Shadowing Practice: CELPIP Speaking Task 2 - TIPS! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Oooooh!
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This guy is going to take the CELPIP exam.
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And he's studying for task 2 of the speaking test, which is a personal experience.
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He has to talk about a personal experience.
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Do you know how you should answer this question?
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Well, in this lesson, we're going to look at how you should answer this question.
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And hey, he's using my book to study for the exam!
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I'm so happy about that.
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I'm really excited.
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Thank you so much to everyone who's bought my book.
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It's a real honor to be able to help you prepare for your CELPIP test.
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If you want to pick up a copy of my book, you can just go to my website,
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metv.cool, and you can just download a PDF copy of my book right on my website.
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Okay, so let's take a look at task two.
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Personal experience, you have 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak.
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Okay, so we're going to take a look at one of the questions from my book.
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It says, talk about a time you made a change in your lifestyle.
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What was the change and how did it affect your life?
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Talk about a change you made in your lifestyle.
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What was the change and how did it affect your life?
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Okay, so let's take a look at some of my tips, right?
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First I say, if you can think of a personal example from your life, that's great.
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But if you can't think of one immediately, then just make something up.
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For example, you could talk about changing your diet.
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Or you could talk about changing anything in your life, okay?
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So, when you answer this question, you should tell a story.
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Most stories start with a time reference.
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Like, last year, three years ago, six months ago, I...
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Right?
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That's how stories start.
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They start with a time reference.
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Okay, in your first sentence, you should say what the change was that you made in your lifestyle.
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Okay?
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Then, in the rest of the sentences, you'll talk about how it affected your life.
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Okay?
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Then you're going to give some reasons
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or tell some stories about how it really changed your life or how it impacted your life.
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Okay?
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Now, remember, use past tense verbs.
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You have to remember to use past tense verbs.
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This is so important.
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I know a lot of languages don't have past tense verbs.
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So it's very hard.
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If you make a few mistakes, you know, that's okay.
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But generally you need to use past tense verbs when you answer this question.
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Okay, so I'm going to give you an outline of exactly how you should answer this question.
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Okay, so remember when you see task two on the speaking part of the test, just follow the outline I'm going to give you
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and you'll do fine okay
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so the first thing you need to do is you need to give a time reference okay
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so you could say so three years ago okay very often when native english speakers start telling a story
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they use the word so.
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So three years ago I was skiing and I broke my arm.
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Okay.
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Or you could say when I was in college I blah blah blah.
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Last week I went to a party at my friend's house.
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Okay.
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So you always have to start with a time reference.
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Then after the time reference you're going to give your short introduction phrase like this.
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I broke my leg.
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So three years ago, I broke my leg while I was skiing down a mountain.
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Okay.
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Then you're going to tell the story.
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You're going to talk about your experiences.
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Okay.
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So you need to tell your story using past tense verbs.
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Like I said that already.
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Went, studied, ate, anything that's related to your story, you're going to use past tense verse.
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Now, here's an important thing I want to mention.
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Okay, your voice, your tone of voice should match the mood of the story.
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I mean, is it a happy story?
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Is it, is it, you know, a frustrating experience that you're talking about?
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You know, one of the questions in my book is talk about a frustrating experience you had in the workplace.
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So you need to think of a frustrating experience you had
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and you need to sound frustrated when you're thinking back about that experience.
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Okay, you might say, so three years ago I worked at this one company and
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I had a co-worker and that co-worker just drove me up the wall.
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Drove me up the wall.
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That means really irritated me, frustrated me.
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Okay, so your voice needs to sound frustrated.
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You can't say, three years ago, I had a very frustrating experience at my workplace.
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my boss was really mean to me and I you can't sound happy
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if it's a frustrating experience you have to sound sad
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if it's a happy experience you have to sound happy
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if it's exciting
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if it's a you know just all these different kinds of
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emotions you need to to use emotion in this answer the person who's listening to you should get the feeling
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that you are remembering the experience.
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Okay, so then at the end you're just going to give a short conclusion.
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It's just one little short sentence.
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That's it.
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Okay, you could say, anyway, that was a really frustrating experience for me.
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Okay, now most of the time when native English speakers are going to stop their story,
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or when they're going to conclude their story, they use the word anyway.
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We use that a lot.
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That word signals the end of our story.
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Anyway, that was a really frustrating experience for me.
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Anyway, that was the best Chinese food I ever ate in my life.
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Anyway, that was a really fun party.
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Anyway, I'm never going to forget that.
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That was such a fun trip.
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Anyway, okay, so that's a good word to use when you're going to end your story.
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Okay, so let's take a look at this question.
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So talk about a time you made a change in your lifestyle.
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What was the change and how did it affect your life?
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What would you say?
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Well, I'm going to share my answer with you right now.
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But first I just want to teach you these vocabulary words that I'll use in my answer.
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Okay, night owl.
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A night owl is someone who stays up late.
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They don't go to bed early.
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Okay, an early bird is someone who wakes up early.
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So if you wake up at like 5 a.m every morning, you're an early bird.
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If you go to bed at midnight or after midnight, then you're a night owl.
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Okay, impact.
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Something has an impact on you.
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That means how it influences your life.
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What effect it has on your life.
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Okay, crisp means cool.
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Chirping, that's the sound birds make.
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Chirping.
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Refreshing.
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Refreshing.
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Okay, that means it makes you feel fresh.
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Remember, you don't need to use lots of big words in your answer.
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Just try to use natural words.
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These are some words that a native speaker would use in this situation.
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Okay, so I say this a few times throughout my book.
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Look, don't try to use really advanced words and phrases.
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Then you're going to get caught up in your answer.
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Your answer is going to be really disjointed.
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You know, sometimes when I was practicing helping people prepare for the CELPIP exam,
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they would just use the most advanced words and phrases.
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And honestly, the way I would answer these questions is much simpler than the way most students would answer them.
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I just use very, very basic words, simple words, but natural words.
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So try to use natural words.
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These are just normal words that a native English speaker would use in this situation.
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Okay, so here's my answer.
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When I was in college, I had to take early morning classes.
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The classes started at 7am, which meant that I had to wake up at 5.30.
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That was a big change for me because I had to start going to bed earlier.
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It was hard to make this change because I've always been a night owl.
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I like staying up late and watching movies and chatting online, but this change really had a positive impact on my life.
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After a few months of early mornings, I really fell in love with the new schedule.
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I felt less tired than I used to.
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It was so refreshing breathing the crisp morning air as I walked to school.
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I loved hearing the birds chirping and seeing the sunrise.
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Even though I don't have to wake up early anymore, I still do it because I've grown to love it.
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Nowadays, I'm an early bird.
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Okay, nowadays I'm an early bird.
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So there's just my conclusion.
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You don't need to use anyway.
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You can just say this.
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Nowadays, I'm an early bird.
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You could say, anyway, that was a change I made in my lifestyle.
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Anyway, that was a very positive change I made in my lifestyle a few years ago.
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You know, you can say whatever you want, just a short conclusion is really nice.
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If you don't have time for a conclusion, you know, I don't know how many marks they'll take off if you don't have a conclusion,
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but it's better to have a short conclusion in your answers on the CELPIP test.
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Okay, so I'm going to give you some homework.
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I want you to talk about the worst food you've ever eaten.
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What is the worst food you've ever eaten?
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Now remember, this is just simple.
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Follow my strategy.
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What are you going to do first?
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You're going to have a time reference.
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What are you going to do next?
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You're going to have your simple introductory phrase.
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Okay.
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So, three years ago, I went to a restaurant here in Calgary.
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There I have my time reference and my introductory phrase.
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And then I just tell my story using past tense verbs, using some emotion to talk about why the food was so bad.
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And then I conclude by saying, anyway, that was the worst food I've ever eaten in my life.
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Okay, so I think if you follow these tips for this question, I think you guys are going to do really well on the self-tip test for this question.
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I think this is one of the easiest questions on the test, but you have to remember you have to use past tense verbs
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and try to use the emotion that you would have experienced back when you experienced whatever happened.
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Like if you're sad, sound sad, angry, sound angry.
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Okay, anyway, what do you think?
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Do you think you'll do well on this question on the test?
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Let me know your answer to this down there, and I look forward to reading about all the terrible food you've eaten in your life.
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Okay, I'll see you over in the next episode of Mad English TV.
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Take care.
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you
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Context & Background
In preparation for the CELPIP exam, particularly Task 2 of the speaking test, learners are required to share a personal experience. This task challenges candidates to articulate their thoughts clearly within a tight time frame, as they have just 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak. The aim is not only to convey a story but to demonstrate effective use of past tense verbs and logical structure in English. Each participant is encouraged to draw from genuine experiences, or if necessary, fabricate a reasonable scenario to illustrate their point. By focusing on the storytelling aspect, candidates can connect more effectively with their audience, showcasing their language skills in a practical context.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "Last year, I..." - Starting your story with a time reference sets the context.
- "I made a change in my lifestyle..." - Clearly state the change you want to discuss.
- "This change affected my life by..." - Transition smoothly into discussing the impact of your change.
- "For example, I started..." - Use examples to give a clearer picture of your experience.
- "To sum up,..." - Effectively conclude your story to summarize your main points.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To enhance your speaking skills and improve English pronunciation, consider utilizing a method called shadowspeak. Here’s a step-by-step guide to tackle the content of this video effectively:
- Watch and Listen: First, watch the video without distractions. Pay attention to how the speaker structures their response for Task 2.
- Listen for Intonation: Notice the intonation and rhythm used by the speaker. This is crucial for natural-sounding speech.
- Practice Shadowing: Use a shadowing app to repeat phrases immediately after the speaker. Focus on mimicking tone and pace to build confidence.
- Reflect on Content: After shadowing, take a moment to reflect on the content. Ask yourself what personal experiences you can relate to the example given.
- Record Your Practice: Record yourself speaking about a personal experience using the phrases shared. This helps with self-assessment and identifies areas for improvement.
By integrating these steps into your study routine, you will better prepare for Task 2 of the CELPIP exam while improving your overall speaking abilities. Utilizing these techniques will help you effectively share your experiences and convey your thoughts with clarity and confidence in your English speaking journey.
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 | I've always been · I've grown · you've ever eaten |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | test, which is · someone who stays · someone who wakes |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should answer · should tell · should say |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the best · the most advanced · the worst |
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.