Shadowing Practice: IELTS Speaking - Better Connectors, Better Fluency - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
C1
When you're answering IELTS speaking questions, do you sometimes ramble?
265 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
When you're answering IELTS speaking questions, do you sometimes ramble?
2
Go round in circles?
3
Get lost?
4
Turn right onto Calais Alonso.
5
Or even forget the question.
6
So, yeah, I think that… I've forgotten the question actually.
7
If you do, it's bringing your fluency score down.
8
But don't worry, you're not alone.
9
It happens to many people.
10
And in this video, I'm going to show you some natural and advanced fillers and connectors that will up your fluency level.
11
Hi, my name is Keith.
12
If you don't know me,
13
I run the website IELTS Speaking Success,
14
trying to give you better English,
15
better answers and get a higher score on IELTS Speaking.
16
I also run free live lessons on Facebook.
17
Facebook Live every Tuesday and Thursday.
18
Check out the link below.
19
10 a.m.
20
Spanish time.
21
I also have an online course on Udemy.
22
IELTS Speaking Success Getter Band 7+.
23
Check it out if it's right for you.
24
Today then, we're going to look at fillers and improving your fluency.
25
So fluency makes up 25% of your score in the IELTS speaking, right?
26
It consists of hesitation.
27
I live in a repetition.
28
I want to...
29
I want to, I want to...
30
A range of connectives and discourse markers.
31
And what are they?
32
Well, connectives and discourse markers are rather fancy names for fillers and signposts.
33
To improve your fluency, you need to be coherent.
34
You need to connect your ideas and your sentences with good connectors
35
and fillers and show the examiner what you're going to say.
36
Now many people have a limited range.
37
They repeat the same connectors.
38
And I think also...
39
I also think that...
40
And I think...
41
I think for a band 7 and above you need a wide range of connectors and discourse markers.
42
First and foremost, I love desserts but that said,
43
I only eat them now and again.
44
So let's have a look at what we do in IELTS speaking.
45
We need to give opinions, right?
46
Add information, emphasise, clarify, compare and contrast, conclude.
47
And we'll be using different language to do this.
48
We may be saying, for example,
49
I think, also, I really think,
50
I mean, but, however, in conclusion.
51
And all of these are good but they're not enough.
52
You need a wider range of connectors to impress the examiner and really push up your fluency.
53
So let's have a look at each of these different areas and how we can expand your fillers.
54
So let's look first of all at opinions, giving opinions.
55
Take this question.
56
Do you like going to museums?
57
Well, to be honest, I'm not a big fan of museums.
58
Honestly, I'm not a big fan of museums.
59
So notice if the answers are no,
60
we can say well, to be honest.
61
Or honestly, notice the rising falling intonation.
62
Honestly.
63
If the answer is a positive.
64
Wow, without a doubt.
65
I'm a big fan of museums.
66
Absolutely.
67
I'm really into museums.
68
Notice we can say yes or wow, without a doubt.
69
Without a doubt.
70
or absolutely with quite a bit of emotion as well right
71
absolutely show the emotion on your face absolutely it's nice to give some feeling in our IELTS speaking
72
and here's another question do you think history is important Now,
73
if your answer is yes,
74
it's very important, you could say,
75
Yeah, I reckon it's essential.
76
For sure, in my eyes,
77
it's really important because without it...
78
Yep, I'd say it's pretty important because without it...
79
Yeah, I reckon.
80
I reckon means I think.
81
It's more colloquial and really nice to use in IELTS speaking.
82
You could also say for sure,
83
in my eyes, in my view.
84
All of these are good.
85
You can say yes, yeah, yep.
86
All of these are natural English and really good to use.
87
I would say or I'd say.
88
I advise you make the contraction.
89
I would say, I'd say.
90
I'd, I'd say.
91
I'd say, if you're not sure if it's important or not,
92
you may be using language like I guess so or I suppose so.
93
Notice how you can mix them up, right?
94
I guess so.
95
I suppose history gives us a sense of identity and...
96
I suppose so.
97
I guess history shapes our present day culture and identity.
98
I guess so.
99
I suppose history...
100
I suppose so.
101
I guess history is important.
102
OK.
103
And notice the number one mistake.
104
The most common mistake is,
105
do you think history is important?
106
I think yes.
107
That's not right, right?
108
You have to say this.
109
I think so.
110
yes, it is important.
111
So be careful with that one.
112
Let's move on.
113
And let's look now how we can use some nice fillers and connectors to begin an answer.
114
Here's one question.
115
What are the advantages of travelling by plane?
116
Well, first of all, it's fast and really convenient.
117
First of all.
118
Makes sense, right?
119
Logical.
120
Notice we often say well first.
121
Well, first of all, and you're connecting.
122
First of all.
123
Well, to kick off, it's faster than most other means of transport.
124
Well, to kick off.
125
To kick off is like the football match, right?
126
To begin.
127
To kick off is just to begin.
128
Well, to begin or to kick off.
129
For starters, it's faster than most other means of transport.
130
Now that's a really nice colloquial filler.
131
For starters.
132
Often we use it for the first course of a meal,
133
but also when you're talking to say to begin with, for starters.
134
Nice.
135
Let's move on now and look at the same question,
136
the advantages of flying and how we can add information.
137
What fillers can we use here?
138
Well, we can use another thing is,
139
on top of that, as far as I know, to my knowledge.
140
All of these are great.
141
Let's see these in action.
142
Another thing is, apparently, flying is the safest way to travel.
143
On top of that, flying is said to be the safest way to travel.
144
As far as I know,
145
flying is the safest way to travel.
146
To my knowledge, flying is the safest way to travel.
147
And now for emphasising.
148
There are different ways we can emphasise.
149
A nice one, rather complex but higher level is this one.
150
I'd go as far as to say,
151
which means I would add even more emphatically,
152
I would go as far as here to say something.
153
Let's have a look.
154
I'd go as far as saying flying is the best way to travel hands down.
155
Hands down is a lovely expression.
156
Hands down just means for sure, undoubtedly.
157
Make notes, start practicing it.
158
We can also use actually as a matter of fact, in fact.
159
And here's the thing.
160
Notice the intonation is really important.
161
usually has that falling and rising information.
162
And that indicates you're going to carry on.
163
Actually, I think this.
164
Actually, flying is the safest way to travel.
165
Let's have a look at these in action.
166
Actually, flying is the safest way to travel.
167
As a matter of fact,
168
flying is the safest way to travel.
169
In fact, flying is the safest way to travel.
170
And here's the thing.
171
Apparently, flying is the safest way to travel.
172
Now, when we move to giving examples,
173
there are many ways we can do it.
174
The common ones, for example,
175
for instance, take me as an example,
176
take me as an example.
177
Let's see some of these in action.
178
For instance, to my knowledge,
179
Qantas Airlines has never had a fatal accident ever.
180
You can see this with Qantas Airlines.
181
As far as I know,
182
they've never had a fatal accident ever.
183
I love that last one.
184
You can see this with Samsung.
185
You can see this with Apple.
186
So whichever your example is,
187
it's a really nice, smooth,
188
natural way to give an example.
189
Let's move on.
190
Now, a part three question is often,
191
why do some people do this?
192
Now, this is a difficult question because it's very open.
193
And often we want to clarify what we mean or what we're going to talk about.
194
And one of the great strategies in part three is with the why do some people question is to break it down,
195
to look at different kinds of people.
196
Right.
197
We can talk about young people,
198
parents, old people, workers, unemployed, break it down.
199
And so to do that,
200
we use very simple clarifying techniques.
201
My favourite is this one.
202
If we're talking about young people,
203
I reckon they move to the city in search of better job opportunities.
204
Did you get that?
205
If we're talking about, if we are talking about something or someone.
206
If we're talking about, great, here's another example.
207
If we're talking about parents,
208
I suppose they want a better school for their children.
209
Let's look now at contrasting,
210
contrasting, similar to comparing, but where we look at A and then contrast it with B.
211
So often we use the word but.
212
There is this, but there's that.
213
But is the most overused connector.
214
What are other ways we can use to express that?
215
Well, however, that said,
216
mind you at the same time and notice with most of these we have that falling rising intonation
217
that said mind you and it just indicates
218
that we're going to carry on speaking it's great natural intonation
219
lovely connector let's see in practice the same question as before
220
why do some people choose to live in the city rather than in the countryside?
221
If we're talking about young people,
222
I reckon they move to the city in search of better job opportunities.
223
That said, many people who work remotely choose to live in the suburbs or even the countryside.
224
If we're talking about parents,
225
I suppose they want a better school for their kids.
226
Mind you, nowadays there are lots of good quality schools to be found in rural areas too.
227
Can you see how that works?
228
Brilliant.
229
Start practicing.
230
And let's wind up with concluding.
231
Concluding.
232
There are different ways to conclude.
233
Finally, to summarise in conclusion.
234
I think some of the more natural ones are these.
235
In a nutshell, overall, all in all,
236
at the end of the day,
237
so again, let's have a look at these in action.
238
In a nutshell, I think people move to the city because it offers more opportunities.
239
Overall, I think people move to the city because it offers more opportunities.
240
All in all, I'd say people move to the city because it offers more opportunities.
241
At the end of the day,
242
I suppose people move to the city because it offers more opportunities.
243
Guys, that's it.
244
A whole bunch of fillers that will help you improve your fluency
245
and give cracking answers in your IELTS speaking for part one and part three.
246
I hope this has helped to remind you, come along to Facebook.
247
It's the IELTS Speaking Success Facebook page,
248
Tuesday and Thursday, 10 o'clock Spanish time.
249
Free lessons.
250
It's brilliant.
251
We have a ball.
252
We have a whale of a time.
253
Do come and join us.
254
And if you're looking for a more in-depth online course,
255
check out my course on Udemy, IELTS Speaking Success.
256
Get a Band 7+.
257
Go ahead.
258
Go and get it.
259
get a Band 7 Plus.
260
Please share this video with your friends, subscribe, turn on notifications.
261
I really appreciate you following me.
262
Thank you very much and I can't wait to see you soon.
263
Take care everybody.
264
Bye-bye.
265
Thank you.
Download App
AI scoring for every sentence you speak
TRENDING
Popular
Why practice speaking with this video?
Practicing speaking using the techniques from this video is crucial for anyone preparing for the IELTS speaking test. The speaker, Keith, emphasizes that fluency represents 25% of your score, which underscores the importance of effectively connecting ideas. By integrating advanced connectors and fillers into your responses, you can create a more coherent narrative that keeps the examiner engaged. Using natural speech patterns not only prevents rambling but also ensures that your thoughts move logically, which is essential for achieving a high score. Engaging with this video allows learners to grasp how to articulate their opinions, provide information, and structure their answers more effectively while also improving their overall English proficiency.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
In the video, several key grammatical structures and expressions are highlighted that can enhance your speaking performance:
- Connectors and discourse markers: Phrases like “that said” and “in conclusion” serve as signposts in your speech. They guide the listener through your argument and help you connect your ideas smoothly.
- Hedging expressions: Keith uses “I think” and “I really think” to express opinions. These phrases show confidence while allowing room for nuance, which is particularly useful in discussion-style questions.
- Contrastive structures: Phrases like “however” and “on the other hand” are crucial for comparing and contrasting ideas, helping to articulate a balanced point of view.
- Emphasis phrases: Using expressions such as “first and foremost” helps in emphasizing important points, guiding the examiner towards your key arguments.
Common Pronunciation Traps
As you practice the language skills presented in the video, pay attention to pronunciation. Certain phrases can be tricky:
- “Fluency”: Make sure to articulate clearly, focusing on the 'u' and 'en' sounds, which can be subtly conflated.
- “Connectors”: The stress should be placed correctly to avoid sounding flat. Using a shadow speak technique, practice emphasizing the correct syllables.
- “However”: This word can be difficult for non-native speakers. Use a shadowing app to model the pronunciation and rhythm as said by native speakers.
By being aware of these common pronunciation traps and practicing regularly, you can improve your English pronunciation and become more confident in your speaking abilities. The integration of shadow speech techniques will further enhance your fluency, allowing you to express your ideas clearly and effectively.
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.
☕ Buy us a coffee
ShadowingEnglish remains 100% free thanks to your support. Server and AI costs are high — your coffee keeps us going! 🙏