the band, depending on familiarity with the topic.

Lower Bands vs. Higher Bands

  • Lower bands: Familiar topics, lower-band vocabulary, used frequently
  • Higher bands: Less familiar topics, higher-band vocabulary, used rarely

Key Concept 2 — Paraphrase

Use of Paraphrase by Band — A Step-by-Step Understanding

  • The approach to paraphrase changes by band as follows:

Band 3 — Even Attempting Is Difficult

  • With insufficient vocabulary, the same words are repeated continuously. Even if the test taker wants to switch to different expressions, they do not know any alternative words.

Band 4 — Attempts Begin

  • As vocabulary gradually grows, the first attempts to "switch to different expressions" begin to appear. However, these attempts are still often awkward or inaccurate.

Bands 5–7 (Middle Bands) — The Critical Range Where Success Rates Improve

  • With sufficient vocabulary, test takers become increasingly skilled at switching to a variety of expressions. This is the range in which actively making use of paraphrase leads to score improvement. Whether or not you can paraphrase well is the key to raising your score.

Bands 8–9 (Higher Bands) — The Need Diminishes

  • Because vocabulary has become so rich, the most accurate and appropriate word can be chosen from the start, and there is less need to consciously think, "I should rephrase this." As a result, a variety of expressions flows out naturally.

Summary

Middle bands = the range where doing paraphrase well is what raises your score

Higher bands = the range where vocabulary is so rich that paraphrase happens naturally

Key Concept 3 — Inappropriacy / Inaccuracy

The focus of vocabulary assessment changes depending on the band.

Band Range
Assessment Focus
Bands 3, 4, 5
"simple," "basic," "limited" vocabulary — focus on quantity
Bands 6, 7
"inappropriate" — vocabulary that does not fit the context
Bands 8, 9
"inaccurate" — vocabulary that is "wrong" or "not specific enough"

Key Concept 4 — "Less Common and Idiomatic"

The Meaning of "Less Common"

  • It does not necessarily mean "difficult words"
  • It commonly means "less common in textbooks"

Caution — Expressions That Must Not Be Used

  • Do not use swear words, profanity, or slurs

What Are Idioms?

Combinations of words whose meaning cannot be understood from the meanings of the individual words

Key Tips for Improving Lexical Resource

  1. Practice Paraphrasing

    • Work through practice exercises that express the same information using different words

  2. Learn Collocations and Idioms

    • Collocations: combinations of words that are frequently used together
    • Idioms: combinations of words that have a meaning different from their individual meanings
    • Find expressions that can be applied to your familiar topics and interests
    • Build your own vocabulary list

  3. Use Real-Life Materials

    • Use real-life materials when studying
    • Pay attention to native-speaker speech

  4. Learn Function Words

    • Focus on function words such as "to," "at," "on," and "by"

  5. Practice Using Words Flexibly

    • Example: travel / travelling / traveler
      • "Travel has always interested me."
      • "I am passionate about travelling."
      • "I am an ardent traveler."