Shadowing Practice: Cambridge IELTS 1-Test 2 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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118 sentences
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Cassette 1, side 2.
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Practice test 2.
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You will hear a number of different recordings, and you will have to answer questions on what you hear.
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There will be time for you to read the instructions and questions, and you will have a chance to check your work.
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All the recordings will be played once only.
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The test is in four sections.
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Write all your answers in the listening question booklet.
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At the end of the test, you will be given ten minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet.
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Now turn to section one of your question booklet.
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Section one.
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In this section, you will hear two overseas students, Kate and Lukey, being interviewed by a university counsellor.
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First look at questions 1 to 5.
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You will see that there is an example which has been done for you.
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On this occasion only, the conversation relating to the example will be played first.
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Hi there, Kate.
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Come on in.
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How are you today?
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Fine, thanks.
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Hi, Lukey.
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How's things?
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OK.
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Well, as I explained on the phone, I'm a counsellor here at the Student Services section of the university.
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And I'm interviewing overseas students to help me draw up a guide for new students.
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So, I'd be grateful if you could tell me a little about your time since you've been here in Cambridge.
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Right.
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Now, Kate, let's start with you.
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Okay.
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This is your second semester, isn't it?
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Could you tell us something about your first impressions of the town when you arrived?
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Yeah.
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Well, first of all, I was struck by how quiet it is here in the evening.
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Kate's first impression of the town is that it is quiet in the evening, so quiet is the answer.
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Now we shall begin.
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You should answer the questions as you listen, because you will not hear the recording a second time.
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Now listen to the first interview with Kate and complete the notes by filling in the numbered spaces 1 to 5.
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Hi there, Kate.
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Come on in.
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How are you today?
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Fine, thanks.
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Hi, Lukey.
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How's things?
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Okay.
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Well, as I explained on the phone, I'm a counsellor here at the Student Services section of the university.
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And I'm interviewing overseas students to help me draw up a guide for new students.
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So I'd be grateful if you could tell me a little about your time since you've been here in Cambridge.
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Right.
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Here.
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Now, Kate, let's start with you.
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Okay.
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This is your second semester, isn't it?
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Could you tell us something about your first impressions of the town when you arrived?
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Yeah.
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Well, first of all, I was struck by how quiet it is here in the evening.
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Yeah.
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I suppose Cambridge is a quiet place.
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Where did you live when you first arrived?
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Well, I went straight into student accommodation.
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It was a kind of student hostel.
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Ah, right.
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So you didn't have to worry about doing your own cooking or anything like that?
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No, but sometimes I wished I had.
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The food at the hostel was awful.
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Oh, dear.
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But how were the other students?
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To be honest, I haven't managed to make many friends, even though the place is full.
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People seem to keep to themselves.
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They're not really very friendly.
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Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
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Well, what about the actual course?
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You're studying...
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I'm doing a master's by coursework in environmental studies.
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Oh, right.
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And how are you finding that?
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Yeah, well, it's been pretty good, really.
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I've enjoyed the course, but I feel there hasn't been enough contact with the lecturers.
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They all seem to be incredibly busy.
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The only chance I've really had to talk to them was on the field trip.
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Well, that's no good.
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Could anything be done to improve the course, in your opinion?
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Well, I think it would be helpful to have meetings with lecturers on the course.
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Say, once a fortnight, something like that.
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Regular meetings.
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Uh -huh.
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Yes, that could certainly help.
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Now, Kate, we'll come back to you in a minute, but I'd just like to ask Lukey some questions.
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Before they continue the interview, look at questions six to ten.
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As you listen to the rest of the interview, complete the notes.
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Lukey, where are you from?
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I am from Indonesia here.
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And how did you find Cambridge when you first arrived?
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Well, I like it here.
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I think the city is very beautiful.
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What about your accommodation?
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Was that okay?
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Yes, okay.
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At first, I stayed with a family for three months.
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They were very kind to me, but they had three young children, and I found it difficult to study.
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Right, I see.
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So after three months, I moved out, and now I live with two other students in a student house.
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It's much cheaper and we like it there.
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Good.
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And what about your studies?
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What are you studying?
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I'm doing a Bachelor of Computing.
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Computing, I see.
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Apart from the language difficulties, if you can separate them, how have you found the course?
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OK, but...
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Yes, go on.
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Well, the main difficulty for me is getting time on the computers in the computer room.
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It's always busy, and this makes it very hard to do my practical work.
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Yes, I'm sure it would.
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Can you reserve time in the computer room?
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No, you can't.
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But it would certainly help if we could reserve computer time.
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Yes, I'll look into that and see if something can't be done to improve things over there.
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Now, let's go back to Kate.
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That is the end of Section 1.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Cambridge IELTS 1-Test 2”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: student, Kate, section, answer, Lukey. This video has 118 sentences and 942 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:32. The speaker talks at a steady 125 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 86% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 22 of its 118 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| arrive verb | /əˈɹaɪv/ | To reach; to get to a certain place. |
| impression noun | /ɪmˈpɹɛʃn̩/ | The indentation or depression made by the pressure of one object on or into another. |
| overseas adverb | /ˌoʊvɚˈsiːz/ | Abroad. |
| counselor noun | /ˈkaʊnsələ(ɹ)/ | A professional who counsels people, especially on personal problems. |
| grateful adjective | /ˈɡɹeɪtf(ə)l/ | Of a person or their actions, feelings, etc.: expressing gratitude or appreciation; appreciative, thankful. |
| difficulty noun | /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/ | The state of being difficult, or hard to do. |
| accommodation noun | /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/ | Lodging in a dwelling or similar living quarters afforded to travellers in hotels or on cruise ships, or students, etc. |
| semester noun | /sɪˈmɛstɚ/ | Half of a school year (US) or academic year such as autumn or spring semester. |
| lecturer noun | /ˈlɛkt͡ʃəɹə/ | A person who gives lectures, especially as a profession. |
| booklet noun | /ˈbʊk.lət/ | A small or thin book. |
| practical adjective | /ˈpɹæk.tɪ.kəl/ | Relating to, or based on, practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis. |
| awful adjective | /ˈɔːfʊl/ | Very bad. |
| helpful adjective | /ˈhɛlp.fl̩/ | Furnishing help; giving aid; useful. |
| sheet noun | /ʃit/ | A thin bed cloth used as a covering for a mattress or as a layer over the sleeper. |
| incredibly adverb | /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/ | In an incredible manner; not to be believed. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come on in verb | Synonym of come in (“to enter”). |
| draw up verb | To compose (a document), especially following a standard form; prepare a plan. |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. |
| move out verb | To leave one's present location; to leave somewhere for another place. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How are you today?
- This is your second semester, isn't it?
- Where did you live when you first arrived?
- Lukey, where are you from?
- Can you reserve time in the computer room?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | will be played · will be given · being interviewed |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has been done · you've been · haven't managed |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will hear · will be · will see |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | I'm interviewing · You're studying · I'm doing |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 26 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I'd, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: impression /ɪmˈpɹɛʃn̩/, accommodation /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/, sheet /ʃit/, occasion /əˈkeɪ̯ʒən/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: difficulty /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/, accommodation /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/, incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like arrive, impression, overseas.
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.