Shadowing Practice: IELTS Speaking Part 1 - Names ๐ค | Model answers - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Hello everyone, my name is Maria.
2
And I'm Rory.
3
And we're the hosts of the IELTS Speaking for Success podcast.
4
The podcast that aims to help you improve your speaking skills as well as your listening skills.
5
We're doing this podcast for you to learn how a native English speaker would answer IELTS speaking questions.
6
I ask Rory questions and Rory answers them using fabulous vocabulary and gorgeous grammar from band 9.
7
Today we're speaking about names
8
because in Speaking Part 1 section they can ask you about names and specifically today we'll be speaking about Rory's name.
9
Rory, let's talk about your name.
10
So the first question.
11
How did your parents choose your name?
12
It's a combination of factors actually.
13
My parents chose my first name because it's easy to spell, but it's quite traditionally Scottish at the same time.
14
And then my second name, Fergus, was actually quite embarrassing.
15
It's one of the names of a friend's dog.
16
My parents had a friend whose dog was called Fergus, so this is one of the reasons they chose it, they like the sound of the name.
17
Exciting.
18
Does your name have any special meaning?
19
Yes, so like I say, my middle name Fergus is after a dog, so it's kind of like a family joke, but my first name Rory actually means red-haired.
20
I have dark hair, so I'm not too sure what my parents were thinking, but it does have a special meaning.
21
Right.
22
Is your name common or unusual in your country?
23
Actually, my name is both common and unusual in Scotland because it's common in the sense that there are people called Rory,
24
but it's unusual in the fact that it uses the English spelling of the Scottish name.
25
Like I say, this is because my parents chose it because it was easier to spell.
26
If you could change your name, would you?
27
Actually, I have changed my name.
28
I didn't change my first name or my middle name, but I did change my surname.
29
I changed it from Duncan to Duncan Goodwillie.
30
Duncan is my father's name and Goodwillie is my mother's maiden name.
31
So I wanted to have both of their surnames in my surname as opposed to just one of them.
32
Super.
33
Now, dear listeners, let's have a look at the vocabulary and grammar Rory has just used.
34
Rory, so speaking about names, you've used, for example, the first name, my middle name, and also you've said maiden name.
35
What does it mean, maiden name?
36
A maiden name is what a lady's surname is before she is married.
37
Right.
38
How can we use it in a sentence?
39
Ah, well, my mother's maiden name was Goodwillie, for example.
40
Exactly, yes.
41
So we can say my first name, my middle name, what else, my surname.
42
Yes, absolutely.
43
You could also use the word, I didn't use this in my answers, but because I have two surnames, this is what's called a double-barreled surname.
44
So it means that you have two names joined together to make one surname.
45
Yeah, right.
46
You also, you've used some of the grammar structures for a higher score.
47
For example, you said, my parents were thinking.
48
Right, so this is like the past continues.
49
For example, why did your parents choose your name?
50
And you say...
51
Well, my parents were thinking about this because it was easier.
52
But also, I suppose the pronunciation is quite important as well like not pronouncing where as much as thinking for example.
53
Yeah, exactly so we're thinking, yeah.
54
Also you've used the present perfect, I've changed my name, right?
55
What else can you say like with the present perfect about names?
56
For example, if students don't know how to answer the question like what's the meaning of your name
57
and like and you can say I've never thought of that.
58
Absolutely.
59
And I suppose most people haven't thought about the meanings of their names, so this would be quite an acceptable answer, and you get to demonstrate that you can use present perfect.
60
Exactly, yeah, that's like a very natural response.
61
So, dear listeners, if you have no idea what your name is, you can just admit it, saying like, oh, I've never thought of that, I've never thought about that.
62
You were pretty natural when you were answering the questions
63
and you said something actually at the same time
64
so what other kind of like linking phrases or some words like actually can you use to sound natural?
65
Actually, that's a good point.
66
Actually helps to sort of buy time to collect your thoughts so starting off your sentences with things like actually,
67
well and to be honest all of these phrases, while they're quite short, allow you, they buy you the extra time in order to think and put your answer together in your head.
68
So if you can practice these as much as possible, then this really does help.
69
Yeah, these words are time buyers.
70
Can our listeners say like, to my mind?
71
To my mind, my parents chose my name, blah, blah, blah.
72
It's not entirely unusual.
73
It's not something that I've heard many native speakers say, but then of course there are lots of things
74
that native speakers say or don't say that can and cannot be said by non-native speakers and it's still comprehensible.
75
Yeah but more naturally you say in my opinion or I guess.
76
Absolutely.
77
Or to be honest or frankly speaking.
78
Exactly yes so dear listeners please don't overuse this to my mind to my mind all the time.
79
Rory could you tell us your full name?
80
Sure my name is Rory Fergus Duncan Goodwillie.
81
So Rory is your first name.
82
Yes.
83
Then?
84
Then my middle name is Fergus.
85
Uh-huh and And after that?
86
My surname is Duncan Goodwillie.
87
Is your second name similar to our patronymic?
88
In Russia we have a name, a surname and a patronymic.
89
We don't have the same concept in Scotland or in the UK.
90
Usually people's names aren't so connected with people in the past as they are in Russia.
91
My parents sort of combined a name that they liked the sound of, so they liked the sound of the name Fergus with a joke, obviously it's after a dog.
92
But in addition to this, a lot of other families have middle names because they think it sounds more fancy,
93
much posher than just normal names.
94
So there's a bit of class competition there.
95
Some upper middle class families, some middle class families have middle names for their children.
96
Although it's becoming increasingly common for working class people.
97
Rory, thank you very much for your answers.
98
Dear listeners, could you now listen to Rory's answers again and notice good grammar and good vocabulary Rory has used?
99
You can use these words, these grammar structures in your own answers to get band 8, band 9 for IELTS speaking.
100
How did your parents choose your name?
101
It's a combination of factors actually.
102
My parents chose my first name because it's easy to spell, but it's quite traditionally Scottish at the same time.
103
And then my second name, Fergus, was actually quite embarrassing.
104
It's one of the names of a friend's dog.
105
My parents had a friend whose dog was called Fergus, so this is one of the reasons they chose it.
106
They like the sound of the name.
107
Does your name have any special meaning?
108
Yes.
109
So, like I say, my middle name, Fergus, is after a dog, so it's kind of like a family joke.
110
But my first name, Rory, actually means red-haired.
111
I have dark hair, so I'm not too sure what my parents were thinking.
112
But it does have a special meaning.
113
Is your name common or unusual in your country?
114
Actually, my name is both common and unusual in Scotland, because it's common in the sense that there are people called Rory.
115
Rory but it's unusual in the fact that it uses the English spelling of the Scottish name.
116
Like I say this is because my parents chose it because it was easier to spell.
117
If you could change your name, would you?
118
Actually I have changed my name.
119
I didn't change my first name or my middle name but I did change my surname.
120
I changed it from Duncan to Duncan Goodwillie.
121
Duncan is my father's name and Good Willy is my mother's maiden name.
122
So I wanted to have both of their surnames in my surname as opposed to just one of them.
123
So that's all for now.
124
Thank you very much for your attention and listening.
125
Bye bye!
126
Bye bye!
About This Lesson
In this lesson, learners will practice speaking English by focusing on the topic of names, as discussed in the IELTS Speaking Part 1 section of the podcast. You will learn how to articulate your responses clearly and fluently, drawing inspiration from Ryan's model answers. The lesson aims to enhance your vocabulary related to names, improve your grammatical accuracy, and help you develop more engaging responses during the IELTS speaking examination.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- First name: The name given to a person at birth, typically used before the surname.
- Middle name: An additional name given to an individual, mentioned between the first name and surname.
- Surname: The family name of a person, often inherited from the parents.
- Maiden name: The surname a woman has before she gets married.
- Double-barreled surname: A surname that combines two names, usually hyphenated.
- Common name: A name frequently utilized within a particular culture or country.
- Unusual name: A name that is rare or less frequently used.
- Embarrassing: Causing a feeling of self-consciousness or awkwardness.
Practice Tips
To make the most of this lesson, try utilizing a shadowing app or a shadowing site to mimic the pronunciation and intonation of the speakers in the podcast. Start by listening to a short segment of the conversation about names. Pay attention to the way Rory and Maria articulate their thoughts. Once comfortable, repeat what they say, imitating their speed and tone as closely as possible, which is essential for effective shadow speak. Engage in this exercise regularly to build your confidence and fluency in English, especially tailored for IELTS speaking practice.
Remember to focus on grammar patterns mentioned in the conversation, such as the past continuous tense, to enhance your sentence structure. Try to incorporate the new vocabulary into your own sentences as you reply to common questions about names. This method of shadowing and practice will not only help you prepare for the IELTS exam but also improve your overall speaking skills in everyday conversations.
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 โ like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1โ2 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 โ making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.