Speaking Test Strategies 9 Confidence and enthusiasm

man in business suit jumping with excitement in middle of city street

Be enthusiastic!

This is the final lesson on fluency in this section. It will help you to win the listener's attention using gestures, eye contact and intonation. 

Introduction

Showing enthusiasm and confidence will make you a compelling presenter and an interesting conversation partner, and it will boost your test score. 

What kind of enthusiastic vocabulary can you use? For example: amazing, fantastic...

Warm Up

Your instructor will ask you some questions. Give a very short, confident and enthusiastic answer. 

For example: 

A: What's your favorite food? 
B: Hmm, it has to be tacos! They're fantastic! 

A: Is your hometown a good place to live? 
B: Oh, yes. Absolutely. I'm from Vancouver, Canada. It's such a gorgeous city.

Language

Here are a few ways to show enthusiasm: 

  • word stress/intonation;
  • word choice;
  • eye contact; and
  • gestures.

Practice each one with your teacher.

Practice

Now that you've practiced showing confidence and enthusiasm, try giving a full answer to some speaking-test-style questions.