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Shadowing practice: Linking Words for IELTS Speaking

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  1. Ladies and Gentlemen, first and foremost, I will write ______ furthermore, I must say that ______ nevertheless, ______ thus it can be concluded that ______ thank you and good night.0:00
  2. Now, those are nice linking words for formal speeches and written academic English, but when it comes to IELTS speaking, you need natural spoken linking words.0:35
  3. So let's learn some and start practicing.0:49
  4. So did you know that linking words are an important part of fluency, right?1:03
  5. They also help you sound more natural when speaking.1:08
  6. Why is that important?1:13
  7. It's important because sounding natural is the key to IELTS speaking.1:15
  8. Whoops, I think I just let the cat out of the bag.1:21
  9. That's the big secret.1:26
  10. Sounding natural is the key to IELTS speaking.1:28
  11. Don't tell anybody else just between you and me, okay?1:32
  12. Also, sounding natural is important, right?1:38
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  1. Because I don't want you to just be an English student, right?1:42
  2. I want you to become an English speaker.1:48
  3. There's a big difference, right?1:52
  4. An English student will study lots of words and vocabulary.1:54
  5. An English speaker practices lots to build up fluency and sound more natural over time.1:58
  6. That's what I want for you.2:06
  7. If that's what you want to, then stay with me.2:09
  8. So in this video, I'm going to explain what linking words are and I will show you lots of spoken linking words that you can use in your IELTS speaking.2:13
  9. Let's get this show on the road.2:23
  10. So what are linking words?2:29
  11. Basically, they are like the glue that stick your sentences together.2:33
  12. As simple as that, okay?2:39
  13. They help you connect your sentences and ideas effectively so that other people can understand you clearly.2:41
  14. Of course, those other people include the IELTS examiner.2:50
  15. So they're really important to help him or her follow you, right?2:54
  16. They are also known as connectors or cohesive devices.2:59
  17. You may notice in the band descriptors, they talk about cohesive devices.3:04
  18. But for this video, we will just call them linking words.3:09
  19. Now, the reason I mentioned written linking words at the start of this video is that one of the biggest mistakes students make is that in IELTS speaking, they use3:14
  20. written linking words that just don't sound right at all.3:26
  21. Words like nevertheless.3:33
  22. Furthermore, it can be concluded that which just don't sound like spoken connectors at all, right?3:36
  23. In IELTS speaking, you need to use spoken linking words.3:45
  24. Now, don't worry too much, okay?3:50
  25. Because the majority of linking words can be used in both writing and speaking.3:52
  26. But there are some which are just written linking words and some are just spoken linking words.3:58
  27. So today, we're going to look at those that are just spoken linking words.4:06
  28. Before we get into those linking words today, I'm very happy to let you know that today's video is sponsored by Woodpecker Learning.4:11
  29. Woodpecker Learning is a fantastic, free video player mobile app built for English learners who want to become English speakers just like you.4:20
  30. I love it because it makes learning fun and you can learn easily whilst watching things that you enjoy.4:32
  31. It has over 300 ,000 videos in English, all together in one place and all with subtitles and you can look up words in the subtitles within the app.4:39
  32. Brilliant.4:54
  33. I'm going to tell you more about that soon but you can download it for free from the links below.4:55
  34. Right now, let's get into those linking words.5:00
  35. Now then, for all of the linking words today, I'm going to take a topic.5:04
  36. I've chosen a random topic.5:08
  37. It's actually one of my favorite topics.5:10
  38. It's food and healthy eating.5:13
  39. Okay, I'm going to take some questions that I've just made up.5:15
  40. These are not IELTS questions.5:18
  41. There are just typical questions you would find in a conversation about healthy eating but the important thing is the linking words you will learn can be used for any5:21
  42. topic and to answer any question.5:32
  43. Okay, first of all, linking words meaning firstly.5:35
  44. We're going to look at firstly to kick off, first off and from the outset or at the outset.5:44
  45. Let's take a question and look at different possible answers you could give using these linking words.5:52
  46. Is it a good idea to always eat healthy food?6:00
  47. Yes, it is.6:05
  48. Firstly, it helps us feel better but it can also help us live longer.6:07
  49. Right, that's quite simple or we can say, yes, I'd say so.6:12
  50. To kick off, a healthy diet helps us feel better and it can also help us live longer.6:19
  51. Right, nice.6:27
  52. So we've got yes, I'd say so instead of yes, I think so.6:29
  53. Nice change.6:34
  54. To kick off, link kick off, to kick off meaning to begin or to start with.6:35
  55. Right, to start with to kick off.6:42
  56. A healthy diet helps us feel better and da da da da da.6:44
  57. Nice.6:49
  58. Or first off, I'm inclined to agree but it depends on the situation.6:50
  59. So here, first off, again, there's a linking first off with a D not a T but a D.6:59
  60. First off, just means to begin with or to start with.7:06
  61. First off, I'm inclined to agree.7:11
  62. That's a nice expression.7:14
  63. Right, I tend to agree.7:16
  64. I more or less agree.7:18
  65. I'm inclined to agree.7:20
  66. Nice.7:23
  67. Or from the outset, I'd say yes, it is but eating healthy food all the time can also be a tall order sometimes.7:24
  68. Right, from the outset.7:35
  69. Right, again, meaning from the beginning.7:38
  70. From the outset, you can also say at the outset, both are okay.7:40
  71. I'd say again, I'd say yes, it is.7:47
  72. It can also be a tall order.7:50
  73. If you've watched the video last week, you'll know what that means.7:52
  74. Right, difficult, a tall order.7:56
  75. Great.7:59
  76. These are different linking words to say firstly.8:00
  77. And now linking words meaning also.8:08
  78. We're going to look at also on top of that, what's more, and come to think of it.8:12
  79. And the question is, what are the benefits of eating healthy food?8:19
  80. On the one hand, you feel better and also you can live longer.8:26
  81. Straightforward, right?8:32
  82. Notice with also, you can also say and also, also or and also, it's fine.8:33
  83. Or, well, obviously, you feel better.8:43
  84. On top of that, you have more energy to spend time with family and friends.8:47
  85. Very nice, right?8:53
  86. On top of that, right?8:55
  87. Very similar to in addition.8:57
  88. You can also use in addition when you're speaking, right?8:59
  89. As well as writing and speaking.9:03
  90. But on top of that, it's just a little bit more colloquial and shows your control of natural English.9:04
  91. On top of that, top of there's a linking again on top of that and try and get the chunk, right?9:12
  92. Don't say on top of that.9:20
  93. No, get the chunk, right?9:22
  94. The piece on top of that, on top of that.9:25
  95. Try.9:28
  96. On top of that, that's it.9:30
  97. Nice.9:34
  98. Great.9:34
  99. Good.9:35
  100. Or, well, obviously, you feel better and come to think of it.9:36
  101. It's a now this is a lovely linking word, linking phrase, actually, right?9:43
  102. And come to think of it.9:48
  103. We use this when you want to add something you have just thought of or just remembered as you're speaking, right?9:50
  104. And come to think of it.9:59
  105. It's quite tricky.10:01
  106. And again, you want to get the chunk, right?10:03
  107. Say it as one piece, right?10:06
  108. And come to think of it.10:08
  109. Try this with me, right?10:10
  110. Just repeat with me.10:12
  111. Vit, a bit, covet, think of it.10:15
  112. To think of it.10:22
  113. Come to think of it.10:25
  114. And come to think of it.10:28
  115. Very nice.10:32
  116. The and becomes an, right?10:33
  117. And come to think of it.10:36
  118. That chunk is really nice to practice.10:38
  119. Great.10:41
  120. So let me ask you then, what are the benefits of eating healthy food?10:43
  121. That's lovely.10:59
  122. Remember, the secret is in the practice.11:01
  123. Keep practicing.11:03
  124. Let's move on.11:05
  125. Next, linking words, meaning, but, and we're going to be looking at but, mind you, but at the same time, that said, and here's the question.11:10
  126. Do you eat healthy food?11:24
  127. Yes, I do.11:28
  128. But I must admit, I don't eat healthy food every day.11:29
  129. Right?11:34
  130. Yes, I do.11:35
  131. But, and then we're giving a contrast, right?11:35
  132. I must admit, that's a nice expression.11:38
  133. It's like, I must tell you the truth or to tell you the truth or to be honest, I must admit, I don't eat healthy food every day.11:41
  134. Or yes, I do.11:52
  135. Mind you, it's not always that easy.11:54
  136. So I don't manage to eat healthy food every day.11:57
  137. Yes, I do.12:01
  138. Mind you is just very similar to but, and it makes what you said before less strong.12:03
  139. Right?12:10
  140. I said, yes, I do.12:11
  141. Mind you, then I'm telling the listener I'm going to contradict or say something opposing what I just said.12:12
  142. Or, well, I try to, but at the same time, I must confess, I don't eat healthy food every day.12:21
  143. Right?12:30
  144. This is a nice expression.12:30
  145. I try to, but at the same time, but at the same time, just meaning but, right?12:32
  146. Try and get the chunk, but at the same time, but at the same time, if you like your American accent, but at the same time, but at, but at,12:39
  147. but at the same time, try, but at the same time.12:47
  148. Yeah, nice.12:55
  149. If you can get the chunk, that will help your fluency.12:57
  150. I must confess, I don't eat.13:00
  151. I must confess is the same as I must admit.13:03
  152. But notice must admit must the T becomes a D sound, because we're linking to admit must that admit, but must confess the T disappears because there's a consonant in13:06
  153. con confess.13:22
  154. I must confess.13:23
  155. Right?13:25
  156. But nice expressions.13:26
  157. Finally, yes, I do.13:29
  158. That said, it can be a real struggle if you're eating out with friends.13:31
  159. So no, I don't eat healthy food every day.13:36
  160. Okay.13:40
  161. Again, with the same meaning.13:41
  162. Yes, I do.13:43
  163. That said, so I'm going to now make what I said less strong.13:44
  164. Lovely.13:51
  165. It can be a real struggle.13:52
  166. Remember that expression from one of the other videos about adjectives for difficult?13:54
  167. Yeah, it can be a real struggle.13:59
  168. Nice.14:02
  169. Let's move on.14:03
  170. Now, just before we continue with the remaining linking words, a small point, right?14:04
  171. One of the challenges of learning new linking words or phrases is knowing when and how to use them.14:11
  172. It's really difficult, right?14:20
  173. But the best way is to see them or hear them in lots of different contexts.14:22
  174. So this video is a great start, but it is just that it's a start.14:28
  175. And that's why, actually, I think it's great that Woodpecker are sponsoring this video because the Woodpecker mobile app has access to thousands of videos where you can see linking14:34
  176. words in action, right?14:45
  177. Especially if you look for talks like Ted talks, chat shows, conversations, you'll be able to see and hear these linking words.14:47
  178. A very quick example.14:59
  179. Let me show you one here.15:01
  180. Here is a video.15:02
  181. It's an example of a Ted talk where we can see down below the subtitles.15:03
  182. So I would like to start by telling you about one of my greatest friends.15:11
  183. Great.15:17
  184. So I would like to start.15:17
  185. You can see straight away there, we've got a linking to begin, right?15:19
  186. Great for starting a part two answer.15:23
  187. I would like to start.15:26
  188. I'd like to start.15:28
  189. I'd like to start.15:29
  190. I'd like to start.15:31
  191. So what I'm doing here is I can stop and repeat that chunk again and again.15:33
  192. So I can practice the pronunciation and get it fluently as a chunk, which is great.15:38
  193. And then if there are words that I don't understand, I can add them to my dictionary, get the definition.15:44
  194. And then I have lists of words that are new words that I may want to review later.15:52
  195. Fantastic.15:56
  196. So a great tool to be learning and practicing new linking words.15:58
  197. Let's carry on with some more linking words.16:02
  198. Next, linking words, meaning to be honest, we're going to be looking at to be honest, quite honestly, to be totally upfront.16:10
  199. And the question is, do you sometimes eat fast food?16:20
  200. To be honest, I don't like fast food very much, though I might eat it with friends once in a while.16:25
  201. Nice.16:33
  202. Or you could say quite honestly, I'm not particularly fond of fast food.16:35
  203. Mind you, I might eat it with friends once in a while.16:40
  204. Okay, the same meaning, right?16:45
  205. Exactly the same.16:48
  206. Notice the expression, I'm not particularly fond of.16:49
  207. That's nice.16:53
  208. I'm not fond of.16:54
  209. I'm not particularly not very.16:56
  210. I'm not particularly fond of something, right?16:59
  211. Eat it once in a while every now and then sometimes.17:03
  212. Or you can say to be totally upfront, I don't like fast food very much.17:07
  213. But that said, I might eat it with friends once in a while.17:14
  214. The same meaning, right?17:19
  215. Great.17:21
  216. Let's move on.17:22
  217. Finally, we're looking at the linking words, meaning in summary, which by the way is a very written linking phrase in summary, we wouldn't say that.17:28
  218. Here we're going to look at overall in a nutshell.17:38
  219. Basically, here's the question.17:42
  220. Do you sometimes eat fast food?17:46
  221. I might if I'm with friends, but not if I'm alone.17:49
  222. Overall, I don't like fast food that much.17:53
  223. Lovely.17:58
  224. Or you could say, I might if I'm with friends, but not if I'm alone.17:59
  225. In a nutshell, I don't like fast food that much.18:05
  226. Right?18:09
  227. Same meaning.18:10
  228. Or I might if I'm with friends, but not if I'm alone.18:11
  229. Basically, I don't like fast food that much.18:16
  230. Right?18:20
  231. All of these meaning the same, exactly the same.18:21
  232. But what about you then?18:25
  233. Do you sometimes eat fast food?18:26
  234. That's very interesting.18:40
  235. Excellent.18:42
  236. Great.18:43
  237. Moving on.18:44
  238. Great.18:46
  239. So we've seen lots of spoken linking words today.18:46
  240. We've looked at synonyms for firstly, but also to be honest, in summary.18:50
  241. And I hope you can see how important they are to make yourself clear, to help the examiner understand you and to build your fluency.18:57
  242. The key is in the practice.19:06
  243. Start practicing in your spoken conversations and in your IELTS answers.19:08
  244. And really try to focus on the chunk.19:13
  245. Right?19:16
  246. Try and make the linking word or phrase into one chunk or one sound.19:16
  247. And that helps you with your fluency.19:22
  248. I really do hope that all of this not only helps you become a better English student, but actually a better English speaker, sounding more natural as you build up19:24
  249. fluency and confidence.19:36
  250. A big thank you again to Woodpecker Learning for sponsoring this video.19:38
  251. You can download the app.19:43
  252. It's the links are down below.19:45
  253. It's for free.19:47
  254. And just notice as you start watching lots and lots more videos, you'll start to notice these linking words.19:49
  255. Start noticing them.19:58
  256. Start trying to practice them.19:59
  257. And if you ever struggle to understand a word with Woodpecker, just press the word in the captions and you get the definition.20:01
  258. Excellent.20:10
  259. What a fantastic learning app.20:11
  260. Thank you very much guys at Woodpecker Learning.20:13
  261. And thank you to all of you for watching me and for following me.20:15
  262. I really do appreciate it.20:19
  263. Please do remember, subscribe, turn on the notifications and leave me a comment.20:20
  264. Right?20:26
  265. Tell me what are you watching on Woodpecker Learning and which linking word have you noticed recently?20:27
  266. That's it.20:36
  267. Take care, my friends.20:37
  268. All the best now.20:38
  269. Bye -bye.20:39

IELTS speaking practice with a British teacher explaining linking words

This clip is IELTS speaking practice from English Speaking Success, a British teacher unpacking how linking words work in spoken English. Its CEFR level is B1, and it runs at 155 words per minute, a faster pace than most of the catalogue, so pause and repeat single lines rather than trying to keep pace with the whole recording.

What is happening is a demonstration, not a lecture. He opens by performing an absurdly formal speech loaded with connectors like nevertheless and furthermore to show what not to do, then explains that real IELTS speaking needs different, natural connectors instead. He is blunt about the exam itself too: "It's important because sounding natural is the key to IELTS speaking." That kind of direct exam insight is what makes a single line worth repeating rather than just reading once.

Spoken linking words that improve english speaking in this IELTS lesson

The core lesson splits written linking words from spoken ones, and three lines carry that split on their own. Each is worth isolating and repeating before you move to the next.

  • "Words like nevertheless." He picks this single written connector as his example of what sounds wrong in speech. The short, clipped delivery is part of the joke, so practise saying it with a flat, mocking tone before you move on.
  • "Furthermore, it can be concluded that which just don't sound like spoken connectors at all, right?" This is the loose, spoken version of his point. Notice the tag question "right?" tacked on the end, that small upward check is a habit worth copying into your own answers.
  • "Whoops, I think I just let the cat out of the bag." An informal interjection plus an idiom in one line. "Whoops" carries a small rising pitch, and "let the cat out of the bag" means to reveal a secret, worth practising as a shadowing exercise for its casual rhythm alone.

How to shadow this line for IELTS speaking practice

Work through this clip in four short passes, since B1 material at 155 words per minute moves faster than it looks.

  • First, listen straight through to line 20, where he states his plan for the video, to hear the pace before you slow anything down.
  • Second, isolate "Sounding natural is the key to IELTS speaking." and repeat it five times, matching the falling stress on "natural" and "key", until it sounds like an answer instead of a fact.
  • Third, contrast the two trap lines: "Words like nevertheless." then "Furthermore, it can be concluded that which just don't sound like spoken connectors at all, right?" Say them the way he mocks them, then answer in your own words, to feel why one sounds like an essay and the other sounds like a person.
  • Fourth, close on "Whoops, I think I just let the cat out of the bag." to end on the informal register, and use it to improve your english accent on interjections, not just full sentences.
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