Shadowing Practice: IELTS Speaking Test Band 5 Sample - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Music Hello,
183 sentences
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Music Hello,
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please take a seat.
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Thanks.
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This is the speaking test for the International English Language Testing System held on the 25th of March at the Kent Institute.
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The candidate is Faris Ahmadi,
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candidate number 012458 and the examiner is James Smith,
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number five five five six eight seven good afternoon hello
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my name is Jane Smith what's your name my name's Faris
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Ahmadi you can call me Faris can I see your identification please sure you are thank you That's fine.
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Thank you.
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Thanks.
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Now, in part one of the test,
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I'm going to ask you some questions about yourself.
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First, do you work or are you a student?
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I'm a student.
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What are you studying?
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I'm studying engineering.
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Why did you choose to study this subject?
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I don't really know.
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My parents thought it would be a good thing for me to study and I did well at mathematics at high school.
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So I thought it might be interesting.
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It's okay, I guess.
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Have you made many friends on the course?
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Yes, yes I have.
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There are some great guys on my course.
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Sometimes we get together and study after class and drink coffee,
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chat, that kind of thing.
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Let's talk about keeping fit and healthy now.
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What do you do to stay healthy?
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Well, I try to watch my diet.
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I try to eat healthy foods,
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you know, fruit, vegetables, but I really love meat too.
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I think my diet is pretty good.
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Do you do any exercise?
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Yeah, sure, from time to time.
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What kind?
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Well, I try to go to the gym once
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or twice a week and I like going for walks in the evening when it's a bit cooler.
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How active were you when you were a child?
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Oh, very active, yes.
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I was always playing with my brothers,
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fighting, wrestling, playing games, you know.
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How important is it for children to be active?
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Oh, very important.
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Nowadays kids just play video games all day.
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They don't get enough exercise in my opinion.
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They're just couch potatoes.
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Now, let's talk about the weather.
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What kind of weather do you like best?
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Rainy weather, definitely.
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Why?
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Oh, because it rarely rains in my region,
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so when it does, everyone is really happy.
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And it cools down the temperature too.
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Have you noticed any changes in the weather recently in your country?
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Any changes?
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Like climate change?
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Oh, well, I guess it's changed a little.
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People say it's hotter than it used to be,
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but I'm not really sure if that's true.
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What do you like to do in winter?
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Well, the winter in my country is quite short.
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It's nice to get outside and go for a walk.
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You can in winter because it's not so hot.
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I sometimes go horse riding too.
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I belong to a club and I go there a bit at weekends.
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That's really fun.
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Thank you.
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That brings us to the end of part one.
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Now, Faris, I'm going to give you a topic and I'd like you to talk about it for one to two minutes.
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Before you begin, you have one minute to think about what you want to say.
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You can make some notes if you wish.
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Do you understand?
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Yes.
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Okay, you can make some notes on this paper.
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Here is your topic.
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I'd like you to talk about a building that you like.
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Thank you.
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All right.
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Now, remember you have one to two minutes for this,
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so don't worry if I interrupt you.
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I'll tell you when the time is up.
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You can begin now.
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Okay, I'm going to tell you about a building I know quite well and I really like it actually.
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Actually it's in my hometown Abu Dhabi and the name of this building is the Capitol Gate building.
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It's quite a new building,
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only a few years old,
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but already it has become an important landmark because it's really unusual in its appearance.
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The first thing you notice is that it leans over to one side.
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It's like the building in Italy,
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the leaning tower of Pisa.
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Only that building is leaning because it's too old.
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This one is leaning because it was the architect's design.
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Actually, it's very strange.
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It's a skyscraper.
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It's very modern looking, really cutting edge design.
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It doesn't really have any sharp corners.
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It has lots of curves and it is all glass on the outside.
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Okay, moving on to what it's used for.
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Well, there is a hotel inside and maybe some apartments too.
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And I think there are some offices as well,
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but I'm not exactly sure.
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Finally, the reason why I like it is,
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well, I guess it's because it's unique.
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It's special.
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Also, I'm interested in architecture, especially modern architecture.
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And I'm quite fascinated by how the building stays up.
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I mean, it doesn't fall down.
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I think it's because the building has a steel frame.
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And I heard it also has very deep foundations.
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So, if you visit my city,
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I'd recommend that you see this building.
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That's all, actually.
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Thank you.
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Do other people like this building?
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Yes, everyone likes it.
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It's a real landmark of the city now.
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Thank you.
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Can I have the task card and the paper and pencil, please?
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Yes, sure.
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Here you go.
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Thank you.
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So, we've been talking about a building you like,
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and I'd like to discuss with you one or two more general questions related to this.
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First of all, let's consider traditional and modern buildings.
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Do you think it's important for the government to preserve traditional buildings,
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or should Should the money be spent on essential services such as hospitals and schools?
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That's a tricky question to answer.
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Which one is more important?
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Well, I'd have to say both.
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First of all, of course,
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the government should try to maintain traditional buildings.
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They are our heritage and they connect us to a past in a way
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that looking at a photo in a book cannot.
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Personally I don't enjoy looking around old buildings such as castles
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but I know in some countries tourists flock to these type of buildings
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so I can imagine that many people in those countries want to see them preserved.
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But on the other hand,
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we shouldn't be spending so much money on them that we have poor health and education service.
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Educating our children and treating sick people has to be a priority too.
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And is it possible for a government to fund all of these things?
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Can I just check what you mean by fund?
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Is that pay for?
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Yes, pay for.
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Can a government pay for all of these things?
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I suppose it depends on the country.
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My country is fairly wealthy,
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so yes, I think it can afford public services and money for preservation.
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But in poorer countries, I can imagine that the majority of people there would want better schools and good hospitals.
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Many people like living in modern buildings.
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Why do you think that is?
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Well, I think I am one of them.
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Living in a modern home is much easier on the whole, I think.
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You don't have to worry about,
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what's the word, you know,
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fixing them up all the time.
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Oh, renovating.
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That's it.
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You don't have to renovate new homes.
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They're in perfect condition.
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and this probably saves a lot of money.
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I imagine repairing and maintaining a home is very costly.
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And another reason, of course,
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is that modern homes have all the mod cons, you know, modern conveniences.
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And I think most people these days are looking for ways to save time.
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What do you think homes of the future will look like?
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Homes in the future?
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That's a good question.
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Let me see.
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If you mean 10 or 20 years from now,
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I don't think they will be that different to what we have now.
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But perhaps 50 years from now,
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I think it's likely that we'll see some changes.
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I think cities will get denser than they are now,
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I mean, there'll be more people living in the same area.
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To cope with this, I think homes will get smaller and perhaps taller in order to fit more people in.
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In the major cities in my country, this has already happened.
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But 50 years from now,
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I think most cities and towns will be the same, very dense.
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Well, thank you very much.
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That's the end of the speaking test.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
Practicing speaking through real-life scenarios, such as those presented in the IELTS Speaking Test video featuring Faris Ahmadi, is essential for building fluency and confidence. This video engages learners in a conversation that mirrors actual test conditions, helping trainees understand the format and expectations of the IELTS Speaking Test. By replicating these conversations, English learners can improve their ability to express ideas clearly and respond to questions spontaneously. Utilizing a shadowing app or techniques like shadowspeak can greatly enhance this practice, allowing learners to mimic the speaker's intonation and rhythm while acquiring practical vocabulary.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
This section analyzes key structures and phrases used by the candidate in the conversation, providing learners with examples of practical grammar in context:
- Descriptive Responses: Faris uses simple present tense effectively when discussing his studies and health habits, as in "I try to watch my diet" and "I’m studying engineering." This shows how to convey ongoing actions and preferences clearly.
- Opinion Statements: His use of phrases such as "I think" and "in my opinion" allow him to express personal views. Mastering these structures will enable learners to articulate thoughts in discussions and debates.
- Frequency Adverbs: Phrases like "from time to time" and "once or twice a week" are great for discussing habits and routines. These expressions help provide context and frequency when discussing practices like exercise.
- Contrasting Ideas: By saying, "I try to eat healthy foods, you know, fruit, vegetables, but I really love meat too," he effectively contrasts healthy eating with personal preferences. This structure aids in developing nuanced arguments or storytelling.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While shadowspeak can improve grammar and vocabulary, learners should also focus on pronunciation. Here are some tricky aspects from the video:
- Contractions: Words such as "I’m" and "that's" can be challenging for non-native speakers. Practicing these forms through shadow speech techniques can help with fluidity in conversation.
- Intonation Patterns: Notice how the speaker’s intonation varies when asking questions versus making statements. Students can practice mimicking these patterns to sound more natural.
- Linking Sounds: The phrase "I don’t really know" can be slurred together when spoken quickly. Practicing with the shadowspeaks method allows learners to incorporate these natural speech patterns into their own speaking.
Overall, utilizing examples from this IELTS speaking test video and employing effective shadowing techniques will significantly enhance English learners' speaking abilities, aiding them in achieving their desired scores in language assessments.
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.
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