Shadowing Practice: Public Monument Assignment section 4 Actual IELTS listening - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Now turn to section 4 on page 7.
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Section 4.
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You will hear a university lecturer talking to his students about an architectural studies assignment.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40 on pages 7 and 8.
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Thank you.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
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Okay, before this morning's lecture on successful design of public buildings, I want to draw your attention to your next assignment.
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So, your assignment is on public monuments, and by that I mean any structure or statue that is built to remind us of important events or of historic figures.
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The assignment should be divided into three sections.
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At the beginning of section 1, you should identify the monument you're examining and say why you've chosen it.
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Include a comment on whether you think the monument works.
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By that I mean its success.
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You may think it's wonderful.
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You may think it's a public eyesore, something that people hate looking at.
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Next, you should also include in this first section information about where the monument was built,
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its geographical site, and also a discussion of its social importance, how relevant it was for the people of the time.
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You should also include information on when it was built, its historical background, and make sure you illustrate the assignment appropriately too.
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I shall expect that.
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Insert any plans you can find and make sure any photographs you use have captions
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and are clearly referred to in the text or they will be meaningless.
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To end this section, you should include something about the record of the person who designed the monument, showing how the monument relates to his or her other work.
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Right, in section 2 of the assignment, you'll need to give a detailed account of the design and construction of the monument.
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Firstly, I'll want to read about any particular influence you think is apparent in the design.
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More often than not, there will be something in it that links it to an established style.
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Classical Greek, for example.
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or it may reflect a movement like Bauhaus or Art Nouveau.
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You decide.
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Secondly, I want information about the choice of materials, not only those which were used, but reasons why they may have been selected from others
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that were available at the time and in the area where the designer worked.
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Next, I'll want to mention of any particular skills that were necessary in the construction too.
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The third section is the most important one.
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Here you'll go into much more critical detail.
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To add to your own comments, you'll need to carry out a survey for this section to be as comprehensive and rounded as possible.
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Ask yourself and others the following questions.
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Firstly, was the reason for erecting the monument a valid one?
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For example, was it one that ordinary members of the public, the man or woman on the street, can readily relate to, and did it justify how much public money it cost?
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Was it a waste, or does it represent a sound cultural investment?
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Then, think about its emotional impact.
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When someone looks at it, How do they feel?
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Angry?
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Sad?
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Indifferent?
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And don't forget to consider how well the monument sits in its environment.
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Does it harmonize with it, or does it clash with it?
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And is that important?
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Does it add to the effect, or take away from it?
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Right, those guidelines should help.
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Oh, and remember, it is important to weigh up carefully how to make the maximum impact in this kind of critique
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within the number of words allowable.
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You don't get extra marks for lots of factual information.
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You get those for a well-constructed analysis.
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That's what counts, and that needs to be based on your personal opinion.
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That is the end of Section 4.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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Thank you.
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Transfer your answers to the Listening Answer Sheet.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This C1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Public Monument Assignment section 4 Actual IELTS listening”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: section, monument, assignment, answer, include. This video has 61 sentences and 658 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:55. The speaker talks slowly, about 83 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 10 of its 61 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| monument noun | /ˈmɑnjʊmənt/ | A structure built for commemorative or symbolic reasons, or as a memorial; a commemoration. |
| firstly adverb | /ˈfɜɹstli/ | In the first place; before anything else; first. |
| allowable adjective | /əˈlaʊ.əbəl/ | Appropriate; acceptable. |
| eyesore noun | /ˈaɪsoɹ/ | An eye lesion. |
| guideline noun | /ˈɡaɪdˌlaɪn/ | A non-specific rule or principle that provides direction to action or behaviour. |
| harmonize verb | /ˈhɑɹ.mə.naɪz/ | To be in harmonious agreement. |
| indifferent adjective | /ɪnˈdɪf.ɹənt/ | Ambivalent; unconcerned; uninterested, apathetic. |
| erect verb | /ɪˈɹɛkt/ | To put up by the fitting together of materials or parts. |
| factual adjective | /ˈfæk.tʃ(u)əl/ | Pertaining to or consisting of objective claims. |
| meaningless adjective | /ˈmiː.nɪŋ.ləs/ | Lacking meaning. |
| illustrate verb | /ˈɪl.əˌstɹeɪt/ | To clarify something by giving, or serving as, an example or a comparison. |
| lecturer noun | /ˈlɛkt͡ʃəɹə/ | A person who gives lectures, especially as a profession. |
| caption noun | /ˈkæp.ʃən/ | The descriptive heading or title, of a document or part thereof. |
| appropriately adverb | In an appropriate manner; properly; suitably. | |
| secondly adverb | /ˈsɛk.(ə)ndli/ | In the second place. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| carry out verb | /ˈkæ.ɹi aʊt/ | To hold while moving it out. |
| take away from verb | To subtract a quality from; make something seem not so good or interesting. | |
| weigh up verb | To assess a person or a situation. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is built · should be divided · was built |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | person who designed · those which were |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 9 contractions and reduced forms, such as you'll, don't, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: caption /ˈkæp.ʃən/, clash /ˈklæʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: allowable /əˈlaʊ.əbəl/, architectural /ˌɑɹkɪˈtɛkt͡ʃəɹəl/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like monument, firstly, allowable.
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.