Shadowing Practice: IELTS listening actual test Part 1: working in a summer camp in the US (answer+ transcript) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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163 sentences
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Part 1
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You will hear a telephone conversation between a young man who wants to get a summer job in the USA
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and an agent.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.
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Hi, USA Summer Camps, Nicholas speaking.
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How can I help you?
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Um, I want to get a job in the USA this summer, and I saw an advert on your website, and it said I should call this number if I wanted more information.
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Right.
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So, you're interested in working in a summer camp?
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That's working with children, is it?
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Yes.
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Lots of children go away to summer camp in the USA, and the jobs we're advertising are for what are called counsellors.
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That means you're with the children the whole day, 24 hours.
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24 hours.
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Right.
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So, what would I be doing exactly?
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Everything.
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You'd be working with them, playing with them, teaching them, everything.
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Your ad said there were different sorts of positions, general and specialists.
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Yes.
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For the general counsellors, they're asking for people who have experience of working with children, but it has to be as a leader of some sort.
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Hmm, I'm not sure.
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Sure.
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What I'm really interested in is sports.
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You might be more interested in being a specialist counsellor then.
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They focus on one particular area.
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It doesn't have to be a sport, but mostly it is.
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Would tennis be OK for that?
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Absolutely.
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You might find yourself coaching other sports as well, though.
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They do a big range, usually.
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That's what most of the kids are interested in and of course a lot of it's outdoor stuff.
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So they wouldn't be so interested in something like art?
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Oh yes, they would be.
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Anything you're enthusiastic about and can help younger kids with.
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Okay, well I'd be really interested in working with kids in both those areas.
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Now, about times.
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The ad said the job was for 12 weeks?
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Eight, actually.
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But most people stay on in the US for another three or four weeks and go travelling.
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Yeah, I'd really like to do that.
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There are lots of places I'd like to see in America.
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So when would I need to be there?
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June.
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Then you carry on to August and do your travelling after that, so you're back home in September.
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That's perfect.
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Well, that all sounds great.
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But about the job, do I just pick it up as I go along?
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No. You get there a week before the kids arrive,
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and that time spent on training so you'll learn all about the camp and working with American children and dealing with homesickness.
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All that kind of thing.
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Right.
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Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 6 to 10.
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Now listen and answer questions 6 to 10.
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And I presume I'd be OK as far as my age goes.
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I'll be 19 by then.
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That's the minimum age officially, though they do occasionally accept people of 18 if they have special skills that are in demand.
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And how much would I actually get paid?
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You get a total of 985 US dollars.
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You get a couple of hundred dollars more if you're over 21.
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But that won't apply to you, so you should end up with quite a bit of money to go travelling with when you've finished.
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Great.
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There's tons I want to see.
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New York, San Francisco, the Grand Canyon.
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But you do have to pay for your own insurance before you start out.
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That costs £138 sterling.
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That's in case I get ill or anything?
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Yes.
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Or you lose your luggage or have to cancel.
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Right.
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And there was something in the ad about a cheque of some kind, because I'd be working with children?
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Yes, that's right.
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I forgot to mention that and it's very important.
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You have to be checked by the police here in the UK and that costs £36.
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That's okay.
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Is there anything else I should know as far as money goes?
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Well, just that if you register with us to work on the summer camp, you can go on a Discover America tour afterwards.
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A lot of camp counsellors do that and we can offer you a discount on that.
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And of course, you're bound to make lots of friends so you'll have people to travel with.
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Right.
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Well, I'm definitely interested in the whole thing.
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So what should I do next?
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Well, I'll give you our website address and you can fill in the application form.
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You can fill it in online...
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That is the end of part one.
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You now have one minute to check your answers to part one.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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How can I help you?
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Um, I want to get a job in the USA this summer,
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and I saw an advert on your website and it said I should call this number if I wanted more information.
93
Right.
94
So, you're interested in working in a summer camp?
95
That's working with children, is it?
96
Yes.
97
Lots of children go away to summer camp in the USA, and the jobs we're advertising are for what are called counsellors.
98
That means you're with the children the whole day, 24 hours.
99
Right.
100
So, what did I be doing exactly?
101
Everything.
102
You'd be working with them, playing with them, teaching them, everything.
103
Your ad said there were different sorts of positions, general and specialists.
104
Yes.
105
For the general counsellors, they're asking for people who have experience of working with children.
106
it has to be as a leader of some sort.
107
Hmm, I'm not sure.
108
What I'm really interested in is sports.
109
You might be more interested in being a specialist counsellor then.
110
They focus on one particular area.
111
It doesn't have to be a sport, but mostly it is.
112
Would tennis be OK for that?
113
Absolutely.
114
You might find yourself coaching other sports as well though.
115
They do a big range usually.
116
That's what most of the kids are interested in and of course a lot of it's outdoor stuff.
117
So they wouldn't be so interested in something like art?
118
Oh yes they would be.
119
Anything you're enthusiastic about and can help younger kids with.
120
Okay Well I'd be really interested in working with kids in both those areas.
121
Now about times.
122
The ad said the job was for 12 weeks.
123
Eight actually, but most people stay on in the US for another three or four weeks and go travelling.
124
Yeah, I'd really like to do that.
125
There are lots of places I'd like to see in America.
126
So when would I need to be there?
127
June.
128
Then you carry on to August and do your travelling after that, so you're back home in September.
129
That's perfect.
130
Well, that all sounds great.
131
But about the job, do I just pick it up as I go along?
132
No. You get there a week before the kids arrive, and that time's spent on training,
133
so you'll learn all about the camp and working with American children and dealing with homesickness.
134
All that kind of thing.
135
Right.
136
And I presume I'd be okay as far as my age goes.
137
I'll be 19 by then.
138
That's the minimum age officially, though they do occasionally accept people of 18 if they have special skills that are in demand.
139
And how much would I actually get paid?
140
You get a total of 985 US dollars.
141
You get a couple of hundred dollars more if you're over 21.
142
But that won't apply to you, so you should end up with quite a bit of money to go travelling with when you've finished.
143
Great!
144
There's tons I want to see.
145
New York, San Francisco, the Grand Canyon.
146
But you do have to pay for your own insurance before you start out.
147
That costs £138 sterling.
148
That's in case I get ill or anything.
149
Yes, or you lose your luggage or have to cancel.
150
Right.
151
And there was something in the ad about a cheque of some kind, because I'd be working with children?
152
Yes, that's right.
153
I forgot to mention that, and it's very important.
154
You have to be checked by the police here in the UK, and that costs £36.
155
That's OK.
156
Is there anything else I should know as far as money goes?
157
Well, just that if you register with us to work on the summer camp, you can go on a Discover America tour afterwards.
158
A lot of camp counsellors do that, and we can offer you a discount on that.
159
And of course, you're bound to make lots of friends so you'll have people to travel with.
160
Right.
161
Well, I'm definitely interested in the whole thing.
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So what should I do next?
163
Well, I'll give you our website address and you can fill in the application form.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “IELTS listening actual test Part 1: working in a summer camp in the US”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: interested, camp, summer, counsellor, travelling. This video has 163 sentences and 1464 words to shadow. The speech runs for 11:24. The speaker talks at a steady 129 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 89% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 26 of its 163 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| specialist noun | /ˈspɛʃəlɪst/ | Someone who is an expert in, or devoted to, some specific branch of study or research. |
| advert verb | /ædvˈɝt/ | To take notice, to pay attention (to). |
| cheque noun | /t͡ʃɛk/ | A written order directing a bank to pay money to a person or entity. |
| homesickness noun | The characteristic of being homesick; a strong, sad feeling of missing one's home (and often left-behind loved ones, such as family and friends) when… | |
| starling noun | /ˈstɑɹlɪŋ/ | A family, Sturnidae, of passerine birds. |
| presume verb | /pɹɪˈz(j)um/ | To be so presumptuous as (to do something) without proper authority or permission [with to (+ infinitive)]. |
| bind verb | /ˈbaɪ̯nd/ | To tie; to confine by any ligature. |
| counselor noun | /ˈkaʊnsələ(ɹ)/ | A professional who counsels people, especially on personal problems. |
| luggage noun | /ˈlʌɡ.ɪdʒ/ | The bags and other containers that hold a traveller's belongings. |
| enthusiastic adjective | /ɪnˌθjuːzɪˈæstɪk/ | With zealous fervor; excited, motivated. |
| cancel verb | /ˈkæn.sl̩/ | To cross out something with lines etc. |
| outdoor adjective | /aʊtˈdɔː/ | Situated in, designed to be used in, or carried on in the open air. |
| ton noun | /tʌn/ | The short ton of 2000 pounds (about 907 kg), 20 hundredweights of 100 pounds avoirdupois each. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go along verb | To participate, cooperate, or conform. |
| start out verb | To emerge suddenly; to jump out. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How can I help you?
- So, you're interested in working in a summer camp?
- That's working with children, is it?
- What I'm really interested in is sports.
- That's in case I get ill or anything?
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 | are called · be checked |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | man who wants · people who have |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've finished |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should call · should end · should know |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 50 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, I'd, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 specialist, advert, cheque.
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.