Shadowing Practice: How Was Your Day Yesterday? | Past Simple English Conversation Practice | A2–B1 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Mr. English Channel, where learning English is easy and fun.

I'm Emily.

Hello Emily.

Hi everyone, I'm Paul, and I'm happy you're here.

Emily, how was your day yesterday?

It was pretty good, thanks.

My morning was a little busy, but I had a nice lunch with my sister.

How about you?

Mine was okay.

Nothing special happened, but I felt tired by the evening.

Actually, I almost answered your question with just, fine.

That's such a common answer.

Fine works, but sometimes I don't know what to ask next when someone gives me only that word.

Right.

Although sometimes fine means exactly that.

My day wasn't amazing, and it wasn't terrible.

Do I really need an interesting story?

No. An ordinary detail is enough.

You could say, it was fine, I made breakfast and went for a walk.

That gives me something to ask about.

Oh, okay.

Then here's my real answer.

It was okay.

I woke up early, but I stayed in bed too long.

There's your exciting story.

Now I'm curious.

Were you resting or were you looking at your phone?

Looking at my phone.

I checked the weather and somehow that became 20 minutes of watching someone make a sandwich.

A sandwich before breakfast?

That sounds dangerous.

Did it at least give you an idea for something to eat?

It did, but I didn't have the ingredients.

So my yesterday started with big sandwich dreams and a very small bowl of cereal.

See, that's a perfectly good answer to how was your day yesterday.

You don't need a trip or a big event.

Small details can be fun.

That helps, because I think learners sometimes feel pressure to give a wonderful answer.

Can they just say, pretty good, thanks.

How about you?

Absolutely.

That's friendly and natural, especially when you don't have much time.

You answer the question and give the other person a chance to speak.

What if the day was difficult?

Sometimes, pretty good feels wrong, but I don't want to explain every problem before someone's had their coffee.

You could say, it was a little tiring, but I'm okay.

You're being honest, and you can choose whether to say more.

I like that.

A little tiring describes the day, but I'd say I was tired when I'm talking about myself, right?

Exactly.

Yesterday was tiring, so you were tired.

For example, my morning was busy, and I was tired after breakfast.

After breakfast already?

That sounds like a difficult start.

Was your morning yesterday really that busy?

Well, I woke up at 6.30 because I wanted a quiet morning.

I planned to have coffee before doing anything else.

6.30 sounds peaceful in theory.

Did you actually get up then, or did you stay under the blanket for a while?

I got up right away, surprisingly.

And there's a useful difference.

I woke up when my alarm rang, then I got up and left my bed.

Ah, so yesterday I woke up at 7, but I got up at 7.20.

My body needed a second invitation.

Apparently.

Did you set another alarm, or did you suddenly notice the time?

I noticed the time on my phone.

Then I thought, oh no, put it down, and went straight to the kitchen.

That sounds familiar.

I went to the kitchen too, but I found an empty coffee bag.

My quiet morning suddenly needed a new plan.

Oh, that's disappointing.

Did you make tea instead, or leave the house to buy coffee?

I made tea.

I didn't want to get dressed just to buy a drink.

Then I had toast and a banana for breakfast.

You said, I had toast.

That's useful, because had can describe food and drinks.

I had cereal, and you had tea.

Yep.

You can also say, I ate toast, or I drank tea.

But I had breakfast is a simple way to talk about the meal.

And if someone asks what I had, I can add the tea-tails.

Yesterday I had cereal with milk, and I ate it standing beside the sink.

Coming up, were you in a hurry or was every chair covered with clothes?

Just in a hurry.

The chairs were innocent.

I needed to get ready and I couldn't find the shirt I wanted.

What did you wear instead?

Please tell me you didn't spend another 20 minutes choosing.

Thankfully, no. I wore a blue shirt that was right in front of me.

Then I brushed my teeth and looked for my keys.

Let me guess.

They were in your pocket.

That's where mine usually are when I say I can't find them.

They were beside the door, actually.

I walked past them twice.

What time did you leave home yesterday?

I left at 8.15.

100

Before that, I took a shower, got dressed, and packed my bag.

101

I also filled my water bottle.

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That sounds organized.

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When you describe it, those little words help.

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Before that, then, and also.

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I can follow your morning easily.

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They help me remember it too.

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But you don't need every step.

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What would your short version sound like?

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Yesterday I woke up at 7 and had cereal for breakfast.

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Then I got dressed and left home.

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Should I mention the phone?

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Only if you want to explain why you hurried.

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You could add, I spent too much time on my phone so I got ready quickly.

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That's definitely the honest version.

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And once I finally stepped outside, I realized something else about my morning.

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I hadn't checked what was in my bag.

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Oh, what was missing?

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Please tell me you remembered your lunch after that tiny bowl of cereal.

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My lunch was there, thankfully.

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But my notebook was on the kitchen table, and I needed it for a meeting.

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That's frustrating.

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Did you have time to go back, or were you already too far from home?

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I was near the bus stop.

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I decided to go back, grabbed the notebook and hurried outside again.

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Did you catch your bus?

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I'm imagining you running down the street with your lunch in one hand.

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That's almost exactly what happened.

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But the bus left before I reached the stop.

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My sandwich and I watched it go.

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Oh, Paul.

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So when you said yesterday was okay, you left out quite a morning.

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How long did you wait?

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About 15 minutes.

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I sent my coworker a message.

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I missed the bus.

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I'm going to be a little late.

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That's clear and useful.

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I missed the bus means you didn't catch it.

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It doesn't mean you felt sad because you loved the bus.

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Although we had a special connection.

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I saw it every morning.

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But yes, I arrived at work about 10 minutes late.

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Was your co-worker upset, or did the meeting start later than you expected?

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She was fine.

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The meeting started at 9.30, so I still had time.

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I opened my notebook and finally relaxed.

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Good.

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What did you work on after that?

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You usually have several different things happening.

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I helped a new co-worker find some files.

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Then I answered emails and checked a report.

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It was a pretty normal workday.

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That's already a useful answer when someone asks what you did yesterday.

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You've given three clear details without describing every minute.

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True.

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What about your lunch with your sister?

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Was that something you planned, or did she call you during the morning?

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She texted around 11.

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She was near my neighborhood and asked, Do you have time for lunch?

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Luckily, I did.

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Where did you go?

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Somewhere familiar, or did you try a new place?

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We went to a small cafe near the library.

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I had soup, and she ordered a sandwich.

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We sat by the window.

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That sounds nice.

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Did you talk about anything special, or just share little things from your week?

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Mostly little things.

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She told me about her garden, and I told her about a book I started.

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We laughed a lot.

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I like hearing that.

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Sometimes, I had lunch with my sister sounds simple, but the feeling behind it matters.

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You enjoyed being together.

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I did.

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And listeners, we'd love to hear one thing you did yesterday.

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Leave us a comment, even if it's just one sentence.

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Yes.

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Something like, I cooked dinner, works beautifully.

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And if you enjoy practicing with us, like this video and subscribe to Mr. English Channel.

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We're happy you're here.

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Your dinner example reminds me of another part of yesterday.

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After lunch, I went shopping for food.

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Did you have a list?

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After my notebook adventure, I feel strongly about writing things down and actually brinking the paper.

185

I had a list on my phone.

186

I bought rice, tomatoes, eggs, and milk.

187

Then I stopped at the pharmacy.

188

That's a busy afternoon.

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When you're talking casually, could you describe those stops by saying, by saying, I ran some errands?

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Yes.

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Errands are short trips to do necessary things, like buying food or picking up medicine.

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Yesterday, those two stops were my errands.

193

OK.

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So, I ran an errand after work, too.

195

I picked up a package for my neighbor because she couldn't get there.

196

That was helpful.

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Did you bring it straight to her or keep it at your place until she got home?

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I kept it until 6.

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She came over after work, and we talked for a few minutes outside my door.

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Those small conversations can change a day.

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I saw my neighbor too, but she reminded me about something I completely forgot.

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Oh no!

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What were you supposed to do?

204

Something for her?

205

I promised to water her plants while she was away.

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She returned yesterday afternoon, and I realized I hadn't watered them that morning.

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Were the plants okay?

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One missed morning might be fine, depending on the weather.

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They were fine, but I still felt bad.

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I said, I'm sorry, I forgot this morning.

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I didn't make an excuse.

212

That sounds fair.

213

Although I'd probably explain that my morning was busy.

214

Is explaining always an excuse?

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No. Explaining can help.

216

But I wouldn't want my neighbor to feel that my busy morning made her plants unimportant.

217

Right.

218

You can explain what happened and still accept responsibility.

219

Did you offer to help with anything when she returned?

220

I carried one of her bags upstairs.

221

Later, I set a reminder for another task so I wouldn't forget that, too.

222

What was the other task?

223

Your day seems full of small jobs that are easy to lose track of.

224

Returning a library book.

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I didn't return it yesterday

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because the library closed before i finished shopping i'll take it

227

back today you said didn't return with return not returned after

228

didn't we use the basic verb i didn't catch the bus

229

exactly

230

or i didn't finish my shopping before the library closed what

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didn't you finish yesterday i didn't check the last page of

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that report a customer called and helping her took longer than I expected.

233

Did someone need the report yesterday, or could that last page wait until this morning?

234

It could wait.

235

I told my co-worker before leaving, though, because I didn't want her to wonder where it was.

236

That was thoughtful.

237

When you explain what happened, people don't have to guess.

238

What did she say?

239

She said, thanks for letting me know.

240

Was everything okay with the customer?

241

That question made me feel she cared.

242

I like that she asked about something you mentioned.

243

A good follow-up question often comes from a detail the other person gives you.

244

So if you say, I had lunch with my sister, I could ask, does she live nearby?

245

That feels more natural than changing the subject.

246

Exactly.

247

She lives about 20 minutes away, actually.

248

We don't meet every week, so yesterday's lunch was a nice surprise.

249

That makes me want to ask when you last saw her.

250

But how many questions are too many?

251

I don't want lunch to become an interview.

252

Give something back between questions.

253

You could say, I haven't seen my brother this week.

254

Maybe I'll call him.

255

Then we're both sharing.

256

Ah, so I'm not just collecting information.

257

I'm letting your story remind me of something from my own life.

258

Right.

259

As long as you leave room for my story, too.

260

Have you ever answered a question and watched the other person immediately start talking about themselves?

261

Definitely.

262

I've probably done it myself when I got excited.

263

Sometimes I need to slow down and say, What happened next?

264

That little question can help.

265

Another useful one is, how did you feel about that?

266

But I'd save it for something that seems important.

267

Fair.

268

If I bought toothpaste yesterday, you probably don't need to ask about my feelings.

269

What about a short practice conversation?

270

Let's try it.

271

I'll tell you something ordinary.

272

Yesterday evening, I cooked dinner at home.

273

Nice.

274

What did you make?

275

I'm asking because you mentioned cooking and because I'm always interested in dinner.

276

I made rice with vegetables, but I cooked too much.

277

Now you've got a few different things you could ask about.

278

I might share first.

279

I always make too much rice too.

280

Did you save some for today?

281

Yep, I put some in the fridge.

282

See how easily that moved forward?

283

We didn't need a surprising story.

284

And I learned something real about your evening.

285

Did you actually make rice yesterday, or was that just our example?

286

I really did.

287

After dinner, I washed the dishes and listened to music.

288

Then I sat down with my book for a while.

289

Did you enjoy having a quiet evening?

290

After errands and carrying bags, I'd probably want to stay on the couch.

291

I did, although I almost went out.

292

A friend invited me for a walk, but I didn't have much energy.

293

Was it hard to say no?

294

Sometimes I agree to plans because I feel bad staying home.

295

A little.

296

I said, thanks for asking, but I'm tired tonight.

297

Could we walk tomorrow?

298

She was happy to choose another day.

299

That sounds friendly.

300

My evening was quiet too.

301

After my neighbor picked up her package, I heated some soup and called my brother.

302

You mentioned wanting to call him earlier, so you already had a chance yesterday.

303

How's he doing?

304

He's good.

305

I was thinking about calling him again because we only talked briefly.

306

His daughter needed help with her homework.

307

Oh, that explains it.

308

Even a short call can be nice.

309

What did you do after you hung up?

310

I watched a cooking show.

311

Apparently, yesterday began and ended with me watching other people make better food than mine.

312

Maybe tonight you'll cook something from the show.

313

Did you stay up late watching it?

314

No, I went to bed around 10.30.

315

I put my phone across the room because I wanted an easier morning today.

316

That's a practical change after yesterday's slow start.

317

If someone asked about your whole day now, what would you say?

318

Yesterday was a little stressful at first.

319

I missed my bus, but work went okay.

320

In the evening, I had soup and talked to my brother.

321

That gives me a clear picture.

322

You shared what happened, included a feeling, and chose a few details that mattered to you.

323

What would your answer sound like?

324

Would the forgotten plants be the first thing you mentioned?

325

Probably not.

326

Yesterday was busy, but I enjoyed lunch with my sister.

327

I ran some errands, then spent a quiet evening at home.

328

Interesting.

329

You didn't hide the difficult parts.

330

You just didn't let one forgotten task describe your whole day.

331

Yes, because lunch mattered too.

332

When I remember yesterday, I want to make room for my sister's laugh, not only my mistakes.

333

I can do that with the missed bus.

334

It happened, but so did helping my co-worker and hearing my brother's voice.

335

And when you talk about your own yesterday, your English doesn't have to be perfect.

336

A few honest words can help someone know you better.

337

You can pause, choose a simple verb, and try again.

338

I went, I had, or I felt can be enough to begin.

339

Thanks for spending this time with us on Mr. English Channel, where learning English is easy and fun.

340

Keep practicing and be kind to yourself.

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We'll see you next time, everyone.

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Take care and goodbye from both of us.

¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?

Shadowing es una técnica de aprendizaje de idiomas respaldada por la ciencia, desarrollada originalmente para la formación de intérpretes profesionales y popularizada por el políglota Dr. Alexander Arguelles. El método es simple pero poderoso: escuchas audio en inglés nativo y lo repites en voz alta de inmediato, como una sombra que sigue al hablante con solo 1-2 segundos de retraso. A diferencia de la escucha pasiva o los ejercicios de gramática, el shadowing obliga a tu cerebro y músculos de la boca a procesar y reproducir simultáneamente patrones de habla reales. Las investigaciones muestran que mejora significativamente la precisión de la pronunciación, la entonación, el ritmo, el habla conectada, la comprensión auditiva y la fluidez al hablar, convirtiéndola en una de las metodologías más efectivas para la preparación del IELTS Speaking y la comunicación en inglés en el mundo real.

Shadowing Practice: How Was Your Day Yesterday? | Past Simple English Conversation Practice | A2–B1 - Learn English Speaking with Video

What This Video Helps You Achieve

Useful Phrases to Add to Your Toolkit

Common Mistakes to Avoid

¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?