Prática de Shadowing: IELTS Speaking Part 2 – Describe an environmental law you would like to introduce in your country - Aprenda a falar inglês com vídeo

Welcome back.

Today's cue card is, describe an environmental law you would like to introduce in your country.

When people hear environmental law they often think they need to come up with something really serious

and sound like a government official.

But that's not how IELTS speaking works.

Your idea can be creative, funny or even a little unusual, as long as it makes sense and you can explain it clearly.

To show you what I mean I'm going to share two creative model answers for this cue card.

As usual, let's start with Finn's answer.

The environmental law I'd like to introduce is probably a bit controversial, but I think it'd be fun.

Basically, anyone caught littering in public would have to spend one entire Saturday cleaning the exact area where they dropped the rubbish.

No fine, no warning, just a full day of picking up trash.

I came up with this idea because I always see people throwing plastic bottles or food wrappers on the ground, especially after festivals or public events.

What annoys me is that many people do it because they know someone else will clean up after them.

I don't think most people are scared of a small fine.

They just pay it and move on.

But imagine being forced to spend your Saturday collecting rubbish while everyone walks past you.

That would be embarrassing enough to make people think twice.

I also think it would have an educational effect.

The first time you pick up hundreds of cigarette butts or plastic cups from a park, you suddenly realize how much waste people generate.

It's easy to ignore pollution when you don't have to deal with it personally.

What I like most about this law is that it solves two problems at once.

It keeps public spaces cleaner, and it teaches people a lesson without being overly harsh.

Plus, I think it would create some hilarious stories.

Imagine explaining to your friends that you can't hang out because you're serving your littering sentence in the local park.

Overall, I know it sounds a bit unusual, but I genuinely think it would make people more responsible and improve the environment in a practical way.

So that was Finn's response.

What's interesting is that his idea isn't especially serious, but it works because it's easy to explain and gives him plenty to talk about.

Let's break it down and see how this answer addresses each part of the cue card.

Finn starts by introducing a simple but memorable law.

Instead of giving people a fine for littering, anyone caught dropping rubbish would have to spend a Saturday helping clean up the area.

He then explains why he would introduce it.

From his perspective, many people litter because they assume someone else will deal with the mess.

As a result, parks, streets and public spaces can quickly become dirty, especially after large events.

Next, he explains how the law would help the environment.

Not only would it lead to cleaner public spaces but it could also discourage future littering.

Finn argues that spending an entire Saturday picking up rubbish would leave a much stronger impression than simply paying a small fine.

Finally he explains why the law is important.

He believes it teaches people responsibility by making them deal with the consequences of their actions directly.

He also points out that it has an educational effect

because people get to see firsthand how much waste is generated in public spaces.

Overall this answer works well because the idea is easy to understand,

the reasoning is clear and Finn supports it with personal observations and examples.

Now let's look at a completely different approach.

While Finn's law focuses on discouraging bad behaviour, Blondie's idea focuses on encouraging good behaviour instead.

If I could introduce any environmental law, it would be a tree planting law with a financial reward attached to it.

I'd call it the keep it alive tax incentive.

Basically, every household would have to plant one tree a year.

If they didn't have enough space, like people living in apartments, they could sponsor one through their local council instead.

The interesting part is that you wouldn't get rewarded for simply planting the tree If it's still alive after a year,

you'd receive a tax deduction If it survives another year, the deduction would increase But if the tree dies,

you lose the benefit and have to start over I came up with this idea

because I've noticed that people love the idea of helping the environment

But they don't always enjoy the maintenance that comes with it Whenever there's a big tree planting event,

everyone gets excited, takes a few photos, plants a sapling and then moves on.

Fast forward six months and a lot of those trees are dead

because nobody bothered to water them or look after them properly.

I think this law would make a real difference

because it focuses on keeping trees alive rather than just increasing the number of trees planted.

Over time we'd have greener neighbourhoods, cleaner air

and more shade during the summer It would also encourage people

to think about environmental protection as a long-term responsibility rather than a one-day activity

What I like most though is that it uses human self-interest in a positive way I know my dad pretty well

And if spending five minutes a week watering a tree could save him money on his taxes, that tree would become his pride and joy.

He'd probably check on it more often than he checks on me.

Overall, I think it would be a practical, effective and surprisingly fun way to get more people involved in protecting the environment.

So that was Blondie's response.

Unlike Finn's answer, Blondie's idea is all about incentives.

Let's break it down and see how this answer addresses each part of the cue card.

Blondie begins by introducing a specific environmental law called the Keep It Alive Tax Incentive.

Under this law, every household would either plant a tree or sponsor one through their local council.

The key idea is that people aren't rewarded for planting a tree, they're rewarded for keeping it alive.

If the tree survives, they receive a tax deduction and that incentive grows over time.

She then explains why she would introduce this law.

In her view, many people enjoy planting trees, but they often lose interest once the event is over She describes how people take photos,

plant a sapling, and then forget about it Leaving many young trees to die within a few months

Next she explains how the law would help the environment Because the focus is on tree survival, rather than simply tree planting Communities would end up with more mature trees,

greener neighbourhoods, cleaner air, and more shade during the summer Finally, she explains why the law is important.

Instead of punishing people for harming the environment, it rewards positive behaviour.

Her story about her dad proudly looking after a tree adds a personal and humorous touch, while showing how a small financial incentive could motivate people to take long-term responsibility.

Overall, it's a creative answer that develops each cue card point naturally through a simple idea and a relatable example.

Now that we've looked at both answers, let's go through some useful vocabulary and phrases that you can borrow for your own response.

Littering.

This is a useful word whenever you're talking about environmental problems.

Instead of saying, people throw rubbish on the ground, you can simply say, people litter.

For example, littering's a common problem in crowded cities.

Or, I think there should be stricter penalties for littering.

It's concise, natural and frequently used in everyday English.

Think twice.

This phrase means to stop and reconsider something before doing it.

For example, the high price made me think twice before buying it.

Or, learning about pollution made me think twice about using disposable products.

It's a very natural phrase that can be used in a wide range of IELTS topics, not just environmental ones.

Food wrappers.

This refers to the packaging that food comes in, such as snack wrappers, burger wrappers or candy wrappers.

When describing pollution or waste, specific vocabulary often sounds more vivid than simply saying trash.

For example, After the event the ground was covered in food wrappers and plastic bottles.

Or, Volunteers spent the afternoon collecting food wrappers from the beach.

These small details can make your speaking more descriptive and engaging.

Cigarette butts.

100

A cigarette butt is the small piece that's left after someone finishes smoking.

101

This phrase is often used when talking about litter and public cleanliness.

102

For example, I was shocked by how many cigarette butts I saw in the park.

103

Or, The clean-up team collected thousands of cigarette butts from the streets.

104

It's a useful phrase because it helps you describe a specific type of waste rather than speaking in very general terms.

105

Small fine.

106

A fine is money you have to pay for breaking a rule or law, for example.

107

People who litter could receive a small fine.

108

Or, I don't think a small fine is enough to change people's behaviour.

109

This phrase is especially useful when discussing rules, laws or government policies.

110

Sapling.

111

A sapling is a young tree.

112

For example, our school planted hundreds of saplings during an environmental campaign.

113

or the saplings need regular watering during their first year.

114

Using a more precise word like sapling can help make your answer sound more natural and specific.

115

Tax deduction.

116

A tax deduction reduces the amount of tax a person has to pay.

117

For example, the government could offer tax deductions to encourage environmentally friendly behaviour

118

Or homeowners may qualify for a tax deduction if they install solar panels.

119

This phrase is useful whenever you're talking about incentives, rewards or government policies.

120

Overly harsh.

121

This phrase means too strict or more severe than necessary.

122

For example, some people felt the punishment was overly harsh.

123

Or schools should have rules but they shouldn't be overly harsh.

124

This is a useful expression when discussing laws, rules, parenting, education or social issues.

125

And those are some useful words and phrases you can use when talking about environmental topics.

126

The key takeaway from today's lesson is that you don't need to come up with a perfect environmental law.

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What matters is having an idea that's easy to explain and gives you something interesting to talk about.

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If you'd like more practice, extra lessons and exclusive content, consider becoming a member.

129

Keep practicing and I'll see you in the next one

O que é a Técnica de Shadowing?

Shadowing é uma técnica de aprendizado de idiomas com base científica, originalmente desenvolvida para o treinamento de intérpretes profissionais. O método é simples, mas poderoso: você ouve áudio em inglês nativo e repete imediatamente em voz alta — como uma sombra seguindo o falante com 1-2 segundos de atraso. Pesquisas mostram melhora significativa na precisão da pronúncia, entonação, ritmo, sons conectados, compreensão auditiva e fluência na fala.

Prática de Shadowing: IELTS Speaking Part 2 – Describe an environmental law you would like to introduce in your country - Aprenda a falar inglês com vídeo

Por que praticar a fala com este vídeo?

Gramática & Expressões em Contexto

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O que é a Técnica de Shadowing?