Shadowing Practice: Cambridge 19 listening test 2 section 1 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hi, Coleman.
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How are you?
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Good, thanks.
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I wanted to have a chat with you
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because our friend Josh told me that you've joined a guitar group and it sounds interesting.
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I'd really like to learn myself.
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Why don't you come along?
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I'm sure there's room for another person.
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Really?
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So, who runs the classes?
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He's called a coordinator.
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His name's Gary Matheson.
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Let me note that down.
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Gary.. how do you spell his surname?
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It's M-A-T-H-I-E-S-O-N.
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Right, thanks.
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He's retired, actually, but he's a really nice guy and he used to play in a lot of bands.
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Thanks.
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So, how long have you been going?
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About a month now.
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And could you play anything before you started?
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I knew a few chords, but that's all.
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I'm sure everyone will be better than me.
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That's what I thought too.
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When I first spoke to Gary on the phone, he said it was a class for beginners, but I was still worried that everyone would be better than me.
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But we were all equally hopeless.
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Oh, that's reassuring.
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So where do you meet?
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Well, when I joined the group, they were meeting in Gary's home.
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But as the group got bigger, he decided to book a room at the college in town.
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I prefer going there.
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I know that place.
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I used to go to tap dancing classes there when I was at secondary school.
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I haven't been since, though, and I can't remember what road it's in.
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Is it Lock Street?
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It's just beyond there, at the bottom of New Street, near the city roundabout.
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Yes, of course.
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The guitar club is on the first floor in room T347.
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Right.
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And when do you meet?
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Is it at the weekend?
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We meet on Thursdays.
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It used to be 10.30 and that suited me well.
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But now we meet at 11.
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The class that's in there before us asked if they could have the room for another thirty minutes.
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Oh, I see.
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Well, I'd love to come, but I don't have a guitar.
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Well, you can always buy a second-hand one.
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There's a website called The Perfect Instrument that sells all kinds of guitars, violins and so on.
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I'm sure you'll find something there.
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So, what's a typical lesson like with Gary?
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Well, he always starts by getting us to tune our guitars.
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That takes about five minutes.
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Uh-huh.
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Some people have an app they use, but others do it by ear.
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Gary goes round and helps them.
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And while he's doing that, he tells us what he's going to do during the lesson.
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Right.
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First, we usually spend about ten minutes doing some strumming.
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So, is that using...oh, what are they called?
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Plectrums?
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No, we just use our thumbs.
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Much easier.
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Gary reminds us where to put our fingers for each chord and then we play them together.
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Sometimes we all just start laughing because we're so bad at keeping time.
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So Gary starts clapping to help us.
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Do you learn to play any songs?
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Yes.
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We do at least one song with words and chords.
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I mean, that's harder than you think.
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Oh, I'm sure it is.
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That part of the lesson takes about 15 minutes.
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He often brings a recording of the song and plays it to us first.
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Then he hands out the song and if there's a new chord in it, we practice that before we play it together, but really slowly.
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Do you do any finger picking?
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That's the last ten minutes of the lesson, when we pick out the individual notes from a tune he's made up.
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It's always quite simple.
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That must be hard, though.
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It is.
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But people like it because they can really concentrate.
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And if we're all playing well, it sounds quite impressive.
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The only trouble is that he sometimes gets us to play one at a time.
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You know, alone.
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Oh, that's scary.
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It is.
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But I've got used to it now.
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At the end, he spends about five minutes telling us what to practice for the following week.
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Well, thanks, Coleman.
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I'll go and have a look at that website, I think.

Context & Background

In this engaging dialogue, two friends discuss a guitar group that one of them has recently joined. The conversation covers essential details such as the group’s coordinator, meeting location, schedule, and the initial concerns about joining as a beginner. Contextually, the speakers reflect a friendly dynamic, making the exchange relatable for English learners. This dialogue not only helps in understanding everyday English interactions but also introduces vocabulary and phrases relevant to hobbies and socializing. Engaging with such transcripts provides a valuable opportunity for IELTS speaking practice, especially for those looking to enhance conversational skills.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “I wanted to have a chat with you” - A friendly way to initiate a conversation.
  • “I’m sure there’s room for another person” - An encouraging statement expressing openness to new members.
  • “How do you spell his surname?” - A useful inquiry when clarifying names or words.
  • “I prefer going there” - Suggests a personal preference, improving conversational fluency.
  • “You can always buy a second-hand one” - Suggesting options during discussions about purchases.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

Shadowing is a powerful technique that can significantly improve English pronunciation and conversational skills. Follow this step-by-step guide to practice efficiently with the transcript from this video:

  1. Listen carefully: Play the video while focusing on the pronunciation and intonation used by the speakers.
  2. Read along: Follow the transcript as you listen. This will help connect spoken words with their written form.
  3. Choose phrases: Pick out key phrases from the "Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication" section to practice repeatedly.
  4. Shadow speech: Play short segments of the audio and repeat immediately after the speakers. Emphasize mimicking tone and rhythm.
  5. Record yourself: Use your smartphone or computer to record your shadow speak. Compare your pronunciation and intonation with the original dialogue.
  6. Practice regularly: Dedicate time each day to shadowing this dialogue until you feel confident, ensuring that you integrate it into your daily English learning routine.

Utilizing these strategies on a reliable shadowing site can aid in perfecting your conversational skills in English. Consistent practice with engaging materials, like this video, can be a game-changer for those pursuing fluency and confidence in speaking.

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.