Shadowing Practice: 2.14 Collectors and creators - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
B1
Track 14.
187 sentences
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Track 14.
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Unit 17.
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17.1.
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Exercise 4.
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You will hear people talking in 8 different situations.
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For questions 1 to 8, choose the best answer A, B or C.
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Question 1.
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You hear a woman talking about making jewellery.
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2003 was the year my passion for jewellery making began.
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There was a fantastic art teacher at school who made earrings and bracelets out of copper and I thought, I want to do that one day too.
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I found an evening class where I learned a lot of useful techniques for working with gold and silver.
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I've never considered using the former for my own jewellery because it's outside my price range,
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range but I can afford the latter and in fact I've made several things with it recently.
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2003 was the year my passion for jewellery making began.
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There was a fantastic art teacher at school who made earrings
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and bracelets out of copper and I thought I want to do that one day too.
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I found an evening class where I learned a lot of useful techniques for working with gold and silver.
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I've never considered using the former for my own jewellery because it's outside my price range, but I can afford the latter, and in fact I've made several things with it recently.
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Question 2.
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You hear two friends talking about postcards.
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Here are those cards I bought for you in Oxford to add to your collection.
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I hope you don't think they're too tatty.
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They must be at least fifty years old.
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Thanks.
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The condition they're in doesn't bother me.
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And actually, looking at the stamps, they're older than you say, which is brilliant because I haven't got many from the 1930s.
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Oh, so you're looking for cards from a certain period?
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Well, I collect all sorts, but I'm on the lookout for older ones that have text on the picture, like this one, which says,
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Thinking of you in St Ives.
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Here are those cards I bought for you in Oxford to add to your collection.
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I hope you don't think they're too tatty.
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They must be at least fifty years old.
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Thanks.
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The condition they're in doesn't bother me.
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And actually, looking at the stamps, they're older than you say, which is brilliant because I haven't got many from the 1930s.
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Oh, so you're looking for cards from a certain period.
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Well, I collect all sorts, but I'm on the lookout for older ones that have text on the picture, like this one, which says,
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Thinking of you in St Ives.
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Question 3 you hear a radio talk about wooden objects.
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I knew someone once who had an absolute passion for making things out of wood.
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He spent hours and hours on his hobby.
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Whatever the object was, he always took great pride in doing it well and making it unique by choosing a special wood.
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He never chose the same kind twice.
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He would make all sorts of things.
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A new handle for a fork, with a pattern cut into it.
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Enough models to fill several glass cases.
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He even made an electric guitar which he painted designs on, something he didn't normally do.
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One piece I remember well is a polar bear.
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The way it was carved really captured the look of the animal walking heavily through the snow.
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I knew someone once who had an absolute passion for making things out of wood.
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He spent hours and hours on his hobby.
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Whatever the object was, he always took great pride in doing it well and making it unique by choosing a special wood.
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He never chose the same kind twice.
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He would make all sorts of things.
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A new handle for a fork with a pattern cut into it, enough models to fill several glass cases.
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He even made an electric guitar which he painted designs on, something he didn't normally do.
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One piece I remember well is a polar bear.
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The way it was carved really captured the look of the animal walking heavily through the snow.
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Question 4.
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You hear a man talking about his hobby.
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People think it's a bit odd
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that I spend my weekends dressed up in anything from metal llama to old uniforms out in the open air.
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But it's good fun.
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The group that puts on these events was only formed about four months ago.
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I joined in April and we've already performed five battles.
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You learn a great deal about history because everything is researched properly, from the costumes to the actual battle tactics.
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My girlfriend's not too pleased with me at the moment.
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I'm going to have to miss her birthday because we're doing the Battle of Naseby.
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That's not the reason she's mad at me though.
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She wanted to come too, but I wouldn't let her.
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People think it's a bit odd
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that I spend my weekends dressed up in anything from metal armour to old uniforms out in the open air, but it's good fun.
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The group that puts on these events was only formed about four months ago.
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I joined in April, and we've already performed five battles.
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You learn a great deal about history because everything is researched properly, from the costumes to the actual battle tactics.
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My girlfriend's not too pleased with me at the moment.
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I'm going to have to miss her birthday cos we're doing the Battle of Naseby.
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That's not the reason she's mad at me, though.
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She wanted to come too, but I wouldn't let her.
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Question 5.
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You hear a girl talking about collecting beads.
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This is Radio QB.
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The phone lines are open and we want to hear about your hobbies.
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And here's Eleanor from London.
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What are you into, Eleanor?
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Beads.
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I've got several hundred in all shapes and sizes.
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glass, metal, plastic ones they're from all over the world too I've got a handful of beautiful wooden ones from India
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and some very unusual African ones carved out of bone.
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A few of them I've made up into earrings and necklaces, but what I really like doing is collecting, especially coloured glass ones which I've got loads of.
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And you say you've got several hundred.
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How long has it taken you to get so many?
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Not that long really.
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I had lots of plastic ones when I was a kid, but I gave those away so they don't count.
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I suppose I got serious about beads three years ago.
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Since then, my family have given me tins of beads as presents, and I spend most of my pocket money on them too.
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This is Radio QB.
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The phone lines are open, and we want to hear about your hobbies.
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And here's Eleanor from London.
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What are you into, Eleanor?
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Beads.
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I've got several hundred, in all shapes and sizes.
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Glass, metal, plastic ones.
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They're from all over the world too.
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I've got a handful of beautiful wooden ones from India and some very unusual African ones carved out of bone.
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A few of them I've made up into earrings and necklaces, but what I really like doing is collecting, especially coloured glass ones which I've got loads of.
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And you say you've got several hundred.
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How long has it taken you to get so many?
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Not that long really.
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I had lots of plastic ones when I was a kid, but I gave those away so they don't count.
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I suppose I got serious about beads three years ago.
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Since then, my family have given me tins of beads as presents, and I spend most of my pocket money on them too.
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Question 6.
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You hear part of a conversation in a radio play.
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Well, I've rung them twice already, and they said I must take the matter up with you.
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It's clearly your responsibility as I got the model kit from you in the first place.
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It was sealed when I got it too.
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No, I'm quite sure.
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I buy a lot of your kits, you know.
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Do you want me to contact Model Makers magazine and tell them about what's happened?
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You have all my details, so I suggest you sort it out.
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Well, I've rung them twice already and they said I must take the matter up with you.
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It's clearly your responsibility as I got the model kit from you in the first place.
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It was sealed when I got it too.
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No, I'm quite sure.
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I buy a lot of your kits, you know.
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Do you want me to contact Model Makers magazine and tell them about what's happened?
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You have all my details, so I suggest you sort it out.
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Question 7.
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You hear an interview with a girl who collects pebbles.
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I'm with Jenny Braintree, who paints the whole world in miniature on small stones she finds at the seaside.
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Jenny, you took up this hobby four years ago.
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Er, it was four months ago, in fact.
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I was on a beach holiday with my parents and I collected loads of nice, smooth pebbles.
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When I got home, I started to paint tiny images of beautiful places like the Swiss mountains and the Brazilian rainforest.
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I've done 89 so far.
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Amazing.
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These pictures are no more than five centimetres across and yet they contain so much detail.
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So what's the reason behind this, Jenny?
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Do you earn anything from all your hard work?
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Dad thinks I could sell them but I'm not interested in that and anyway they're too special to me.
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My real aim is to get better at painting because that's what I want to do when I'm older.
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And although I haven't been to the places I illustrate on the Pebbles, it can be really good fun finding out about them on the internet.
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I'm with Jenny Braintree, who paints the whole world in miniature on small stones she finds at the seaside.
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Jenny, you took up this hobby four years ago.
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Er, it was four months ago, in fact.
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I was on a beach holiday with my parents and I collected loads of nice, smooth pebbles.
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When I got home, I started to paint tiny images of beautiful places like the Swiss mountains and the Brazilian rainforest.
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I've done 89 so far.
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Amazing.
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These pictures are no more than 5 centimetres across and yet they contain so much detail.
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So what's the reason behind this, Jenny?
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Do you earn anything from all your hard work?
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Dad thinks I could sell them, but I'm not interested in that.
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And anyway, they're too special to me.
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My real aim is to get better at painting because that's what I want to do when I'm older.
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And although I haven't been to the places I illustrate on the pebbles, it can be really good fun finding out about them on the internet.
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Question 8.
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You hear an interview with a boy whose hobby is slot car racing.
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Jamie Eagle who is the outright winner of today's slot car racing is with me now congratulations Jamie
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and this is now your 10th win
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so where did it all begin I know your father was
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also racing here today did he know what he was doing when he persuaded you to take up such a time-consuming hobby?
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Erm, actually, it was me who persuaded him.
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He's only been racing this year.
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He's pretty hopeless at it too.
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No, it was my cousin who's to blame.
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He used to take me along when he went to race meetings.
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I was five at the time, and I thought it was just brilliant.
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And if your father's racing his own car, who do you have as backup today?
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I've introduced my friend Ian to slot car racing.
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At the moment, he's free to help me, though next year he hopes to have a car of his own.
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Jamie Eagle, who is the outright winner of today's slot car racing, is with me now.
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Congratulations, Jamie, and this is now your tenth win.
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So, where did it all begin?
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I know your father was also racing here today.
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Did he know what he was doing when he persuaded you to take up such a time-consuming hobby?
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Erm, actually, it was me who persuaded him.
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He's only been racing this year.
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He's pretty hopeless at it too.
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No, it was my cousin who's to blame.
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He used to take me along when he went to race meetings.
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I was five at the time, and I thought it was just brilliant.
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And if your father's racing his own car, who do you have as backup today?
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I've introduced my friend Ian to slot car racing.
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At the moment he's free to help me, though next year he hopes to have a car of his own.
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Thank you.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, learners will practice their English listening and speaking skills by engaging with various scenarios related to collectors and creators. Through exercises that simulate real-life conversations about hobbies like jewellery making, postcard collecting, and woodworking, you will develop your ability to understand and produce nuanced dialogue. This practice is essential for improving your IELTS speaking practice, as it helps build vocabulary and fluency in discussing personal interests and creative pursuits.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Jewellery making - The craft of designing and creating decorative items, often made from precious metals.
- Collection - A group of items that are gathered and kept together, often based on a specific interest or theme.
- Tatty - An informal term used to describe something that is worn out or in poor condition.
- Hobby - An activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure.
- Unique - Being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else.
- Passion - A strong enthusiasm or desire for something.
- Art teacher - A person who instructs students in visual arts.
- Electric guitar - A guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its strings into electrical signals.
Practice Tips
For optimal results while shadowing the dialogues in this lesson, consider using a shadowing app that allows you to listen and repeat phrases at your own pace. Pay special attention to the speaker's tone and speed; it may vary between enthusiastic storytelling about hobbies and more casual exchanges among friends. Start by listening to a segment, then pause and repeat what you hear, imitating the intonation and rhythm. This technique will greatly help you improve your English pronunciation and the flow of your speech.
Remember to focus on the context of each scenario. For instance, when discussing jewellery making, practice using relevant vocabulary and expressing opinions with enthusiasm, as this will be useful in real conversations. Furthermore, incorporating this practice into your daily routine will enable you to fluidly discuss your own interests or collections, enhancing your ability to engage in English discussions.
By actively participating in these exercises, you will become more confident in using English to share your passions. Pair this practice with additional resources like a shadowing site or learn English with YouTube videos to diversify your exposure and practice opportunities. Happy learning!
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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