Shadowing Practice: When a native English speaker takes the IELTS... - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
B2
My name is Emily and I'm from Australia and I'm 32.
147 sentences
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My name is Emily and I'm from Australia and I'm 32.
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Do you have any idea what IELTS is?
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No, I had not heard of it before today.
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IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System
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and a lot of Vietnamese people need to take the IELTS if they want to study or work abroad.
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So I'll look at my phone to see the questions.
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Let's start with the topic of happiness.
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Okay.
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So is it easy to make you happy?
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Is it easy for me to be happy?
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Yes, because I think if you look around your own life,
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you will see things that you can appreciate.
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And if you focus on those things,
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there's always a reason to be happy.
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What do you do when you are happy?
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When I'm happy, I'm usually with my friends and family.
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So spending quality time with the people who I love,
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eating and drinking, that's when I'm happy.
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And it makes me happy too.
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What makes you unhappy?
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Stress makes me unhappy when I feel overwhelmed with what's going on in my life
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and I feel like I can't handle it on my own
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that makes me unhappy because I feel stuck and I'm not sure where to go next.
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So let's move on and talk about stars and planets.
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Okay.
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So did you learn about outer space and stars at school?
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Yes but not in high school
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because I didn't choose science subjects in primary school we did that's the extent of my knowledge
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and do you think it's important to study about the stars?
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I think it's interesting importance I'm not sure I'm not really a science person so I haven't found it necessary
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but I think it's very interesting.
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Alright, so let's move on and talk about a topic in part 2.
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So in this part, you are going to describe a topic in 2 minutes.
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And in the exam room,
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you have 1 minute to prepare,
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but we are going to skip that part.
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And after that, you will be able to do a topic in two minutes.
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Alright?
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And in the exam room you have one minute to prepare,
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but we are gonna skip that part.
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Okay.
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Alright?
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And after that you will have to answer some questions related to that topic.
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Okay.
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Okay.
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So the topic is about describe something that you can't live without,
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not a computer or phone.
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You should say what it is,
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what you do with it,
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how it helps you in your life and explain why you can't live without it.
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That's great.
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Okay.
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So I'm gonna give you some time to think about it.
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Okay.
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Okay.
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Does it have to be a physical object or just something?
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Just something.
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Okay.
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All right.
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Anything.
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Ready.
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Okay.
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Very good.
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And your time starts now.
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Okay.
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I can't live without human connection.
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When I'm by myself for too long,
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I get inside my own head,
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I stress too much, I worry and human connection is good for me because it reminds me that I'm loved,
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I'm important, I have something to say and
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if I am worried talking it out with somebody else can really help me process it
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and move forward and I even said before my happiest moments are with my friends
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and with my family and so that human connection to me is what grounds me,
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It keeps me going day to day and it builds my view of myself.
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Has it been two minutes yet?
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Just pause in five seconds.
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Oh no!
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You're a sophomore.
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Okay, so for example, I'm here on holiday with my husband, Elliot.
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And if I was here on my own,
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sure, that would be beautiful things to see and I could appreciate it by myself.
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but there's nothing like having someone with you to look together
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and say whoa that's amazing what did you think of that
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and being able to process all of those experiences with somebody
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else rather than with yourself otherwise I would just be taking photos alone
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and then sitting there thinking oh okay that was good
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so having that connection with someone it helps me measure what I'm going through is this am I overreacting
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or am I underreacting is this an okay emotional response it just keeps me even
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and I know I'm progressing okay
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and it's still not two minutes okay lastly lastly I'll say even in my work
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so I'm a teacher and with my colleagues planning for classes marking work
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that would be so so so hard to do on my own
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and so having that assistance and supporting each other's strengths that's another way
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that human connection is something I can't live without excellent I would have to say
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that the way you express your thought is
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so beautiful oh thank you thank you
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that was harder than I thought to speak for two minutes I am a teacher
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so I'm in front of students talking every day.
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I'm often just talking whatever comes to mind.
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Okay, so let's move on to part three.
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Sure.
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Alright, so why are children attracted to new things such as electronics?
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I think children are curious about everything.
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They don't have these already set or preconceived ideas about what's good and what's bad.
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They just want to try things that are new,
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especially things that are stimulating
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for the mind and
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so i think that's why they go straight there excellent why
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do some grown-ups hate to throw out old things such as
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clothes oh i think as we get older i'm not
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that old yet
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but as we get older perhaps those things are a reminder of our past a reminder of our youth
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and so by holding on to those things maybe we think
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that we're still holding on to that time in our life or we don't want to forget it,
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so we keep those objects that remind us of that time rather than truly moving on.
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We like to take those little bits of the past with us.
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Usually I will stop here but i want to hear more from you
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so that's more is the way people buy things affected now it's sorry say
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that again is the way people buy things affected
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and how affected yes affected how we consume things how we buy things affected by some factors nowadays
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and how um oh i'm not really sure how to answer
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that what would you say can you give me an example
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of your answer I'm not sure I understand for example in the past we just bought what we really need
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because we don't have that much money right yeah
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but nowadays there are so many advertisements
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and as well as the bank lend you the money yes
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okay I completely agree I think well especially where where I'm from
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and it's probably the same here as well um seeing all the time you know online
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or through social media what other people are are having it
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leads to this normalization of what everybody should be having
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and I see it in my students all the time as well you know they're very young
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but they really really want to have expensive sneakers and expensive clothes
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and I'm thinking oh there's actually there's no need for that
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but they think that's very normal because everybody everyone else they see online has
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that but then we're all just telling each other that same lie
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and so now we all have to have expensive sneakers
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so I think that's yeah a way
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that consumerism probably didn't exist 50 years ago
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but it's very strong now last question what do you think influences people to buy new things oh
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um okay I actually think one interesting reason is uh people are bored um
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and so they get bored with the things that they already have
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and so it just stimulates them for another few weeks to have something new
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and they feel like it's something to talk about until they get bored again
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and then they buy something else excellent answer
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that is the answer the last question and uh thank you
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so much for your time oh thank you
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so much it was lovely to meet you your answers are so good oh thanks
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Context & Background
In a recent YouTube video, Emily, a native English speaker from Australia, shared her experience with the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). Many individuals, especially from countries like Vietnam, encounter the IELTS as a necessary step for studying or working abroad. Emily discusses various topics such as happiness, stress, and her thoughts on outer space, providing viewers with insights into a conversational English context. This video serves as an excellent resource for learners aiming to enhance their speaking skills and improve their overall English communication.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “Is it easy for me to be happy?” - This phrase can help learners express personal feelings about happiness.
- “I think if you look around your own life…” - Use this to suggest introspection and appreciation of one's surroundings.
- “Spending quality time with the people who I love…” - A great way to talk about relationships and activities with loved ones.
- “Stress makes me unhappy…” - This phrase can help articulate emotional states related to stress.
- “I think it’s interesting…” - Perfect for expressing interest in a topic, especially when discussing personal preferences or opinions.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively incorporate the conversation and improve your English skills, follow this shadowing guide:
- Watch the Video: Begin by watching the video without distractions. Pay attention to Emily's pronunciation and expressions.
- Listen and Repeat: Use a shadowing app to pause after each sentence. Repeat what Emily says, mimicking her intonation and rhythm to enhance your English pronunciation.
- Focus on Key Phrases: Identify the top phrases mentioned above. Practice these phrases in different contexts to build familiarity.
- Record Yourself: After shadowing, record your voice while repeating Emily’s lines. Compare your pronunciation with hers and note improvements.
- Engage to Reflect: Reflect on the topics discussed, such as happiness and stress. Write a short paragraph expressing your thoughts, then practice speaking it aloud. This not only enhances your fluency but also deepens your understanding of the language as you internalize topics relevant to daily life.
By utilizing this structured approach to shadowing and actively engaging with the content, learners can significantly improve their English pronunciation and overall communication skills while enjoying the process of learning English with YouTube.
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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