Shadowing Practice: IELTS Speaking Band 7.0+ Mock Test with Feedback | IELTS with Charles - Learn English Speaking with Video

So Tav, the test today will be around 12 to 15 minutes and if you're happy we can start?

Okay.

Fantastic.

Tav, I want to start please by talking about technology.

Tell me, how often do you use technology?

Well, I'm exposed to digital technology every day.

It has become an integral part of my daily routine.

The one stand out is my smartphone.

Yesterday I used it for learning online, or stream movies and use Google Maps to get around.

Thank you.

Excellent.

What devices do you use most?

Actually, the device that I rely on heavily is my smartphone.

This is due to the fact that it's small

and fit perfectly in the parts of my hands

so I can carry around in order to keep in touch with my family and friends anywhere, anytime.

Moreover, it's versatile so I can use it for both learning and entertainment.

Fantastic, well done.

Has technology improved your life?

It has a positive effect on my life.

For example, I can in the quarantine of COVID-19,

thanks to the technological advancement, I was able to attend online classes.

Moreover, high tech solutions and public transport can help me save time and effort.

They can work more productively and enjoy more free time.

Wonderful.

Thank you so much.

But are there any disadvantages to using technology?

Absolutely, yes.

I would say technology, overusing technology also has a detrimental effect on humans' mental health.

If people spend too much time online instead of socializing in real life,

it can make them feel isolated.

Moreover, there is a lot of violent content on the internet

so it can make people more aggressive behavior.

Definitely, thank you.

Let's talk about friends now.

How often do you see your friends now?

Actually, nowadays I rarely see my friends because of my headache schedule.

However, in the past, I used to spend my holiday traveling with my close friends.

This is due to the fact that we were both passionate about traveling and we liked to learn about new cultures

and gain a deeper understanding of the local people's way of life in order to broaden our horizon and create unforgettable memories.

Thank you so much.

What do you usually do with your friends together?

Yeah, like I mentioned both, I love traveling with my close friends.

Yeah.

In the past, we just used weekends hanging out together,

watching movies and eating out.

But then when we grow older, we have our own salary.

Yeah, we're getting rich.

Yeah, we enjoy something fancy like traveling.

Yeah, wonderful.

Contrast as you grow up.

Welcome.

Do you prefer to have just a few close friends or many friends?

I would say I would love to have a few buddies.

I believe quality is better than quantity.

I don't really care about the number of friends I have.

I pay more attention to their personality,

whether they are compassionate and whether we share the same views.

Having a few friends is enough as long as they are always there for me when I'm in trouble

and can give me helpful advice.

Thank you very much.

And to finish part one, let's talk about shopping.

Tao, do you enjoy shopping?

Absolutely, yes.

For example, last week I went to a Dior store and treated myself to a nice handbag and I felt open immune.

I believe shopping is not only helps me relax and unwind after a long day at work,

but also gives me a strong sense of fulfillment.

Thank you, I agree.

Do you prefer shopping online or in-store?

To be honest, in the past I referred shopping at physical stores

because I could try things on and see if they fit me properly

and I also wanted to feel the texture before making a purchase.

However, nowadays I enjoy shopping online, especially on Shopee.

This is due to the fact that it saves me time and effort and I can find a lot of discounts.

Yeah, which is very important because I don't have much disposable income.

I thought you just told me you're rich.

my business after I have a family.

Yeah, I know that feeling.

Wonderful, thank you.

Okay Tao, that brings us to the end of part one.

Well done.

Now we will move on to part two where I will give you a question here, okay?

And you have one minute to prepare.

The question is please Tao, describe a person who you think is very successful.

Yes.

Okay Tao, that brings us to the end of the one minute.

When you're ready, please start.

Absolutely.

There are many accomplished individuals I could talk about.

However, if I had to pick one, it would be Taylor Swift.

I chose Taylor Swift because she has had a profound influence on my life.

When I was in my teenagers,

In my teenage years, I was fed up with learning English and I often slept through my classes.

However, everything changed when I happened to hear her song You Belong With Me on Disney Channel.

That was a turning point in my life since it changed my perspective on learning English.

From then on, I started to enjoy learning English.

So I can vividly remember I used to buy a large number of textbooks just to write down

her song lyrics and I also tried to sing along while listening which helped improve my pronunciation and listening skills.

So let me tell you more about Taylor Swift.

100

She is a world famous singer songwriter.

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She has won numerous Grammy Awards,

102

for example, particularly for albums like Fearless and Midnight,

103

which earned widespread critical acclaim.

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In my opinion, Taylor Swift is the most beautiful woman in the world, not only because of her stunning looks,

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but also because she has a heart of gold.

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For example, she helped her pregnant friends by buying her house after knowing about her difficult situation situation in the future.

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I would love to meet Taylor Swift and give her a heart.

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Fantastic.

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Thank you so much.

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Well done, Tao.

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I can tell and feel your passion towards Taylor Swift is wonderful.

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Let's move on now to part three, Tao and I want to start by talking about the topic of success.

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Tell me, how do people define success?

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Well, that's an interesting question.

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Some people think it is closely related to wealth.

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This is due to the fact

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that being rich can allow people to afford luxury items such as a Rolex watch or Mercedes Maybach,

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which can reflect their social status.

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Others think success means famous because when people have a good reputation,

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it can help them stand the test of time.

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However, I believe success is more about the way you are living in a healthy lifestyle.

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Thank you.

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Perfect.

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Do you think success is more about money or happiness?

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To be honest, it's definitely happiness.

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What I mean is that people who are happy usually have more energy and they can work more productively.

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And as a result, they sooner or later will be able to achieve success. For example,

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in Korea there are many famous artists

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but they are not happy because they were depressed or have suffered from cyberbullying.

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And finally, they took their life, their own lives.

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Yeah.

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Moreover, success, true success comes from enjoying your life, having good relationships.

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I agree.

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Thank you.

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How has the definition of success changed over time?

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Oh, that's a great question.

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In my opinion, it depends on age.

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For all people, success means the national freedom.

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This is due to the fact that many of them lived through World War II and experienced the loss of family members.

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Therefore, nothing makes them feel more successful than having liberty.

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In contrast, young people think success is something like being rich and famous.

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Not only because being rich can help them enjoy a better quality of life,

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but also being famous can help their reputation stand the test of time.

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Thank you, thank you.

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I love that contrast there, brilliant.

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Now let's move on to talk about role models now.

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Why do some people look up to successful individuals?

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It's definitely because it's normally a positive influence because successful people

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normally have achieved success in their field,

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which is very important because they can help built a thriving community.

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However, in my opinion, it's also because of their personality.

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This is due to the fact that to become successful,

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They worked very hard and didn't give up when they faced difficulty in life.

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So they can set good examples for many people.

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Thank you, thank you.

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Very interesting.

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How do famous people influence society?

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Normally it's a positive effect.

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Celebrities and influencers,

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They are successful and they can inspire their fans and set good examples for many people to follow.

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For example, in Vietnam there is a famous award named WeJoyce Award

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where people honor the ones who positively contribute to the community.

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Moreover, there are negative effects.

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If famous people engage in bad behaviors like violence or drug use,

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they can affect many people especially children in a harmful way.

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Definitely, wow very interesting.

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Okay Tam and that brings us to the final question now.

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What qualities make someone a good role model?

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Yeah some people think it's wealth because when people are rich they can enjoy a better quality of life.

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But in my opinion, I believe it's about warm-hearted.

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Kindness can make the world more peaceful,

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which allows people free to pursue their dream and therefore they can achieve success in the future.

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Fantastic, thank you.

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I totally agree.

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And that brings us to the end of the test.

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Well done.

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Fantastic, good job, good job.

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How did you find that?

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I find a great sensor for a few minutes because I overcome the abstract, the topics, license test.

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I'm absolutely blown away from that.

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You know, I love you, but I tried to pick a little bit more challenging topics for part three for you to try and push you.

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I think that if you get a topic like travel or hometown, it's a lot easier to speak.

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But when you're talking about success, role models and influence, it's far more challenging.

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So I thought we did a great job.

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Wow.

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I know that you're feeling nervous a little bit before.

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Yes.

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Amazing.

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Now, listen, the part one is phenomenal.

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Yeah, your part one is absolutely amazing.

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The part two about Taylor Swift, I was just blown away by it.

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I will be honest, in the real, you spoke a little bit too long.

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We were at two minutes and 20.

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In the real exam, they would cut you off at two minutes, but I was enjoying listening so much.

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And I think that people would benefit so much from listening to your answer for that.

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So I let you run a little bit.

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I love that you followed the technique too.

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And you followed it perfectly.

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Absolutely beautiful.

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Have you always loved Taylor Swift?

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Yes.

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Yeah, okay.

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You could feel that.

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I was in my teenage years for real.

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So was that story true about him inspiring you to learn?

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Maybe I have to. Have to.

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You're a really good liar.

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Yeah.

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Amazing.

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So for me, if I was to give you a little bit of feedback, part one is beautiful, part two, excellent.

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For part three, of course, I love that you use the different techniques.

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So the first one, answer by example, alternative, beautiful.

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The second one, some people think, but I, in fact, you pushed it even more more some people think others believe

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but I wow unbelievable and then for that one question about defining success

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when you used it depends on age I loved that as well

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and I felt the emotion in your voice one thing I will say is

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if I was to be really critical and just

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if I was to say there was quite a lot not a lot

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but there was a little hesitation a little bit um um

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while thinking about ideas in the part three that's something

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that I wanted to work on you know

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if I was to be really critical

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but to be honest I mean as a first go it was phenomenal absolutely brilliant I'm

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so proud of you well done though thank you good luck in the exam yeah amazing thank you brilliant

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 Practice: IELTS Speaking Band 7.0+ Mock Test with Feedback | IELTS with Charles - Learn English Speaking with Video

Why practice speaking with this video?

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Common Pronunciation Traps

What is the Shadowing Technique?