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‫In this lesson, we're going to learn some speaking skills that you can use on the day of your test,

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‫and they are conversation fillers and opinion openers.

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‫You learn what language to use when you need to buy some time and you're not sure what you want to talk

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‫about.

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‫And you're going to learn some excellent phrases that you can use to begin your speaking in the speaking

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‫test.

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‫So let's move to the band descriptors and find out why conversation fillers are so useful.

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‫As you can see, I've highlighted in every band level from six to nine the word hesitation.

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‫Now, hesitating in the speaking test is perfectly OK, it's a natural thing that we all do whilst we

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‫decide what we want to talk about, but using language like this isn't going to score you extra marks.

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‫In fact, it will lower your band score.

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‫Conversation fillers are phrases that you can use to buy some time while you think about what you want

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‫to discuss.

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‫Here is why I think they are so useful.

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‫Again, words such as Mom will lose you marks conversation fillers can actually buy you time and using

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‫them properly can actually score you some extra points in the out speaking test.

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‫Here are four examples of conversation fillers that I think you should practice using.

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‫I'm going to show you them used against an ALT'S question.

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‫Now, it's also worth noting that conversation fillers are especially useful in part one and part three

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‫of the speaking test, as you're going to be answering quickfire questions from the examiner.

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‫Let's take a look at that question now.

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‫This is an example of a part one question about a common topic such as friendship.

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‫What makes a good friend?

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‫Let's see the first example using.

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‫That's a really good question.

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‫That's a really good question.

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‫I think a good friend is someone who will help you, whatever the situation is.

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‫Well, let me think about that.

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‫A good friend is someone you can trust at any time with anything.

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‫Let's try changing the question, do you have a lot of free time?

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‫It's difficult to say, really.

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‫Sometimes on the weekend I can relax, but usually I'm always very busy.

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‫And here's another example of a part, one question.

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‫Are you currently working or studying?

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‫So let me move on to our final example, which is to be honest, I've never thought about that.

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‫He you wouldn't want to use a conversation filler, as this question doesn't require much thought for

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‫this reason, there's no need to hesitate and buy some time you could simply answer with.

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‫Right now, I'm learning business at my local college.

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‫It's hard, but I really enjoy it.

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‫It's also important to note that even though I'm not giving an opinion, I've added extra detail to

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‫my answer by saying it's hard, but I really enjoy it.

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‫So as you can see, it's not always appropriate to use conversation fillers if the question doesn't

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‫require too much thinking or an opinion, maybe using a conversation filler would sound slightly strange.

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‫Try and practice these four phrases as much as you can, but do remember not to repeat the language

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‫often as this will lose you marks.

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‫Now let's move on to opinion openers.

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‫Instead of going through the whole scope of the ban descriptors, I thought that this part of the Ban

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‫seven ban descriptor really summed up why opinion openers are quite so important than seven states uses

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‫a range of connectives and discourse markers.

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‫Now, a discourse marker is language that organizes your speaking into parts, and that's exactly what

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‫opinion openers do so much like before.

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‫Here are four opinion openers or four phrases, and I'm going to show you them in use against a question

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‫from the alts example.

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‫Here is a part three example question.

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‫Why do people like to travel?

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‫In my opinion, many people enjoy travelling so they can see a new country or culture that they are

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‫interested in, and here is an example to.

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‫Well, it seems to me that many people enjoy travelling these days.

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‫I think it helps them to relax and distress.

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‫Now, let's have a go at changing the question.

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‫What kind of jobs pay the most?

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‫Personally speaking, I feel doctors and lawyers are paid the most money businesspeople to earn a lot

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‫of cash.

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‫And the last example, I believe, I believe that the highest paid jobs are different in each country

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‫where I'm from, I.T. professionals are paid very well.

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‫So that rounds up our four opinion openers.

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‫And as with the conversation, fellows, I recommend that you do practice using them as much as possible.

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‫But just like conversation fellows, you can't repeat them too often during your speaking test.

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‫You need to show a range of language to make sure you can get a band score of seven or higher.

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‫Before we move on, I've prepared for you a quick quiz to test your understanding of conversation fillers

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‫and opinion openers.

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‫Let's take a look at question number one, using phrases such as and will A, annoy the examiner B,

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‫make no difference or C, possibly lose you marks in the test.

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‫Well, Don, if you answered see, that's correct, that using phrases such as and could possibly lose

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‫you marks in the test as it shows you lack confidence in your language, here is question number two.

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‫Well, it seems to me.

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‫What kind of language is this?

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‫A conversation filler, be a connective or c an opinion opener.

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‫And the correct answer is C well, it seems to me is an opinion opener, and it's something that you

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‫can use in your aout speaking test to begin your speaking part and to start discussing something that

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‫you have an opinion on.

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‫And here is your final question, in what sections of the test are opinion openers most useful?

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‫A, Part three, B, all sections of the test, or C, parts one and three.

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‫Again, the correct answer is C parts one and three, and that's because you'd be giving opinions or

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‫answering questions from the examiner.

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‫So that brings us to an end of our lesson on conversation fellows and opinion openers.

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‫I highly suggest practicing those eight phrases to help you use them in your speaking test.