If you are enjoying these episodes, please leave a 5 star review at iTunes! (Thanks!) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ieltscast-weekly-shadowing-exercises-for-ielts-speaking/id1070129363 Here is a transcript of the band 9 response heard in this episode: Do people become friends because they have a similar personality? While this can be true, I don’t believe this is always the case. I think there need to be some similarities like common interests or a similar sense of humour, but looking at my friends I would say that our personalities are actually quite different. There are other things that bond us: mutual understanding, shared experiences and the things I previously mentioned. However, on the whole I would not say our personalities are the same.  How do people in your country behave to a new person when they meet for the first time? Well, in my country, we generally try to make the new person feel at ease. We definitely try to make them feel welcomed and so we show an interest in him or her. If the meeting is at our home, then we go to great lengths to make the newcomer feel honoured. So, we repeatedly offer food and drinks and make sure the guest knows that we value their presence.  How can we make people feel comfortable the first time we meet them? In my experience, humour is the best way. People who use self-deprecating humour always seem to make others around them feel comfortable because it shows the other person they can relax and are free to be casual. When you show you can laugh at yourself you exhibit self-confidence while also breaking the ice with the people around you.  How do people maintain social contact with coworkers or colleagues? I think social media goes a long way toward fostering personal relationships. Many of us don’t know our colleagues’ birthdays but apps like Facebook offer reminders so you can send someone wishes or even plan a mini celebration at work. Social media also lets you see who your co-workers are outside of work so you can see if you have similar interests or hobbies. This can be a starting point for a friendly relationship that extends beyond a simple acquaintance.  Do you think it is a good idea for companies to give breaks to their employees? I think that even if companies don’t give them employees will find a way to take them! Few people can work without interruption or break for eight hours or more. The mind needs to unwind, the body needs to move – or not move – but no work activity can or should be sustained for many hours without a short break. This leads to burnout and exhaustion, which leads to lowered productivity…so short-sighted thinking can potentially have long-lasting results. That is why I think it is a tragic mistake to not allow employee breaks.

If you are enjoying these episodes, please leave a 5 star review at iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ieltscast-weekly-shadowing-exercises-for-ielts-speaking/id1070129363 Here is a transcript of what is heard in this episode: Talk about a story someone told you that you remember well. Please say: -what the story is about -who told you the story -when he/she told you the story -and explain why you remember it so well This story was told to me several years ago. It is nothing short of incredible, and I’d have a hard time believing it had actually happened if it weren’t my brother who told me. My brother had planned to propose to his girlfriend of several years, and he put the engagement ring in his pocket hoping to surprise her when they met later that day. His girlfriend worked at the public transit depot in our city, so my brother’s plan was to take the bus to her office and walk with her to a park nearby where they could picnic and he could ask her to marry him. Unfortunately, when he went to put his coins into the bus’s fare repository, he accidentally dropped the engagement ring in too! He realised it a minute later and told the driver who radioed to have someone ready at the terminal station to open the repository and retrieve the ring. When the bus pulled into the transit depot, my brother’s girlfriend was standing there. The ring was quickly retrieved and my brother proposed to her right there on the spot! My brother and his wife remain happily married to this day, so as you can imagine this story is a cherished family memory that gets told a lot.

In this episode, you will practise speaking about your morning routine. If you find the exercise helpful, I really appreciate you leaving a five star review of the podcast at iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ieltscast-weekly-shadowing-exercises-for-ielts-speaking/id1070129363 Here is a transcript of what is heard in this episode: Do you work or study? I work in software development at a large organisation in this city.   How would you describe the layout of your workplace? My workplace is made up of several large office rooms with three or four workers in each room. Everyone has a desk and each office usually has a small table with an electric kettle for coffee and tea. We’re a small organisation, so the CEO works alone from the room that doubles as our company’s main meeting room. It has a large table and a whiteboard.   What do you do every day after you get up? The first thing I do is make a thermos of coffee while checking news headlines on my phone. Then I shower and get ready for work. I don’t usually eat breakfast at home because there is a small and inexpensive cafe next to our building.   Do you normally go to bed early? Yes, I’m almost always in bed by shortly after 9. I have a bad habit of watching media on my phone before bed, which I’ve read can disturb sleep patterns, but I’m nevertheless completely dead to the world by about 10 o’clock. Is your daily routine going to change in the future? No, barring some unforeseen change to my employment, I don’t think it will.   Do you usually remember your dreams after you get up? No I don’t, and I don’t particularly want to remember them. I find switching from one reality to another disorienting. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I had a dream I could recall!  

Access the full IELTS Speaking band 9 sample library: https://www.ieltsspeakingblog.com/videos Thank you for your 5 star review! Click here to leave a 5 star review! Here is a transcript of what is heard in the video:   Talk about a free item or service you received. Please say -what item or service it was -why it was free -what you did to receive it -and explain how you felt about receiving this item or service   Some time ago, I was driving my car and had to stop for gas. I remember being very anxious as it was in the middle of my exam period, so I was studying and on top of that I had just paid for some expensive repairs on my car, so I was strapped for cash. Although the tank was nearly empty, I asked the attendant to put 10 pounds worth of fuel in my car. He started the pump and walked away.   A minute or two later, I looked at the pump and saw that it read 40 pounds and was still going! I flagged down the attendant and reminded him that I had only asked for 10 pounds of fuel and now I had to pay nearly 50! He apologised profusely but said since I had been given the petrol I had to pay for it.   Well, I take it the attendant could see from my face that I was in a tight position and pretty upset about the whole ordeal. He offered to pay for the difference out of his salary but I couldn’t in good conscience ask him to do that. That’s when he offered me three free car washes and a waxing instead. It wasn’t an ideal situation as I still had to pay for the fuel and essentially I was getting something I didn’t truly need but I accepted the offer.    It all worked out in the end because my car received some much needed care. I, of course, used the petrol and the attendant was satisfied that he didn’t have to pay for the fuel himself.

Thank you for your five star review! Sign up for the free daily newsletter: https://www.ieltsspeakingblog.com/ Do you work or study? I study psychology at the university here.  Do you enjoy studying this? Yes, it has been my dream since childhood to study psychology. The different theories that attempt to explain human behaviour never cease to amaze me.  How will your studies help you in the future? I hope to attend a graduate programme to get a specialisation in family and child psychology, so my undergraduate degree is a necessary first step.  Let’s talk about photos. Do you enjoy taking photos? Photography is one of my hobbies, so yes, I can often be found with my camera taking pictures of beautiful scenery. Do you like to take photos of yourself? At the risk of sounding narcissistic, yes, I do enjoy taking my own photo. Essentially though, it’s because I am never happy with the photos others take of me. So, if I don’t take a decent photo of myself once in a while, none would exist.  Would you consider getting a professional photo taken of yourself? I was somewhat forced to do this last year. My brother and his wife arranged for a series of family portraits for my parents’ wedding anniversary. It was a lovely, albeit awkward, experience.  Do you have a special family photo? Interestingly, even though a professional took our photos, I don’t consider these “special.” For me, I consider a photograph from my brother’s graduation special. The whole family is there, even my grandmother who is no longer with us. We are happy and just beaming with pride.

Thank you for leaving a five star review of this show! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ieltscast-weekly-shadowing-exercises-for-ielts-speaking/id1070129363 This week, you will be training to speak about the topic of spontaniety and unexpected situations. Try the full shadowing exercise here: https://www.ieltsspeakingblog.com/view/courses/videos/1556820-3-october-2022-part-3-spontaneity-and-unexpected-situations/4866004-try-listen-with-the-pauses-video-support Here is a transcript of what is heard in this episode: Do you like surprises? If they are pleasant surprises, yes, of course I enjoy a good surprise.  Do you think doing things spontaneously is a good idea? It depends on what the things are. A trip taken spontaneously can be wonderfully adventurous and rejuvenating. However, a house or car purchased on a whim can spell financial disaster. So spontaneity can be a great way to bring some excitement to a person’s life but it has to be done in moderation.   How do unexpected situations make people feel? Generally, I think people are uncomfortable with the unknown. We say that we like excitement and novelty, but in reality we are creatures of habit and are uncomfortable in unfamiliar circumstances. People get anxious and if this feeling is prolonged or happens repeatedly, their well-being suffers.  Why do some people feel stressed when things don’t go as planned? People like a sense of control. Or rather, I should say they like the illusion of control. They like to feel like they are masters of their own destiny – although if you ask me, this is ridiculous. I think people get stressed because they are insecure about their ability to handle something unexpected, and it’s a little childish quite frankly.

Sign up for the FREE daily newsletter: ieltsspeakingblog.com Here is the full sample response as heard in this week's episode:   Describe something that surprised you. You should say -what it was -how you found out about it -what you did -and explain how it made you feel   Well, unfortunately, I am about to describe an event that surprised me in a negative way and it is a little embarrassing but here goes. What surprised me recently was the result of my last IELTS exam when I got 6.5 in listening!   I had been preparing for IELTS for several months with a tutor and had completed at least 10 listening tests, so I felt very well prepared. My tutor had seen vast improvement in my listening and gave me glowing words of praise so my confidence was soaring. Even after I left the exam, I was certain I had achieved my required score.    Several days later, the notification that my results were available arrived. When I logged on to see the score, I was aghast. I told no one – I simply left the office and went for a walk. I don’t even remember where I went! I called my tutor and let her know what had happened. I believe she tried to console me but to no avail.   Shortly afterwards, when I had calmed down, I realised where I had gone wrong in my exam and now I am certain I won’t repeat the same mistake again.   Is this show helpful? Click here to leave a 5 star review at iTunes! (Thank you!)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I hope you found this episode helpful! Free daily IELTS newsletter: https://www.ieltsspeakingblog.com/ Please leave a 5 star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ieltscast-weekly-shadowing-exercises-for-ielts-speaking/id1070129363 Here is a transcript of what is heard in this episode: Where are you from? I am from a lovely seaside town about two hours from here. Do you work or study? I work as a lawyer in a large law firm. How do you feel at work? Usually, I feel very stressed. It’s a demanding job and when you know that someone’s freedom is at stake it can be very overwhelming. What do you usually do at your workplace? I spend a considerable amount of time on the computer, writing briefs, researching laws, precedents – anything that is relevant to the case I am representing. I also have meetings with clients and other lawyers.  Would you change anything about your workplace? I would change the pace of the work. For some reason, when it rains it pours. By that I mean that some periods are very slow and during other periods the workload seems insurmountable.  Do you prefer to call a colleague on the phone or send them an email? For work-related issues, I do both. I call the colleague to discuss and then I follow up with an email so that there is written documentation of our conversation. It is a bit tedious but absolutely necessary in my line of work. #ieltsspeaking #ieltstips

Thank you for tuning in this week! Look below to find a full transcript of what was heard in this week's sample IELTS Speaking response. Be sure to sign up for the free daily IELTS Speaking newsltter at: https://www.ieltsspeakingblog.com/ If you derived value from this lesson, please leave a five star review of this podcast at iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ieltscast-weekly-shadowing-exercises-for-ielts-speaking/id1070129363 Will you continue to follow this person on social media? Yes, I think I will continue to follow her as her content is interesting, informative and appealing.  Is social media important? If you had asked me fifteen years ago I would have said no, that it’s just a way to keep in touch with friends but now social media is unavoidable. It has become something far greater than a means to keep in touch with loved ones and has expanded to become a source of all information. For companies, it is a whole new vehicle for them - to be seen and to communicate with customers and potential customers. So much so, in fact, that companies hire staff that focus just on their social media presence.  Where do people get most of their information from nowadays? I think many people still use the TV and radio for information but the importance of the internet as a source of news cannot be overstated. Personally speaking, I use the internet exclusively for information because I can learn about events from multiple sources instantaneously. I would say that I am not alone in this and the sheer number of news websites or publications that have a web presence can attest to that.  Do older people get information from different sources? I think older people feel more comfortable with more traditional sources of information like the TV, radio or newspaper. You’d be hard pressed to find a young adult reading a newspaper unless it was for the novelty value of it.  Do you think you will continue to get information from the same sources in the future? I hesitate to say yes because I fear that one day soon those of us that get news from the internet will be deemed dinosaurs. I think just like with the TV, something new will eventually come up to replace the internet as a source of information and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone then said to me quote unquote “keep up with the times”.