Pratique du Shadowing: Changes in Barford over last 50 years | IELTS LISTENING TEST | SECTION-2 - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo

Création de la leçon...
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You will hear a talk given by a woman called Shona Ferguson about changes in a town called Barford.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 15.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 15.
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first of all let me thank you all for coming to
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this public meeting to discuss the future of our town our
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first speaker is shona ferguson from barford town council shona thank
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you first i'll briefly give you some background information then i'll
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be asking you for your comments on developments in the town
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well as you don't need me to tell you barford has changed a great deal in the last 50 years.
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These are some of the main changes.
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50 years ago, buses linked virtually every part of the town and the neighbouring towns and villages.
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Most people used them frequently, but not now because the bus companies concentrate on just the routes that attract most passengers.
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So parts of the town are no longer served by buses.
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Even replacing old, uncomfortable buses with smart new ones has had little impact on passenger numbers.
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It's sometimes said that bus fares are too high, but in relation to average incomes, fares are not much higher than they were 50 years ago.
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Changes in the road network are affecting the town.
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The centre was recently closed to traffic on a trial basis, making it much safer for pedestrians.
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The impact of this is being measured.
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The new cycle paths, separating bikes from cars in most main roads, are being used far more than was expected,
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reducing traffic and improving air quality.
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And although the council's attempts to have a bypass constructed have failed, we haven't given up hope of persuading the government to change its mind.
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Shopping in the town centre has changed over the years.
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Many of us can remember when the town was crowded with people going shopping.
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Numbers have been falling for several years, despite efforts to attract shoppers, for instance by opening new car parks.
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Some people combine shopping with visits to the town's restaurants and cafes.
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Most shops are small, independent stores, which is good, but many people prefer to use supermarkets and department stores in nearby large towns,
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as there are so few well-known chain stores here.
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Turning now to medical facilities.
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The town is served by family doctors in several medical practices, fewer than 50 years ago, but each catering for far more patients.
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Our hospital closed 15 years ago, which means journeys to other towns are unavoidable.
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On the other hand, there are more dentists than there used to be.
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Employment patterns have changed along with almost everything else.
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The number of schools and colleges has increased, making that the main employment sector.
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Services such as website design and accountancy have grown in importance and,
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surprisingly perhaps, manufacturing hasn't seen the decline that has affected it in other parts of the country.
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Now listen and answer questions 16 to 20.
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Now I'll very quickly outline current plans for some of the town's facilities, before asking for your comments.
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As you'll know, if you regularly use the car pack at the railway station, it's usually full.
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The railway company applied for permission to replace it with a multi-storey car pack, but that was refused.
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Instead, the company has bought some adjoining land and this will be used to increase the number of packing spaces.
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The Grand, the old cinema in the high street, will close at the end of the year and reopen on a different site.
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You've probably seen the building under construction.
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The plan is to have three screens with fewer seats rather than just the one large auditorium in the old cinema.
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I expect many of you shop in the indoor market.
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It's become more and more shabby looking, and because of fears about safety, it was threatened with demolition.
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The good news is that it will close for six weeks to be made safe and redecorated, and the improved building will open in July.
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Lots of people use the library, including school and college students who go there to study.
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The Council has managed to secure funding to keep the library open later into the evening, twice a week.
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We would like to enlarge the building in the not-too-distant future, but this is by no means definite.
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There's no limit on access to the nature reserve on the edge of town, and this will continue to be the case.
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What will change, though, is that the Council will no longer be in charge of the area.
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Instead, it will become the responsibility of a national body that administers most nature reserves in the country.
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Okay, now let me ask you if you have...
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That is the end of Section 2.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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Thank you.

Why practice speaking with this video?

Practicing your speaking skills through videos like "Changes in Barford over last 50 years" is an excellent way to immerse yourself in real-life English scenarios. By engaging with the content, you can enhance your listening comprehension and pronunciation while simultaneously picking up valuable vocabulary related to town development and public discussions. This particular video, presented by Shona Ferguson from the Barford Town Council, highlights the evolution of community facilities and services over the past half-century. Using a shadowing app or the shadowing technique, you can repeat phrases and sentences after the speaker to improve fluency and confidence. Perfect for learners eager to learn English with YouTube, this approach allows you to hear authentic accents and intonation patterns.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the video, several key grammatical structures and expressions are employed that are crucial for English learners:

  • Passive Voice: The phrase "the hospital closed" exemplifies how the passive voice is used to focus on the action rather than who performed the action, which is particularly useful in formal discussions.
  • Present Perfect: Expressions like "Barford has changed" allow speakers to discuss changes over time, providing context that is often relevant in speaking about personal experiences or community updates.
  • Conditional Statements: Phrases such as "if you regularly use the car park" offer insight into formulating conditional sentences, which are important for expressing possibilities and hypothetical situations.
  • Quantifiers: The use of terms like "fewer than 50 years ago" teaches learners how to communicate comparisons in a nuanced way, enhancing clarity in discussion.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice shadow speech with this video, be aware of certain pronunciation challenges that may arise:

  • “Barford”: Ensure to pronounce it clearly, as it is a proper noun that may not be familiar to all learners.
  • “Cycling paths”: The /s/ sound in "cycling" may be tricky; practice saying it slowly to accurately capture the blending of sounds.
  • “Facilities”: This word can trip up many learners. Breaking it down to /fəˈsɪl.ɪ.tiz/ can help with accurate pronunciation.
  • “Independent stores”: Pay attention to the emphasis on the second syllable to pronounce this compound noun correctly.

Using a shadowing app while focusing on these tricky words will greatly enhance your pronunciation skills, making your speaking practice more effective. Engaging with such content not only helps with vocabulary building but also prepares you for real-life conversational scenarios.

Qu'est-ce que la technique du Shadowing ?

Le Shadowing est une technique d'apprentissage des langues fondée sur la science, développée à l'origine pour la formation des interprètes professionnels. Le principe est simple mais puissant : vous écoutez de l'anglais natif et le répétez immédiatement à voix haute — comme une ombre suivant le locuteur avec un décalage de 1 à 2 secondes. Les recherches montrent une amélioration significative de la précision de la prononciation, de l'intonation, du rythme, des liaisons, de la compréhension orale et de la fluidité.