Shadowing Practice: C2 Proficiency Speaking test - Derk and Annick | Cambridge English - Learn English Speaking with Video

Examiner: Good morning, my name is Sally Matson and this is my colleague Jill Budgie.

And your names are?

Derk. and Annick.

Examiner: Could I have your mark sheets please?

Annick: Yes.

Examiner: Thank you.

Examiner: First of all we'd like to know something about you.

Where are you from, Derk?

Derk: I'm from Holland, I'm from Haarlem, it's near to the west coast of Holland.

Examiner: And you, Annick?

Annick: And I'm from Zurich, Switzerland.

Examiner: Mhm, are you working or studying at the moment?

Annick: I'm studying at the moment. For now I'm taking a gap year so obviously I'm not studying. Studying English.

Examiner: And you?

Derk: I'm taking a gap year. I finished my high school this summer and I'm going to university next September.

Examiner: Mhm. Can you tell us something about your plans for the future, in terms of work?

Derk: I want to become a doctor. I want to improve the health of human beings.

Examiner: Mhm. And Annick, what do you think you'll be doing this time next year?

Annick: Well, I'll be doing my bank internship, which takes eighteen months. So next year obviously I'm going to be there and taking my exams probably, pretty much.

Examiner: Thank you.

Examiner: Now, in this part of the test you're going to do something together.

Here are some pictures of different situations.

First I'd like you to look at pictures A and D, and talk together about the sounds you might hear in these situations.

You have about a minute for this, so don't worry if I interrupt you.

Annick: OK, in picture A I think you can see some kind of jungle with chimpanzees.

Derk: Yes. Annick: So I guess there are a lot of natural sounds, like leaves moving and maybe some water, maybe there's a river nearby.

Derk: And maybe the roaring of the chimpanzees as well.

Annick: Yeah, or gorillas, I dunno, some kind of apes.

And, yeah, maybe also some birds.

Derk: Definitely, yeah. Annick: Because there are going to be a lot of birds.

Annick: And, what other animals could there be?

Annick: Well, just. Derk: Yeah, I dunno.

Annick: Different kind of insects maybe as well.

Derk: I don't think you hear them a lot.

What about D? I think the splashing of the water, definitely, of the sea.

Or maybe the sound of the rolling plastic objects.

Annick: Yeah. But I don't think you hear any people because it doesn't look so nice there so I think it's going to be pretty much silent there.

Examiner: Thank you. Now look at all the pictures.

I'd like you to imagine that an environmental organisation is planning a poster campaign to raise public awareness of environmental issues.

Talk together about the environmental issues suggested by these images.

Then decide on an image for the poster which would be most effective in raising public awareness.

You have about three minutes to talk about this.

Derk: I think the environmental issue in the first photograph is about the extinction of Annick: animals Derk: of animals Annick: loss of species.

Derk: Yes. Annick: Yeah, but you cannot really see that they're not doing well.

It looks like a typical calendar picture, or a Derk: Yeah, definitely. Annick: It doesn't look too bad, so I don't think this is a suitable picture.

Annick: Picture B? Derk: They are having the good life in there, it seems like.

Annick: Yeah, they look happy, with a baby on the back.

Derk: Yes. Derk: What do you think about B?

Annick: B, I also don't think it's, that it's suitable for the campaign because it also, it's, I don't think it makes a big change for awareness for the people if they see the picture because they probably won't connect it to pollution or deforestation or anything. Derk: No.

Annick: The only thing here is like, the plastic cover. I dunno, maybe it's a glass.

Derk: Yeah, maybe it's the pollution of water. Annick: So you can reuse it, yeah.

Annick: Because this is obviously, like, think Derk: Yes.

Annick: frizzy water, like, filtered water from a spring. Derk: Yeah I know.

Annick: So I also don't think this is suitable. Derk: No, I don't think either.

Annick: Picture C. Derk: I think C, yeah, is a rather good one.

Derk: You see all the. It's a third-world country, developing country certainly.

Annick: Yeah, and you can also see in between all the forest parts. So maybe there was a lot of deforestation going on before, so they could build houses.

Derk: Yeah.

Annick: So, this would be I think one of the better pictures for the campaign.

Derk: Yes. Annick: Because you can see that there has been some deforestation.

Derk: Yes, I think these Annick: And loss of species because the animals don't have their normal habitats anymore.

Derk: Yeah, because all the trees.

Annick: Yeah.

Derk: Yeah, they cut down all the trees.

I think D is a good one as well.

Annick: Yeah I agree.

Derk: It's a common picture.

Annick: Because normally beaches are supposed to be nice and families want to spend their time there, or go for a stroll.

And if it looks like this, I'm pretty much certain that no one wants to go there.

So this would raise awareness.

Derk: It's, looks like such a well known, wide beach, with a light blue water.

Derk: But it's all polluted, and plastic and everything. Annick: Yeah but, to be honest, pretty much every beach looks kind of similar nowadays.

because everyone's just throwing away their Coca-Cola cans and, so it's quite common.

Derk: But it's very hard to make all litter bins on all beaches.

Annick: Yeah.

Derk: What do you think about E?

Annick: Well it looks like er, I don't really connect it with environment because it's just old used cars that are being compressed.

Derk: Yeah.

Derk: Maybe they used Annick: And there are whole parts for that.

Annick: Yeah but also I wouldn't use it for the campaign.

Derk: No, I think Annick: So I think we choose D.

Derk: D, yeah it's the best one, definitely.

And I think E, it's really bad because you can use metal again. You can recycle it.

Annick: Yeah. And D actually affects the people. Derk: Yes, definitely.

Examiner: Thank you.

Examiner: Now in this part of the test, you're each going to talk on your own for about two minutes.

You need to listen while your partner is speaking because you'll be asked to comment afterwards.

So, Derk I'm going to give you a card with a question written on it and I'd like you to tell us what you think.

There are also some ideas on the card for you to use if you like.

Alright? Here's your card.

Please let Annick see your card.

Remember, Derk you have about two minutes to talk before we join in.

Derk: How important is it to make long term plans.

I think in personal life it's quite important to make long term plans because you're able to know what you want to become when you're old, and what you want to earn for money and what you want to do for the community and for your country.

I think in talking in shorter terms it's good to know what you want to do this year.

It's long term as well, but it's shorter term.

In work/school, it's really, for yourself, important to know what you want to do after school so you have good grades in certain subjects.

Erm, so that you will be able to show other people after school that you like the things that you're good in.

In government, it is of course very important to make long term plans.

100

If we look at the whole Euro crisis now they all didn't make such good plans to see if the credibility of the countries was right before they entered the Euro.

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So it's really important to look, to certain aspects in parts of the community in government.

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Examiner: Thank you.

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Examiner: Why do some people prefer not to plan ahead?

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Annick: Well some people want to be spontaneous.

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And I also think it's actually quite a good idea to sometimes just say, let's pack a suitcase with, let's say your bikini and some trousers, and then just go to the airport and just pick one flight, wherever it takes us.

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So I think this is also quite good.

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But I think when it comes to important things like planning a family it's very important that you plan ahead.

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To have a good job, so you're financially stable.

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So it depends. You cannot always be spontaneously, spontaneous.

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Examiner: What do you think?

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Derk: I think it's, for most people just laziness not to make long term plans, I think.

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They don't want to think about it, and that's the reason they don't think about it.

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Examiner: Thank you.

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Examiner: Now Annick it's your turn to be given the question.

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Here is your card.

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Please let Derk see your card.

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Remember, Annick you have about two minutes to tell us what you think.

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And there are some ideas on the card for you to use if you like. Alright?

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Annick: Yeah. What factors will influence how cities develop in the future.

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That's a very good question because I think because of the rising population nowadays.

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That's very important right now to think about the future.

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So, when it comes to population we can definitely see that there's going to be more people in one city.

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So probably they have to build more houses, higher houses, build more skyscrapers. People are going to live in much smaller spaces.

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And also I think to live in centre is going to get a bit down because you probably won't be able to have a garden, and your own house.

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You will just share a small flat, probably in the big cities.

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Also you have to deforest forests, in order to make space for buildings.

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So, I think the cities are just going to get more packed with buildings, and the nature and sceneries are going to suffer from that.

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And financially, well...

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they could develop in different ways. I think everything is getting more expensive everyday because the resources are getting rare, rarer.

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And, yeah I think also the price of water is going to raise, and energy, and the fuel, obviously.

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And, yeah so things like petrol.

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And climate, well we're experiencing global climate changes, global warming.

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But I think not every city is affected so far.

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So probably in the jungles or like, rainforests, the seasons are not really going to change because they are always at the equator.

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But other cities like, not really cities but, let's say the Antarctica, I think all the ice shelves are going to melt at some point.

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And then, just the animals are going to suffer and also the people there.

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Examiner: Thank you.

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Is it important to preserve old buildings in cities?

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Derk: I think so because if you want to have the old scenery that we had in the early days many people used to, are usually looking back to the good life.

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Many old people.

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And I think it's really good to preserve those buildings to have the old scenery in the cities.

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Examiner: What do you think?

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Annick: I agree, but I also think that they are very important part of the culture of the city.

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So let's look at England.

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I think it's... if I think of England, I always think automatically of red brick buildings and very charming small houses.

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So if we wouldn't have them in a few years anymore I don't think England would have any charm left.

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So it's all about the flare and I think you really should preserve them.

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Examiner: Thank you.

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Now, to finish the test we're going to talk about the future in general.

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Do you think newspapers and books have a future?

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Annick: Yes I think so.

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Some people say that the internet is going to take over everything and that you're going to read all the articles now on the iPads, on ebooklets, or what are they called?

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Derk: Kindle Annick: Kindle, exactly.

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Annick: But I think it's still nice to have an actual newspaper in your hands, a physical one that you can touch.

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And just also, the smell of the papers.

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Derk: And I think the sound of flipping pages is so good. Annick: Yeah.

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Derk: Most people don't like it to read from a screen because their eyes get tired, but I think it's Annick: You can get a headache.

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Derk: It's much better to read from a paper.

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It's more quiet, more just relaxing for your eyes Annick: Yeah.

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Examiner: Given the choice would you rather live in the past or in the future?

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Derk: I think I would rather live in the past because it's much better life I think.

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Less worries, and there will be... There are so many issues they are complaining about.

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And old people, everybody is just thinking about problems that are not real problems, in my view.

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And I think in the early days they didn't have the time to worry about those problems, that I think I would rather live in the past.

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Annick: Yeah, I also think it's very tempting to live, let's say in the Roman times.

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Because they had a lot of feasts and Derk: Yeah.

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Annick: Yeah. I just, also the foods, enjoying the foods. Going to not parties but, all the celebrations there.

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I really think that it's going to be not easier to live there because you don't have all the technology of course.

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But as he pointed out, I think that nowadays we worry about too many small things.

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And back then it was just war or not war, and starve or not starve, and the diseases they has back then.

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Annick: OK. Derk: They Annick: Because now we have medical advantages so we don't have to worry about the past, or I don't know.

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Derk: Yeah but we're worrying about things that are not so real.

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Annick: It would be nice to, like, be one day in the future.

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Where you have like everything automatically and... Just, not to actually live there, but just to experience and see how it is.

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Derk: How will you enjoy yourself if everything is done by something else?

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Annick: We don't know how the future is going to be like, so.

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Maybe you have like, cyber-jets and you can fly, and I think this would be fun.

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Derk: Could be. Annick: Could be.

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Examiner: Some people worry that wild animals will only exist in zoos in the future. What do you think about this?

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Annick: Well I hope not. Derk: No Annick: But right now it seems like many species are going to be extinct in hundreds of years.

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But I think humankind should try to do their best in preserving them.

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And maybe keeping them in zoo as well is helping to preserve them because they don't lose their habitat there. But still, it's not real wildlife.

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Derk: Yeah but I think it's better to have certain reserves to keep the animals and to have the wildlife as well in there.

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Annick: Yeah Derk: It's much better for the animals I think than in a zoo.

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I think all the animals are so... so bored by always the same thing in the Annick: Yeah, in a small cage.

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Examiner: What changes might there be in food and food production in the future?

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Annick: Well I'm waiting for the invention of like a small pill, where you can have like, a starter, a main course, and a dessert.

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They would change flavours. It would be very nice, no?

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Then you don't have to take all the time, and eating it, and you have the same enjoyment But still, it also wouldn't be the same.

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Like actually cutting a nice piece of steak is better than just taking a tablet.

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Derk: I think we will always eat vegetables, but I think there will be a change in maybe the food they're coming from.

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Snack bars and fast food brand.

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Annick: I also think that more food is going to be organic in future.

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Derk: Yes, definitely.

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Examiner: Thank you. That is the end of the test.

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 Practice: C2 Proficiency Speaking test - Derk and Annick | Cambridge English - Learn English Speaking with Video

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What is the Shadowing Technique?