EIKEN Speaking: Fluency, Relevance, and Interaction
EIKEN Speaking is a face-to-face interview, usually 5-7 minutes. It normally includes reading a short passage aloud, answering questions about it, describing a picture or situation, and giving your opinion. The examiner is not only counting mistakes; you are assessed on pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and communication. A confident, relevant answer with a small error scores better than a silent or memorized one.
Reading aloud
- Read in meaning groups, not word by word: 'Last summer / I visited Kyoto / with my family.'
- Pronounce final consonants and plurals; these are often dropped.
- Do not rush. A steady pace with clear pauses sounds more fluent than speed.
Answering questions
- Use a complete sentence, not one word: 'It was in 1998,' not '1998.'
- For passage questions, return to the sentence that contains the answer.
- If you did not hear, say 'Could you say that again, please?' once; guessing silently is worse.
Picture task
- Start with the setting: 'This is a scene at a train station.'
- Describe people and actions with present continuous: 'A man is waiting on the platform.'
- Add one or two details: weather, objects, feelings.
Worked example
Question: Do you think students should study abroad? Answer:
Yes, I do. First, they can improve their English because they have to use it every day. Second, they learn to be independent, since they must manage their own life. For these reasons, I think studying abroad is a good experience. Reasoning: The first sentence answers directly. Each reason has a because-clause that explains it. The conclusion returns to the question. The vocabulary is simple but accurate, which protects the grammar and vocabulary scores.
Traps that cost marks
- One-word answers; they give the examiner little to score.
- A memorized speech that does not answer the actual question.
- Reading aloud too fast and losing the meaning groups.
- Long silence; use 'Well, let me think' only briefly, then answer.
- Correcting every small error; fluency matters more than perfection.