Shadowing Practice: Cambridge B1 Preliminary Speaking Exam - How to Do Parts 1-2 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hi, I’m Gina.
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Welcome to Oxford Online English!
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In this lesson, you can learn how to do parts one and two of the Cambridge B1 Preliminary speaking exam.
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The B1 Preliminary exam is the new name for the Cambridge PET exam.
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The new B1 Preliminary speaking test, which was introduced in 2020, is similar to the old PET speaking exam, but with some small differences.
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If you need help to prepare for your B1 Preliminary exam, or to improve your English generally, don’t forget to check out our website: Oxford Online English dot com.
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You can find many free lessons to help you study, and you can also book online classes with our many professional teachers if you need help!
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One more thing: do you want this lesson with English subtitles?
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Don’t forget to turn them on if you want them; just click the CC button in the bottom right of your video player.
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Or, if you’re watching on mobile, use the settings icon, which is probably in the top right of your screen.
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Now, let’s see what happens in part one of the Cambridge B1 Preliminary speaking exam.
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In part one of the B1 speaking exam, the examiner will ask you and your partner some basic questions.
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You talk to the examiner.
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You don’t talk to your partner in part one.
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At the beginning of your speaking test, the examiner will say: “Good morning.
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Can I have your mark sheets, please?” Then, the examiner will ask each of you: “What’s your name?
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Where do you live?” Answer in .
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Don’t just say “Gina.” Say “My name is Gina.” Don’t just say “Milan.” Say “I come from Milan,” or, “I live in Milan.” After that, the examiner will ask each of you “Do you work or are you a student?” The examiner might ask extra questions, like “What job do you do?” or “What subject do you study?” Here, try to add more information to your answers.
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Show the examiner what you can do in English!
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For example, instead of saying “I’m an accountant,” say “I’m an accountant.
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I’ve been working in the accounting department of a construction company for the last ten years.” Instead of saying “I’m at university,” say “I study graphical design at the university here in Bonn.
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I’m in my second year, so I’ll graduate in two years.” Look at these two examples.
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Do you notice anything?
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They both use two different verb tenses.
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The first example uses the present perfect.
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The second example uses a future form, with ‘will’.
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You should try to do this, too!
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Say something about how long you’ve been doing your job, or your course, or say something about the future.
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What about you?
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How could you answer this question?
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Try to make an answer now.
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Make one or two sentences, add details, and use more than one verb tense.
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Pause the video and say your answer out loud now.
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Could you do it?
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If you need more practice, pause again and repeat your answer several times, or try different answers.
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Next, the examiner will ask you and your partner one or more questions.
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These questions could be about different simple topics, like your hometown, your family, your home, your free time, your future plans, and so on.
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Look at some examples.
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When you answer these questions, think about the same points you saw before: add details to your answer, and try to use a range of language.
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One point: what if you don’t understand the question the examiner asks?
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Just ask the examiner to repeat the question.
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You can say ‘I’m sorry, could you repeat that, please?’ Or, ‘Can you say that again, please?’ Don’t worry about having to ask this.
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It’s normal, and it won’t affect your score.
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Let’s look at our example questions again.
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Could you answer these?
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Pause the video and try it now.
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How did you do?
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Now, let’s look together at some more ways to improve your answers and your score.
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First, like you heard before, try to use different verb tenses if possible.
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Look at a sample answer for the first question.
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This is not bad, but you can always improve your answers!
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For example ‘On Saturday, I played tennis with a friend, and then on Sunday I had lunch with my family, which we do every week.’ You’re just adding a few words, but it all helps to add detail to your answer, and it helps your score, too.
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Next, try to use a range of adjectives in your answer.
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Look at a sample answer for the second question.
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Again, this answer is quite good!
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But, again, it could be better.
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Adjectives like ‘interesting’, ‘nice’ and ‘good’ are OK, but they’re general.
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Try to use more specific adjectives and phrases.
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For example ‘I live in Thessaloniki.
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My town is a great place to live because it has many excellent restaurants and some fascinating museums.’ You can see here that you’re not just changing the adjectives, you’re also adding words to make the answer more descriptive.
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You don’t just say ‘My town is nice’, you say ‘My town is a great place to live’.
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You don’t just say ‘good restaurants’, you say ‘many excellent restaurants.' OK, adding one word, like ‘many’, doesn’t make a big difference.
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But, it does make a small difference, and if you do this all the way through your B1 speaking exam, it will count.
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Now, let’s look at a sample answer for our third question.
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What do you think?
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Good answer?
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Again, it’s not bad, but it’s short; answers like this don’t give you a chance to use your English and show the examiners what you can do.
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Sometimes, students ask “What do I do if I don’t know what to say?” Firstly, you can make something up.
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Your answer doesn’t need to be true.
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You can say ‘I think I’ll live in New York in the future.
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After I finish university, I want to move to Manhattan and work in the advertising industry.’ It doesn’t need to be true.
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You can make up something interesting!
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Secondly, even if you don’t know what to say, you can still give some ideas.
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For example ‘I don’t know where I’ll live in the future.
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I guess after I graduate, I’ll probably stay here for a couple of years.
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After that, I wouldn’t mind moving to another city, or even another country if I can find a good job there.’ In this way, you can turn a basic answer into a full, interesting one, even if you’re basically still saying ‘I don’t know’.
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Now, let’s look at how to do part two of the B1 preliminary speaking test.
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In part two of the Cambridge B1 speaking exam, the examiner will show you a photo.
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You need to describe what you see in the photo.
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You have one minute to talk.
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At the start of part two, the examiner will say: “Now I’d like each of you to talk on your own about something.
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I’m going to give each of you a photograph and I’d like you to talk about it.” In part two, you speak on your own.
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When your partner speaks, you just listen, or just relax for a minute.
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There’s no connection between the two photos.
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The examiner will give you an idea about the topic of the photo.
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For example, the examiner might say: “Here is your photograph.
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It shows people in a cafe.” You don’t have any thinking time.
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You should try to start talking as fast as you can.
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So, how do you start?
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First, give a general description of what you see in the photo and what is happening.
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Let’s look at a photo.
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A common mistake which students make is focusing too much on detail from the start.
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For example, someone might say ‘In this photo, there is some kind of computer or machine on the left.’ That’s not wrong, but it’s not the best way to start.
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Start with a description.
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For example ‘In the photo, I can see a young man who seems to be at the airport.’ After your general introduction, you need to describe the photo in more detail.
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When you describe the photo in detail, imagine the examiner cannot see the photo.
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Don’t use your finger and point to things in the photo; use your words to describe what you see.
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How can you do this?
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You need to use prepositions of place to say what things are in the photo, and where they are.
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Look at another photo.
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Here’s a challenge for you.
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Can you use the preposition phrases you saw before, and make at least three sentences about this photo?
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Pause the video and do it now.
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Could you do it?
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There are many possible answers, but here are three examples: ‘In the bottom right, there are some vegetables: broccoli, pepper and cauliflower.’ ‘On the left, there’s a man with his hand over his mouth.’ ‘At the bottom, there are two bowls, one with carrots inside, and the other with courgettes.’ You can also use the phrases ‘at the front’, ‘at the back’ or ‘next to’ to talk about where things are.
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For example ‘At the back, there’s a shelf with some containers.’ ‘The woman is sitting next to the man and holding a notepad.’ Review prepositions of place before your B1 preliminary speaking exam, and remember to use them when describing the photo in part two!
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Sometimes students ask: “I don’t know what to say!
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How can I talk for a full minute?” It’s not difficult.
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Here’s why.
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The photos almost always contain people.
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That means you can describe the people, say what they look like, what they’re wearing, and what they’re doing.
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This should give you lots of things to talk about.
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Look at another photo.
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Think: what could you say about the people in this photo?
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Think about three questions: what do they look like?
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What are they wearing?
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What are they doing?
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Try it now!
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Pause the video and say as much as you can.
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Could you do it?
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Let’s see an example.
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On the left, there’s a small girl.
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She looks like she’s about ten years old, and she’s smiling and playing a game with her parents.
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She’s wearing a purple long-sleeved top, and she has thick curly hair.
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The girl’s parents are sitting next to her.
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They’re also smiling and laughing while they play the game.
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The man has curly hair, like his daughter, but the woman has straight hair.
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We can’t see her full face, because her hair is in the way.
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She’s wearing a sleeveless turquoise blouse, while the man’s wearing a blue shirt with a white t-shirt underneath.
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You see? Just by looking at these simple details, you can find lots to say.
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Finally, you don’t just have to describe what you see.
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You can also give your opinions or make guesses about things in the photo.
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Look at one more photo.
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What’s the woman doing?
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Is she at home, or at work, or somewhere else?
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Why? What’s she doing there?
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What about the man?
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What’s he doing?
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You might think: “I don’t know!
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How should I know what she’s writing, or why?” But, you don’t need to know.
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You can make guesses and give your opinions.
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For example ‘In my opinion, they must work for a company which makes things, maybe furniture.’ You can improve your answer by adding a reason, like this.
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In my opinion, they must work for a company which makes things, maybe furniture, because the man is working with some wood in the background.
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You could also say ‘I think it’s a relaxed place to work, because they’re both wearing casual clothes’.
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Or, ‘She’s talking on the phone.
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Maybe she’s taking an order from a customer.’ You can also talk about what people are thinking or feeling.
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For example ‘She looks quite happy and relaxed.
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I guess she enjoys her job and it’s not too stressful.’ So, let’s review: start with a general description of what you see, use prepositions of place to say where things are, describe the people you see, and then give your opinions about what’s happening.
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If you do these things, it should be easy to talk for a minute!
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Try to keep talking until the examiner stops you.
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Don’t worry if the examiner stops you, or if you feel that you haven’t finished.
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You don’t need to describe everything.
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Just keep talking, and the examiner will stop you when your time is over.
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Want more practice?
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In this section, there are four photos.
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Try to describe them.
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Use a timer, and try to talk for a minute.
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If you want, you can write your answers down, and share them with other students in the comments!
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That’s it for this lesson.
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Good luck if you have a B1 speaking exam coming up soon.
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Thanks for watching!
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See you next time!
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Vocabulario y notas de pronunciación para esta lección
Esta lección de conversación de nivel B1 se basa en el vídeo “Cambridge B1 Preliminary Speaking Exam - How to Do Parts 1-2”. Las palabras que más se repiten: answer, photo, examiner, example, exam. Este vídeo tiene 162 frases y 2160 palabras para practicar shadowing. La parte hablada dura 15:08. El hablante mantiene un ritmo constante de unas 143 palabras por minuto, cómodo para el shadowing. El 88 % de las palabras está entre las 3.000 más comunes del inglés, por lo que el vocabulario es fácil de seguir. 28 de sus 162 frases son preguntas, así que sirve para practicar la entonación de las preguntas y las respuestas cortas.
Vocabulario clave de este vídeo
Las 15 palabras más avanzadas del vídeo, con su pronunciación y significado:
| Palabra | Pronunciación | Significado |
|---|---|---|
| examiner sustantivo | /əɡˈzæmɪnɚ/ | examinador |
| examination sustantivo | /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ | examen, examinación |
| preliminary adjetivo | /pɹɪˈlɪmɪnɛɹi/ | preliminar |
| pause sustantivo | /pɔːz/ | pausa |
| adjective sustantivo | /ˈæd͡ʒ.ɪk.tɪv/ | adjetivo |
| preposition sustantivo | /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/ | preposición |
| verb sustantivo | /vɝb/ | verbo |
| tense sustantivo | /tɛns/ | tiempo |
| relax verbo | /ɹɪˈlæks/ | relajar, aflojar |
| phrase sustantivo | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | frase |
| curly adjetivo | /ˈkɝli/ | rizado, chino |
| accountant sustantivo | /əˈkaʊn.tənt/ | contador, contadora |
| photograph sustantivo | /ˈfoʊ.təˌɡɹæf/ | fotografía, toma fotográfica |
| furniture sustantivo | /ˈfɝ.nɪ.t͡ʃɚ/ | mobiliario, mueble |
| cauliflower sustantivo | /ˈkɔl.ɪˌflaʊ.ɚ/ | coliflor |
Phrasal verbs que vas a escuchar
| Palabra | Pronunciación | Significado |
|---|---|---|
| check out verbo | investigar, chequear | |
| come up verbo | salir a relucir | |
| hand over verbo | devolver, entregar | |
| make up verbo | /ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/ | reponer, suplir |
Frases que vale la pena repetir
Frases cortas y completas del vídeo que puedes reutilizar en la conversación diaria:
- You don’t talk to your partner in part one.
- Do you notice anything?
- How could you answer this question?
- Could you do it?
- How can you do this?
Gramática en este vídeo
Las estructuras que más usa el hablante, con las palabras exactas del vídeo:
| Estructura | En el vídeo |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — una acción que empezó antes y continúa | I've been working · you've been doing |
| Oraciones de relativo who / which + oración — información extra sobre una persona o cosa | test, which was · icon, which is · man who seems |
| Posibilidad con “might / may” might/may + verbo — algo posible pero no seguro | might ask · might say · might think |
| Verbo + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbos seguidos de la forma en -ing | mind moving · start talking · keep talking |
Pronunciación a tener en cuenta
El hablante usa 54 contracciones y formas reducidas, como don't, I'm, they're. Dilas en su forma corta, tal como las oyes.
- Los sonidos de “th”: cloth /klɒθ/, underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/
- Los sonidos de “sh” y “zh”: examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, preposition /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/, courgette /kʊɚˈʒɛt/, shelf /ʃɛlf/, casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/
- Palabras largas — cuida el acento: examiner /əɡˈzæmɪnɚ/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, preliminary /pɹɪˈlɪmɪnɛɹi/, preposition /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/, cauliflower /ˈkɔl.ɪˌflaʊ.ɚ/
Sonidos difíciles para hispanohablantes:
- s + consonante al inicio — sin añadir una “e” delante: sleeveless /ˈsliːvlɪs/, stressful /ˈstɹɛsfəl/, sleeve /sliv/
- /v/ — no es /b/: los dientes tocan el labio inferior: adjective /ˈæd͡ʒ.ɪk.tɪv/, verb /vɝb/, sleeveless /ˈsliːvlɪs/, descriptive /dəˈskɹɪptɪv/, sleeve /sliv/
- /z/ — sonora, no /s/: examiner /əɡˈzæmɪnɚ/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, pause /pɔːz/, preposition /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/, phrase /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/
Cómo practicar con este vídeo
- Escucha el vídeo entero una vez sin hablar y anota las palabras que no conoces.
- Haz shadowing frase por frase a velocidad normal, repitiendo cada una hasta que tu ritmo coincida con el del hablante.
- Grábate y compara con el original, prestando atención a palabras como examiner, examination, preliminary.
¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?
Shadowing es una técnica de aprendizaje de idiomas respaldada por la ciencia, desarrollada originalmente para la formación de intérpretes profesionales y popularizada por el políglota Dr. Alexander Arguelles. El método es simple pero poderoso: escuchas audio en inglés nativo y lo repites en voz alta de inmediato, como una sombra que sigue al hablante con solo 1-2 segundos de retraso. A diferencia de la escucha pasiva o los ejercicios de gramática, el shadowing obliga a tu cerebro y músculos de la boca a procesar y reproducir simultáneamente patrones de habla reales. Las investigaciones muestran que mejora significativamente la precisión de la pronunciación, la entonación, el ritmo, el habla conectada, la comprensión auditiva y la fluidez al hablar, convirtiéndola en una de las metodologías más efectivas para la preparación del IELTS Speaking y la comunicación en inglés en el mundo real.