Shadowing Practice: Roger Brown | IELTS LISTENING TEST - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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you will hear a young man phoning a town's youth council
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101 sentences
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you will hear a young man phoning a town's youth council
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first you have some time to look at questions one to five
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You will see that there is an example that has been done for you.
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On this occasion only, the conversation relating to this will be played first.
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Good morning, Youth Council.
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Caroline speaking.
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Oh, hello.
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I'm interested in standing for election to the Youth Council,
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and I was told to give you a call.
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That's good.
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Could I have your name, please?
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Yes, it's Roger Brown.
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Thank you.
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The young man's name is Roger Brown,
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so Brown has been written in the space.
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Now we shall begin.
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You should answer the questions as you listen because you will not hear the recording a second time.
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Listen carefully and answer questions one to five.
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Good morning Youth Council, Caroline speaking.
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Oh hello, I'm interested in standing for a Chapter 5
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the chair of the council.
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That's right.
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And she told me a lot about it.
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How it's a way for young people to discuss local issues,
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for example, and make suggestions to the town council.
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That's what made me interested.
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Fine.
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Well, let me take down some of your details.
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First of all, how old are you?
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You know the council is for young people aged from 13 to 18.
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I've just turned 18.
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And where do live Roger well that's a bit complicated at
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the moment I'm looking for a flat to rent here
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so I'm in a hostel from Monday to Friday I go back to my parents place at the weekend okay
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so where's the best place to send you some information about
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the council oh to my parents address please that's 17 Buckley Street B U C K
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L E I G H Street Stamford Lincolnshire though you don't really need the county
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oh I know Stamford it's a lovely town
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and what's the postcode PE nine seven Q T right thank you
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so are you working here
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or are you a student I started studying at the university a couple of weeks ago
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and I've got a part-time job for a few hours a week.
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What do you do?
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Well I've done several different things.
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I've just finished a short-term contract as a courier and now I'm working as a waiter in one of the big hotels.
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Uh-huh.
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That can't leave you much time for studying.
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Oh it's not too bad.
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I managed to fit it all in.
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What are you studying?
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My ambition is to go into parliament eventually.
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So my major subject is politics.
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That's partly why I think the Youth Council is important and want to be a part of it.
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And I suppose you're also taking a minor subject, aren't you?
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I know a lot of people study economics too.
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I chose history.
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To be honest, I'm not finding it as interesting as I expected.
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Before you hear the rest of the phone call,
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you have some time to look at questions 6 to 10.
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Now listen and answer questions 6 to 10.
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OK, so with your studying and your part-time job,
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do you have time for any other interests or hobbies?
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Well, I spend quite a lot of time cycling,
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both around town to get to university and to work,
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and also long distance, from here to London, for instance.
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That's pretty impressive.
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Anything else?
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For relaxation, I'm also keen on the cinema.
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I used to go at least once a week,
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but I can't manage to go so often now.
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Right.
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Are you sure you'll have enough time for the Youth Council?
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Yes, I've worked out that I can afford to reduce my hours at work,
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and that will make the time.
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So is there any particular aspect of the Youth Council's work that appeals to you, Roger?
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Well, my sister is blind,
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so I'm particularly interested in working with disabled young people to try and improve the quality of their lives.
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That's great.
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Well, the best way to get involved is to be nominated by some people who you know.
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Right.
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Can you tell me how to set about organising that?
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You should talk to Geoffrey, our elections officer.
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I can arrange a meeting in the council office with him, if you like.
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Yes, please.
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He'll be here next Monday, if that suits you.
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That's the 14th, isn't it?
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Yes.
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I can manage late afternoon.
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Would you like to suggest a time?
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He generally leaves around 5.30.
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Well, would 4.30 be okay?
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My last class finishes at 4,
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so I'd have plenty of time to get to your office.
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Right, that's fine.
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Oh, and could I have a phone number we can contact you on?
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Yes, my mobile number's 07788136711.
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Thank you.
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Well, we'll look forward to seeing you next week.
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Thanks very much.
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Goodbye.
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Bye.

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Context & Background

In this IELTS listening test dialogue, we hear a young man named Roger Brown calling the Youth Council to express his interest in standing for election. The context revolves around how youth councils serve as platforms for young people, aged 13 to 18, to engage with local issues and suggest improvements to their community. The conversation highlights not only Roger's eagerness to participate in civic life but also provides insights into his personal circumstances, including his age, living situation, and academic commitments. By engaging with this dialogue, learners can gain valuable context for discussing community involvement and youth initiatives, enhancing their english speaking practice.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "I'm interested in..." - This phrase is useful for expressing your interests or intentions.
  • "Could I have your name, please?" - A polite way to ask for someone’s name in various situations.
  • "Where do you live?" - A common question that can foster rapport in conversation.
  • "What's the postcode?" - Essential for discussing addresses and locations.
  • "What are you studying?" - A great conversation starter when meeting students or academics.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

The shadowing technique is an effective method to enhance your english pronunciation and listening skills. Here’s how to tackle the challenges presented in this dialogue:

  1. Listen Carefully: Begin by listening to the entire dialogue without interruption. Focus on the tone, intonation, and pace of the speakers.
  2. Read Along: Find the transcript of the dialogue. As you listen again, read along to connect spoken words with written text. This will help with word recognition.
  3. Pause & Repeat: After listening to a segment, pause the audio and repeat the lines out loud. Pay attention to mimicking the speaker’s pronunciation and intonation.
  4. Practice with a Shadowing App: Utilize a shadowing app or site that allows you to practice repeating phrases. Record your voice and compare it with the original.
  5. Engage in Conversations: Use the phrases you've learned in real conversations. This will not only improve your fluency but will also build confidence in speaking.

By regularly practicing these steps, learners can effectively leverage this engaging content to improve their speaking skills and become more confident in English communication.

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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