Pratique du Shadowing: Stop Translating, Push Your Brain to Think in English | Daily English Conversations for Beginners - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo

Hey everyone!

Welcome back to Learning English Podcast.

I'm Leo.

And I'm Gwen.

Great to have you with us today.

So, Leo, do you have anything interesting to share today?

Oh, yes.

I was talking to a foreign friend yesterday.

He's learning English, but he has some problems with speaking.

Let me guess.

He has trouble speaking, but he can read and listen well, right?

How did you know, Gwen?

He said, My brain is fast when I listen, but when I speak, it just dies.

Ah, yes.

The classic brain shutdown.

Many English learners struggle with that.

He told me he keeps translating in his head.

He thinks in his mother tongue, French, and then translates word by word into English.

And in the end, he can't say a single word in English, right?

Exactly.

That's translation mode.

Many learners fall into this trap.

I realized he's not alone.

A lot of learners feel the same way.

Yes, Leo.

So today, we're here to answer one big question.

How can you train your brain to think in English without translating first?

That's an important question, Gwen.

This episode might be a bit longer, but it's packed with key ideas and practical tips you can actually use.

It's designed for B1 learners, but strong beginners can follow along too.

We'll explain useful vocabulary and recap everything at the end.

Alright, ready to stop translating and start thinking in English?

Let's do it!

Have you ever had this moment, Leo?

You can read books, watch videos, even listen to podcasts in a foreign language just fine.

But the moment you need to speak, your brain suddenly goes offline.

Oh, I know that feeling.

That was exactly me when I started learning a new language.

And many people learning English feel the same way.

Yes, they often think, I can't speak English well because I'm not good at languages.

But that's a lie your brain tells you.

If you can understand English when you read or listen, your brain is clearly not stupid.

Exactly.

Speaking problems are usually not about intelligence.

They're about thinking habits and training.

Most learners were trained to understand English, not to actually use it.

They memorize grammar rules, learn long vocabulary lists, and do exercises where the answer is already there.

So their brain becomes really good at recognizing English, but terrible at producing it.

Yes, then comes the speaking moment.

The brain says, OK, first think in your native language, then translate it into English, then check the grammar, then panic.

That's four steps for one sentence.

No wonder the brain freezes.

It's like trying to run while doing math in your head.

Of course it feels slow, stressful, and exhausting.

The real problem is not, you're bad at English.

It's, your brain is using the wrong system.

Your brain needs a new habit, thinking directly in English, even if the English is simple or imperfect.

And the good news is, habits can be retrained.

You don't need to be smarter.

You just need to train differently.

That means anyone can speak English fluently if they change the way they practice.

I can't wait to know if we want our brain to think in English.

What's the first step?

Easy.

You need to feed it first.

Feed it?

Like breakfast?

Yep.

English doesn't magically appear in your brain overnight.

Your brain needs food, and that food is input.

Input through your ears and your eyes, listening and watching.

Right.

And here's the key point.

The input must be easy and suitable.

Yes, many learners make the same mistake.

They jump straight into very hard content and think, it's okay, I'll get used to it.

But instead of getting used to it, their brain just gives up and says, nope, too much, I'm out.

That's why we recommend starting with easy English, even A1 level content.

Some learners feel shy about that.

They think A1 is too basic for me.

But that step is incredibly important.

Think of it like food.

If the food is too heavy, your brain can't digest it.

Easy English is like light, healthy food.

It helps your brain get used to English sentence structures and the natural rhythm of the language.

For listening, simple podcasts are amazing.

For example, our Learning English podcast.

You hear common sentences again and again.

And repetition is not boring.

It's powerful.

Exactly.

Your brain starts to recognize patterns without translating.

You know what?

Music works really well, too, especially songs with repetitive lyrics.

Oh, that reminds me of my cousin.

Your cousin?

Yeah.

He listens to Spanish songs all the time.

One day, I heard him singing along with perfect rhythm.

100

Wow, and he's not studying Spanish grammar every day?

101

Yeah, he told me he just enjoys the music and lets the language sink in naturally.

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That's amazing!

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Honestly, I'm learning French the same way.

104

I'll listen to the same song for days.

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That's good, Leo.

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Learning a language doesn't always have to feel like studying.

107

By the way, what kind of music do you like when learning a language, my dear friends?

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Pop?

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Indie?

110

Ballads?

111

Or maybe you follow one favorite singer?

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Leave a comment and share it with us. Who knows?

113

We might have the same taste.

114

And watching works the same way as listening.

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Choose content you actually enjoy, like cooking videos, football highlights, travel vlogs, anything.

116

When you see a tomato and hear tomato, or see someone cut something and hear cut, your brain connects English directly to real life.

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No translation needed.

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That connection is incredibly powerful.

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Yes, I have one more important tip.

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Avoid super fast shows at the beginning.

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If it's too fast, your brain gets lost and stressed, and stressed brains don't learn well.

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Remember this.

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Slow, easy, and enjoyable beats fast and stressful every time.

124

Feed your brain well, and it will start thinking in English naturally.

125

Alright, now that we've talked about input, it's time for the next step.

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Yep, this is where many learners feel scared.

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Because now we're talking about output.

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How actually using English.

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Speaking it.

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Thinking it.

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Letting it come out of your mouth.

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The goal of this part is simple.

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Remove the translation step.

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No more thinking in your native language, and then translating into English before speaking.

135

We need to go from English to English.

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I'm really excited to learn this, and so are my friends.

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Okay, the first rule is start very small.

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Small like one single word?

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Pen, coffee, bus?

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No, no. Many learners only think single words like pen, coffee, bus.

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But one word doesn't train speaking.

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Speaking happens in sentences.

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So instead of thinking pen, think this is my pen.

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That's an intermediate step between vocabulary and real speaking.

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Oh, it's just short, easy, and complete.

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This is how English works.

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You don't need fancy grammar.

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Simple sentences are perfect and powerful.

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The best place to practice thinking in English is in your everyday life.

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Exactly.

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You don't need a textbook.

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When you wake up, try thinking, I am awake.

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I feel sleepy.

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I want coffee.

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When you're getting ready, try, I am brushing my teeth.

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I am late.

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On the bus or on the way to work.

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I see a red car.

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The traffic is bad today.

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These sentences are not impressive, but they are real, and that's the key to thinking directly in English.

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When you do this, your brain gets more exposure to English connected directly to real life.

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You don't live in a translated life.

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You live in real life.

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Exactly.

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The brain starts to associate English with actions, objects, and feelings, not grammar rules and fear.

166

And now it's your turn, listeners.

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Please pause the episode for a moment.

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Open your keyboard and leave us a comment.

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Write five short English sentences that are in your head right now.

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It can be something you want to do at this moment, like, I want to take a break, or Leo is too handsome.

171

Yeah, don't worry about grammar.

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Don't translate in your head.

173

Just let the sentences come out naturally.

174

We'd love to read your comments.

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At first, it may feel slow, but that's normal.

176

You're building a new habit.

177

But over time, the translation step becomes weaker, and your reactions become faster and more natural.

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Oh, I realize.

179

This is how children learn languages.

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They don't translate.

181

They connect language to life.

182

Oh, true.

183

That's the most effective way to learn a language.

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When you get used to connecting things around you in English, it's time to say them out loud.

185

But Gwen, let's be honest.

186

The biggest hurdle for most learners is the fear of talking out loud.

187

Right.

188

So what happens when you talk to yourself?

189

There's no fear at all, right?

190

It sounds a bit crazy, but it works.

191

Oh, absolutely.

192

That is a 100% judgment-free method.

193

It sounds lonely, but it's actually a superpower for your fluency.

194

The best part?

195

You can practice anytime, anywhere.

196

In your room, in the car, or even in the shower, where we all become world-class singers and speakers anyway.

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Exactly.

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No pressure to respond instantly.

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No fear of being corrected.

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Just you and your thoughts.

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Hey, my friends, does talking to yourself feel a bit weird to you?

202

Or have you ever been caught muttering in English by a confused family member?

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Tell us your funniest stories in the comments.

204

Speaking of being caught, I have a confession.

205

Back when I started learning French, I was obsessed with making my speech automatic.

206

I used to narrate everything I did in public, but under my breath.

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Oh no, Leo, I can see where this is going.

208

In public is the key word here, isn't it?

209

Exactly.

210

One day, I was in a crowded supermarket.

211

I was trying to practice my French verbs, so I whispered, Je prends la pomme, which means I take the apple.

212

That sounds innocent enough.

213

Well, I didn't notice there was a woman standing right in front of me.

214

When she heard me whispering to myself in a foreign language, she slowly turned around and fixed me with an unfriendly look.

215

Thanks for your interesting story.

216

But I think it's better to be the weird guy with the apples who speaks French

217

than the quiet guy who knows nothing.

218

Yeah, I think so too.

219

Okay, back to the point.

220

Now, if you're wondering what to actually say, don't try to give a TED talk.

221

Right.

222

Start by describing the world around you.

223

Just point and speak.

224

The bed is big.

225

The table is brown.

226

Or even, this coffee is way too hot.

227

It sounds simple, but it's crucial.

228

You need to get your ears used to the sound of your own English voice.

229

If you don't like how you sound, you will never want to speak to others.

230

Spot on.

231

Try narrating your day like you're the star of a movie.

232

Oh, I do this.

233

I'll say, today I was happy.

234

Or, I ate pasta for lunch, but I accidentally spilled sauce on my shirt.

235

Poor Leo.

236

But seriously, by connecting your real-life actions to English words, your brain stops translating and starts living the language.

237

It's way more productive than counting sheep.

238

All right, Gwen.

239

We've laid out the map.

240

Which formula will our listeners start with to create a big bang in their English journey?

241

Well, as much as I love a good explosion, we should probably start with some simple input first.

242

Specifically, recognizing and memorizing the key words from this lesson.

243

Smart move.

244

You can't have a big bang without some matter, right?

245

If you try to speak without vocabulary, you would just be making a lot of confident-sounding noise.

246

Then let's get to it.

247

To prevent that, I want to speak but my brain is empty feeling, we're moving into the final part, today's vocabulary menu.

248

Alright, let's start with our first word, suitable.

249

You pronounce it suitable.

250

Now, what does suitable really mean?

251

It means right for situation, purpose, or person.

252

For example, this method is suitable for her English studies.

253

It means this learning method matches her English level.

254

This is easy to understand, right?

255

Or I will give another common one.

256

This room is not suitable for children.

257

Maybe it's dangerous, too small, or too quiet.

258

Good point.

259

Now let's talk about when not to use it.

260

You don't use suitable to talk about feelings.

261

All right.

262

Let's move on to vocabulary number two, repetitive.

263

You pronounce it repetitive.

264

You guys, repeat to me, repetitive.

265

It means something that happens again and again in the same way, with little or no change.

266

Right.

267

When something is repetitive, you see it, hear it, or do it many times.

268

For example, this song is repetitive.

269

The chorus keeps coming back, so you remember it easily.

270

Or another example.

271

Repetitive listening helps your brain learn English naturally.

272

You don't need to understand everything at once.

273

You just need to meet the same English many times until it feels familiar.

274

Right.

275

Let's talk about intermediate step.

276

You pronounce it intermediate step.

277

It means a step in the middle, not the beginning and not the final goal.

278

Exactly.

279

It's something you do on the way to something bigger.

280

For example, easy English is an intermediate step before real conversations.

281

You don't jump straight into fast movies or deep debates first.

282

You take a smaller, safer step first.

283

Okay, next word is exposure.

284

You pronounce it exposure.

285

In simple words, exposure means how often you see, hear, or meet something.

286

Exactly.

287

In language learning, exposure means how much English your brain is surrounded by every day.

288

For example, she improved her speaking because of constant exposure to English.

289

Oh, she just met English again and again.

290

Yes, speaking English fluently is not magic, it's exposure over time.

291

And the last word is automatic.

292

You pronounce it automatic.

293

It means something happens by itself without thinking hard and without effort.

294

When something becomes automatic, your brain doesn't stop to plan or translate anymore.

295

For example, with enough exposure, your reactions in English become automatic.

296

You hear a question and your answer becomes more natural.

297

So when these words start to feel familiar, something interesting happens.

298

Exactly.

299

Your brain stops saying, wait, translate first.

300

You hear the word, you see the situation, and boom, you just understand it.

301

You know, exposure, intermediate steps, and practice make English automatic.

302

Yes, and once English feels familiar, your brain already knows what to do next.

303

All right, before we wrap up, we just want to say one big thank you for spending your time with us today.

304

Yes, thank you for listening, thinking, and practicing along with us.

305

That already means you're doing something right.

306

And before you go, let's quickly share a few simple principles to help your output become more effective.

307

First, be consistent and take small steps.

308

10 to 15 minutes a day is more powerful than studying for hours once a week.

309

Second, accept mistakes.

310

Making mistakes doesn't mean you're bad at English.

311

It means you're learning.

312

Be brave and try again.

313

And third, keep it fun.

314

If practice feels enjoyable, your brain stays open, relaxed, and ready to learn.

315

Now we'd love to hear from you.

316

Will you focus more on improving your input?

317

Or do you want to start practicing output right away?

318

Education

General

TeensHigh School Students+2

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 →

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Qu'est-ce que la technique du Shadowing ?