In this PTE speaking test task, you are asked to read a text aloud from the computer screen. You have 30–40 seconds to prepare, and the recording time depends on the length of the text. You will see a recording status box that shows a countdown until the microphone opens. You will hear a short tone indicating that you can now start reading the text aloud. You must end reading the text before the progress bar touches the end.
Consider the passage below for example:
Ethical appeals notwithstanding, great art will increasingly devolve into big business. Firstly, great art can only be certified by its market value. Moreover, the “world at large” hasn’t the means of acquisition. Only one museum currently has the funding to contend for the best pieces–the J. Paul Getty Museum, founded by the billionaire oilman. The art may disappear into private hands, but its transfer will disseminate once static fortunes into the hands of various investors, collectors, and occasionally the artist.
Remember that you can only record your response once, and if you remain quiet for longer than 3 seconds, the recording will immediately stop. There are 6–7 items for this speaking task.
The main purpose of this speaking task is to assess your ability to read a short text using correct pronunciation and intonation.
How to Master the PTE Speaking Test: Read Aloud
As a student enrolled in a PTE online review package, it is essential to seek for test-taking strategies that can help boost your communication skills and get your desired PTE speaking score goal. To help you achieve this, here are four practical tips on how to ace the PTE speaking test—read aloud:
1. Manage your time wisely
Maximize the preparation time (30–40 seconds) to execute the following:
- Look for essential words or phrases that can help you understand the main idea of the text.
- If you see any unfamiliar words, learn how to pronounce them before the actual recording, words like notwithstanding, acquisition, disseminate, etc.
2. Use punctuations
Break the text into meaningful chunks, using punctuations as a guide. Doing this shows you the place where you can pause and raise and lower your voice at the correct places of the text. As a rule of thumb, pause for about 0.5 seconds after a comma, and for about 1 second after a full stop.
3. Speak clearly and calmly
Start reading the text aloud as soon as the tone beeps. Enunciate the words clearly and calmly. There is no need to rush as it might cause you to stutter or to skip some words. Keep in mind that there are no marks for accents.
Things that matter are:
– How relevant is your speech to the content of the passage (word for word)
– Your pronunciation of words (both, big and small words.
– How well you place your pauses (oral fluency)
4. Highlight important words
When you read the text, make sure to stress the words that carry essential information. Use the rising and falling intonation patterns to display how the ideas are connected in the text.
So get this! Following these four principles and practicing over and over again will not only enhance your skills and improve your read aloud scores, but also enhance your English speaking skills over time, and contribute in building effective writing strategies, such as knowing where to use punctuation marks (commas and full-stops).