Shadowing Practice: Colin's food trends and reuse project IELTS listening | Cambridge 19 | HD audio | 1080p - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Part 3.
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You will hear two food science students called Marie and Colin discussing their final year projects.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 24.
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I haven't seen you for a bit, Marie.
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No, I've been busy with my project.
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You're making a vegan alternative to eggs, aren't you?
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Something that doesn't use animal products.
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Yes, I'm using chickpeas.
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I had two main aims when I first started looking for an alternative to eggs.
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But actually, I've found chickpeas have got more advantages.
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Right.
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But how about your project on reusing waste food?
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You were looking at bread, weren't you?
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Yes, it's been hard work, but I've enjoyed it.
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The basic process was quite straightforward, breaking the stale bread down to a paste, then reforming it.
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But you were using 3D printing, weren't you, to make the paste into biscuits?
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Yeah, I'd used that before, but in this project I had time to play around with different patterns for the biscuits
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and finding how I could add fruit and vegetables to make them a more appetising colour.
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And I was really pleased with what I managed to produce.
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It must have been a great feeling to make something appetising out of bits of old bread
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that would have been thrown away otherwise.
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It was.
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And I'm hoping that some of the restaurants in town will be interested in the biscuits.
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I'm going to send them some samples.
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I came across something on the internet yesterday that might interest you.
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It was a company that's developed touch-sensitive sensors for food labels.
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It's a special sort of label on the food package.
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When the label's smooth, the food is fresh.
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And then when you can feel bumps on the label, that means the food's gone bad.
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It started off as a project to help visually impaired people know whether food was fit to eat or not.
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Interesting.
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So just solid food?
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No. Things like milk and juice as well.
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But actually, I thought it might be really good for drug storage in hospitals and pharmacies.
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Right.
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And coming back to food, maybe it'd be possible to use it for other things besides freshness,
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like how many kilograms a joint of meat is, for example.
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Yes, there's all sorts of possibilities.
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Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 25 to 30.
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Now listen and answer questions 25 to 30.
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I was reading an article about food trends predicting how eating habits might change in the next few years.
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Oh, things like more focus on local products.
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That seems so obvious, but the shops are still full of imported foods.
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Yes, they need to be more proactive to address that.
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And somehow motivate consumers to change, yes.
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One thing everyone's aware of is the need for a reduction in unnecessary packaging.
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But just about everything you buy in supermarkets is still covered in plastic.
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The government needs to do something about it.
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Absolutely.
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It's got to change.
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Do you think there'll be more interest in gluten and lactose-free food?
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For people with allergies or food intolerances?
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I don't know.
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Lots of people I know have been buying that type of food for years now.
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Yes, even if they haven't been diagnosed with an allergy.
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That's right.
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One thing I've noticed is the number of branded products related to celebrity chefs.
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People watch them cooking on TV and then buy things like spice mixes or frozen foods with the chef's name on.
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I bought something like that once, but I won't again.
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Yeah, I bought a ready-made spice mix for chicken, which was supposed to be used by a chef I'd seen on television.
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And it didn't actually taste of anything.
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Hmm.
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Did the article mention ghost kitchens used to produce takeaway food?
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No. What are they?
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Well, they might have the name of a restaurant, but actually they're a cooking facility just for delivery meals.
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The public don't ever go there.
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But people aren't aware of that.
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It's all kept very quiet.
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So people don't realise the food's not actually from the restaurant?
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Right.
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Did you know more and more people are using all sorts of different mushrooms now to treat different health concerns?
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Things like heart problems.
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Hmm.
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They might be taking a big risk there.
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Yes, it's hard to know which varieties are safe to eat.
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Anyway, maybe now we should...

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will gain valuable insights into contemporary food trends and innovative reuse projects in the food industry through a discussion between two food science students, Marie and Colin. By listening to their conversation, you will practice your understanding of key concepts related to vegan alternatives, waste reduction, and the use of technology in food preservation. This exercise will not only enhance your listening skills but also provide you with specific vocabulary that can aid in your English speaking practice.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Vegan alternative: A substitute for animal products, such as eggs, made from plant-based ingredients.
  • Waste food: Leftover food that is no longer suitable for consumption.
  • 3D printing: A technology that creates three-dimensional objects by layering materials, useful in various applications, including food production.
  • Touch-sensitive sensors: Devices that detect changes in texture; in this context, they help indicate the freshness of food.
  • Local products: Food items sourced from nearby producers, promoting sustainability and reducing transportation emissions.
  • Unnecessary packaging: Excessive or non-essential materials used to wrap or contain products, often contributing to environmental waste.
  • Consumer motivation: The drive that encourages customers to make specific purchasing decisions or changes in behavior.

Practice Tips

To effectively utilize this video for your English speaking practice, consider incorporating the shadowing technique into your routine. Listen to the conversation at a comfortable speed, focusing on the pronunciation and intonation of Marie and Colin. As they discuss food science topics, try to repeat phrases immediately after you hear them, mimicking their rhythm and tone. This approach can significantly improve English pronunciation and enhance your understanding of the content.

Start by breaking down the conversation into manageable sections. Pause after each key idea, and repeat what you heard. This will help you gain confidence as you practice shadow speak and gradually challenge yourself to keep up with the natural speed of the dialogue. Additionally, consider using some of the key vocabulary and phrases in your own sentences after shadowing, as it will aid in solidifying your understanding and facilitate further English speaking practice.

With consistent utilization of these strategies, you will find that your ability to engage in conversations about contemporary topics like food trends will improve significantly.

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.