Shadowing Practice: Unit 2: Being young | Collins - Listening for IELTS. - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hello everyone.
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Sorry to interrupt your class.
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I just want to make a quick announcement about our summer timetable.
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Shimmer's Dance School will be offering new classes this spring due to strong demand.
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Angela Stevenson will be back this term running the ballet class.
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This class will be on Tuesdays
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and instead of the normal hour from 6.30 to 7.30 we'll be running the class for an hour
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and a half so it'll continue until eight o'clock.
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This means we have to charge higher fees but only slightly higher, from £8.50 to £10.50.
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That's only £2 for the extra half hour.
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Next, Janine Davis will still be teaching the tango classes.
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Instead of being on Mondays, these classes will be on Wednesday nights from 7 o'clock to 8 o'clock.
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The fee will still be £7.50 for the hour.
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Last but not least, Andrew is taking over the tap class.
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This class is for early risers as it starts at 8.30 on Saturday morning and finishes at 10.
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We expect this class to be very popular as tap is a great way to get fit while learning new dancing skills.
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This will cost £11.
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All the other classes remain the same as the winter timetable.
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We hope there's something for all of you at Shimmers.
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Track 9 Internet safety is a big concern nowadays, and to protect your children and teenagers online,
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it's a good idea to monitor the sites they visit.
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Don't be put off from letting your kids use the internet.
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It's essential for their education and can help them make friends too.
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Now, let me tell you a bit about some sites we've found for children.
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Of course, there's a limited number of sites for the very young, but we would suggest one called Playtime Online.
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It's designed for children from four to six years old.
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It's really colourful and helps children learn skills for games.
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Children love it, and it helps them when they begin school.
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Then from, say, five until about ten years of age, there's a really useful website called Moving Up.
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This takes Playtime Online a step further and enhances the maths and language skills of the child.
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Teachers speak highly of this site for child development.
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When children get into their teens, the internet can be a more dangerous place.
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Net Aware, for the 12-16 year age group, makes young people more aware of online dangers.
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It's a good site for your child to look at before they start surfing on their own.
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Now, all teenagers love chatting,
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and Chat Electric is a site designed specifically for teens from 13-16 to make friends online with people their own age.
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The last site is invaluable for teens studying for exams.
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16 to 18-year-olds love Test Doctors, which is a site designed to help students revise for their exams and is full of handy hints and tips.
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The site is run by subject specialists, so it's packed full of information.
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Track 10
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The Health and Education Summer Camp in the county of Cork in Southern Ireland
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is ideal for young people who'd like to learn new sports and activities.
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It has a beautiful location near a river and occupies five acres.
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The camp has two types of accommodation, tents and cabins, both of which are modern and comfortable.
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The cabins are by the river and the tents are on higher ground, away from the river and next to the washrooms.
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There are two washroom blocks, fully equipped with showers as well as toilets.
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We also have facilities for cooking here.
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We provide all the pots, pans and utensils.
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All cooking is done in the cooking area which is situated in the centre of the camp.
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This gives the camp a real social focal point.
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Track 11.
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The Duke of Edinburgh's award is a programme of activities designed to help young people from all backgrounds develop personally.
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There are three levels, bronze, silver, and gold, and for each level, participants have to complete a series of activities in four categories,
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volunteering, physical, skills, and expedition.
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This talk will explain what you have to do in order to get a bronze award.
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The first thing you need to do is find a Duke of Edinburgh centre near you.
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This could be your school, college, or youth club.
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Then you'll need to pay a small fee to enroll in the program.
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Once you've enrolled, you'll get a welcome pack, which explains the four categories in more detail.
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Then you can start planning what to do.
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You can do many different types of activity for each category, but you must get them approved by your Duke of Edinburgh coordinator before you start,
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so you don't waste time doing something which is not approved.
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The other important person is your assessor.
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This is the person who will certify that you've completed each activity by signing your record book.
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After you've completed all the activities in the time given, your assessor will send your record book results to the operating authority, who will check it.
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If everything is satisfactory, you'll get your certificate and badge to confirm you've completed the award.
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And after that, you can start working on the silver award.
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Track 12.
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Section 2.
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You will hear a talk about facilities for teenagers at a leisure centre.
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First, you will have some time to look at questions 1 to 4.
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In the exam, there will be a pause of 20 seconds.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 4.
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Good morning, everyone, and thank you for coming to find out more about the new teen programme
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here at the Park Hill Leisure Centre.
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I'd like to take you through the programme, the classes available, describe the building itself
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and then give you some information about how to register and sign up for the sports and activities we offer.
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Afterwards, you'll have an opportunity to take a tour of the centre.
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We also have some taster sessions with our instructors which we hope you'll enjoy and which will motivate you to sign up.
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Let's go through the classes first.
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As you can see from the teen programme handout in your pack, we have lots of classes on offer.
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Our instructors are highly qualified and have lots of experience training young people.
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Diana is our dance instructor and she gives classes in jazz and salsa on Wednesday and Thursday evenings respectively.
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Tim usually takes the football practice sessions,
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but this year he is branching out into American sports and will be running the baseball club on Saturday afternoons.
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We think this will be very popular.
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So Steve will now run the football practice.
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This class has been changed from Saturday to Sunday afternoons.
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Steve will also take the skateboarding class on Monday evening.
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The roller skating course is for beginners and this will be taken by Stella, who was last year's Under-21 London roller skating champion,
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so you'll be in good hands with her expert advice.
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The day of this course is still to be arranged, but it's likely to be Tuesday.
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We'll confirm the day by the end of this week.
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Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 5 to 10.
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In the exam, there will be a pause of 20 seconds.
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Track 13 Now listen and answer questions 5 to 10.
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Now, some of you won't have been to Park Hill Leisure Centre before, so let me just tell you a little about the layout.
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As you can see, the reception area here is very spacious
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and there is plenty of room to meet your friends and have a drink.
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We also have brand new dance studios with floor-to-ceiling mirrors and the latest audio equipment.
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The dance studios are to the left of the reception area behind the swimming pool.
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No, sorry, I meant opposite the swimming pool.
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Both the roller skating and skateboarding classes will be held in the skate arena.
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This has also been refurbished and we have a new 5 metre ramp in there
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which is proving to be popular The arena is behind the changing rooms, which you can see behind us, between the gym
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and tennis courts The tennis courts are on the right of
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the arena You'll see both of these new spaces on the tour later Now, the final thing I want to talk about is how to join the Park Hill Leisure Centre
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and enrol for the classes First, you need to complete an enrolment form with some of your personal details
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including your address and telephone number and the name of your school If you're under 16 years old,
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then you'll also be required to get your parents' permission to take part in the classes
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Please ask one of your parents to sign the authorisation form
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attached to the enrolment form You'll find the form in your information pack When you've done this,
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you just hand the forms to reception You can pay an annual subscription of £20 or, alternatively, you can pay each time you use the facilities
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There is a £1.60 admission fee in this case
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Whether you decide to pay in one go
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or with each visit you still need to complete the forms in your pack and become a member
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Once we have the forms, we'll send your membership card to your home address
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All you need to do is show this card every time you come to the centre, and if you want to book a class, you just need your membership number on your card.
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That is the end of section two.
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In the exam, you will have half a minute to check your answers.
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I don't need a finalism.

Context & Background

The video titled "Unit 2: Being young" features a speaker delivering an announcement about new classes and activities at Shimmer's Dance School. This engaging context provides an opportunity for learners to absorb essential information regarding schedules, fees, and class offerings. Additionally, the speaker touches upon online safety and resources for different age groups, ensuring a rich dialogue that covers a variety of themes relevant to youth and education. This makes it a suitable resource for practicing English listening and speaking skills, emphasizing clarity and the importance of effective communication.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "We hope there's something for all of you at Shimmers." - A friendly closing remark that encourages participation.
  • "This class will be on Tuesdays and instead of the normal hour." - Clear communication about scheduling changes is crucial.
  • "It's essential for their education and can help them make friends too." - Highlights the dual benefit of internet use for children.
  • "Teachers speak highly of this site for child development." - Provides a strong endorsement, useful in persuasive conversations.
  • "This gives the camp a real social focal point." - A phrase that indicates the importance of community in group settings.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively use shadowing techniques with this video, follow these steps:

  1. Watch the Video Initially: Familiarize yourself with the content without attempting to shadow. Just listen and absorb the context.
  2. Segment the Dialogue: Break the audio into smaller segments. Start with a single announcement or topic, allowing yourself to focus on specific phrases.
  3. Repeat After the Speaker: Use the pause function to repeat immediately after each phrase. This mimics the natural rhythm of speech, essential for improving english pronunciation.
  4. Utilize a Shadowing App: Use a shadowing app to enhance your practice. This can help you track your progress and give you real-time feedback on your pronunciation.
  5. Record and Compare: Record yourself speaking the phrases and compare your pronunciation with the speaker. This step is crucial to understand your strengths and areas for improvement.

Engaging in this practice not only boosts your english speaking practice but also enhances comprehension and retention. Through regular shadowing, you’ll find yourself becoming more confident in your English skills while enjoying the dynamic themes discussed in the video.

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.