Shadowing Practice: B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking Test - Roberto and Simone | Cambridge English - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Can I have your mark sheets, please? Thank you.

I'm Claire, and this is Sandra. What's your name?

I'm Roberto. How old are you?

I'm 13 years old. Thank you. And what's your name?

I'm Simone.

How old are you? I'm 14.

Simone, where do you live?

I live in Buccinasco, near Milan.

Who do you live with?

I live with my mum, with my father, my brother and my sister.

Thank you. And Roberto, where do you live?

I also live in Buccinasco.

Who do you live with?

I live with my mum, my dad and my sister.

Thank you. Roberto, tell us about a teacher you like.

So, I really like my Italian teacher because she really makes us feel part of the lesson, showing us things on the chalkboard and to make us understand really hard concepts.

And so, with her lessons, you really learn understand very well some concepts.

How often do you use a mobile phone, Roberto?

I use it every day, and I use it just to chat with my friends and maybe sometimes watch some videos.

Simone, how do you get to school every day?

I take the bus near my house and then, I had to take the subway.

Which do you like best, the morning or the afternoon?

I like the afternoon because you can chill yourself, you can have time for yourself because the morning is too busy. You have to go to school you have to go to work. So, the afternoon, you can relax and enjoy yourself.

Thank you. Now, I'd like each of you to talk on your own about something. I'm going to give each of you a photograph and I'd like you to talk about it.

Roberto, here is your photograph. It shows someone learning how to do something.

Simone, you just listen.

Roberto, please tell us what you can see in the photograph.

OK. So, there's two girls who are following a recipe on the iPad and they are in a kitchen, and probably, they're making a mess because you can see all the eggs on the table. So, they are having fun.

They are working together. And one of the girls has a dress a white and black dress. One of the girls has curly hair and a t-shirt and some jeans.

Talk about other things you can see in the photograph.

So, they're probably making a cake because, with the flour and eggs, usually, you make a cake. There is a salt or a sugar. And, yeah, they're in a kitchen.

And here, there are some shelves with some food.

Thank you. Simone, here is your photograph. It shows someone at home after school.

Roberto, you just listen.

Simone, please tell us what you can see in the photograph.

So, in the photograph, I can see a boy who is watching a football match.

Probably his favourite football team is playing right now.

He's alone at home because nobody is sitting next to him.

He's in his living room, probably.

He's wearing trousers and a shirt, a white shirt.

There is a table in the middle of the living room.

And on the table, there are some cards, a candle, a pen, papers.

I think he's having a really good time because I think he really likes watching football team playing.

Thank you. Can I have the booklet, please?

Now, in this part of the test you're going to talk about something together for about two minutes.

I'm going to describe a situation to you.

Some students from a small village school are going on a trip to their capital city.

Here are some of the activities they could do there. Talk together about the different activities they could do in their capital city, and say which would be the most interesting. All right? Now, talk together.

So, I think going to the gallery could be an option.

- It could be boring at the same time - But maybe it's a boring, a bit boring.

What about visiting an ancient castle?

Yeah, I think that could be nice because you get to know more about the culture of the city, watching an ancient monument.

- Or maybe also going to the stadium? - Yeah, we could also go to the stadium.

Because it's more entertaining. You see more action Yeah, they can have fun, they can eat together.

But maybe going to the football stadium, you can do that in every city while, I don't know, having a visit of the city with the bus you can't do it everywhere because every city is different.

It gives you the opportunity to see the city better.

But what about the transport museum?

I think that could be an interesting visit because you get to see old things which are maybe typical from the city.

And what about the going shopping, going to the markets?

I think that could be nice because you get to buy stuff which is typical from the place. They could buy gift for their friends, for their family.

Or maybe, also going to the zoo. But maybe, I don't know. Because there are zoos everywhere, in every city. So, you can't learn more about the city you're visiting. So, I think the bus.

Yeah, the bus visit is the most unique thing to do. Yeah.

Thank you. Roberto, would you like to have more school trips?

Yes. Especially in interesting cities in Italy, big cities like Milan maybe a bit more often. Milan, Genova or Rome, which is-- What about you, Simone?

Yeah, I would like to have more trips, more school trips, probably abroad so you can understand better different cultures you can learn another language and you're going to have fun with friends in another place.

What do you need to take when you go on a trip?

I think you have to bring a bag or a school backpack.

But you have to bring food to here and something to drink because probably the place you visit is in the middle of nowhere and there aren't shops to buy things.

And then, you have to bring your sunglasses if the weather is sunny.

Do you prefer to go on trips with your friends or with your family?

I prefer going with friends because we can hang out we can have really good time together.

With a family, you go to a museum, to the stadium, to the cinema, but it's boring.

Do you agree, Roberto?

Yeah, I think it depends because with your friends, you can do whatever you like, you can go wherever you want, while with a family you have to follow your parents.

What do you think is the best time of year to visit a city?

I think, probably, even if you're young, summer, because you go to the beach and you can have a good time at the beach, you can go in the ocean.

So it's really nice and, but maybe there's too warm.

So, in the winter. In the winter some cities are not good to visit in the winter because, like New York it's way too cold to visit it.

So, I think the best option is summer, or maybe also, fall.

OK, and which do you think is more interesting visiting the countryside or visiting a city?

So, I think that the city, there's more stuff to do. It's better. And it's easier.

More stuff in a smaller space. Yeah.

While in the countryside you're in the middle of - nowhere and you don't have much to do. - You can't do anything.

And I think it's easier also to stay in the city because there's shops - where you can buy things you want. - But I think if you want to relax yourself you have to go to the countryside so you can hear the sound of the nature and you can relax.

Yeah. Thank you. That is the end of the test.

Thank you.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

This engaging video featuring Roberto and Simone provides an excellent opportunity to practice English speaking skills in a real-world context. By watching their interaction during the B1 Preliminary for Schools speaking test, learners can grasp the structure and flow of typical English conversations. The dialogue covers various topics, such as family, daily activities, and personal preferences, making it relatable and practical for learners at the B1 level.

Practicing with this video not only enhances your listening skills but also improves your speaking proficiency through shadow speech. You can repeat phrases and responses after the speakers, which is an effective technique to assimilate natural language use. Utilizing videos like this on a shadowing site allows for immersive learning, helping you express thoughts clearly and confidently in English. This method is particularly beneficial for those preparing for standardized tests like the IELTS, as it mimics real-life speaking scenarios.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The video is rich with useful grammatical structures and phrases. Here are a few key examples:

Present Simple Tense: Both Roberto and Simone frequently use the present simple to describe routines and habits, such as "I live with my mum" and "I use my mobile phone every day." This tense is crucial for English learners as it helps articulate daily actions clearly.
Descriptive Phrases: Roberto's description of a teacher using phrases like "she really makes us feel part of the lesson" showcases how to express opinions and feelings effectively.
Future Possibilities: When discussing potential activities, phrases like "could be boring" allow learners to express uncertainty and opinions about future events, an important skill for discussions.

Learning these structures while watching makes it easier to implement them in your own speech. Incorporating these expressions into your own conversations will enhance your fluency.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While engaging with the video, pay attention to a few pronunciation challenges that may arise:

Contractions: Notice how the speakers use contractions such as "I'm," "they're," and "there's." Practicing these will improve your fluency and make your speech sound more natural.
Intonation Patterns: Pay attention to the intonation, particularly in questions and descriptive statements. By mimicking the appropriate stress and pitch, you can sound more engaging in conversations.
Linking Sounds: Watch for how words are linked together in fast speech—such as "what’s your name?" sounding like "whatcha name?". Understanding and practicing these nuances will enhance your listening and speaking skills.

By focusing on these key areas while shadowing the speakers, you can improve your English pronunciation significantly, making your contributions to conversations more impactful and comprehensible. Dive into this video and start your journey to learn English with YouTube effectively!

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	things which are · stuff which is · Rome, which is
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group	the most interesting · the most unique · the best
Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now	are following · are working · they're probably making
Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary	had to take · have to go · have to bring

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking Test - Roberto and Simone | Cambridge English - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Common Pronunciation Traps

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?