Shadowing Practice: IELTS Speaking Part 1 – Cars - Learn English Speaking with Video

Welcome back to IELTS Time.

In today's lesson we're looking at the part one topic of cars.

You'll hear Finn and Blondie answer a series of questions on this topic.

Let's begin with Finn.

Do you own a car or would you like to own one in the future?

At the moment I don't.

I live pretty close to campus and most places I need to go are easily accessible by public transit.

That said, I'd definitely like to buy one in the future, especially once I start working full-time.

Having your own car just gives you so much more freedom, particularly for weekend trips or getting to places that aren't well connected by buses or trains.

How often do you travel by car?

Not very often, to be honest.

Since I live close to my university, I usually just walk to classes, and I rely on public transport for most other things.

I only really end up in a car

when my friends give me a ride somewhere or when my parents pick me up for the holidays.

So yeah, I ride in one from time to time, but it's not part of my daily routine.

What types of cars do you like?

I'm quite into compact sports sedans because they strike a nice balance between performance and practicality.

They look sporty and exciting, but they're still practical enough for everyday use.

I also really like electric vehicles because the technology behind them is fascinating.

Do you think car colors are important?

Yeah, to some extent.

I think the color can say a lot about a person's taste.

Some people stick with neutral options like black, white, or silver because they look clean and hold their value better,

while others go for bright colors to stand out.

At the end of the day, though, color is secondary for me.

I'm way more focused on things like safety, reliability, and fuel efficiency.

Do you prefer to be a driver or a passenger?

I definitely prefer being a passenger, mainly because it's way more relaxing.

As a passenger, I can just kick back, listen to music, chat with friends, or check my phone without having to focus on the road.

Driving is fun, but it comes with a lot more stress, especially in heavy city traffic.

So if I have the choice, I'd rather let someone else take the wheel.

What do you usually do when there is a traffic jam?

Since I don't drive, I usually experience traffic jams as a passenger, so I just try to make the most of the delay.

I'll usually pop in my earbuds to listen to music or a podcast, scroll through social media, or catch up on messages.

If I'm with friends or family, we'll just chat to pass the time.

It's actually a nice way to kill time without feeling too stressed about the traffic.

Did you enjoy traveling by car when you were a kid?

Yeah, I I really did.

My family used to take road trips during the school holidays, and I always looked forward to them.

I loved looking out the window, picking the music, and stopping at different spots along the way.

When you're a kid, even a short drive feels like a mini adventure, so those trips are definitely some of my favorite childhood memories.

Have you ever taken a long road trip by car?

Yes, a few times.

The longest one was a family trip that took about 10 hours.

Even though sitting in a car for that long was pretty exhausting.

I still really enjoyed the whole experience because we passed through so many different towns and landscapes.

We made plenty of stops for coffee and snacks along the way which kept it fun.

I think road trips are great because the journey itself feels like part of the vacation.

That brings us to the end of Finn's interview.

Now let's hear a very different perspective from Blondie.

Do you own a car or would you like to own one in the future?

Yeah, I actually bought a hatchback a couple of years ago once I started working full time.

Having your own set of wheels just gives you so much freedom, especially for getting to work or heading out on spontaneous weekend drives.

How often do you travel by car?

Pretty much daily.

I drive to work every morning to avoid packed trains, and I use it on weekends for errands or getting out of the city.

I'd say I'm behind the wheel almost every single day.

What types of cars do you like?

I really appreciate snappy, well-handling cars.

Things like hot hatches or compact sedans.

They're fun to drive, easy to manoeuvre in city traffic and still have enough zip when you get onto the highway.

Do you think car colours are important?

To a degree, yeah.

Practicality-wise, lighter colours like silver or grey don't show dirt as easily, which saves you a trip to the car wash.

but aesthetically a bold colour like deep red or metallic blue can give a car a lot of character.

Do you prefer to be a driver or a passenger?

Hands down the driver.

I actually find driving pretty therapeutic.

It lets me focus on the road and take my mind off work stress.

Plus I get motion sick if I sit in the passenger seat for too long

so I always offer to take the wheel.

What do you usually do when there is a traffic jam?

I try not to let it get to me.

I'll usually put on a good audiobook

or queue up a fresh episode of a podcast to keep my brain occupied while I stop and go.

Did you enjoy travelling by car when you were a kid?

Honestly, not at all.

I suffered from terrible motion sickness, so any ride longer than 15 minutes was a nightmare for me.

My parents had to keep plastic bags in the glove box

and I spent most trips staring straight at the horizon trying not to feel nauseous.

It's funny because I love driving now but back then I absolutely hated it.

Have you ever taken a long road trip by car?

Plenty of times.

Last year a few friends and I did an eight hour drive down to the coast.

I ended up doing most of the driving because I enjoy it

so much and honestly cruising down the highway with good music is half the fun of the vacation.

That was Blondie's interview.

Although Finn and Blondie answer the same questions their answers are quite different because their lifestyles are different.

Finn is a student who rarely travels by car while Blondie drives almost every day.

Both interviews show how you can use your own experiences to create natural, personal answers.

Now let's look at some useful vocabulary from the interviews.

Accessible.

This word means easy to reach or easy to get to.

Imagine you're choosing an apartment near a university.

The campus is only a 10 minute walk away, there's a bus stop around the corner and several grocery stores are nearby.

In that situation you could say that everything you need is easily accessible.

It's a useful word when describing where you live, how convenient a location is, or how easy it is to reach a particular place.

Connected.

When a place is well connected, it has good transportation links that make travelling there easy.

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For example, suppose you want to visit a nearby city.

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If there are frequent trains, buses and highways linking the two places, you could say the city is well connected.

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On the other hand, if there are very few transport options, getting there may take much longer.

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This word is especially useful when talking about transportation, travel and urban development.

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Secondary.

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If something is secondary, it is less important than something else.

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Imagine you're buying a laptop for university.

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Your main concerns might be performance, battery life and reliability.

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The colour of the laptop might matter to you, but it's not your top priority.

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In that case you could say that appearance is secondary.

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This word is useful whenever you're comparing priorities and explaining what matters most to you.

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Kick back.

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This is an informal expression that means to relax and enjoy yourself.

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Picture yourself finishing a difficult exam or completing a major project.

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After all that hard work, you might go home, kick back on the sofa, watch a movie and enjoy a quiet evening.

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It's a casual expression that native speakers often use when talking about relaxing during their free time.

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Hatchback.

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A hatchback is a type of car with a rear door that lifts upward, giving easy access to the storage space in the back.

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Many people choose hatchbacks because they're compact, practical and easy to park.

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Imagine living in a busy city with narrow streets and limited parking spaces.

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A hatchback can be a very convenient option because it's smaller and easier to manoeuvre than many larger vehicles.

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Having your own set of wheels.

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This is an informal way of saying that you own a car.

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Imagine you've just graduated and started your first full-time job.

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After saving money for several months, you're finally able to buy a car.

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At that point, you might feel excited about having your own set of wheels

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because it gives you the freedom to travel whenever you want.

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This expression is common in everyday conversation and sounds friendly and natural.

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Spontaneous.

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When something is spontaneous, it isn't carefully planned in advance.

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It happens because you decide to do it in the moment.

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For example, you might wake up on a sunny Saturday morning

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and suddenly decide to drive to the beach with a few friends.

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Since the idea wasn't planned beforehand, it would be a spontaneous trip.

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This word is useful when describing activities, decisions or experiences that happen unexpectedly.

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Behind the wheel This phrase means driving a car.

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Imagine someone who commutes to work every day and spends two hours driving.

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That person spends a lot of time behind the wheel.

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You can also use this phrase when talking about driving experience.

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Someone who has been driving for many years has spent countless hours behind the wheel.

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Motion sickness Motion sickness is the unpleasant feeling some people experience while travelling in a moving vehicle.

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Imagine you're reading a book during a long bus journey.

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After a while you start feeling dizzy and uncomfortable.

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That's a common example of motion sickness.

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Some people experience it in cars, while others experience it on boats, airplanes or amusement park rides.

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Motion Sick While motion sickness is the name of the condition, motion sick describes how a person feels when they are experiencing it.

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For example, if someone feels dizzy or uncomfortable during a car journey, they can say, I feel motion sick or I get motion sick when I travel on winding roads.

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This phrase is especially useful when describing personal experiences because it focuses on your own feelings rather than the condition itself.

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That's it for today's lesson on cars.

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If you'd like more practice, extra lessons and exclusive content, consider becoming a member.

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keep practicing and I'll see you in the next one

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 150 sentences and 1882 words to shadow. The speech runs for 11:05. The speaker talks at a natural 170 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
passenger noun	/ˈpæs.ɪn.d͡ʒɚ/	One who rides or travels in a vehicle, but who does not operate it and is not a member of the crew.
sickness noun	/ˈsɪknɪs/	The quality or state of being sick or diseased; illness; an illness.
connect verb	/kəˈnɛkt/	To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object.
spontaneous adjective	/spɑnˈteɪ.ni.əs/	Self-directed; happening or acting without external cause or instigation; proceeding from natural feeling, temperament, or momentary impulse.
lesson noun	/ˈlɛs.ən/	A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided.
phrase noun	/ˈfɹeɪ̯z/	A short written or spoken expression.
relax verb	/ɹɪˈlæks/	To make something loose.
accessible adjective	/əkˈsɛs.ɪ.bəl/	Easy of access or approach.
compact adjective	/kəmˈpækt/	Closely packed or densely constituted; having much material in a small volume.
topic noun	/ˈtɑpɪk/	A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest.
practical adjective	/ˈpɹæk.tɪ.kəl/	Relating to, or based on, practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis.
everyday adjective	/ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/	Appropriate for ordinary use, rather than for special occasions.
priority noun	/pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/	An item's relative importance.
vacation noun	/veɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/	An extended trip or journey away from home for rest or pleasure.
laptop noun	/ˈlæp.tɑp/	A laptop computer.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
end up verb	To bring to a conclusion.
get out of verb	To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of.
hands down adverb	without much effort; easily
look forward to verb	To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to.
look out verb	To be vigilant and aware often as an imperative to alert a person to danger.
pass through verb	To go through, to travel through, to transit or lie across a place or from one place to another.
stand out verb	To jut out, protrude (from a surface etc.).
walk away verb	To withdraw from a problematic situation.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	if I have the choice, I'd rather · If I'm with friends or family, we'll just
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	student who rarely · someone who commutes · Someone who has
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	you've just graduated · has spent

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 30 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: vacation /veɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/, efficiency /ɪˈfɪʃ.ən.si/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, nauseous /ˈnɔʃəs/
Long words — get the stress right: spontaneous /spɑnˈteɪ.ni.əs/, accessible /əkˈsɛs.ɪ.bəl/, priority /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/, uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, efficiency /ɪˈfɪʃ.ən.si/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like passenger, sickness, connect.

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 technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?