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The interpreter's method

Shadowing Studio

Hear a model answer to a real IELTS question, then say it with the speaker — almost in sync — until the rhythm is yours. Then answer the same question in your own words.

  1. 01

    Listen

    Hear the examiner ask and the model answer — text hidden, ears first.

  2. 02

    Read along

    Follow the highlighted words, with pauses and key phrases marked.

  3. 03

    Echo

    One sentence at a time: hear it, then say it back in a timed gap.

  4. 04

    Shadow

    Speak with the voice as the text fades over three reps.

  5. 05

    Record

    One full take, scored word by word against the model.

  6. 06

    Own it

    Answer the question in your own words, using the phrases.

Your studio

0 mastered of 36

A script is mastered at 85% on a scored take.

Train

Part 1: Two to four sentences — the answer, a reason, then stop.

Why shadow for IELTS Speaking?

Half of the Speaking band is about how you sound, not what you say. Fluency and Coherence and Pronunciation are marked separately from vocabulary and grammar, and both depend on things you cannot learn by reading: where to pause, which words to stress, how small words shrink and join onto big ones.

Shadowing gives your mouth a model to copy. Each script here trains one feature — linking, weak forms, sentence stress, intonation, chunking or contractions — and marks it in the text, along with the thought groups where a fluent speaker breathes.

The last step matters most. A memorised paragraph is marked down by examiners, so every session ends with you answering the question about your own life, carrying the rhythm and the phrases into words that are yours. When you are ready to be marked on all four criteria, the graded Speaking practice takes it from there.

Every question in the studio

Part 1 · Short answers on familiar topics

Part 2 · The long turn, cue-card style

Part 3 · Abstract discussion, reasoned answers

Common questions

What is shadowing in IELTS Speaking?

Shadowing means listening to a fluent speaker and repeating what they say out loud, almost at the same time — a split second behind, like a shadow. Interpreters train this way. For IELTS it builds the rhythm, linking and pausing that Fluency and Coherence and Pronunciation reward, which reading model answers silently cannot.

Does shadowing actually improve your IELTS Speaking band?

It trains the delivery half of the band: Fluency and Coherence and Pronunciation are two of the four equally weighted criteria. Shadowing gives you a model of natural stress, weak forms and pausing to copy. On its own it does not teach you to answer new questions, which is why every session here ends by answering the question in your own words.

Should I memorise these model answers for the exam?

No. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers and mark them down, and the question you get will not match a script word for word. Shadow the answer to absorb how it sounds, then keep the phrases and the rhythm — not the paragraph.

How often should I practise shadowing?

Little and often works best: ten to fifteen minutes a day, one or two scripts. Come back to a script on a later day and go straight to the scored take. If it scores 85% with the text hidden, the sounds are yours.

Do I need headphones?

For the shadowing and recording steps, yes. Through speakers, your microphone picks up the model voice as well as yours, so a scored take would credit you with words the model said.

How is my shadowing take scored?

Your browser transcribes what you say as you speak, and we line that transcript up against the script in order. The score is the share of the script’s words that came through clearly enough to be recognised. It is a measure of clarity and completeness, not a band score, and it works best in Chrome, Edge or Safari.

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