Speaking band 8 — FC/LR/GRA/PR criteria chi tiết

4 criteria (each 25%)

1. Fluency & Coherence (FC) — flow + logic
2. Lexical Resource (LR) — vocabulary
3. Grammatical Range & Accuracy (GRA) — grammar
4. Pronunciation (PR) — clarity + features

FC — Fluency & Coherence

Band 8 standard

• Speaks fluently with only occasional repetition or self-correction
• Hesitation is content-related, not language-related
• Develops topics coherently and appropriately
• Uses cohesive devices flexibly

Band 7 falls short on

• More frequent hesitation, sometimes language-related
• Coherence occasionally weak (jumps topics, unclear connections)
• Cohesive devices sometimes overused or basic

Common FC errors

• Long silences while searching for word → say "how do I say this" + paraphrase
• Restart sentences multiple times → commit and complete
• Run-on without clear structure → use "firstly", "another point"

LR — Lexical Resource

Band 8 standard

• Wide vocabulary used flexibly
• Less common and idiomatic items used naturally
• Occasional inaccuracy in word choice or collocation
• Effective paraphrasing when needed

Band 7 falls short on

• Some less common vocabulary but with errors
• Word choice sometimes awkward
• Limited idiomatic language

Common LR errors

• Same word repeated ("important" 6 times)
• Wrong collocation ("do a mistake" → "make a mistake")
• Translation directly ("shake legs" for "relax" — Vietnamese idiom)
• Avoiding topic vocabulary because uncertain

Vocabulary expansion tips

• Build topic-specific word banks (env, tech, education, health)
• Learn collocations not just single words
• Practice 1-2 idioms per session (use naturally, not forced)

GRA — Grammatical Range & Accuracy

Band 8 standard

• Wide range of structures used flexibly
• Majority of sentences error-free
• Errors are rare and don't impede communication

Band 7 falls short on

• Some complex structure attempts have errors
• More frequent errors but still mostly clear
• Limited range — over-relies on simple sentences