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Shadowing practice: IELTS Speaking Band 9 Expect the Unexpected

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  1. Check out this Band 9 speaking interview and lesson where I will explain what you can expect and not expect for topics on your next IELTS speaking exam.0:04
  2. Now let's watch and learn.0:16
  3. Welcome to the speaking section of the IELTS exam.0:18
  4. My name is Adrian and I will be your examiner for this part of the test.0:21
  5. I'm recording this for clerical purposes.0:24
  6. I will give you instructions for each of the three parts.0:28
  7. We are conducting this exam in Kakamata.0:31
  8. The time right now is 15 o 'clock.0:34
  9. Let's begin.0:36
  10. Can you please tell me your full name?0:37
  11. Yes, my full name is Preeti Sharma.0:39
  12. Please call me by my given name Preeti.0:41
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  1. Can you show me your identification please?0:44
  2. Just hold it up and turn to the page with the credentials.0:46
  3. Yes, of course.0:48
  4. Here is the passport that I used for my registration.0:49
  5. Please take a look at it.0:52
  6. Okay.0:53
  7. For part one, I will ask you a couple of questions to get to know you better and some questions on a general topic.0:53
  8. Where do you live?0:59
  9. I live in Kakamata, a city in the state of Andhra Pradesh in a two -bedroom apartment with my family.1:00
  10. Let's talk about hobbies.1:08
  11. What do you like to do in your free time?1:10
  12. In my free time, I enjoy a variety of activities.1:12
  13. I like reading books, especially mystery novels and biographies.1:16
  14. I also enjoy watching movies, playing board games with my friends and also practicing yoga for my health and fitness.1:20
  15. Do you think hobbies are important?1:30
  16. Why are they not?1:32
  17. I think hobbies are important because they help us to be relaxed, recharged and explore our interest.1:33
  18. They provide us a much needed break from our daily routine.1:41
  19. They also contribute to our personal growth by teaching us new skills and provide us an opportunity to socialize with others who share similar passion.1:45
  20. Now let's talk about your family.1:56
  21. How many people are there in your family?1:59
  22. There are five members in my family, including myself.2:02
  23. I have my parents, an elder brother and a younger sister.2:05
  24. Can you describe one of your family members?2:10
  25. Sure, I'll describe my elder brother.2:12
  26. His name is Paradeeb and he is 27 years old.2:15
  27. He's an engineer working in a technology organization.2:18
  28. He is a very ambitious and hardworking person.2:22
  29. He loves to spend time with his family and friends and is quite sociable.2:25
  30. We share a very special bond and engage in different activities like watching movies and playing games together.2:30
  31. Do you prefer spending time with your family or your friends and why?2:38
  32. I love spending time with both my family and friends.2:43
  33. But if I were to choose, I would definitely choose my family.2:47
  34. This is because we share a really deep connection and understanding2:51
  35. and I feel extremely comfortable with them.2:55
  36. Moreover, spending time with my family helps me to stay grounded and maintain strong bonds, which I believe is essential for a fulfilling life.2:59
  37. Let's discuss the environment.3:10
  38. What steps do you take to protect the environment?3:12
  39. I try to do my part in protecting the environment.3:16
  40. I recycle and try not to use single -use plastics.3:21
  41. I use public transportation, walk or cycle for shorter distances to save carbon footprint.3:28
  42. I also try to conserve energy by switching off lights and appliances that are not in use.3:37
  43. I also try to use energy -efficient bulbs.3:45
  44. How can people be encouraged to protect the environment?3:49
  45. Education and awareness are the key factors in encouraging people to protect the environment.3:52
  46. Government and organizations should promote environmental conservation by conducting workshops, classes and campaigns or seminars.4:00
  47. Moreover, introducing eco -friendly practices in workplaces and schools can also instill a sense of environmental responsibility in people.4:12
  48. Additionally, imposing tax credit or discounts for using eco -friendly products could also encourage people to protect the environment.4:23
  49. That is the end of part one.4:33
  50. We will now continue with part two.4:35
  51. This candidate scores a band nine in speaking part one.4:38
  52. She is confident, fluent and gives a good amount of detail.4:42
  53. Like her, you can expect that the examiner will ask you some introductory questions.4:46
  54. Asking you for your identification, your name, where you live, whether you work or go to school.4:51
  55. These are very popular questions.4:57
  56. The examiner asks these so that you feel comfortable and confident for the ensuing parts of the exam.4:59
  57. Now, for the general topics of part one, you should expect topics that all people participate in, such as in this case, hobbies, family and the environment.5:07
  58. Also, you can expect that the general questions for part one may be on one topic only, such as the environment.5:20
  59. At other times, the examiner might ask a variety of topics, as in this case, with not only the environment, but also about hobbies and the family.5:27
  60. This can happen for two reasons.5:37
  61. One, if the examiner feels that some of your answers are rehearsed or you're using templates, like I have several hobbies, including sports, music, but the one I would like5:39
  62. to talk about is reading, then the examiner might switch up the questions and ask you about family.5:50
  63. Now, in another case, the examiner might ask you on a variety of topics if they feel you have very good English and they're exploring how well you can speak5:56
  64. on different concepts.6:06
  65. In either case, don't use templates.6:08
  66. Examiners don't like them and they will not get you good scores.6:11
  67. Do not expect to guess the topics of part one.6:16
  68. This is simply impossible.6:20
  69. There are hundreds of different general concepts that the examiner can choose from and within those, there are hundreds of different questions, such as talking about the environment.6:21
  70. We could talk about pollution, about visiting nature, about recycling.6:33
  71. There are so many topics you simply cannot try to memorize answers for all of these.6:38
  72. So instead, focus on structure and strategy.6:43
  73. Nevertheless, it is extremely important that you familiarize yourself with as many different general topics and as much vocabulary as possible.6:47
  74. For this, practice is key.6:57
  75. Our premium IELTS course has over 100 different speaking interviews with over 50 different topics and question types.6:59
  76. Be sure to join and learn as much as possible.7:08
  77. Now, on to part two.7:11
  78. That is the end of part one.7:14
  79. We will now continue with part two.7:16
  80. For this part, I will show you some questions.7:18
  81. You will have one minute to look at these questions.7:21
  82. Think about your answers.7:23
  83. You can take notes in this one minute time if you wish.7:25
  84. You have your pencil and note paper there.7:27
  85. And then you will have one to two minutes to speak on these questions.7:29
  86. I will tell you when to start and when to stop.7:33
  87. Do you understand?7:35
  88. Yes, I do.7:36
  89. Describe a person you admire.7:41
  90. Please do not touch the question paper.7:43
  91. Your one minute preparation time begins now.7:45
  92. Your one minute preparation time is up.7:54
  93. Please begin speaking.7:56
  94. The person I admire the most is my grandmother.7:58
  95. Her name is Sati and she is in her late 70s.8:02
  96. But one would never tell because she looks like she is in her 50s.8:05
  97. She has long dark hair and a very big smile.8:10
  98. She has been an essential part of my life since my childhood.8:15
  99. And I have always looked up to her.8:19
  100. I know my grandmother because she is my mom's mother.8:22
  101. Throughout my childhood, she has always taken care of me and my siblings.8:26
  102. She lives close to our home and we have spent a lot of time together.8:31
  103. Especially during school holidays.8:37
  104. There are several qualities that I admire in my grandmother.8:40
  105. First and foremost, she is kind and compassionate.8:43
  106. Whenever I feel low, I go to my grandmother and she provides me encouragement and a hot cup of her special roast tea.8:48
  107. Another quality that I love in her is her resilience.8:59
  108. She has gone through a lot of challenges in her life.9:02
  109. Including financial challenges and health issues.9:07
  110. Despite these challenges, she has always remained strong and positive.9:11
  111. She has taught me the importance of remaining positive even at the face of adversity.9:17
  112. Lastly, my grandmother is wise and knowledgeable.9:25
  113. She has a wealth of knowledge and lifetime experiences.9:28
  114. Whenever I need some encouragement or guidance, she has always been there to provide me and show me the right direction.9:34
  115. She is the one who encouraged me to study abroad as well.9:43
  116. I admire my grandmother because she has been a source of love, support and inspiration.9:47
  117. It is her resilience, kindness and wisdom that has shaped me into the person that I am.9:54
  118. I am extremely fortunate to have her in my life.10:03
  119. Your time is up.10:07
  120. I will stop you there.10:08
  121. I will take back the questions.10:09
  122. Please turn the note paper over and put it to the side.10:11
  123. Put the pencil at the side as well.10:14
  124. For part two, like for part one, do not expect to predict the exact question of the cue card.10:16
  125. This is simply not possible.10:23
  126. There are too many choices and the IELTS exam is always creating new cue cards for upcoming exams.10:25
  127. Instead, know the structure and the five possible categories like people, places, objects, events and ideas.10:32
  128. Each of these five categories has a unique content and structure that you can follow to get those high scores.10:42
  129. Make sure to practice these before your test.10:49
  130. Like talking about your best friend or talking about a place you go to study, a present that you received recently, an idea you had to protect the environment or10:52
  131. a memorable event from your childhood.11:03
  132. When you do this, you can ensure that you will be ready for any of these five categories, whatever the exact question.11:06
  133. Again, you can practice and learn these in our premium IELTS course.11:13
  134. In this case, the candidate speaks about their grandmother, a person who they admire.11:17
  135. They describe what their grandmother looks like and then give detail about her personality and backs it up with actions.11:24
  136. Now, you too can practice this cue card, record your response in an NP3 format, send it to this email address, also in the video description, and we will give11:32
  137. you a free band score estimate.11:43
  138. Practice cue cards every single week before your test to make sure that you know the timing and these important five categories.11:46
  139. Now, on to part three.11:55
  140. And we will now continue with part three.11:57
  141. For this part, I will ask you a question related to your response and some questions connected to the topic of part two.11:59
  142. How do you express your appreciation for your grandmother?12:06
  143. Well, I call her as often as I can in the evenings as well as in the weekends, and I try to tell her how much I love her every12:10
  144. chance I get.12:18
  145. I just talked to her yesterday and we had a really good chat.12:20
  146. For part three, you can definitely expect a follow up question directly related to your part two cue card response.12:25
  147. In this case, the examiner asks the candidate how do you show your appreciation for your grandmother?12:33
  148. Practice answering this question, record it in NP3 format and send it to this email address, also in the video description, to collect a badge, collect three badges and earn12:40
  149. a free 10 minute speaking interview assessment with the native English speaking tutor.12:51
  150. Once ready and you feel confident, book a full speaking interview practice session through your My Student account and learn all of your weaknesses and strengths so that you can12:58
  151. maximize your score for your next IELTS exam.13:09
  152. To see the full interview and lesson for over 100 speaking videos including original practice exempt, a fully interactive course and an app for your phone, visit and join our13:13
  153. premium IELTS package at aehelp .com.13:25
  154. Use the code EXPECT9 for an additional 10 % discount.13:29
  155. Simply click the link in the video description below.13:33
  156. It's a one time payment for lifetime access.13:36
  157. We are an IDP affiliate, a British Council partner, an IELTS test registration center and I'm a certified British Council agent.13:39
  158. We help thousands of students every week succeed on their exam.13:48
  159. Just check out what one of our former candidates has to say.13:53
  160. Hello everyone, my name is Piotr, I took my IELTS exam and here are my results.13:56
  161. I help video classes where a crucial part of my success.14:01
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IELTS speaking practice with a real Band 9 mock exam

This clip is a full IELTS speaking interview, the kind of exchange you will face in the real exam, not a scripted lesson. Examiner Adrian works through Part One with a candidate named Preeti, opening with identity checks and then moving into questions about where she lives, her hobbies and her family. The accent is British, the level is set at B1, and the pace sits at 169 words per minute, faster than most of the material in this catalogue, so following it in real time is itself useful IELTS speaking practice.

What makes it worth repeating out loud is the structure. Adrian's questions follow the same shape you will meet in your own test, short prompts followed by longer answers, and Preeti's replies show what a fluent B1 response actually sounds like: full sentences, natural pauses, no long silences. Practising these lines out loud is a direct way to improve english speaking for exam conditions, because you are copying the rhythm of an answer that already scored well, not guessing at one.

British English pronunciation practice in the examiner's questions

Three lines stand out for how they are actually said. Adrian's opening line, "My name is Adrian and I will be your examiner for this part of the test," is delivered as one smooth run, with the stress landing on Adrian and examiner while the rest stays flat, which is how British English pronunciation practice trains you to hear exam speech rather than isolated words.

  • "Can you please tell me your full name?" rises at the end, the polite question intonation examiners use to open every part. Match that rise, not a flat statement tone.
  • "I think hobbies are important because they help us to be relaxed, recharged and explore our interest." runs three ideas together with no real pause between relaxed and recharged, so say it as one breath group, the way a fluent answer is scored.
  • "There are five members in my family, including myself." is a plain, unhurried statement, useful for practising even pacing before you try the faster lines later in the interview.

How to shadow this IELTS interview: english shadowing practice for B1 speakers

Work through the clip in order, the same order the exam follows, rather than jumping around.

  • Start with line 4, "My name is Adrian and I will be your examiner for this part of the test," and repeat it until the stress pattern feels automatic before moving on.
  • Shadow the identity check block, lines 10 to 18, since these are close to the exact exchanges you will repeat in your own exam.
  • Move to the hobbies answer, line 29, "I think hobbies are important because they help us to be relaxed, recharged and explore our interest," and say it in one breath group as noted above.
  • Finish with the family answer, line 34, "There are five members in my family, including myself," then try answering the same question about your own family without looking at the text.
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