Shadowing Practice: Are exams necessary? – B1 English Listening Test - Learn English Speaking with Video
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32 sentences
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1
It's been five years since I sat my university finals, and I still have nightmares about turning over a test paper and not knowing the answers.
2
It was the most stressful experience of my life.
3
After that, I promised I'd never do an exam again.
4
And I haven't.
5
I'll admit that passing those exams helped me land a decent job, but I have never needed to use any of the information I learned while working here.
6
Employers seem to think
7
that by hiring someone with a high level qualification they are getting a better worker but that's not strictly true either.
8
Some people at my workplace have amazing grades in their postgraduate qualifications
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but they are no better at their job than anyone else.
10
Actually some of them are awful to work with.
11
People can be trained to do most jobs and the skills you need like having good people skills
12
of being creative and being able to respond effectively to different situations just can't be tested in exams.
13
When I was in school, I was always at the top of the class and aced my exams.
14
My teachers loved me and my classmates' parents wished their kids were more like me.
15
My classmates hated me, of course, but that didn't bother me, to be honest.
16
Doing well in exams gave me confidence and a sense of pride, although I confess I also felt I was better than everyone else, which I now realize is not true.
17
I simply have a better aptitude for that way of learning, I suppose.
18
Now I work with people whose grades aren't even close to mine, and they do better than me in the office.
19
You would think that would make me upset, but that's not true.
20
Although I haven't seen any real financial benefit from taking exams, they have made me a disciplined person who values knowledge,
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and I still take them now for the hobbies I do in my spare time.
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I think they are a valuable way to reflect on my progress and how well I'm doing.
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Many people think that exams don't test anything except your ability to take exams, you know, how well you can memorise and recall information.
24
They think that students would learn better by doing projects based on their own interests, where what they learn isn't limited by an exam syllabus.
25
Well, that method might work for a few people.
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But in my view, most people don't have enough motivation whereas an exam serves as a clear objective for students.
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Plus, I personally think exams test all sorts of skills besides just your ability to remember stuff like your thought processes,
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analytical ability, logic, intelligence and your application of knowledge.
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Honestly, I wouldn't want anyone in a powerful position of responsibility who hadn't proved they had those skills.
30
So in that sense, exams are essential.
31
Of course, the design of the paper is critical.
32
A multiple choice paper isn't going to test those sorts of things.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Are exams necessary? – B1 English Listening Test”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: exam, skills, test, ability, paper. This video has 32 sentences and 500 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:04. The speaker talks at a natural 163 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| exam verb | /ɪɡˈzæm/ | Shortened form of examine |
| examination noun | /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ | The act of examining. |
| classmate noun | /ˈklæs.meɪt/ | A student who is in the same class at school. |
| qualification noun | /ˌkwɑlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ | The act or process of qualifying for a position, achievement etc. |
| aptitude noun | /ˈæptɪˌtud/ | A natural ability to acquire knowledge or skill. |
| memorize verb | /ˈmɛm.əˌɹaɪ̯z/ | To fully learn so as to have entirely available to the memory; to learn by heart, commit to memory. |
| postgraduate noun | /ˌpəʊstˈɡɹædju.ət/ | A person continuing to study in a field after having successfully completed a degree course. |
| syllabus noun | /ˈsɪləbəs/ | A summary of topics which will be covered during an academic course, or a text or lecture. |
| analytical adjective | /ˌæn.əˈlɪt.ɪ.kəl/ | Of or pertaining to analysis; resolving into elements or constituent parts |
| confess verb | /kənˈfɛs/ | To admit to the truth, particularly in the context of sins or crimes committed. |
| stressful adjective | /ˈstɹɛsfəl/ | Irritating; causing stress. |
| hobby noun | /ˈhɑ.bi/ | An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time. |
| workplace noun | /ˈwɝkˌpleɪs/ | The place where someone works. |
| ace noun | /ˈeɪ̯s/ | A playing card showing a single pip, typically the highest or lowest ranking card in a game. |
| strictly adverb | /ˈstɹɪktli/ | In a strict manner. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| turn over verb | To flip over; to rotate uppermost to bottom. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | It's been · have never needed · haven't seen |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | can be trained · can't be tested |
| Comparatives -er than / more … than — comparing two things | better than |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | are getting · I'm doing |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 14 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, haven't, isn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, qualification /ˌkwɑlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, qualification /ˌkwɑlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, postgraduate /ˌpəʊstˈɡɹædju.ət/, analytical /ˌæn.əˈlɪt.ɪ.kəl/, motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like exam, examination, classmate.
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.