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Many of our E2Language students have difficulty with the PTE Repeat Sentence task, which is certainly not as straightforward as it appears!
Whatβs important to understand is that this task is not just about pronunciation; itβs about memory as well. As a general rule, humans can only keep about seven small pieces of information in their short-term memory at one time, and (rather inconveniently!) the ‘Repeat Sentence‘ task generally contains over 7 words.
This article will outline some tips that will help you work on sharpening up both your memory capacity and your pronunciation skills.
Perhaps healthy short-term memory is the missing puzzle piece to your PTE Repeat Sentence success…PTE Repeat Sentence Tips for Pronunciation:
Among other skills, the PTE Speaking tasks assess your fluency and pronunciation, and these particular skills are especially important for the PTE βRepeat Sentenceβ task. Many people who speak English in their everyday lives are surprised when they score low on pronunciation and fluency, and they can get quite discouraged with their abilities. The truth is, most ESL learners develop their own pronunciation habits and speed/rhythm without realizing it- and itβs hard for them to break these habits because they are totally unaware of them!
For instance, we currently have a student from Bangladesh who has the vocabulary of an experienced college professor but he speaks so darn fast that itβs incredibly difficult for a native speaker to understand him! Many of our students also have a habit of blending words together because they think this demonstrates fluency in English. For example: βHe said I should explaimysituatioimmediatelyto my teacher.β Unfortunately, the PTE evaluators are looking for good enunciation, and the βblendingβ trick doesnβt work too well for test-takers.
So, besides practicing our awesome PTE oral fluency and pronunciation activities, what can be done?
Listen to a podcast, audiobook, radio show etc. in English every single day. Make sure that you are listening to a native speaker talk about a topic, and pay special attention to their intonation, speed and rhythm.
Go to Ted.com and watch one of the excellent βTed Talksβ provided there. Download the transcript for the video you are watching and read along, making notes of words you are unsure how to pronounce. Listen to how the speaker pronounces these words. Then, try recording yourself pronouncing the word or the sentence around it. Listen back to the original and compare it with your version.
Get a speaking partner. I cannot stress this enough! If possible, set up meetings with a conversation partner who is a native speaker, either online or in person. Not only can you practice using your grammar and vocabulary, you can work on imitating your partnerβs accent and receive valuable feedback from them about your pronunciation and fluency.
Our E2Language PTE courses offer an app called βE2Pronounceβ, in which you are scored on your pronunciation and given useful feedback about where you are going wrong. We also provide an academic word list to help you target your pronunciation for the PTE. You can check out our course options here.
Use E2Pronounce if you want to see a big improvement in your pronunciation skills.PTE Repeat Sentence Tips For Improving Memory
As I mentioned before, a large part of succeeding in the PTE Repeat Sentence task is your capacity for memorization. Many of our students run into the issue of not being able to remember a full sentence because itβs too long to memorize efficiently. Some people try to remedy this problem by taking notes while they listen- but this rarely works. Sadly, there simply isnβt enough time to record the entire sentence accurately.
When I took the PTE, I found that the best strategy was to close my eyes and focus completely on the audio. Remember though, I had the advantage of being a native speaker and therefore the ability to predict certain words based on patterns I commonly hear in English. Most ESL learners do not have this luxury. Here is what I suggest:
Start practicing specific memory games or activities to develop your short term memory. Take a look at these suggestions, or play an online memory game like this one. Expanding your short-term memory capacity will help you take in more information and keep it in your mind for a longer period of time.
Try βchunkingβ words together as you listen. This strategy is a commonly usedΒ technique for improving memory, and it comes in handy for short sentences in particular. What you need to do is group words together rather than processing them individually. For example, if you hear the sentence: βLast week I was told something completely differentβ, you can group the words into phrases like so: βLast Weekβ, βI was toldβ βSomething completely differentβ. Understanding the components of each sentence as βchunksβ rather than listening for each individual word makes it easier to recall the sentence accurately.
Take a look at our βPTE Repeat Sentence: Secrets for Successβ video for another example of this strategy:
Practice, practice, practice! The more you hear examples of sentences like the ones you will hear in the real PTE exam, the more your brain will adapt to memorizing this information. You can use the Ted Talk strategy I mentioned above for pronunciation to help you here. Listen to the speaker in a video say a sentence, then pause the video and try to write down the sentence exactly as it was said. Rewind and check your answer, or check the transcripts for the video if you are still unsure. And if you havenβt already, sign up for our PTE free trial course and try out our practice questions. We have a lot of them!
Overall, the PTE Repeat Sentence task is all about practice. Make sure you check out our 10 free PTE Repeat Sentence Practice activities! You must practice imitating native speakers to improve pronunciation and fluency, and you must practice sample tasks in order to improve your memory capacity and technique. A lot of people fail this task simply because they think it will be one of the easier speaking tasks and they donβt bother brushing up on the skills it tests. Make sure you donβt make the same mistake!
Do you have any tips for βRepeat Sentenceβ? If so, weβd love it if you would share them with us below!
Written by Kaia
Geo John says:
Thanks Kaia!! π
Kaia Myers-Stewart says:
My pleasure!! π
Bijoy says:
Thank you for this article. It’s really helpful.
Kaia Myers-Stewart says:
Any time!! π
Minhaj says:
Thanks a lot! E2 team deserves lots of subbies and much more.you people are helping a lot even for non paid members.this material is really help..godbless uh all
Tushar Parashar says:
Hi Kaia,
Sometimes I cannot repeat the whole sentence so i continue to speak whatever words i remember, will this cause a drastic decrease in my score?
Kaia Myers-Stewart says:
Hi Tushar,
That’s actually not a bad strategy, in fact it is much better than saying nothing at all. Yes, you won’t receive full points, but you will still receive partial points. If you remain silent, you’ll get zero. So if you can’t remember the whole sentence- definitely say the words you remember as accurately as you can!
For you, I would also recommend working on your short-term memory skills before your next exam so that you have a better chance of remembering the whole sentence!
Good luck!
Punit Solanki says:
Hello All,
Can I get some discounts in upgrading the package ?
Thanks.
Kaia Myers-Stewart says:
Hi Punit,
Unfortunately we aren’t currently offering any promotions on our packages, but definitely stay tuned in future- if we did we would announce it on our social media!
Our view is this: It’s definitely an investment to buy a course with us, however the cost of doing the PTE multiple times outweighs the cost of completing our course and getting your desired PTE score on the first try. For example, many of our students have taken the PTE 4 or 5 times before finding us, which amounts to almost 1500$! Our goal is to get you the score you need on your first attempt and save you money in the long run.
Good luck with your PTE, definitely stay updated with our Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/e2language/ π
Tapsil Sheth says:
Thanks Kaia for this information. You team is always informative to practice . I am sincerely showing ma gratitude for your assistance.
Thanks a lot.
Kaia Myers-Stewart says:
Thanks Tapsil, I’m so glad we’re helping you out! π
RUPINDER SINGH says:
Hi Kaia,
I have installed the e2Pronounce app, when i enter userid and password it wont accept. Is it because i have a free account?
Kaia says:
Hi Rupinder,
That’s right, only paid members can access E2Pronounce. If you’re just interested in accessing the E2Pronounce and all of our course materials (practice questions, live classes, webinars, lessons etc.) we do have a PTE express package for $79 now on our website! π Take care!
Vicky says:
Hi
Do you have any promotions going on atm
Abhiram says:
Hello Vicky,
Unfortunately, we don’t have any offers going on at the moment π
To keep yourself updated on promotions and other details please follow our Facebook page to receive notifications on such promotions π
Best,
AC
Narattam Halder says:
Kaia, Thank you very much for your tips. I am trying imitating your tips but I can’t remember all the sentence until now. I have realized that I have to listen more and practice more according to your tips. Thank you.
Ismail says:
The best app to practice repeat sentence is called voscreen, when you try it you will really understand what i mean.
Shivani Uberoi says:
I used voscreen and its helpful but my problem is memorizing the long sentence. I generally forget the whole sentence and end up writing just few words π
wilkie says:
α³ow, this post is nice, my younger sisteο½ is analyzing these kinds
of things, therefore I Ιm going to inform her.
Aga says:
When I am repeating the sentence and realise I made a mistake is it better to instantly correct myself or just to go with the flow?
Let’s say the sentence is (it is one of your examples):
“Please follow the signs directing you to the North parking lot and pick up a parking pass from the parking officer”
I’m saying:
“Please follow the signs directing you to the North parking lot and collect… pick up a parking pass from the parking officer”
Is it ok to correct “collect” here or better to just leave it?