Shadowing Practice: IELTS Speaking Part 1 – Food | Sample Answers & Podcast Practice - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hello, everyone, and welcome back to our IELTS Speaking Podcast.
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Today's episode is all about one of our favorite topics, food.
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I'm joined by my friend Sarah, and together we'll explore common part one food questions.
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Hi, Sarah.
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Hi.
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I'm super excited.
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Food is such an easy and fun topic.
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But you know, in IELTS speaking, even a simple question about food can test your vocabulary and fluency.
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Exactly.
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So let's imagine this is the IELTS speaking test.
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I'll ask you some part one style questions, and you'll answer as if you were in the exam.
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After that, we'll discuss the answers and share some tips.
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Ready?
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Ready.
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Let's go.
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First question.
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What kinds of food do you like to eat?
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Well, I enjoy a variety of food, but if I had to choose, I'd say I love spicy dishes, especially traditional Bangladeshi curries.
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At the same time, I also like trying international food, like Italian pasta and Japanese sushi.
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That's a great answer.
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Notice how Sarah used specific examples.
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Curry, pasta, sushi.
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That makes the answer more interesting and shows a wider range of vocabulary.
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Next question.
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Do you have a favorite meal of the day?
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Yes, definitely dinner.
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For me, dinner is when the whole family sits together and I can enjoy homemade dishes.
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It's not just about food, but also about spending quality time with my family.
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Perfect.
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That's personal, natural, and adds some emotional connection.
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Next one.
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Do you usually eat at home or at restaurants.
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Most of the time I eat at home because it's healthier and cheaper.
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But occasionally I go out with friends to restaurants.
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It feels refreshing to try something new and different.
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Nice balance.
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In IELTS, it's good to avoid one-word answers.
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Instead of just saying at home, you added reasons like healthier and cheaper, and then gave an example of eating out with friends.
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Excellent.
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Do you prefer eating with other people or alone?
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Oh, I definitely prefer eating.
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Yes, very popular.
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In cities, you can see fast food shops everywhere.
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It's tasty and convenient, but honestly, it's not healthy.
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I try to limit how often I eat it.
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That's a balanced answer.
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Showing awareness of both sides is a good strategy.
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If you had the chance, would you like to try food from another country?
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Definitely.
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I'd love to try authentic Italian pizza in Italy, or maybe traditional French desserts.
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I think trying food from another culture helps you understand that culture better.
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Exactly.
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Food is not just about taste, it's also about culture.
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Alright, we've covered a lot of questions today.
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Likes and dislikes, eating habits, traditional food, and even fast food.
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Yes, and I think the key takeaway is to give specific answers with examples, not just one or two word.
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Right.
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Use a variety of vocabulary like spicy,
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homemade, refreshing, authentic, traditional, and always connect your answers to your personal experience.
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That way, the examiner feels you're speaking naturally, not memorizing.
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Exactly.
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Well, that's it for today's episode on food.
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Thanks for joining me, Sarah.
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Thank you, and good luck to everyone preparing for IELTS.
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Don't forget to subscribe for more IELTS speaking practice.
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Until next time, Take care and keep practicing.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 66 sentences and 537 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:45. The speaker talks at a steady 143 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 83% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| vocabulary noun | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning. |
| topic noun | /ˈtɑpɪk/ | A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest. |
| dish noun | /dɪʃ/ | A vessel such as a plate for holding or serving food, often flat with a depressed region in the middle. |
| authentic adjective | /ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/ | Of the same origin as claimed; genuine. |
| curry noun | /ˈkʌ.ɹi/ | One of a family of dishes originating from Indian cuisine, flavored by a spiced sauce. |
| pasta noun | /ˈpɑ.stə/ | Dough made from wheat and water and sometimes mixed with egg and formed into various shapes; often sold in dried form and typically boiled for eating. |
| homemade adjective | Made at home. | |
| spicy adjective | /ˈspaɪsi/ | Of, pertaining to, or containing spice. |
| sushi noun | /ˈsuːʃi/ | A Japanese dish made of small portions of sticky white rice flavored with vinegar, usually wrapped in seaweed and filled or topped with fish, vegetables or… |
| refresh verb | /ɹɪˈfɹɛʃ/ | To renew or revitalize. |
| meal noun | /ˈmiːl/ | Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity. |
| naturally adverb | /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/ | In a natural manner. |
| awareness noun | /əˈwɛɹ.nəs/ | The state or level of consciousness where sense data can be confirmed by an observer. |
| pizza noun | /ˈpi.tsə/ | A baked Italian dish of a thinly rolled bread crust typically topped before baking with tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients such as meat or vegetables. |
| occasionally adverb | /əˈkeɪʒənəli/ | On occasion: at relatively infrequent intervals, from time to time, sometimes. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 11 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'd, I'm, we'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: dish /dɪʃ/, sushi /ˈsuːʃi/, refresh /ɹɪˈfɹɛʃ/, occasionally /əˈkeɪʒənəli/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, occasionally /əˈkeɪʒənəli/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, examiner /əɡˈzæmɪnɚ/
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 vocabulary, topic, dish.
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 had to choose, I'd say · If you had the chance, would you |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | we'll explore · I'll ask · we'll discuss |
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.