Shadowing Practice: IELTS Speaking Part 1: Hometown, Work and Free Time - Learn English Speaking with Video
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31 sentences
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1
Good morning. Come in and take a seat.
2
Good morning! Thank you.
3
My name is Sarah Mills. What's your full name, please?
4
My full name is Minh Tran.
5
Thank you. In this first part,
6
I'd like to ask you some questions about yourself.
7
Let's talk about your hometown. Where are you from?
8
I'm from Da Nang, a city in central Vietnam.
9
And what do you like most about it?
10
Oh, definitely the beach! It's ten minutes from my house.
11
In summer, I go swimming almost every evening.
12
Is there anything you'd like to change about it?
13
Hmm, that's a good question...
14
Honestly, the traffic has got much worse recently,
15
so I'd like better buses and more bike lanes.
16
Now let's move on to work. Do you work or study?
17
I work. I'm a junior accountant at a hotel.
18
Do you enjoy your job?
19
Well... most of the time, yes.
20
Ha, the numbers can be a bit boring,
21
but my colleagues are really friendly and helpful.
22
Would you like to change jobs in the future?
23
Actually, yes! I'm hoping to do a master's in the UK.
24
Let's talk about free time. What do you do to relax?
25
I usually play badminton with my friends at weekends.
26
And on rainy days, I watch cooking videos in bed.
27
Have your hobbies changed since you were a child?
28
Oh yes, a lot! As a kid, I played outside all day!
29
Now I'm busier, so I have less time for hobbies.
30
Thank you. That's the end of part one.
31
Phew, okay. Thank you.
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B1Now playing
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Hometown, Work and Free Time
B1Episode 2
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Food, Shopping and the Weather
B2Episode 3
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Music, Reading and Daily Routine
B1Episode 4
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Neighbours, Weekends and Taking Photos
B1Episode 5
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Clothes, Birthdays and Parks
B1Episode 6
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Sleep, Mobile Phones and Cooking
B1Episode 7
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Studies, Your Home and Holidays
B1Episode 8
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Sport, Shopping Malls and Friends
B2Episode 9
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Texting or Calling?
B2Episode 10
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Rainy Days and the Weather
B1Episode 11
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Pets, Colours and Mornings
B1Episode 12
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Art, Museums and Handwriting
B1Episode 13
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Public Transport and Getting Lost
B1Episode 14
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Languages, Numbers and Memory
B1Episode 15
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Water, Swimming and the Sea
B1Episode 16
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Films, Jokes and Being Bored
B1Episode 17
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Teachers, Homework and Maths
B1Episode 18
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Plants, Bags and Singing
B1Episode 19
IELTS Speaking Part 1: History, the Sky and Sharing
B1Episode 20
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Place You Visited and Loved
B1Episode 21
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Person Who Helped You
B2Episode 22
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Skill You Learned
B2Episode 23
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Time You Were Late
B2Episode 24
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Gift You Gave Someone
B2Episode 25
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Memorable Journey
B2Episode 26
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe an Achievement You Are Proud Of
B2Episode 27
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Book That Influenced You
B2Episode 28
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Time You Helped a Stranger
B2Episode 29
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Meal You Will Never Forget
B2Episode 30
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a House You Would Like to Live In
B2Episode 31
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Time You Received Good News
B2Episode 32
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Festival You Enjoyed
B2Episode 33
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Difficult Decision You Made
B2Episode 34
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Photo You Treasure
B2Episode 35
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Time You Had to Wait for Something
B2Episode 36
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Quiet Place You Like to Go
C1Episode 37
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Advertising and Consumer Culture
B2Episode 38
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Celebrities as Role Models
C1Episode 39
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Is Space Exploration Worth the Cost?
B2Episode 40
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Social Media and Fake News
C1Episode 41
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Who Is Responsible for Climate Change?
B2Episode 42
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Will AI Take Our Jobs?
B2Episode 43
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Technology and Young People
B2Episode 44
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Cities, Transport and the Environment
B2Episode 45
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Online Learning and the Future of Schools
C1Episode 46
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Work-Life Balance and the Four-Day Week
C1Episode 47
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Tourism and Local Communities
C1Episode 48
IELTS Speaking Part 3: An Ageing Population and Caring for the Elderly
C1Episode 49
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Health, Fast Food and Exercise
C1Episode 50
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Money, Saving and Spending
C1Episode 51
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Should Governments Fund the Arts?
C1Episode 52
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Crime, Punishment and Young Offenders
C1Episode 53
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Should We All Eat Less Meat?
C1Episode 54
IELTS Speaking Part 3: What Makes People Happy?
C1Episode 55
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Families, Parenting and Changing Roles
C1Episode 56
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Patience and Instant Gratification
C1Episode 57
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Noise and the Value of Quiet
B2Episode 58
IELTS Mock Session: City Life and Urbanisation
B2Episode 59
IELTS Practice with a Friend: Should University Be Free?
B2Episode 60
IELTS Tutor Session: Ageing Populations and Caring for the Elderly
B2Episode 61
IELTS Tutor Session: Can Traditions Survive Globalisation?
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “IELTS Speaking Part 1: Hometown, Work and Free Time”. This video has 31 sentences and 258 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:41. The speaker talks at a natural 153 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. 9 of its 31 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 12 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| hobby noun | /ˈhɑ.bi/ | An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time. |
| helpful adjective | /ˈhɛlp.fl̩/ | Furnishing help; giving aid; useful. |
| relax verb | /ɹɪˈlæks/ | To make something loose. |
| swim verb | /swɪm/ | To move through the water, without touching the bottom; to propel oneself in water by natural means. |
| colleague noun | /ˈkɒliːɡ/ | A fellow member of a profession, staff, academic faculty or other organization; an associate, a workmate. |
| lanes noun | /leɪnz/ | bowling alley |
| bore verb | /boɹ/ | To inspire boredom in somebody. |
| hometown noun | /ˈhoʊmˌtaʊn/ | An individual’s place of birth, childhood home, or place of main residence. |
| accountant noun | /əˈkaʊn.tənt/ | One who renders account; one accountable. |
| rainy adjective | /ˈɹeɪni/ | Pouring with rain; wet; showery |
| badminton noun | /ˈbæd.mɪn.tən/ | A racquet sport played indoors on a court by two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs of players (doubles), in which a shuttlecock is volleyed over… |
| phew | /fjuː/ | Used to express relief of tension, fatigue, or surprise. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- What's your full name, please?
- Is there anything you'd like to change about it?
- Do you work or study?
- Do you enjoy your job?
- Would you like to change jobs in the future?
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I'd, you'd. 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.
- 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 hobby, helpful, relax.
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.