Shadowing Practice: Listening part four (Elephant translocation)@ieltslisteningpro.24 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.

59 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Part 4 You will hear a zoology student giving a presentation on the process of moving wild elephants to a new reserve,
2
known as translocation.
3
First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.
4
Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
5
For my presentation today, I want to tell you about how groups of elephants have been moved and settled in new reserves.
6
This is known as translocation.
7
and has been carried out in Malawi in Africa in recent years.
8
The reason this is being done is because of overpopulation of elephants in some areas.
9
Overpopulation is a good problem to have, and not one we tend to hear about very often.
10
In Malawi's Majeti National Park, the elephant population had been wiped out by poachers who killed the elephants for their ivory.
11
But in 2003, the park was restocked and effective law enforcement was introduced.
12
Since then, not a single elephant has been poached.
13
In this safe environment, the elephant population boomed.
14
Breeding went so well that there were more elephants than the park could support.
15
This led to a number of problems.
16
Firstly, there was more competition for food, which meant that some elephants were suffering from hunger.
17
As there was a limit to the amount of food in the national park, some elephants began looking further afield.
18
Elephants were routinely knocking down fences around the park.
19
which then had to be repaired at a significant cost.
20
To solve this problem, the decision was made to move dozens of elephants from Majete National Park to Nkotakota Wildlife Park,
21
where there were no elephants.
22
But, obviously, attempting to move significant numbers of elephants to a new home three hundred kilometres away is quite a challenge.
23
So, how did this translocation process work in practice?
24
Elephants were moved in groups of between eight and twenty all belonging to one family.
25
Because relationships are very important to elephants, they all had to be moved at the same time.
26
A team of vets and park rangers flew over the park in helicopters.
27
and targeted a group which were rounded up and directed to a designated open plane.
28
The vets then used darts to immobilise the elephants.
29
This was a tricky manoeuvre, as they not only had to select the right dose of tranquilizer for different sized elephants,
30
But they had to dart the elephants as they were running around.
31
This also had to be done as quickly as possible, so as to minimise the stress caused.
32
As soon as the elephants began to flop onto the ground, the team moved in to take care of them.
33
To avoid the risk of suffocation, the team had to make sure none of the elephants were lying on their chests.
34
because their lungs could be crushed in this position.
35
So, all the elephants had to be placed on their sides.
36
One person stayed with each elephant while they waited for the vets to do checks.
37
It was very important to keep an eye on their breathing.
38
If there were fewer than six breaths per minute, the elephant would need urgent medical attention.
39
Collars were fitted to the matriarch in each group so their movements could be tracked in their new home.
40
Measurements were taken of each elephant's tusks.
41
Elephants with large tusks would be at greater risk from poachers and also of their feet.
42
The elephants were then taken to a recovery area, before being loaded onto trucks and transported to their new home.
43
The elephants translocated to Enkotakota settled in very well.
44
And the project has generally been accepted to have been a huge success.
45
and not just for the elephants.
46
Employment prospects have improved enormously.
47
contributing to rising living standards for the whole community.
48
Poaching is no longer an issue, as former poachers are able to find more reliable sources of income.
49
In fact, many of them volunteered to give up their weapons, as they were no longer of any use to them.
50
More than two dozen elephants have been born at Enkotakota since relocation.
51
With an area of more than 1 ,800 square kilometres, there's plenty of space for the elephant population to continue to grow.
52
Their presence is also helping to rebalance Enkotakota's damaged ecosystem
53
and providing a sustainable conservation model which could be replicated in other parks.
54
All this has been a big draw for tourism,
55
which contributes five times more than the illegal wildlife trade to GDP.
56
And this is mainly because of the elephants.
57
There's also been a dramatic rise in interest from...
58
That is the end of part four.
59
You now have one minute to check your answers to part four.

Download App

Everything you need to speak fluently

AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing

Same Channel

FOR YOU

Recommend Video

Context & Background

In this section of the video, a zoology student presents an insightful overview of elephant translocation—a crucial conservation effort involving the relocation of elephants from overpopulated areas to new reserves. The speaker focuses on the recent success in Malawi, where increased elephant populations have outstripped the available resources in Majeti National Park. The narrative highlights the challenges faced in relocating these majestic creatures and the positive impact it has on both the elephants and the surrounding community.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “Overpopulation is a good problem to have” - This phrase can help you express the paradox of facing an abundance in a context where it can lead to challenges.
  • “Moving wild elephants to a new reserve” - A useful phrase for discussing wildlife conservation efforts or relocation strategies.
  • “Significant numbers” - This expression is important when referencing quantity in discussions, whether about animals, people, or resources.
  • “Work in practice” - A phrase that can be used to transition into discussing practical implementations of concepts in various contexts.
  • “Settled in very well” - A great way to express the successful adaptation of people or animals to new environments.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively tackle the content of this video and improve your English skills, follow these steps using the shadow speech technique, which is especially beneficial for IELTS speaking practice:

  1. Listen Actively: Focus on the entire presentation, noting the tone and pacing of the speaker. Pay attention to the phrases introduced above.
  2. Pause and Repeat: After a few sentences, pause the video and try to repeat what you just heard. This allows you to mimic pronunciation and intonation, enhancing your speaking fluency. Utilize learn english with youtube as a resource for shadow speaking.
  3. Record Yourself: Use your phone or computer to record your voice while shadowing. This will help you identify areas where you may need to improve pronunciation or clarity.
  4. Expand Your Vocabulary: Take note of any unfamiliar words and phrases. Look them up to enhance your linguistic repertoire, which will assist you in future discussions—especially in environmental and conservation contexts.
  5. Practice Regularly: Consistency is key. Engage with shadowing daily, using this and other educational video content to build up your skills on a reliable shadowing site.

By implementing these steps, you'll not only improve your listening and speaking skills but also gain a deeper understanding of important topics like wildlife translocation, making your learning experience both practical and enriching.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does ithave been moved · is known · has been carried
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowhave been moved · has been carried · has been poached

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →