How do I use signposting language effectively in IELTS speaking and writing tasks?

Have you been told that you need to include more "signposting language" when you write or speak in English for the IELTS exam, but have no idea what to do?

These strategies will help prepare you for everything you need to know about how to use signposting when speaking and writing for the IELTS exam.

Signposting is something that helps you to know how a situation or a course of action will develop. It is important in exams as it clearly organizes your ideas and is a way to direct the listener or reader to what is coming next.

You can use signposting language in a number of different ways:

Compare

• The main difference is...

• while/whereas

• more than

• less than

Reasons

• The main reason for...

• There are several reasons why...

• The main point to consider is...

• To illustrate this,...

Periods of time

• When I was young,...

• Years ago,...

• These days,...

• At the moment,...

Cause and effect

• As a result,...

• Therefore,...

• Consequently,...

• Due to this,...

Sequencing

• Firstly/Secondly/Thirdly,...

• Subsequently...

• Following this,...

• Finally,...

Summarizing

• In summary,...

• Overall,...

• In conclusion,...

• To sum up,...

Speculation

• I believe that...

• I doubt that...

• I suppose that...

• It is possible that...

Giving examples

• For example,...

• Additionally,...

• Moreover,...

• as well as

Signposting language is an important part of the marking criteria to assess the effectiveness of your communication and organization skills.

• For speaking they're called discourse markers and come under fluency and coherence.

• For writing they're called cohesive devices and come under coherence & cohesion.

Although they have different names, these criteria both grade you on how well you guide the reader or listener on what you want to say.

Consider this writing question:

To what extent has technology brought people closer together?

Note the signposting language in bold text in the answer below.

While some argue that technological advancements help communication and connection among family members, some skeptics are more concerned about its potential to decrease face-to-face communication.

Years ago, it was difficult for people to stay in touch, whereas nowadays the internet has made this much easier. For example, people can now talk to each other via video from different parts of the world. Due to this, people do feel much closer.

Let's now look at this speaking question:

Should governments pay for national celebrations?

Note the signposting language in bold text in the answer below.

I believe that it is essential to consider various things. At the moment in my country, we have a lot of festivals, and that helps foster a sense of unity with everyone living here. It is possible that without government funding the celebrations wouldn't be accessible to all members of society. As a result, many people can attend.

Consequently, it is important to balance these benefits against the cost to taxpayers. The cost of a festival here can be a lot more than most people can imagine. I suppose some people might think it's too excessive.

Which signposting language could be used for this question example:

Should people learn a second language?

There are many possible answers.

Use language that is appropriate for each space from the examples you read earlier at the top of this Byte:

1. Reasons

2. Sequencing

3. Cause and effect

4. Summerise

____________(1) learning a second language offers numerous benefits. __________(2), it fosters cultural understanding and enables individuals to communicate with a range of people. _________(3) it is invaluable in an increasingly globalized world. _____________(4), learning a second language opens up new opportunities for travel, employment, and personal growth.

Here are some extra tips to help you use signposting language on the IELTS exam: