Shadowing Practice: Intermediate Level Lesson 1 Practical English Drama - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creando lección...
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Practicing English.
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- Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Okay.
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Okay, so my students are reading about this holiday that you have in North America called Halloween.
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But we don't celebrate that.
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so I didn't know how to answer their questions.
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They talked about wearing costumes, monsters, and Stuff like that.
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You guys, help!
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Tarek, do you mean you don't know anything about the best and most fun holiday ever?
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No, really, I didn't know about it at all.
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Well, it's a really great holiday that involves a lot of fun and scary things for kids and adults too.
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Tell me more.
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Well, on October 31st, kids and young people dress up and
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scary or funny costumes and go from door to door in their neighborhoods and show their neighbors their costumes.
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Uh -huh.
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What else happens?
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Well, the kids say trick or treat.
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and the neighbours give them chocolate or candy, which the kids collect all night from all the houses they go to.
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Hmm.
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So the kids dress up like monsters, like Dracula, werewolves, mummies and ghosts, stuff like that?
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Yeah, and don't forget, there's also pirates, witches, superheroes and fairy princesses.
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David, Monica, you guys are from North America too.
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Did you do that as well when you were kids? Of course.
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Halloween is great fun.
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I love dressing up and...
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collecting big piles of chocolate and candy from my neighbors.
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What about you, Monica?
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Sure, Halloween's my favorite holiday.
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I have a bunch of pictures of all these costumes I wore when I was a kid.
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Okay, I'm getting it now.
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Kerry, you said Adults like this holiday too.
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What do they do?
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Well, many adults have parties too and they enjoy the dressing up part of the holiday.
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Of course the costumes are different and the parties can be really fun.
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As the adults can get really creative about what they wear, Hey, this is October, and this Halloween thing is coming up on the 31st, right?
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Yeah.
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Well, what will you do for this Halloween?
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Well, I like to start Halloween off by watching a lot of scary movies.
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You know, really scary movies like The Exorcist, The Sixth Sense, Bram Stoker's Dracula and The Blair Witch Project.
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David, what do you do for Halloween?
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I like to watch horror films too, but...
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Year -round, not just on Halloween.
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In fact, I think there's a new horror film opening this weekend
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and I'll probably see it on Saturday night after I teach.
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And for Halloween?
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Well, since I have a lot of scary movies, I've recorded a lot of those screams on a cassette tape and I played them at my front door all night.
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It's really scary and it annoys the neighbors a lot.
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I see.
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Well, Monica, what about you?
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well back home in boston we really enjoy halloween both kids and adults Before the holiday, I think about the most outrageous costume I could wear.
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One year I went as a snowman, and the next year I went as the mad scientist.
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and the following year I went as Cruella de Vil, you know from the Disney movie 101 Dalmatians.
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Okay, this Hollywood seems like it could be fun no matter what country you come from.
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I think I'll rent some of these movies you guys have mentioned
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and think about what I can tell my class tomorrow about Halloween.
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Hey!
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What do you think of this idea?
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On October 31st we could all have a Halloween party in my class. And...
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We could all dress as characters and wear costumes and eat chocolate.
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Let's do it.
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Sounds great.
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Yeah.
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I want to be a table.

Master Practical English with This Halloween Drama Lesson

Ready to boost your speaking skills while learning about a fun North American holiday? This intermediate lesson uses a lively conversation about Halloween to help you practice real-world English. You’ll pick up natural phrases, learn how to discuss traditions, and even get tips for IELTS speaking practice. By the end, you’ll feel confident joining conversations about holidays—plus, you’ll master the shadowing technique to sound more fluent!

Key Vocabulary & Phrases to Learn

  • Trick or treat: The phrase kids use to ask for candy on Halloween.
  • Costumes: Outfits worn to look like monsters, superheroes, or other characters.
  • Horror films: Scary movies like The Exorcist or The Sixth Sense.
  • Trick: A playful prank (though "trick or treat" usually focuses on the "treat"—candy!).
  • Creative: Describes unique, imaginative ideas (like adult Halloween costumes).

Practice Tips: Shadowing for Fluency

The video’s dialogue is upbeat and conversational, making it perfect for shadow speech (or "shadowspeaks"). Here’s how to practice: First, listen to a 10-second clip and repeat it immediately, copying the tone and speed. Notice how the speakers laugh and pause—those nuances make your speech sound natural. Next, focus on tricky phrases like "I’ve recorded a lot of those screams on a cassette tape"—break them into chunks if needed. Finally, practice daily for 10 minutes—this technique works for IELTS speaking practice too! You’ll quickly notice your pronunciation and confidence improving. Don’t worry if you stumble at first—shadowing is about progress, not perfection. Keep going, and soon you’ll be chatting about Halloween (or any topic!) like a pro.

¿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.

Técnica de shadowing: lee la guía completa paso a paso →