PTE Read Aloud: Score points!

Introduction

PTE Read Aloud is quite simple. Read the task, understand it, and then record yourself reading it aloud.

Overview

Read Aloud contributes to both speaking and reading. Your pronunciation and intonation are important. You will get 6-7 Read Alouds in the test.

Example

The recording status box will show a countdown from either 35 or 40 seconds. When it gets to zero, it will show the word ‘recording’ and there will be a short beep.   You have to start speaking within one or two seconds. Make sure that you don’t begin before the recording status shows that it is ‘recording.’

Sample Question

Here is an example of a Read Aloud text

‘Buy Nothing New Month’ is a global movement aimed at curbing consumerism. The concept is that participants buy nothing new for a month; with the exception of essentials like food and hygiene products. Participants are encouraged to think more carefully about what they buy, the resources needed to make products, and where many of our purchases end up; usually landfill.

Method

There are two parts to this task.

Part one – preparation. You have 35 or 40 seconds to practice. During this time, you need to read and understand the text. Use your voice when you practise. If you read in your head, the meaning may not be as clear.

Part two – recording. By this time you should understand the text, now you need to read it aloud as though you are communicating the information to someone.

Sample answer

Note the features of the text.

The first part is in inverted commas. This indicates it is the name of something. Full stops, commas and semi-colons are all places where you need to pause. The last sentence has three parts and is actually like a list.

Think about the context.

What is the important information the speaker wishes to communicate? Keywords will be stressed. Often the first few words are very important because the speaker wants to make sure that the listener clearly understands the subject. So these words may be a little slower and a little louder. The speaker may pause briefly after the first few words.

Consider unstressed words. Words like ‘and’ and ‘for’ are usually not so important, so they are generally destressed. You can destress a word by saying it quickly. Watch this video for more information about how to stress and destress words.

Scoring

There are three elements that make up your score.

Content:
Make sure that you read the words accurately. Read exactly what is on the page.

Oral fluency:
Aim for fluency. Remember that you are not reading a list of words and you are not going for perfect pronunciation on each word. You are communicating information.

Pronunciation:
Doing well in this section of PTE Describe image is all about the work you do before the test. In the test just do your best. You will be scored on how easy your speaking is to understand and the degree to which it could be classified as ‘native-like.’

Tips for PTE Read Aloud!

1. If you mess one up, it’s okay. Don’t go back and correct yourself. Just keep going.

2. If you don’t know a word or you don’t know how to pronounce it, have a go and move on.

3. Be careful of advice from well-meaning friends or from the internet. A lot of it is incorrect.

4. Do lots and lots of practice.

5. TED.com is a great place to practise. Below the videos, usually, there is a ‘transcript’ button. Click the transcript and then listen to a paragraph while you read. Stop the video and try to say it in the same way as the speaker. You can listen over and over.

6. Did I mention that you should do lots of practise?