Pratique du Shadowing: Fluent English Without Freezing | 🇬🇧 Shadow This British Conversation Pattern (Small Talk) - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo

Création de la leçon...
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In the UK, small talk is common and essential.
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Small talk isn't taught in textbooks, but it is everywhere.
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And it's often how people decide whether or not they're comfortable with you.
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And so, since small talk is so essential here, I thought for this next shadowing video, we could focus on British small talk.
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Make sure you have a look at the other shadowing videos in this series
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quickly remind you about the most effective ways of shadowing.
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Listen to me once as I say a phrase.
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The next time, repeat it with me.
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And try to repeat it with me, not after me.
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And the goal is not to just repeat the words.
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The goal is to copy everything.
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the speed, the rhythm, the intonation, Everything.
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Essentially, you are going to disregard the meaning and try and just produce the sounds,
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so that it is as similar as possible to the way I have said it.
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Today, especially, copy the attitude.
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Small talk has a particular energy.
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It's relaxed, it's light, not too serious.
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Today, I'll say it, you'll repeat it, and we'll build whole conversations of small talk together.
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Are you ready?
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Let's start with a common British greeting.
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Listen first.
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Alright, alright.
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All right, all right, here's something important.
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All right isn't really a question.
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You do not need to stop and evaluate how you are feeling.
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It simply means hello.
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So the answer should be short.
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It shouldn't be, well, actually I've been a bit tired lately
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and my commute was a nightmare this morning and suddenly you're in a therapy session.
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Instead, it should be this.
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Yeah, not bad.
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You?
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Yeah, not bad.
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You?
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Yeah, not bad.
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You?
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Again.
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Yeah, not bad.
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You?
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Now let's go over the full exchange.
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Listen first.
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Alright?
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Yeah, not bad.
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You?
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Yeah, good thanks.
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Now together.
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Alright?
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Yeah, not bad.
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You?
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Yeah, good thanks.
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Our pitch tends to be a bit higher when we are greeting someone.
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I don't know why.
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There we go.
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You have just completed your first British small talk exchange and it's that simple.
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All right.
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Yeah, not bad.
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You?
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Yeah, good thanks.
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Short and easy.
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For this next round, we are going to talk about the weather.
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Yes, because you cannot do a session on small talk British small talk without including the weather.
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Here's something interesting though.
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When British people talk about the weather, we're not just talking about the weather.
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What we're really saying is, I acknowledge you.
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It's nice that we both exist here.
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The weather is just the vehicle for that.
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Listen first.
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A bit chilly today, isn't it?
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A bit chilly today, isn't it?
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Notice something.
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There's no "its" at the beginning.
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Just a bit chilly today, isn't it?
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That is very casual and relaxed.
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Shadow with me.
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A bit chilly today, isn't it?
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Again.
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A bit chilly today, isn't it?
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three -quarter speed and speed it up later.
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Okay?
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So feel free to slow it down if it's too fast.
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Are you ready for the response?
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Yeah, but at least it's not raining.
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Your turn.
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Yeah, but at least it's not raining.
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Yeah, but at least it's not raining.
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And then the other response is, True.
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Could be worse.
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Again, shadow with me.
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True.
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Could be worse.
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True.
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Could be worse.
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Now for the full exchange.
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Again, listen once and then we will do it together.
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Bit chilly today, isn't it?
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Yeah, but at least it's not raining.
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True, could be worse.
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"Bit chilly today, isn't it?" "Yeah, but at least it's not raining." True, could be worse. And again.
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"Bit chilly today, isn't it?" "Yeah, but at least it's not raining." True, could be worse.
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Cheerful in the face of the miserable grey in the sky, Very British.
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The next scenario, imagine you are in an office at work.
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Someone passes you in the corridor.
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They don't want a full conversation.
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This is just a passing exchange where you acknowledge that the other one exists.
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So, lesson first.
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Busy today?
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- Busy today?
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Busy today?
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And now for the answer.
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Yeah, it's been a bit mad.
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Yeah, it's been a bit mad.
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Watch how I am producing these sounds.
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Try and match everything.
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Yeah, it's been a bit mad.
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Yeah, it's been a bit mad.
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- Mad here means hectic, not crazy.
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Very common in British office English.
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But if things are quieter, not too bad actually.
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Not too bad, actually.
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Say it with me.
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Not too bad actually.
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Not too bad actually.
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And then the original person might respond, same here.
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Same here.
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Same here.
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Again, full exchange.
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Listen first.
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Busy today?
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Yeah, it's been a bit mad.
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Same here.
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Now with me.
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Busy today?
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Yeah, it's been a bit mad.
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Same here.
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Same here is useful.
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Same here.
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conversation is complete.
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British efficiency.
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Now let's move on to a lovely cafe.
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This one might come from someone you don't know.
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A shopkeeper or someone working in a cafe.
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Just someone being friendly.
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Been up to much today?
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Now with me.
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"Been up too much today?" Again, "Been up too much today?" And it means, "What have you done today?
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Have you done a lot?
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Have you done anything interesting today?" But again, it is not inviting your life story.
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Your answer can be very simple, like this: Not really, just working.
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Not really, just working.
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Or not a lot, to be honest.
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Not a lot, to be honest.
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And then the person might respond, "Oh, fair enough." Fair enough.
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Okay, ready for the full exchange?
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Again, listen first, then repeat with me.
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Been up too much today?
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Not really, just working.
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Oh, fair enough.
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Been up to much today?
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Not really, just working.
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Oh, fair enough.
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That was an easy and natural conversation.
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For this next one we'll look at how to end the conversation.
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British people are very good at polite exits.
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Ending conversation in a graceful way is a natural part of small talk.
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Anyway, I'd better get going.
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Anyway, I'd better get going.
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Notice the anyway.
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That anyway signals the conversation is wrapping up.
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Anyway "I'd better get going." It's friendly, but it is a clear signal that the conversation is coming to a close.
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Another one.
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Nice catching up.
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Nice catching up.
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Nice catching up.
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As in, it was nice to have a brief chat.
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Ready for the full exchange and we'll use The two words we learned earlier.
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This is the full ending to the conversation.
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Right, I'd better get going.
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Yeah, same here.
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Nice catching up.
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And again, together.
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Right, I'd better get going.
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Yeah, same here.
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Nice catching up.
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A perfectly polite way to end the conversation.
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Now, let's piece some of those together into a full conversation.
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Are you ready?
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Listen first.
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All right.
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Yeah, not bad you.
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Good, thanks.
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Busy today?
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Yeah, it's been a bit mad.
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Same here.
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And it's a bit chilly today, isn't it?
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Freezing, isn't it?
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Anyway, I'd better get back to it.
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Yeah, nice chatting.
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Now shadow with me.
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Alright.
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Yeah, not bad.
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You?
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Good, thanks.
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Busy today?
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Yeah, it's been a bit mad.
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Same here.
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And it's a bit chilly today, isn't it?
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Freezing, isn't it?
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Anyway, I'd better get back to it.
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Yeah, nice chatting.
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Thank you.
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For some homework, pick one of today's exchanges, just one, and say it aloud three times.
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anywhere you like.
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In the mirror, in the car, in the shower wherever you like, and then when you get the chance Try it in real life.
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Busy today?
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Been up to much?
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Any one of those.
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And it's important you do try to use it because small talk only becomes natural if you actually use it in conversation.
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Tell me in the comments, where would you most like to practice your small talk? in a cafe with a stranger, at work, where?
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Let me know in the comments if you would like another shadowing video.
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And if yes, whether there is a specific focus you would like it to have.
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To help with pronunciation, I have a fluency booster Details are in the description below, along with some free PDFs to help your learning.
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Have a wonderful rest of your day and let me know if you do implement these exchanges in real life.
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I'd love to know.
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I'll see you in the next one.
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Bye.

Vocabulaire et conseils d’expression pour cette leçon

Cette leçon d’expression orale de niveau B1 s’appuie sur la vidéo « Fluent English Without Freezing ». Les mots qui reviennent le plus souvent : conversation, chilly, mad, exchange, British. Cette vidéo contient 225 phrases et 1400 mots à répéter en shadowing. La partie parlée dure 9:16. Le locuteur parle à un rythme naturel d’environ 151 mots par minute, proche d’une conversation courante. 88 % des mots font partie des 3 000 mots les plus courants en anglais, le vocabulaire est donc facile à suivre. 41 de ses 225 phrases sont des questions : un bon entraînement pour l’intonation interrogative et les réponses courtes.

Vocabulaire clé de cette vidéo

Les 15 mots les plus avancés de la vidéo, avec leur prononciation et leur sens :

MotPrononciationSens
chili nom/ˈt͡ʃɪli/piment
café nom/ˌkæˈfeɪ/café
greet verbe/ɡɹiːt/saluer, recevoir
polite adjectif/pəˈlaɪt/poli
freeze verbe/ˈfɹiːz/geler, glacer
acknowledge verbe/əkˈnɑ.lɪd͡ʒ/reconnaître
relax verbe/ɹɪˈlæks/relâcher
graceful adjectif/ˈɡɹeɪsfʊl/gracieux
hectic adjectif/ˈhɛktɪk/agité
intonation nom/ɪntəˈneɪʃən/intonation
shopkeeper nom/ˈʃɑpkiːpɚ/détaillant, détaillante
pronunciation nom/pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/prononciation
aloud adverbe/əˈlaʊd/à voix haute, à haute voix
booster nom/ˈbustɚ/lanceur
cheerful adjectif/ˈt͡ʃɪɹfl̩/joyeux, content

Les verbes à particule que vous entendrez

MotSens
wrap up verbeemballer

Des phrases à répéter

Des phrases courtes et complètes de la vidéo, à réutiliser dans la conversation de tous les jours :

  • What we're really saying is, I acknowledge you.
  • It's nice that we both exist here.
  • A bit chilly today, isn't it?
  • Are you ready for the response?
  • Have you done a lot?

La grammaire de cette vidéo

Les structures que le locuteur utilise le plus, avec les mots exacts de la vidéo :

StructureDans la vidéo
Present perfect have/has + participe passé — une action passée qui compte encore maintenanthave said · I've been · have just completed
Conseil avec « should » should + verbe — dire ce qu’il vaut mieux faireshould be · shouldn't be
Possibilité avec « might / may » might/may + verbe — quelque chose de possible mais pas certainmight respond · might come
Présent continu am/is/are + -ing — ce qui se passe en ce momentare greeting · we're not just talking · we're really saying

Prononciation à surveiller

Le locuteur utilise 37 contractions et formes réduites, comme isn't, I'd, don't. Prononcez-les sous leur forme courte, telles que vous les entendez.

  • Les sons « sh » et « zh »: intonation /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/, shopkeeper /ˈʃɑpkiːpɚ/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/
  • Mots longs — placez bien l’accent: intonation /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, miserable /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹəbəl/

Les sons difficiles pour les francophones :

  • /h/ — il se souffle, il n’est pas muet: hectic /ˈhɛktɪk/, homework /ˈhoʊmˌwɝk/, wherever /(h)wɛɹˈɛvɚ/
  • /tʃ/ et /dʒ/ — à ne pas adoucir en « ch » et « j »: chili /ˈt͡ʃɪli/, acknowledge /əkˈnɑ.lɪd͡ʒ/, cheerful /ˈt͡ʃɪɹfl̩/
  • /r/ anglais — langue recourbée, sans frotter la gorge: greet /ɡɹiːt/, freeze /ˈfɹiːz/, relax /ɹɪˈlæks/, graceful /ˈɡɹeɪsfʊl/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/

Comment s’entraîner avec cette vidéo

  1. Écoutez la vidéo en entier une fois sans parler et notez les mots que vous ne connaissez pas.
  2. Commencez à la vitesse 0,75×, répétez phrase par phrase, puis revenez à la vitesse normale quand cela devient facile.
  3. Enregistrez-vous et comparez avec l’original, en faisant attention à des mots comme chili, café, greet.

Qu'est-ce que la technique du Shadowing ?

Le Shadowing est une technique d'apprentissage des langues fondée sur la science, développée à l'origine pour la formation des interprètes professionnels. Le principe est simple mais puissant : vous écoutez de l'anglais natif et le répétez immédiatement à voix haute — comme une ombre suivant le locuteur avec un décalage de 1 à 2 secondes. Les recherches montrent une amélioration significative de la précision de la prononciation, de l'intonation, du rythme, des liaisons, de la compréhension orale et de la fluidité.

Technique du shadowing : lire le guide complet étape par étape →