Shadowing Practice: Shadow This Band 9 IELTS Speaking Test (Word for Word) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Let's start off by talking about work and studies.
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Let's start off by talking about work and studies.
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Do you work or do you study?
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Currently, I just graduated, so I'm in between things.
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But yeah, I'm finding work at this point.
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Where would you like to find some work?
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Ideally in Mumbai.
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I'm really interested in the startup industry.
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There are some startups that I'm looking to work with as in the moment right now.
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So that's just what this next chapter holds for me.
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In 10 years time, what career would you like to have?
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Good question.
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I really feel strongly about philanthropy and education specifically.
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So I imagine myself living in between like different places in India, pursuing this like philanthropic educational work.
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What did you want to be when you were a little girl?
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So many things.
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You know, it's kind of like, I don't know, I couldn't choose.
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I think every day was something different.
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I would watch like a really fun TV show and for example, suits and be like, Oh, I'm going to be a lawyer.
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And I was convinced.
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And then I would watch a really fun movie like Devil Wears Prada.
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And I wanted to be a fashion designer.
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So it was many different things when I was younger.
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Now let's talk about reading.
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Did you have a favorite book when you were a child?
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So I don't know if it's necessarily my favorite, but there was this book called The Secret Garden that I remember reading in my class in the fourth grade.
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And I'm categorizing it as my favorite book because it just meant a lot to me because there was really nice descriptions about like the scenery and that really got me into reading.
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So I think for the heartwarming purpose, it's definitely my favorite book when I was younger, but it's just the book that started my love for reading in general.
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Did you do a lot of reading when you were at university?
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I did a lot of reading, too much reading.
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I did a lot of reading that was more literary works and it made me realize oh I don't like it, I don't like them.
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I'm also not a fan of novels but what I am a fan of is more fiction or self-help kind of books especially that I'm getting older and I want to incorporate habits into my life.
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Are there any books you would recommend to people?
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There's this I read called Daisy Jones and the Sixth.
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And it was just a really fun book.
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It was the book I read recently.
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And I think people who are into fiction and like music would really love that book.
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It was adapted into a series after.
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So definitely recommend that one.
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Now let's talk about drinks.
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In your country, what do people normally drink with dinner?
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Okay, there's so many options.
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Particularly in my family, we have a weird mix of things.
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But in my country, we usually have like masala chai or we have normal sodas, but we put some masala in it, which is like some spice to kind of give it that extra like kick.
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So that's really common but in my family we put like for example coke we put a little bit of vanilla ice cream
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and I think it also has to do with like different places in India also have this but in my family it's stable
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yeah do you drink a lot of water every day yes I do and it's because when I don't I can feel
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the like adverse effects immediately so I make sure I drink water every single day but it's so hard because like in the hurry of everything you just forget.
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Do you prefer drinking tea or coffee?
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Okay so I have I have phases in my life like sometimes coffee just tastes too good but I'm really caffeine sensitive.
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I've realized this after having very like jittery episodes so if I have coffee it's a decaf but I really love tea for like different purposes so like chamomile before sleeping or green tea to detox.
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If I visited your home, what would you or your parents or your family offer me to drink?
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Definitely tea.
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I think it's also like culturally, like we're more accustomed to being like, can I get you some tea?
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So definitely tea, but also like coffee is always available if you want.
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But special request.
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Now let's talk about the weekend.
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What do you normally do on the weekend?
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So I think it depends on how the week has gone.
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If it's a good week, you know, weekend can go any which way.
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But I think a very crucial point or part of my routine is like cold plunging or sauna.
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I really try and prioritize that because it helps like my anxiety fade away.
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I really love exercising.
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That's a crucial part as well.
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And just meeting friends and family.
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I think I carve out time specifically for that because the weekdays can get so busy.
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How often do you have a lazy weekend?
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Very often.
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Like most mornings are like they begin very lazily.
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And when it comes to lazy weekends, I don't really thrive on lazy weekends because then I kind of fall into like a rut.
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So I try to be lazy enough, but not too lazy.
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Do you think that your weekend schedule will change as you grow older?
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I definitely think so.
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I think that the more I'm using a lot of energy during the week and maybe doing tasks that don't give me energy, that are more draining, I will need time to recuperate during the weekends.
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So the more I'm a little bit forced to do things i'm not
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particularly happy about i think the more lazy weekends i need the last time i had to do something in a hurry
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was quite recently i think around a month ago i moved in i moved out of where i was living and
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it was in a different country so what that meant is i had to pack my whole life into two suitcases since I was moving back home.
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And the reason it was all left to the last minute was because I just went on a trip with my boyfriend to Mexico.
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So I had around a week once I came back from that trip to pack up everything, to arrange where all my mattresses would go, where my couch would go, and get rid of everything.
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And it was quite an anxiety-inducing experience for me because I'm a very like organized person even
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though this doesn't seem like it but I really am and so when I had to kind of gather everything it felt
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very last minute even though I had a week and I think till the last hour I had to leave like to go
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to the airport I was packing things up but thankfully I had really group like a really good group
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of friends that were with me blasting music helping me pack made it like a really fun enjoyable experience
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and i think that really helped also get some momentum to pack otherwise i was feeling really lazy about it and
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i think even after i left i left some things behind but my friends went back to my apartment helped me get rid of it so it
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was definitely a team effort it takes a village we've been discussing an occasion when you had to do something in a hurry and we're going to talk about time management, arriving late, managing time, things like that.
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Do you think it's acceptable to arrive late when meeting a friend?
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I thought about this question a lot because I feel like I've been victim to this situation a lot of the times.
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I think it depends on how much it happens with the same person but I think there's obviously some unforeseen circumstances that can arise.
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I would say that if you can avoid it because time is really limited and you want to kind of extend respect to your friend, show them, you know, I care about your time.
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So it's always best to, I personally think, try and arrive on time.
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Should there be any negative consequences for people who arrive late for work?
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Again, it kind of, what I said before, bleeds into this answer a little bit, because I think it's depending on how recurring is your situation.
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If there's a certain circumstance that happens every morning, maybe you know you're a parent that has to take care of your child, then I think the company should allow for this situation to happen and not give such extreme consequences.
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I think they should be more accepting and understanding.
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But I think if it's just because you know you've been waking up late, for companies even though I would personally, I would be like, it's okay.
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I think, you know, time is money, especially nowadays in like this corporate capitalistic world.
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So unfortunately, it makes sense for companies to reprimand, but I would say not too much.
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Now let's talk about managing study time.
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Do you think it's better to study for long periods of time or break up study time into shorter chunks?
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I would say shorter chunks.
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I'm also saying this understanding the era we are in now where short from media has also influenced like how we consume information and what works best for us.
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So I think more than what should people do, it's what I feel would be most productive for them.
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And I think that maybe like having little breaks in between can be like kind of motivation.
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okay let me finish this chapter and then I'll have like a chocolate so I think that would be really good do you
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think that students should incorporate leisure time into their study time I think so I recently went to
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this like virtual VR like this experience where I was learning about the Titanic by like a VR headset and this
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so I found it like a really fun experience it was date night for me but I learned so much and my first thought after
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that experience was I can have fun and learn and I felt like my mom like being like you can have fun and learn
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but I think that they both can go hand in hand especially nowadays because there's so many different things available for
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you to really expand how you like consume information so yeah I think so well then that's the end of part three and the end of the speaking test how did you feel about that so nice I love it.
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Yeah, I think there's no problem for you.
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Thank you.
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As you probably heard, that was a very high level response.
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What I've done is I put her whole transcript into a PDF for you, and I've highlighted all the great expressions, idiomatic language, grammar structures, vocabulary for you so you can learn from those very high level answers.
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If you want that, all you have to do is just go to the description or the first pinned comment, and you can download that for free today.
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If you want to watch another IELTS speaking video, click here.
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If you want help with your IELTS speaking test and you want some tips, click here.
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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will engage in shadow speak practice based on a Band 9 IELTS speaking test response. This exercise will focus on improving your ability to convey ideas fluently and confidently in English. You will tackle various topics such as career aspirations, reading habits, and beverage choices, helping you diversify your vocabulary and get comfortable with conversational English. Utilizing the shadowing technique, you will imitate the speaker's tone and pace, enhancing your listening and speaking skills simultaneously.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Philanthropy: the desire to promote the welfare of others, often through donations to good causes.
  • Startup: a newly established business, often focused on innovative ideas.
  • Masala chai: a traditional Indian tea made with spices.
  • Literary works: written works that are considered to have artistic value, including poetry and fiction.
  • Decaf: short for decaffeinated coffee, which has had most of the caffeine removed.
  • Heartwarming: something that evokes a warm feeling of happiness and nostalgia.
  • Self-help: genre of books intended to provide personal growth and improvement advice.
  • Caffeine-sensitive: having a heightened response to caffeine, leading to jitters or discomfort from consumption.

Practice Tips

When using the shadowing app or on your own, follow these practical tips to maximize the effectiveness of your practice:

  • Start Slow: Initially, play the audio at a slower speed if necessary. Ensure you can keep up with the speaker while accurately mimicking their pronunciation and intonation.
  • Focus on Tone: Pay close attention to the speaker's tone and emotion as they discuss various topics. Emulate not just what they say but how they say it to build a more natural speaking style.
  • Repeat and Review: Don't hesitate to repeat difficult sections. Each round of practice helps solidify your understanding and enhances your English speaking practice.
  • Use a Shadowing Site: Consider using online resources that offer transcription and audio tools. This allows you to visualize the text while listening, reinforcing learning through multiple senses.
  • Record Yourself: For feedback, record your shadowing attempts and listen back. This will help you identify areas for improvement regarding pronunciation and pacing.

By integrating these strategies into your study routine, you will not only improve your speaking abilities but also gain confidence in everyday English conversations.

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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