Shadowing Practice: IELTS Speaking Part 2 – Describe an environmental law you would like to introduce in your country - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Welcome back.
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Today's cue card is, describe an environmental law you would like to introduce in your country.
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When people hear environmental law they often think they need to come up with something really serious
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and sound like a government official.
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But that's not how IELTS speaking works.
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Your idea can be creative, funny or even a little unusual, as long as it makes sense and you can explain it clearly.
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To show you what I mean I'm going to share two creative model answers for this cue card.
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As usual, let's start with Finn's answer.
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The environmental law I'd like to introduce is probably a bit controversial, but I think it'd be fun.
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Basically, anyone caught littering in public would have to spend one entire Saturday cleaning the exact area where they dropped the rubbish.
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No fine, no warning, just a full day of picking up trash.
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I came up with this idea because I always see people throwing plastic bottles or food wrappers on the ground, especially after festivals or public events.
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What annoys me is that many people do it because they know someone else will clean up after them.
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I don't think most people are scared of a small fine.
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They just pay it and move on.
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But imagine being forced to spend your Saturday collecting rubbish while everyone walks past you.
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That would be embarrassing enough to make people think twice.
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I also think it would have an educational effect.
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The first time you pick up hundreds of cigarette butts or plastic cups from a park, you suddenly realize how much waste people generate.
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It's easy to ignore pollution when you don't have to deal with it personally.
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What I like most about this law is that it solves two problems at once.
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It keeps public spaces cleaner, and it teaches people a lesson without being overly harsh.
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Plus, I think it would create some hilarious stories.
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Imagine explaining to your friends that you can't hang out because you're serving your littering sentence in the local park.
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Overall, I know it sounds a bit unusual, but I genuinely think it would make people more responsible and improve the environment in a practical way.
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So that was Finn's response.
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What's interesting is that his idea isn't especially serious, but it works because it's easy to explain and gives him plenty to talk about.
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Let's break it down and see how this answer addresses each part of the cue card.
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Finn starts by introducing a simple but memorable law.
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Instead of giving people a fine for littering, anyone caught dropping rubbish would have to spend a Saturday helping clean up the area.
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He then explains why he would introduce it.
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From his perspective, many people litter because they assume someone else will deal with the mess.
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As a result, parks, streets and public spaces can quickly become dirty, especially after large events.
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Next, he explains how the law would help the environment.
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Not only would it lead to cleaner public spaces but it could also discourage future littering.
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Finn argues that spending an entire Saturday picking up rubbish would leave a much stronger impression than simply paying a small fine.
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Finally he explains why the law is important.
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He believes it teaches people responsibility by making them deal with the consequences of their actions directly.
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He also points out that it has an educational effect
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because people get to see firsthand how much waste is generated in public spaces.
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Overall this answer works well because the idea is easy to understand,
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the reasoning is clear and Finn supports it with personal observations and examples.
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Now let's look at a completely different approach.
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While Finn's law focuses on discouraging bad behaviour, Blondie's idea focuses on encouraging good behaviour instead.
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If I could introduce any environmental law, it would be a tree planting law with a financial reward attached to it.
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I'd call it the keep it alive tax incentive.
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Basically, every household would have to plant one tree a year.
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If they didn't have enough space, like people living in apartments, they could sponsor one through their local council instead.
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The interesting part is that you wouldn't get rewarded for simply planting the tree If it's still alive after a year,
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you'd receive a tax deduction If it survives another year, the deduction would increase But if the tree dies,
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you lose the benefit and have to start over I came up with this idea
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because I've noticed that people love the idea of helping the environment
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But they don't always enjoy the maintenance that comes with it Whenever there's a big tree planting event,
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everyone gets excited, takes a few photos, plants a sapling and then moves on.
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Fast forward six months and a lot of those trees are dead
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because nobody bothered to water them or look after them properly.
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I think this law would make a real difference
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because it focuses on keeping trees alive rather than just increasing the number of trees planted.
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Over time we'd have greener neighbourhoods, cleaner air
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and more shade during the summer It would also encourage people
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to think about environmental protection as a long-term responsibility rather than a one-day activity
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What I like most though is that it uses human self-interest in a positive way I know my dad pretty well
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And if spending five minutes a week watering a tree could save him money on his taxes, that tree would become his pride and joy.
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He'd probably check on it more often than he checks on me.
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Overall, I think it would be a practical, effective and surprisingly fun way to get more people involved in protecting the environment.
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So that was Blondie's response.
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Unlike Finn's answer, Blondie's idea is all about incentives.
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Let's break it down and see how this answer addresses each part of the cue card.
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Blondie begins by introducing a specific environmental law called the Keep It Alive Tax Incentive.
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Under this law, every household would either plant a tree or sponsor one through their local council.
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The key idea is that people aren't rewarded for planting a tree, they're rewarded for keeping it alive.
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If the tree survives, they receive a tax deduction and that incentive grows over time.
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She then explains why she would introduce this law.
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In her view, many people enjoy planting trees, but they often lose interest once the event is over She describes how people take photos,
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plant a sapling, and then forget about it Leaving many young trees to die within a few months
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Next she explains how the law would help the environment Because the focus is on tree survival, rather than simply tree planting Communities would end up with more mature trees,
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greener neighbourhoods, cleaner air, and more shade during the summer Finally, she explains why the law is important.
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Instead of punishing people for harming the environment, it rewards positive behaviour.
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Her story about her dad proudly looking after a tree adds a personal and humorous touch, while showing how a small financial incentive could motivate people to take long-term responsibility.
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Overall, it's a creative answer that develops each cue card point naturally through a simple idea and a relatable example.
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Now that we've looked at both answers, let's go through some useful vocabulary and phrases that you can borrow for your own response.
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Littering.
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This is a useful word whenever you're talking about environmental problems.
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Instead of saying, people throw rubbish on the ground, you can simply say, people litter.
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For example, littering's a common problem in crowded cities.
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Or, I think there should be stricter penalties for littering.
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It's concise, natural and frequently used in everyday English.
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Think twice.
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This phrase means to stop and reconsider something before doing it.
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For example, the high price made me think twice before buying it.
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Or, learning about pollution made me think twice about using disposable products.
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It's a very natural phrase that can be used in a wide range of IELTS topics, not just environmental ones.
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Food wrappers.
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This refers to the packaging that food comes in, such as snack wrappers, burger wrappers or candy wrappers.
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When describing pollution or waste, specific vocabulary often sounds more vivid than simply saying trash.
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For example, After the event the ground was covered in food wrappers and plastic bottles.
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Or, Volunteers spent the afternoon collecting food wrappers from the beach.
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These small details can make your speaking more descriptive and engaging.
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Cigarette butts.
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A cigarette butt is the small piece that's left after someone finishes smoking.
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This phrase is often used when talking about litter and public cleanliness.
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For example, I was shocked by how many cigarette butts I saw in the park.
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Or, The clean-up team collected thousands of cigarette butts from the streets.
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It's a useful phrase because it helps you describe a specific type of waste rather than speaking in very general terms.
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Small fine.
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A fine is money you have to pay for breaking a rule or law, for example.
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People who litter could receive a small fine.
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Or, I don't think a small fine is enough to change people's behaviour.
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This phrase is especially useful when discussing rules, laws or government policies.
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Sapling.
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A sapling is a young tree.
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For example, our school planted hundreds of saplings during an environmental campaign.
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or the saplings need regular watering during their first year.
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Using a more precise word like sapling can help make your answer sound more natural and specific.
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Tax deduction.
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A tax deduction reduces the amount of tax a person has to pay.
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For example, the government could offer tax deductions to encourage environmentally friendly behaviour
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Or homeowners may qualify for a tax deduction if they install solar panels.
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This phrase is useful whenever you're talking about incentives, rewards or government policies.
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Overly harsh.
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This phrase means too strict or more severe than necessary.
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For example, some people felt the punishment was overly harsh.
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Or schools should have rules but they shouldn't be overly harsh.
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This is a useful expression when discussing laws, rules, parenting, education or social issues.
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And those are some useful words and phrases you can use when talking about environmental topics.
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The key takeaway from today's lesson is that you don't need to come up with a perfect environmental law.
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What matters is having an idea that's easy to explain and gives you something interesting to talk about.
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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
About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice your English speaking skills by discussing an environmental law you would like to introduce in your country. The focus will be on how to clearly articulate your ideas while engaging with the IELTS speaking format. By utilizing creative examples from the video, you will not only enhance your vocabulary but also gain confidence in expressing your thoughts. This practice will help you develop your ability to speak fluently and coherently, which is crucial for success in the IELTS speaking test.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Littering: Disposing of waste improperly in public places.
- Public spaces: Areas accessible to all members of the community, such as parks and streets.
- Educational effect: The learning and awareness that result from a particular experience.
- Tax incentive: A financial motivation for individuals to perform specific actions, often related to environmental protection.
- Tree planting: The act of planting trees, often as a way to improve the environment.
- Responsibility: The state of being accountable for one’s actions.
- Encourage good behaviour: To promote actions that are positive for society and the environment.
Practice Tips
To effectively practice your speaking skills using the content from this video, consider shadow speaking as a technique. Here are some tips for shadowing effectively:
- Watch the video at normal speed first to understand the context and flow. Notice how the speakers articulate their ideas.
- When comfortable, replay sections of the video and try to shadow speech—speak simultaneously with the speakers. Mimic their tone, intonation, and pace.
- Focus on the pauses in speech. Use them as opportunities to practice your phrasing and pronunciation, which is vital for improving English pronunciation.
- Experiment with both serious and light-hearted approaches to discussing environmental laws, as demonstrated in the video, to build versatility in your speech.
- Engage in conversation practice with friends or language partners using the key vocabulary items, aiming to incorporate them into your discussions naturally.
- Lastly, record yourself sharing your thoughts on similar topics. Listen to playback to identify areas for improvement and refine your shadowing technique.
By engaging in these practices, you'll deepen your understanding of the IELTS speaking format while enhancing your overall English proficiency. Whether you're practicing alone or with others, remember that consistent effort is key to mastering the language.
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.