Shadowing Practice: Cambridge IELTS 14 listening section 2 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Section 2.

You will hear a manager giving a welcome talk to a group of apprentices who are starting their training at the company.

First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14.

Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 14.

Good morning, everyone.

My name's Janet Parker and I'm the Human Resources Manager.

We're very happy to welcome you to your new apprenticeship.

I hope that the next six months will be a positive and enjoyable experience for you.

I'd like to start with some general advice about being an apprentice.

Most of you have very little or no experience of working for a big organisation

and the first week or so may be quite challenging.

There will be a lot of new information to take in, but don't worry too much about trying to remember everything.

The important thing is to check with someone if you're not sure what to do.

You'll find your supervisor is very approachable and won't mind explaining things or helping you out.

You're here to learn, so make the most of that opportunity.

You'll be spending time in different departments during your first week, so make an effort to talk to as many people as possible about their work.

You'll make some new friends and find out lots of useful information.

As well as having a supervisor, you'll each be assigned a mentor.

This person will be someone who's recently completed an apprenticeship, and you'll meet with them on a weekly basis.

Their role is to provide help and support throughout your apprenticeship.

Of course, this doesn't mean they'll actually do any of your work for you.

Instead, they'll be asking you about what goals you've achieved so far, as well as helping you to identify any areas for improvement.

You can also discuss your more long-term ambitions with them as well.

Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20.

Now listen and answer questions 15 to 20.

Now, I just want to run through a few company policies for our apprenticeship scheme with you.

Most importantly, the internet.

As part of your job, you'll be doing some research online, so obviously you'll have unlimited access for that.

But please don't use it for personal use.

You'll have your own phones for that.

Some of you have already asked me about flexible working.

After your probationary three-month period, some of you will be eligible for this.

But it will depend on which department you're in and what your personal circumstances are,

so please don't assume you'll automatically be permitted to do this.

I want to make sure there's no confusion about our holiday policy.

Apart from any statutory public holidays, we ask that you don't book any holidays until after your six-month apprenticeship has finished.

Time off should only be taken if you are unwell.

Please speak to your supervisor if this is going to be a problem.

You'll be expected to work a 40-hour week, but there may be opportunities to do overtime during busy periods.

Although you're not required to do this, it can be a valuable experience, so we advise you to take it up if possible.

Obviously, we understand that people do have commitments outside work, so don't worry if there are times when you are unavailable.

As you know, we don't have a formal dress code here.

You may wear casual clothes as long as they are practical,

and the only restriction for shoes we have is on high heels for health and safety reasons.

Comfortable shoes like trainers are preferable.

There's a heavily subsidised canteen on site where you can get hot meals or salads cheaply.

Snacks and drinks are also provided, so we've decided to introduce a no-packed lunch policy.

This is partly to encourage healthy eating at work and partly to stop people from eating at their workstation,

which is unhygienic.

Okay, moving on to...

That is the end of section two.

You now have half a minute to check your answers.

Now turn to section 3.

📺 Same Channel

Cambridge IELTS 14 listening section 1

IELTS PrepCambridge Exam PrepUniversity Students

✨ Recommend Video

312 sentences

Practice English speaking skills - Easy to speak English fluently - Spoken English practice

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

48 sentences

Cambridge 17 Listening Test 2 part 2

Cambridge Exam PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

398 sentences

CAE 1 - TEST 3

Cambridge Exam PrepBusiness EnglishUniversity Students

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Cambridge IELTS 14 listening section 2”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: apprenticeship, questions, supervisor, holiday, section. This video has 53 sentences and 681 words to shadow. The speech runs for 6:37. The speaker talks slowly, about 103 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
apprenticeship noun	/əˈpɹɛn.tɪs.ʃɪp/	The condition of, or the time served by, an apprentice.
supervisor noun	/ˈsupɚˌvaɪzɚ/	A person with the official task of overseeing the work of a person or group, or of other operations and activities.
apprentice noun	/əˈpɹɛntɪs/	A trainee, especially in a skilled trade.
approachable adjective	/əˈpɹəʊ.t͡ʃə.bəl/	Easily approached; easy to talk to.
canteen noun	/kænˈtin/	A water bottle, flask, or other vessel, typically used by a soldier or camper as a bottle for carrying water or liquor for drink.
cheaply adverb	/ˈt͡ʃiːpli/	In a cheap manner; without expending much money.
preferable adjective	/ˈpɹɛf.(ə.)ɹə.b(ə)l/	Better than some other option; preferred.
probationary adjective		Of, pertaining to, or subject to probation
subsidised adjective		that receives subsidy.
unhygienic adjective		Lacking hygiene; unclean.
unwell adjective	/ʌnˈwɛl/	Not in good health; not feeling well; somewhat ill
workstation noun	/ˈwɝkˌsteɪʃən/	A desktop computer, normally more powerful than a normal PC and often dedicated to a specific task, such as graphics.
unavailable adjective	/ˌʌnəˈveɪləbəl/	Not available.
circumstance noun	/ˈsɝ.kəmˌstæns/	Something which is related to, or in some way affects, a fact or event.
assign verb	/əˈsaɪn/	To designate or set apart (something) for some purpose.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
find out verb	To discover, as by asking or investigating.
run through verb	To summarise briefly.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	you've achieved · have unlimited · have already asked
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	be assigned · be permitted · be taken

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 29 contractions and reduced forms, such as you'll, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: apprenticeship /əˈpɹɛn.tɪs.ʃɪp/, workstation /ˈwɝkˌsteɪʃən/, restriction /ɹɪˈstɹɪkʃən/, ambition /æmˈbɪʃ.ən/, confusion /kənˈfjuːʒən/
Long words — get the stress right: apprenticeship /əˈpɹɛn.tɪs.ʃɪp/, supervisor /ˈsupɚˌvaɪzɚ/, approachable /əˈpɹəʊ.t͡ʃə.bəl/, preferable /ˈpɹɛf.(ə.)ɹə.b(ə)l/, unavailable /ˌʌnəˈveɪləbəl/

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 apprenticeship, supervisor, apprentice.

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 technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: Cambridge IELTS 14 listening section 2 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Cambridge IELTS 14 listening section 1

First day at work |listening Test Real listening with answers #listeningtest

CAMBRIDGE 13 TEST 2 SECTION 2 LISTENING

Cambridge 17- Listening Test 3 part 3

Cambridge 16 Test 1 Section 2 LIstening

CAE9 O TEST1 PART2

TOEIC Listening Part 4: A New Employee Orientation and a Local News Report

Cambridge IELTS 15 Listening Test 1 | Full Practice Test with Answers

New staff at theatre | IELTS LISTENING TEST | SECTION-2

Joining the Leisure Club | Cambridge 10 listening test 1 Section 2 | HD AUDIO