Shadowing Practice: [CAM 11] Test 2 Section 2 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hi, great to see you.
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47 sentences
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Hi, great to see you.
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I'm Jodie and I'll be looking after both of you for the first month you're working here at the Amersham Theatre.
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I'll tell you something about the theatre now, then take you to meet two of the other staff.
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It's an old building and it's been modernised several times.
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In fact, as you can see, we're carrying out a major refurbishment at the moment.
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The interior has just been repainted and we're about to start on the exterior of the building.
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That'll be a big job.
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The work's running over budget, so we've had to postpone installing an elevator.
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I hope you're happy running up and down stairs.
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When the theatre was built, people were generally slimmer and shorter than now and the seats were very close together.
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We've replaced them with larger seats.
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with more legroom.
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This means fewer seats in total, but we've taken the opportunity to install seats that can easily be moved to create different acting spaces.
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We've also turned a few storerooms over to other purposes, like using them for meetings.
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We try hard to involve members of the public in the theatre.
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One way is by organising backstage tours, so people can be shown round the building and learn how a theatre operates.
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These are proving very popular.
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What we're finding is that people want to have lunch or a cup of coffee while they're here, so we're looking into the possibility of opening a cafe in due course.
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We have a bookshop which specialises in books about drama and that attracts plenty of customers.
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Then there are two large rooms that will be decorated next month and they'll be available for hire for conferences and private functions such as parties.
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We're also considering hiring out costumes to amateur drama clubs.
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Now I want to tell you about our workshops.
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We recently started a programme of workshops that anyone can join.
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Eventually, we intend to run courses in acting, but we're waiting until we've got the right people in place as trainers.
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That's proving more difficult than we'd expected.
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There's a big demand to learn about the technical side of putting on a production, and our lighting workshop has already started with great success.
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We're going to start one on sound next month.
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A number of people have inquired about workshops on makeup and that's something we're considering for the future.
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A surprise success is the workshop on making puppets.
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We happen to have someone working here who does it as a hobby and she offered to run a workshop.
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It was so popular we're now running them every month.
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Now a word about the layout of the building.
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The auditorium, stage and dressing rooms for the actors are all below ground level.
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Here on the ground floor we have most of the rooms that the public doesn't see.
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The majority are internal, so they have windows in the roof to light them.
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Standing here in the foyer, you're probably wondering why the box office isn't here, where the public would expect to find it.
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Well, you might have noticed it on your way in.
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Although it's part of this building, it's next door, with a separate entrance from the road.
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For the theatre manager's office, you go across the foyer and through the double doors.
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Turn right, and it's the room at the end of the corridor, with the door on the left.
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The lighting box is where the computerised stage lighting is operated, and it's at the back of the building.
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When you're through the double doors, turn left, turn right at the water cooler, and right again at the end.
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It's the second room along that corridor.
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The lighting box has a window into the auditorium, which of course is below us.
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The Artistic Director's Office is through the double doors, turn right, and it's the first room you come to on the right-hand side.
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And finally, for the moment, the room where I'll take you next, the relaxation room.
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So, if you'd like to come...

About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will practice their English listening and speaking skills by engaging with the transcript from a video focusing on the operations of a theatre. The speaker provides insights into the theatre's facilities, ongoing renovations, and community engagement initiatives. By exploring these themes, learners will enrich their vocabulary and develop their ability to discuss various aspects of a cultural institution in English. This practice session is particularly beneficial for those preparing for the IELTS speaking exam.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Refurbishment - the process of renovating or improving a structure.
  • Legroom - the amount of space available for the legs when sitting.
  • Backstage tours - guided visits to areas of the theatre not normally seen by the public.
  • Workshops - educational sessions where participants can learn specific skills.
  • Costumes - clothing worn by actors in performances.
  • Auditorium - the viewing area in a theatre where the audience sits.
  • Technical side - aspects of a production related to equipment and technology.
  • Hire - to rent or lease something, such as a room or equipment.

Practice Tips

To maximize your speaking practice using this transcript, consider employing the shadowing technique, which involves listening and repeating what you hear in real-time. Since Jodie speaks at a moderate pace with clear enunciation, you'll find it effective to practice shadow speech without struggling to keep up. Start by listening to short segments of the video, pausing it after each sentence or phrase. Repeat the lines aloud, mimicking Jodie's tone and rhythm.

Additionally, try to incorporate specific phrases from the vocabulary list into your own sentences after shadowing. This will help deepen your understanding of their usage in context. For those preparing for IELTS speaking practice, this exercise will not only improve pronunciation but also enhance fluency. Using a shadowing app can help streamline this process, allowing you to practice anywhere without the need for physical scripts. This method can help you become more accustomed to the flow of conversational English, making it easier to express your thoughts clearly during your speaking assessments.

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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