Shadowing Practice: Ielts Listening Section or Part 4 | Practice 5 - Real Ielts Listening Section or Part four - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Section 4 You will hear a talk on the subject of birds in New Zealand First,
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you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40
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Thank you.
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Now, listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
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Good morning, everyone.
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Today we're going to look at birds native to New Zealand, delving into the facts and exploring methods of protecting these species from extinction.
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It may surprise you to hear that there are thousands of bird species that are endemic to New Zealand.
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That is to say that they are not found anywhere else on the globe.
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Since most of these birds live on a diet of freshly caught fish, they often nest along the coastline,
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or if they need to catch freshwater fish, the neighbouring river.
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Once they have mated, the female birds will collect twigs
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and pieces of debris to build nests where she can safely hatch her eggs out of the reach of predators.
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When humans arrived in New Zealand about 700 years ago, rats were carried on the ships with them.
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The rats flourished in the warm climate and put pressure on the native bird populations, in particular on the flightless species.
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In 1984, researchers found that only three pairs of flightless bird species remained in existence,
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and that even these faced severe threats.
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New Zealand is now a world leader in facilitating the recovery of severely endangered species from the brink of extinction.
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Every year, researchers carry out surveys in order to monitor the fluctuating levels of bird numbers and species living in New Zealand.
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due to the migration patterns of many of the species it
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is particularly hard to estimate the bird numbers accurately since many
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may have flown to other countries in search of mates
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and warmer climates and thus not appear in the survey bird numbers are also particularly sensitive to environmental influences,
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in particular to those related to human activity.
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Everyday activities, such as farming or constructing a home, can have a massive impact on the local populations.
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that serve as a habitat for thousands of birds can be entirely eradicated to make fields for crops
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or to provide wood for construction having a disastrous impact it is not only the human influence
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that threatens the future of many bird species since many predatory
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animal species have flourished in new zealand one of these species is the mantain snake
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which was introduced from Australia and has decimated the population of killdeer birds.
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These birds nest on the ground and often return to find that their eggs have been devoured by the egg-eating snakes.
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One cannot dismiss, of course, the pressure that nature itself imposes on the survival of many bird species.
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Natural disasters, such as storms,
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can be devastating, tearing apart forests and leaving thousands of destroyed nests in their wake.
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Monsoons flood the rivers and often drown many of the flightless bird species that are unable to escape.
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Unfortunately, the greatest threat to bird numbers in New Zealand is illegal hunting, which is almost impossible to prevent.
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Many endangered bird species are on display at the National Zoo, and it is essential that urgent measures are taken to protect them.
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The zoo recently employed an expert in bird protection,
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who recommended that they should employ a guard to protect their birds from poachers the expert also pointed out
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that the birds can become very stressed in situations where the public are able to approach them too closely suggesting
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that the administration install a fence network to keep the public
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a safe distance away from the birds despite this threat to birds in captivity it is the freely roaming birds
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that are most at risk efforts are being made to educate people on how they can contribute towards protecting birds
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that are living in the wild finally research has shown
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that one of the most effective methods of informing the public on the importance of protecting the bird populations
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is through the media.
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I advise you all to read the articles written on this topic in specialist journals
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and also carry out research on the internet.
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Each and every one of you could make an enormous contribution to the protection of birds
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if you put your mind to it.
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That is the end of Section 4.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.

Understanding the Context: A Talk on New Zealand's Native Birds

The video features a informative talk about native birds in New Zealand, exploring their habitats, threats like predators and human activity, and conservation efforts. This dialogue is ideal for English learners looking to practice listening and speaking, as it uses clear, academic yet accessible language, covering topics like wildlife, environment, and research. It’s a great example of how to learn English with YouTube, as it combines real-world content with opportunities to improve comprehension and pronunciation.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "delving into the facts" – Useful for introducing in-depth discussion: "Let’s start delving into the facts about climate change."
  • "put pressure on" – Describes negative impact: "Urban growth puts pressure on local ecosystems."
  • "facilitating the recovery" – For discussing support for improvement: "The program focuses on facilitating the recovery of endangered species."
  • "fluctuating levels" – Refers to changing quantities: "We monitor fluctuating levels of customer demand."
  • "devastating impact" – Emphasizes severe consequences: "The storm had a devastating impact on the town."

Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Video

Shadowing is a proven technique to boost speaking and listening skills. Here’s how to use it with this video:

  1. Listen and Repeat in Chunks: Pause the video every 5-10 seconds. Repeat the speaker’s words, focusing on intonation and rhythm. Tools like a shadowing app can help track your progress.
  2. Focus on Connected Speech: Notice how phrases like "in particular" or "due to" are spoken quickly. Mimic this flow to sound more natural—this is key to mastering shadow speak.
  3. Emphasize Stress and Pause: The speaker stresses words like "endemic" and "illegal hunting." Copy these stresses to convey meaning clearly. Pause where the speaker does to improve pacing.
  4. Record and Compare: Use your phone to record yourself. Compare it to the video to spot differences in pronunciation. The shadowing technique works best when you actively self-critique.
  5. Practice Daily for 10 Minutes: Consistency is key. Even short daily sessions with this video will help you internalize vocabulary and fluency. For extra support, try a shadowing app to structure your practice.

By using shadowspeaks and these steps, you’ll turn this wildlife talk into a powerful tool for improving your English. Remember, learning English with YouTube and the shadowing technique can transform your speaking skills—start today!

¿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.