Shadowing Practice: Band 8.5 IELTS Practice Speaking Exam (mock test) - with teacher feedback - Saskia from Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Saskia, you have finished your IELTS practice speaking test.
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Saskia, you have finished your IELTS practice speaking test.
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How was it for you?
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I found it pretty good, it wasn't too tough.
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It's like carrying a normal conversation in English and I found it to be pretty good.
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You've taken the IELTS test before.
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I have, yes.
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so compared to the real test, which is obviously a lot more nerve racking, how are the questions in this one?
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Well, I took my real test three years ago, so I don't fully remember it.
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I feel like the questions here were a little more streamline.
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Whereas when I did the actual exam, it was a lot broader, and there was just a lot more space for me to talk.
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But yeah, this wasn't too different.
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Hello, wonderful IELTS daily friends!
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My name is Chris from IELTS daily, and we're back today for another, in our super mock exam speaking videos.
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Today, we have the student Saska, and she is going to talk as though she speaking in the real mock exam.
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So we have a practice examiner.
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and we have feedback throughout the video.
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And I hope that this feedback is really useful for you So you can learn some of the techniques which Saski uses, and maybe you can take on some of the language she uses.
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I'm going to tell you, she's a great speaker today, so pay attention. Let's go.
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Hello, and welcome to this practice exam conducted by IELTS daily.
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My name is Mattie, and I'm your practice examiner.
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The questions in this test are designed to simulate the IELTS speaking test.
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Let's start.
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What's your first name, please?
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Saskia. Thanks, Saskia.
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At the beginning of the IELTS test, you will be required to provide some ID.
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But as this is a practice test, we don't need to do that today.
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So I want to begin by talking about you.
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Do you work or do you study?
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I am a student at the moment.
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And what do you study?
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I'm at university, and I'm in my first year.
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I'm doing a bachelor of arts in literature.
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As you know, really common question is: Do you work or study ?
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I would really advise you that you should prepare for that type of question.
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Are you working or are you studying?
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Are you a full time employee or are you a part time employee?
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Maybe you're a job seeker, maybe you're looking for a job.
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Whatever you are, whoever you are, make sure that you're ready.
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Let's move on to the topic of math.
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Do you like math?
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I'm not particularly a fan, no.
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This is some great language by Saski.
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She says: I'm not particularly a fan, no.
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I'm not particularly a fan, no, this is a great way to say, no.
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But it's adding some language.
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So if you're a fan of something, yeah, you could say: I'm really a fan of.
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And why is math so important?
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I think it is very fundamental for a lot of degrees and a lot of not just educational but occupational things that you might go into.
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Math has always provided to be a basis for everything.
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And is maths easy for everyone?
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No, I can't say that it is.
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I think it's a personality trait that you are either more inclined towards mathematical thinking or you are not.
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In this section, she talked about math.
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or you can say maths.
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You know that math is the American way to say maths or mathematics.
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You can say either, doesn't really matter.
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But in this section, Saska used some great language.
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She says: You are more inclined.
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She talked about personality.
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Some people are more inclined.
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Other people are not inclined, and that means that they have some tendency or trait that they have an ability to do something.
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Great! Now I want to talk about smiling.
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What makes you smile?
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Everything, as you can tell.
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Everything will make me smile.
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I think I'm a very smiley person.
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And how often do you smile?
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A lot of the time, I can honestly say.
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I really like this because Saskia has a great rapport or relationship with the practice examiner.
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Make sure that in your test, you're not feeling too nervous.
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Try to pretend that you're talking to a friend, have a natural conversation.
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Sometimes your sentences will be short, sometimes you can expand on them.
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It doesn't really matter, just make sure that you properly address the question so that you feel confident that you've answered it.
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And when do people smile at each other?
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When they're happy, when they're loving, in love, just excited.
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Sometimes when you are sad, you can give a sympathetic smile, and smiles can convey so much., Great language here.
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She said: Smiles can convey.
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To convey. To show or to get some meaning across.
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So she said: Smiles can convey.
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It can convey good things or bad things.
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Do you smile when you're having a photo?
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I try to. I try to, but you know, sometimes you've got to give that, that steel, the blue steel look, I think it's cool.
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That's the one.
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Pose. Pose.
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I'm going to give you a topic, and I'd like you to talk about it for one to two minutes.
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The only piece of feedback that I'd give to Saskia here is that at times, some of her answers are a little bit short, and I feel that she could elaborate a little bit more on her answers.
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For example: She talked about whether people smile in photographs.
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And she could say: Well, yeah, I tend to smile often in photographs, but I suppose it depends on the situation.
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If it's an active photograph and we're doing something, then maybe there's no chance to smile.
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But she did use a word which I'm not that familiar with, but I'm not doubting her.
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It was a blue steel smile.
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I don't really use that phrase very often, but I think it's probably true, you can talk about having a steely complexion, which means that you're quite stern and you don't always smile.
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So somebody who has a steely complexion might not smile so often.
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Before you talk, you will have one minute to think about what you're going to say, and you can make notes if you wish.
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So here is a paper and pencil for making notes.
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And here is your topic: I would like you to describe an advertisement you remember.
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You'll have one minute.
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Ok. So remember, you have one to two minutes for this.
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Don't worry if I stop you; I'll tell you when the time is up.
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You can start speaking now, please.
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Well, an advertisement that has stuck to me a lot is, I don't know if you remember it, The 2016, I believe, the Pepsi advertisement with Kendall Jenner.
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Basically, she breaks up a protest between the protesters and the cops by handing a can of Pepsi.
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And this was a video, and it went viral across the Internet because of the racial backlash that it faced.
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After you know, it came out and went so popular, because I think the idea was that it would, it trivialize the ideas of race and protesting, and things that people might believe in.
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And also just the social values of culture, race, everything.
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And basically by, you know, dissolving a protest and dissolving tension by a can of Pepsi, It just trivialized things like the Black Lives Matter, any sort of protest, whether it was racial, cultural, sexual, anything.
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And this went viral, and I do remember it because people still talk about it today, and I was actually having a conversation recently.
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about how even though this was so long ago, and people have apologized, Kendal Jenner has apologized, Pepsi has apologized, it has not taken away from just how iconic it was and how it commemorated how people saw, how people trivialized racial tension.
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And so that's an advertisement that I fully remember very, very vividly.
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And that's it. Yeah.
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Where were you when you first saw it?
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I think I was in Sri Lanka.
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And it just came up on a Youtube post, like, you know how they gave you the advertisements before they actually get to the actual video?
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It was one of those things, and you don't actually think about how iconic it is, because you just skip, get to the skip button.
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But I actually watched the entirety of that video, and I remember thinking, "You know, what are you doing?" I remember considering Pepsi's like, what, that is not what you should be doing.
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As you know, such a multi-million dollar company, and even Kendall Jenner as an individual and as somebody who signs up to do this sort of protests Exactly.
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You just have to question where their morals are.
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Yeah. No, great.
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Wow! So much excellent language in here.
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I think Saskia did a fantastic job.
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However, There's one piece of her speaking.
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which may limit her from a band 9.
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At the moment, I think Saskia is heading towards about 9 in this, in the speaking practice.
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But there's one word which I don't know if you noticed, she didn't pronounce it in the way that most people would pronounce it, and it was the word, "advertisement".
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Advertisement.
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Now, some people may say, "advertisement".
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And there are two ways that you could probably say this, which would be: Advertisement or advertisement.
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You can choose most of those, or both of those are just accepted ways.
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The problem here is that she said, "adverTEASEment".
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And I spoke to Saskia after her test, and I said, why did you use the word "adverTEASEment"?
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And she said, Yeah, I know.
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Actually, in my country, in Sri Lanka, we say "adverTEASEement".
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And I said, Really? That's very interesting.
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The problem with IELTS is that they have specific ways which are acceptable for pronunciation.
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And those ways are usually Standard British, American, South African, Canadian accents.
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But any deviation may be Australian and New Zealand as well, but any deviations from those standard ways to pronounce things, and this doesn't account for accent.
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Remember the accent, you can have an accent, that's okay.
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The pronunciation of words is actually quite important, and I think that a really strict examiner.
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Would say, because she said, "adverTEASEment", she probably would score an 8 in the pronunciation section, which I think is really unfair, because she has been brought up.
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speaking and using the word, "adverTEASEment".
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Anyway, that's a little bit about pronunciation, and how important pronunciation is, to have some sort of standard pronunciation.
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But let's talk about her language.
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She said, well so much language, she said: Went viral, racial backlash, trivialized the idea of, Social values, dissolving the protest.
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Trivializing the Black Lives Matter protest.
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So. so much excellent, high level language with a variety of complex grammar.
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For me, she's on a 9, 9, 9.
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8 for the pronunciation, but that's because I'm looking from a really strict examiner's point of view.
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Well done, Saskia.
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Let's continue to section three.
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Thank you. Now let's talk about advertisements generally.
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Why do companies advertise?
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Because it attracts the attention of consumers, and they can capitalize on their product.
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And is advertising becoming too commonplace?
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I think it might be, because we're at a point now where we see product placements in the news, in TV, in movies, and we don't actually realize how it's so commonplace, that we don't actually realize that we are being advertised too.
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We're just there and we see it was like, "Oh! I could do with a coke, because I have seen somebody drink a coke in this film", it's that sort of thing that's made it ridiculously commonplace, yes.
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Saski's fluency is excellent.
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In this section, she is elaborating on her answers and giving lots of supporting points.
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She had some great language as well, and we'll talk about those words now.
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She said: Product placement.
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Do you know what a product placement is?
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Well, it's when you see something on a TV show or on TV.
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which is advertising a product.
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But you don't actually realize it's an advertisement.
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It's sitting, maybe there's a cup sitting on the desk, or maybe there's a car in the background, that's called product placement.
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She also said: It's commonplace.
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She said: It's so commonplace, which means it's really common, but it's a different way to say common.
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Commonplace.
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And she also said: I could do with a coke.
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I could do with a coke, means I really want a coke.
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I could do with a cup of tea.
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I really need a cup of tea.
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Should advertising be regulated?
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I think it should be because otherwise we fall into.
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Were in a very capitalist economy and society, and I think that without the regulation of advertisements, you don't actually realize that you are being advertised, too.
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And you lose that sense of control over yourself, you're spending, you don't have any autonomy.
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Did you catch Saskia saying the word, "adverTEASEment", again?
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Yep, it crept in, and I think the examiner would notice that.
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Such a shame.
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Great speech, by the way.
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She's talking at length, using great, great language.
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Is celebrity endorsement a good or a bad thing?
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I understand how for the company, that could be a good thing, it's an excellent way to get, you know, the layman's attention.
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But at the same time, like you said, I do believe that it has to be regulated.
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Because celebrity endorsement is excellent.
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And it's very, very effective.
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But at the same time, it does come with its issues.
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Have you ever found yourself buying something because a celebrity promoted it ?
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I have found myself considering things because a celebrity celebrity has promoted it.
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Because I'm just saying, "Aha!
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I mean, her skin is great, she's using the skin care product".
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There has to be some sort of correlation.
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But you don't actually think about, you know, the amounts of editing etc that goes into her skin being great, that sort of thing And what celebrity might that be?
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I think it was just some model, I remember.
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I think it was Gigi Hadid because I think when it comes to young girls, and women, and fashion industries, you see a model of somebody who is very high up and very popular, and immediately you think, "Oh, well, you know, if they're doing, it must be right".
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So that's just that sort of thing.
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Thank you very much.
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That is the end of the speaking test.
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Wow, Saskia had an excellent speaking test.
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In this example, do you agree?
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I think she would score overall a band 8.5, and she definitely has the opportunity to score a 9.
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I can't really find anything to falter with.
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No mistakes, really, and if there were any mistakes, they were called slips.
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And you are allowed to make slips at the band 9 level.
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The same thing for language, you can make slips at the band 9 level.
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So I think he has asked you would really be close to a band 9.
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Fantastic, fantastic opportunity for you guys to watch and learn from some of the things she says.
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Notice how she delivers her speech, she's very calm and confident.
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She doesn't worry about it, and she talks naturally.
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I know that's really hard for some of you guys to do, but you've got to keep practicing.
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Come and download the IELTS daily app, and you can submit some of your speaking practice, and we all mark that and give you a score as well.
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It's been such a place as talking to you today.
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I love watching these mock exam videos.
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Come back for another one, because we have lots more for you guys to learn from.
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So for now, take care, be kind and see you in the next session.
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Context & Background
The IELTS speaking test is a critical component for non-native English speakers aiming to demonstrate their proficiency in the language. In a recent mock exam featuring Saskia, a university student from Sri Lanka, the conversation revolved around her studies and personal opinions. The dialogue unfolded naturally, resembling a typical English conversation while also reflecting the structure of the actual IELTS speaking test. Saskia's responses showcased her understanding of common questions encountered in this examination, highlighting her comfort in communicating her thoughts in English.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “I’m not particularly a fan, no.” - A polite way to express disinterest.
- “This wasn’t too different.” - Useful when comparing experiences or situations.
- “I think it is very fundamental for a lot of degrees.” - Good for emphasizing the importance of a subject.
- “Whatever you are, make sure that you’re ready.” - Motivational phrase that encourages preparation.
- “Math has always proven to be a basis for everything.” - A strong statement to highlight the foundational role of math in various fields.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To improve your English speaking skills, particularly for the IELTS speaking test, consider using the shadowing technique. Here’s a detailed guide on how to effectively apply this method while watching the mock exam video featuring Saskia:
- Watch the Video: Start by watching the full mock test to grasp the context and flow of the conversation. Pay close attention to Saskia's tone and pacing.
- Repeat in Real-time: As you watch, try to mimic her speech immediately after each sentence. This is your shadow speech, where you replicate not just the words, but also the intonation.
- Pause and Reflect: After completing a section, pause the video and summarize what you’ve learned. Think about how you can incorporate similar phrases into your daily English speaking practice.
- Practice Regularly: Set aside time each day to practice shadowing. Utilize a shadowing site offering various speakers to enhance your skills across different accents and contexts.
- Record Yourself: Record your practice sessions. Listening to your own voice can help you identify areas for improvement in pronunciation and fluency.
By consistently applying this shadowing technique, you can significantly enhance your speaking abilities, making you more prepared for the challenges of the IELTS speaking exam and everyday conversations.
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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