Shadowing Practice: Listening B2, FCE 1 (2015), Test 2, Part 4 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Now turn to part four.
2
You will hear an interview with a musician called Gerald Harding, who's talking about his career.
3
For questions 24 to 30, choose the best answer, A, B or C.
4
You now have one minute to look at part four.
5
Thank you.
6
Thank you.
7
who has come to tell us about how he began his career as a musician.
8
Hello.
9
Well, first of all, Gerald, how did your interest in music begin?
10
My father was a violinist in an orchestra, and from an early age, I would go with him when they were rehearsing for concerts.
11
I would sit with the violinists and listen.
12
I learned a lot, and everyone was very kind to me.
13
I actually composed my first piece of music for the violin when I was six years old.
14
My father treasured it.
15
And when did you start playing in public?
16
When I was around eight years old, my father started playing in a small orchestra at a holiday resort in the summer.
17
All the family went with him.
18
It was on the coast, and that way we had a break we couldn't have afforded otherwise.
19
I sometimes went along to performances, and I played in my first concert there at the age of 11, just for fun.
20
My mother also played the piano in a hotel in the evenings.
21
So your mother was a musician too.
22
Tell us about her.
23
Sure.
24
She was an amazing pianist.
25
She knew all the music she played by heart, everything, and that was after playing it through just a couple of times to get it right.
26
I learned that from her and that's what I do on the violin too.
27
Because I don't have to read the notes, I can concentrate on my playing and avoid errors.
28
And what made you interested in conducting?
29
From the very start, conductors fascinated me a great deal.
30
I dreamt of becoming one from the first time I saw an orchestra.
31
When I listened to recordings at home, I would conduct them, but my father insisted that I become a violinist, and he also taught me.
32
So that's what I did, but I never gave up my old dream.
33
You studied music at one of the best colleges.
34
Did you enjoy it?
35
I could do the violin playing anyway, of course, which my father had taught me, but then so could everyone else.
36
And naturally, I perfected my technique at college and broadened the range of music I played.
37
But some of the others found the discipline and commitment required of us too demanding.
38
But because of my upbringing, I was used to that.
39
So what happened when you left college?
40
Well, just when I was about to start a career as a violinist, I started learning to be a conductor, too.
41
Even after college, I needed to carry on improving, so I was having private lessons with a professional violinist.
42
And his wife, although not a professional musician, taught me conducting technique.
43
She insisted that I took lessons from a teacher she knew who had many well-known conductors as students.
44
He himself wasn't a well-known conductor, but as an instructor, he was the best and very enthusiastic.
45
Since then, you've become well-known as both a violinist and a conductor.
46
Has it been difficult to have both these careers?
47
On the contrary, I've learned so much from the conductors I've played with as a violin soloist.
48
Even when one plays the same violin piece often, it's still always different every time.
49
One can therefore learn a great deal, especially as I have had the good fortune to practically always play under the best conductors in the world.
50
And I haven't only learned from seeing and hearing them, but I've always taken the time to consult them, to discuss the smallest details with them,
51
and to continuously improve myself.
52
Well, unfortunately we've run out of time, but thank you very much.
53
It's been a great pleasure speaking to you, and the very best of luck in the future.
54
Thank you.
55
Now you'll hear part four again.
56
We are very pleased to welcome the violinist and conductor, Gerald Harding, who has come to tell us about how he began his career as a musician.
57
Hello.
58
Well, first of all, Gerald, how did your interest in music begin?
59
My father was a violinist in an orchestra, and from an early age I would go with him when they were rehearsing for concerts.
60
I would sit with the violinists and listen.
61
I learned a lot and everyone was very kind to me.
62
I actually composed my first piece of music for the violin when I was six years old.
63
My father treasured it.
64
And when did you start playing in public?
65
When I was around eight years old, my father started playing in a small orchestra at a holiday resort in the summer.
66
All the family went with him.
67
It was on the coast and that way we had a break we couldn't have afforded otherwise.
68
I sometimes went along to performances, and I played in my first concert there at the age of 11, just for fun.
69
My mother also played the piano in a hotel in the evenings.
70
So your mother was a musician too.
71
Tell us about her.
72
Sure.
73
She was an amazing pianist.
74
She knew all the music she played by heart, everything.
75
And that was after playing it through just a couple of times to get it right.
76
I learned that from her, and that's what I do on the violin, too.
77
Because I don't have to read the notes, I can concentrate on my playing and avoid errors.
78
And what made you interested in conducting?
79
From the very start, conductors fascinated me a great deal.
80
I dreamt of becoming one from the first time I saw an orchestra.
81
When I listened to recordings at home, I would conduct them.
82
But my father insisted that I become a violinist, and he also taught me.
83
so that's what I did, but I never gave up my old dream.
84
You studied music at one of the best colleges.
85
Did you enjoy it?
86
I could do the violin playing anyway, of course, which my father had taught me, but then so could everyone else.
87
And naturally, I perfected my technique at college and broadened the range of music I played.
88
But some of the others found the discipline and commitment required of us too demanding.
89
But because of my upbringing, I was used to that.
90
So, what happened when you left college?
91
Well, just when I was about to start a career as a violinist, I started learning to be a conductor too.
92
Even after college, I needed to carry on improving, so I was having private lessons with a professional violinist.
93
And his wife, although not a professional musician, taught me conducting technique.
94
She insisted that I took lessons from a teacher she knew who had many well-known conductors as students.
95
He himself wasn't a well-known conductor, but as an instructor, he was the best and very enthusiastic.
96
Since then, you've become well-known as both a violinist and a conductor.
97
Has it been difficult to have both these careers?
98
On the contrary, I've learned so much from the conductors I've played with as a violin soloist.
99
Even when one plays the same violin piece often, it's still always different every time.
100
One can therefore learn a great deal, especially as I have had the good fortune to practically always play under the best conductors in the world.
101
And I haven't only learned from seeing and hearing them, but I've always taken the time to consult them, to discuss the smallest details with them,
102
and to continuously improve myself.
103
Well, unfortunately we've run out of time, but thank you very much.
104
It's been a great pleasure speaking to you.
105
And the very best of luck in the future.
106
Thank you.
107
That's the end of part four.
108
There will now be a pause of five minutes for you to copy your answers onto the separate answer sheet.
109
Be sure to follow the numbering of all the questions.
110
I shall remind you when there is one minute left so that you're sure to finish in time.
111
It is the end of the test.
112
Please stop now.
113
Your supervisor will now collect all the question papers and answer sheets.
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Who Will Benefit from This Video?
This video is perfect for B2-level English learners prepping for the FCE exam or anyone aiming to boost their listening and speaking skills. The interview format—with its conversational flow and real-world topics like music careers—mirrors everyday interactions, making it ideal for english speaking practice. Whether you’re working on understanding accents or refining your own speech, the natural dialogue provides a great foundation for growth.
Words & Idioms to Add to Your Toolkit
The conversation is packed with useful phrases. Here are a few to steal:
- Treasured (valued deeply): "My father treasured my first composition."
- Broadened the range (expanded variety): "I broadened the range of music I played in college."
- On the contrary (opposite of what’s expected): "On the contrary, having two careers helped me learn more."
Mastering the Speaker’s Accent with Shadowing
The speaker’s clear, conversational tone makes this video a goldmine for improve english pronunciation using the shadowing technique. Here’s how: Pause the video after short phrases, then shadow speak—repeat the words immediately, mimicking the rhythm, stress, and intonation. Notice how "rehearsing" (ree-HUR-sing) and "discipline" (DISS-uh-plin) stress the second syllable. Focus on linking words like "when I was" (wenn-eye-wuz) to sound more natural. Regular shadow speech practice with this video will help you match the speaker’s fluency and confidence. Don’t rush—take time to copy the pauses and emphasis, and you’ll soon hear a difference in your own speaking!
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.