Shadowing Practice: The 7 Mistakes Locking Your IELTS Score at a Band 6.0 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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We all make mistakes.
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We all make mistakes.
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It's part of life.
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But today, we're going to talk about mistakes that I,
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as an IELTS speaking examiner,
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saw students make again and again and again on the IELTS speaking test.
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Here's a little bit about my culture.
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When I grew up, I went to a religious school and was taught about sins.
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Sins are things we do or mistakes we make that are wrong.
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They also gave us a list of the seven biggest and scariest sins.
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They called them the seven deadly sins.
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So, I've named this list of mistakes that I've seen the seven deadly sins of the IELTS speaking test.
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The good news is that none of the mistakes on this list are actually deadly.
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The bad news is that they can seriously affect your IELTS speaking score
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and keep you from reaching the goal that you've worked so hard to reach.
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If there's any mistake that you catch yourself making,
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let me know in the comments what you are doing to stop.
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Let's get started.
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Our first sin is the sin of memorization.
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I get it.
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I really do.
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The IELTS is a tough exam,
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and there are loads of prediction sites telling you what questions are probably going to be asked.
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It's understandable that students think that if they memorize answers,
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they will be super prepared for exam day.
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Unfortunately, they're wrong.
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and they're wrong for a couple of reasons.
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First, you have no idea what your examiner is going to ask you.
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Test centers change books, and they don't all change at the same time.
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Also, those books have lots of questions.
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The examiner gets to pick what questions they'll ask,
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and they don't have to follow any particular order.
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Also, in part three, the examiner can make up their own questions to ask you based on what you say.
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This means that at least as far as part three is concerned,
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those prediction sites can be wrong.
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Second, memorization is actually talked about in the IELTS Speaking Score descriptions at the band three and the band four level.
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It's something that only low level students do.
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Finally, while students think if they memorize an answer, it'll be perfect.
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Memorized answers do not sound natural.
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There's no natural flow to them,
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and there are no verbal fillers that are so common in spoken English.
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Examiners will always be able to tell that you memorized,
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and it will always end badly for your score.
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Review questions and topics?
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Yes.
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Practice speaking with your friends and study buddies?
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Yes.
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Memorize answers?
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Never.
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The second sin is the sin of short answers.
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If you've watched any of my videos before,
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you know this is something that I have talked about.
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If you want to get a good mark on the IELTS speaking exam,
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you have to give your examiner enough language to assess.
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Other than the first question you'll be asked,
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Can you tell me your name please?
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There is never a question on the IELTS exam that should be answered with just one word or even one sentence.
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You should always develop your answers by adding reasons,
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explanations, personal details, or examples.
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Always.
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While it may be perfectly natural to give a short one-word response of yes or no,
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if someone asks you, do you like reading in your native language,
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that response will always be too short on the IELTS.
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Remember, while it's modeled as a conversation between you and your examiner,
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the IELTS exam is still a test,
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and you've got to give the examiner enough relevant language to give you a band 7+.
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Next is the really common sin of fake,
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overly complex, or academic sounding vocabulary.
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Now, let me be clear.
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It's not that this type of vocabulary will automatically result in a low score,
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but if you're struggling to get it out,
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if you're forcing its use,
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or if you cannot use it with style and awareness of meaning,
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it'll affect your score.
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Just because you use an advanced academic or scientific-sounding word does not mean that you'll get a band 7.
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I've met so many examinees who have clearly devoted their entire study time to a list of vocabulary.
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Why?
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Even if it were true that academic words got you a band 7 plus on a lexical resource,
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that's still only 25% of your overall speaking grade.
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Why focus on that and ignore the other 75%?
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Instead, study natural and precise vocabulary and context by listening,
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watching, and reading native English materials.
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As you learn them, practice speaking them by using them in context,
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and pay attention to how they are said by native speakers.
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I'm talking about stress, intonation,
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pitch, rhythm, and the duration of sounds.
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This will result in a far better score than trying to sound like a walking dictionary.
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Okay, I have a confession to make.
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I'm studying Vietnamese and when I speak in Vietnamese,
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I very often have to translate what I want to say first in my head.
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Why do I have to do this?
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There are two reasons that I can think of.
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First, I'm a low-level learner and probably only around an elementary level.
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Second, I don't practice enough.
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I'm a language teacher and I know that if I practiced speaking more,
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I'd be more competent and have a quicker recall of my Vietnamese.
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Out loud practice is key.
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When we translate in our heads,
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we cause problems for ourselves.
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One of the biggest problems is that it adds a layer of processing time that seriously affects fluency.
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Instead of just answering a question,
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you have to listen to the question,
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answer it in your head in your native language,
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translate it in your head to English, and then speak.
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And that takes time.
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Another big problem is that it can introduce errors into your speaking.
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There are grammatical differences between languages.
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There are some words in your mother tongue that just don't translate exactly into English.
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So if you think about it,
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it's difficult to translate accurately.
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And I will tell you it is impossible to translate accurately
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when you're sitting in the IELTS exam room and the clock is ticking.
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It will affect your score.
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So instead of translating, practice enough that you become more comfortable speaking English
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and more able to respond to questions immediately or with just a little thinking.
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It is 100% possible and your IELTS score will thank you.
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Now we've covered the first four deadly sins of the IELTS speaking exam.
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Before we move on to the rest,
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I want to remind you that if you comment free in the comments below,
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I'll send you my IELTS self-assessment checklist.
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Also if you don't know,
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I'm offering three types of classes.
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Self-study, self-study with coaching sessions,
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and a full live class with me.
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If you like my videos and find them helpful,
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then these classes are for you.
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There are links in the description and on the screen right now,
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and I'd love to work with you to get you your goal score.
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So many students are guilty of this next sin,
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and it's one of the worst things you can do on the IELTS speaking test.
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Remember, this is a speaking exam,
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and if you don't speak,
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I can't give you a good score.
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The other day, I was giving a mock test to a student online,
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and I asked a question.
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There was silence.
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I had to check my internet connection because I thought I had a problem.
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Nope, she just completely stopped talking.
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Now, okay, it was a difficult question,
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but you cannot and must not just stop speaking.
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There are a lot of ways we can pause to collect our thoughts
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that are natural and something even native speakers do from time to time.
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Wow, I've never thought of that question before.
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Or, that's a difficult question.
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I'm unsure of how to answer,
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but I think, remember, this is a speaking test and not a content test.
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Don't be afraid of giving the wrong answer.
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Don't be afraid of your examiner not agreeing with something you say.
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As long as you are giving relevant and coherent language,
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the content of your answers,
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that is the ideas behind your answers,
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aren't as important as you may think.
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Now if I ask about reading,
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and you start talking about your dog,
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then there may be a coherence and relevance issue.
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If however I ask you how to help the environment,
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and you tell me that you don't care about the environment,
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and like to drive fast cars and burn plastic bottles,
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well, you're using relevant and coherent language.
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While I don't agree with you,
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that's not going to affect your score.
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So remember, silence is just about the worst thing you can give me on the IELTS exam.
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And don't worry about finding the right ideas.
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Instead, aim for producing relevant and coherent language while maintaining your fluency.
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Now, if you were a robot,
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this next one wouldn't be a sin, but you're not.
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You're an incredibly smart and incredibly motivated IELTS student.
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but if you speak in monotone,
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no one will know that.
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Fluency, vocabulary, and grammar are essential parts of your IELTS speaking score.
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But so many students forget the last one or think that it's an easy score to get,
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and it's not.
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A lot of students think pronunciation is just about the sounds they are making.
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If they can be understood they think that's all there is to it.
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Of course, of course, correctly making the sounds of English is an essential part of your pronunciation score.
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But one of the sins of IELTS is forgetting those other things that are just as important when it comes to pronunciation.
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Of course, I'm talking about stress,
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rhythm, intonation, connected speech, and the duration of your sounds.
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Being able to use all of these to effectively communicate in English is required to score a high band score in pronunciation.
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One of the most efficient ways to study these advanced pronunciation features is by shadowing native speakers.
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So when you're watching or listening to something,
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take some time to speak along with the speaker.
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Or play a bit.
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Record yourself saying the same thing and then compare.
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Speaking in monotone is an easy way to kill your pronunciation score,
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but in my opinion, it's also one of the easiest things to fix.
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I hate to even mention this next one.
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I really do.
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But you should know the truth.
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Watching YouTube videos usually doesn't count as studying for the IELTS exam.
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In fact, a lot of the things I see students do doesn't really count.
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Watching videos, studying long list of vocabulary,
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doing exercise after exercise late at night,
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speaking silently in your head.
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Chances are that none of these are going to improve your IELTS speaking score.
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So what will?
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and reflective practice is the way to improve your score.
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You should be speaking a lot with your friends and study buddies.
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When you study, you should be speaking your answer out loud,
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listening back to them and critically evaluating them.
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Look for your weaknesses and strengths and then make plans to address them.
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There's nothing wrong with those other things,
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but But don't mistake them for actively studying.
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I get it.
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Speaking out loud can be scary because sometimes we sound silly and sometimes we make mistakes.
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Sometimes we worry about what we sound like.
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Still, the absolutely only way to improve your speaking skill is to speak.
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So speak out loud as much as you can,
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as often as you can.
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Just because those other things I mentioned are easier does not mean they are as effective.
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Speak more and your score will show it.
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As an examiner, these are the biggest mistakes I see holding students back from their goal scores.
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The beautiful thing is that if we know what they are,
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we can make plans and take steps to avoid them.
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And this will put you on the road to getting the best score you are capable of getting.
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I hope you found this video helpful.
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If you did, I'd really appreciate it if you give me a like and subscribe to my channel.
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Also let me know in the comments which of these mistakes you catch yourself making.
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A comment really helps my channel and I read and respond to every single one.
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So until we meet again, happy studies.
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Context & Background
In the competitive landscape of English language tests, particularly the IELTS, students often face a myriad of challenges that can impact their scores. This dialogue originates from an experienced IELTS speaking examiner who sheds light on the common mistakes that learners make during the speaking test. With personal anecdotes and educational insights, the speaker aims to guide students on how to enhance their performance by avoiding detrimental pitfalls. The discussion touches on the importance of natural language use over memorization, highlighting a crucial understanding that relates significantly to effective English communication.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “I get it.” - A phrase to convey understanding and empathy.
- “It’s part of life.” - A reminder that making mistakes is a normal part of learning.
- “Let’s get started.” - A motivational cue to commence a task or discussion.
- “You have no idea.” - Emphasizes uncertainty or unpredictability in situations.
- “It will always end badly for your score.” - A warning about the consequences of certain actions, particularly related to test performance.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively improve your English pronunciation and speaking skills for the IELTS, consider using a technique known as shadowing. Here’s a step-by-step guide to maximize your IELTS speaking practice using shadowing:
- Select a video: Choose videos like this one that discuss IELTS speaking strategies. Such content provides valuable insights into common mistakes and effective communication tips.
- Listen actively: Play the video and listen to the examiner’s insights while paying attention to their intonation, rhythm, and pronunciation.
- Pause and repeat: After each key phrase or sentence, pause the video and repeat what you just heard. Focus on mimicking the speaker’s tone and pronunciation. This is where a well-structured shadowing site or shadowing app can be beneficial.
- Practice with context: After shadowing the phrases, practice using them in your own sentences. This step is crucial for integrating the expressions into your daily communication.
- Record yourself: Use your phone or computer to record your practice sessions. Listening to your recordings will help you identify areas for improvement and track your progress.
By following these steps, you can systematically work on improving your English skills through shadowing, which is a proven method to enhance fluency, pronunciation, and confidence in speaking. Remember, the goal is to move beyond memorization and develop a natural flow in your 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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