Pratique du Shadowing: Tell Me About Yourself in English | Easy English Listening | Mr. English Podcast - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo
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Hello everyone and welcome back to Mr. English Channel, where learning English is easy and fun.
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I'm Emily.
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Hey Emily!
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It is so great to see you today.
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I brought my favourite coffee and I am ready to talk.
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I love that coffee smell.
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You always bring the best energy to the studio, Paul.
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Thanks.
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Well, I had a very funny thing happen to me this morning.
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Oh, really?
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Tell me everything.
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What happened?
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I went to the new bakery down the street.
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The worker looked at me and asked a very big question.
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Let me guess.
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Did they ask for your life story?
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Exactly.
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She said, hey, you are new here.
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Tell me about yourself.
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Oh, wow.
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That question can be so scary for people.
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I know, right?
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My mind just went completely blank for a second.
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It happens to everyone, Paul.
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Even native speakers freeze up sometimes.
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It is true.
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So I just stood there looking at a chocolate donut.
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Did you tell the worker that you love donuts?
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That is a good start.
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I actually did.
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I said, well, I love sweets and I teach English.
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See, that is perfect.
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It's simple, sweet, and true.
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But the thing is, how do English learners handle this question?
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That is exactly why we are talking about this today.
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It is a wonderful topic.
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Yes!
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It is the famous phrase, tell me about yourself.
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It sounds so simple, but it makes people feel so nervous.
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Totally.
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You hear it at jobs, at parties, or even at the bakery.
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Right.
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So let's make it super easy for our friends today.
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I love that plan.
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Let's break it down into easy pieces.
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First, we can start with the most important rule.
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Keep it short.
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Oh, yes.
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Please do not start from the day you were born.
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Yes.
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We do not need to know about your kindergarten days.
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Exactly.
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No one needs to know about your first bicycle.
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So, a good formula is just three things.
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Your name, your job or study, and one fun hobby.
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That sounds so clean.
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Can you give me an example, Emily?
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Sure.
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I can say, hi, I'm Emily.
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I'm an English teacher, and I love hiking on weekends.
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Wow, that is beautiful.
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It took less than 10 seconds.
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Exactly.
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It gives the other person a chance to talk back to you.
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Right.
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Because a conversation is like a game of tennis, right?
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Yes.
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You hit the ball, and then they hit it back.
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If you talk for 10 minutes, you are just holding the ball.
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No one wants to play tennis with someone who steals the ball.
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So, let's look at the first part, your name and where you live.
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This is very easy.
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You can say, I am from or I live in.
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Is there a difference between those two?
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For beginners, I mean.
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Great question, Paul.
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I am from is your home country or city.
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Right.
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And I live in is the place where your bed is right now.
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Exactly.
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For example, I am from Ohio, but I live in Georgia now.
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That makes total sense.
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I am from Florida, and I live here too.
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It is a very simple way to start, and it feels very natural.
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So, after the name and place, we usually talk about work or school.
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Yes.
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People love to ask about what you do every day.
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What if someone does not have a job right now?
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What do they say?
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They can say, I am looking for a job, or I am staying at home with my kids.
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Oh, that is very nice.
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It is honest and very positive.
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Honestly, people just want to know how you spend your time.
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True.
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You can even say, I am studying English full-time right now.
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I love that.
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It shows you are working hard on a big goal.
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Now, what about the third part, the fun part?
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The hobbies.
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This is where your personality really shines.
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I love hearing about hobbies.
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It makes people look so happy.
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It really does.
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Their face lights up when they talk about football or cooking.
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Or when I talk about my coffee, my face definitely lights up.
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We all know how much you love your coffee, Paul.
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It is a big part of myself.
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So, hobbies are a great bridge for friendship.
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Yes, because if the other person loves the same thing, you become instant friends.
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What if someone says, I don't have any cool hobbies?
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Everyone has something.
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Do you watch movies?
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Do you listen to music?
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Oh yeah.
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Watching Netflix is definitely a popular hobby these days.
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It counts.
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You can say, in my free time, I love watching comedy movies.
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That is a perfect sentence.
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It uses very simple vocabulary.
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See?
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It doesn't need to be complicated to be correct.
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So, if we put those three simple pieces together, what does it sound like?
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Let's try a mini-story.
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Imagine we are at a friendly neighborhood barbecue.
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Yum!
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I can already smell the hot dogs and hamburgers.
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Focus on the English, Paul.
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Okay, I will be the new neighbor.
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Great.
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I will walk up to you with my plate of food.
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Hi there.
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I don't think we know each other yet.
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Hey, I'm Paul.
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I live just down the street in the Yellow House.
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Nice to meet you, Paul.
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I'm Emily.
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Tell me a little about yourself.
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Well, I work with computers, and in my free time, I love playing video games.
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Oh, that is awesome!
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My kids love video games, too.
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See?
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The conversation just flows so easily after that.
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Exactly.
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It was short, friendly, and gave me a topic to talk about.
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What if the situation is a bit more formal, like a job interview?
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Ah, the interview.
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That is where the tension usually goes up.
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Yes, the room gets a little quiet and the boss looks at you.
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The formula is almost the same, but we change the hobby part a little bit.
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Oh, tell me more.
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What do we say instead of hobbies?
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Instead of video games, talk about a skill or something you love about your work.
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Ah, I see.
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So you connect your personal life to your professional goals.
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Exactly.
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You want to show them why you are a great worker.
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Can you give us an example of an interview answer, Emily? sure I'm Emily
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and I have five years of experience in sales nice
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and strong what comes next in the interview answer I love solving problems for customers
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and I am excited to grow my career here Wow
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that is so professional it sounds very confident thanks
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and noticed I didn't mention my love for pizza
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or dogs right keep the pizza for the weekend barbecue exactly
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you have to match your answer to the room you are in
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that is a very smart tip you have to know your
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audience it's all about making a connection whether it's a boss or a neighbor you know
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thinking about this makes me realize something about our amazing channel.
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Oh?
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What is that, Paul?
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We love hearing about our listeners.
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We really want to know them.
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Oh, yes.
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So, if you are enjoying this conversation, please hit that subscribe button.
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Totally!
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Like the video, subscribe, and share it with a friend who is learning English.
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It helps us grow so much.
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And today, we have a special question for the comments.
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Oh, I know what it is.
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Let's practice right now in the comments section.
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Yes.
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Write a short comment and tell us about yourself using our three-step formula.
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Tell us your name, your job or study, and one thing you love to do.
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We promise to read them.
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We love seeing where you are from from.
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It is like a big global family party in the comments.
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Yes, but without the hot dogs, unfortunately.
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Well, maybe we can bring our own virtual snacks.
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I love that idea.
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Now, let's go back to our topic about sharing your story.
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So, what happens if someone makes a small grammar mistake while speaking.
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Honestly, nothing bad happens at all.
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Exactly.
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The sky does not fall down because of a wrong preposition.
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No, it definitely does not.
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The most important thing is communication.
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Right.
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If I understand you and you understand me, we win.
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Yes.
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Perfection is not the goal.
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Connection is the goal.
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That is so reassuring.
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What is a common mistake you hear students make?
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Sometimes people say, I have 25 years.
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They translate directly from their native language.
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Ah, yes.
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In English, we use the verb to be for age.
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Exactly.
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We say, I am 25 years old, or just I am 25.
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Right.
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You are not holding the years in your hands.
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No. You are the age.
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It is just a different way of thinking.
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Another thing I hear is people forgetting contractions.
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They sound very formal.
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Yes.
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Saying I am and do not all the time can sound a bit like a robot.
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I am Paul.
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I do not like sports.
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It feels a bit cold, right?
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Yes.
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It sounds like a computer is talking to you.
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But if I say, I'm Paul and I don't really like sports, it sounds friendly.
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Exactly.
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Contractions soften the language and make it sound like natural speech.
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So how can our friends practice this at home alone?
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A great way is to look in the mirror and practice your introduction.
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Oh, the mirror test.
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That is an excellent idea.
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It really works.
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You see your face, you smile, and it helps you feel more relaxed.
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Yes, smiling actually changes the tone of your voice.
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It makes it warmer.
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It really does.
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People can hear a smile, even over the phone.
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What if someone wants a bit more help practicing their introduction?
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Well, they should definitely try using Mr. English AI.
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Oh yes, Mr. English AI is perfect for this exact situation.
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It is like having a smart assistant in your pocket that you can chat with anytime.
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You can type your introduction and it will help you make it sound totally natural.
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Yes, and it's a safe space to practice without any stress.
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The link is right down in the video description below, so check it out.
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It is a wonderful tool to help you improve much faster.
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I wish I had an AI assistant when I was learning my second language.
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Me too.
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We are so lucky to have this technology now.
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So, Emily, let's think of another situation where people use this phrase.
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How about the first day of an English class?
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That is very common.
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Oh, yes.
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The teacher stands up and says, let's go around the room.
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Everyone starts sweating because they are waiting for their turn.
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Yes.
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You are just counting the people until it hits you.
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The secret here is to listen to the other students.
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Don't just worry about your turn.
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That is so true.
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If you listen, you can steal some of their good words.
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Yes.
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Copying is a great way to learn.
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We call it borrowing.
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Borrowing sounds much nicer.
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I'm just borrowing your vocabulary, my friend.
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Exactly.
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If someone says a nice phrase, use it when it is your turn.
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What is a good phrase to show excitement about being in a class?
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You can say, I'm here to improve my speaking skills and meet new people.
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Ugh, that is wonderful.
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It shows you are friendly and ready to learn.
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And it gives the teacher a clear idea of how to help you.
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Right, because teachers love to know what your goals are.
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We really do.
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It makes our jobs so much more exciting.
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So let's review our main templates for today.
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For a casual meeting, name, location, job, and a fun hobby.
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For a job interview, name, experience, and a professional skill or passion.
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And for a classroom, name, where you are from, and your learning goal.
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Look at that.
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Three easy formulas for three different situations.
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See?
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It is not a mountain.
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It is just a few small steps.
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I feel like I can answer this question anywhere now.
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Even at the bakery.
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Next time, you will get that chocolate donut with no stress.
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That is the ultimate goal, Emily.
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English for donuts.
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It is a very delicious goal, Paul.
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Well, I think our friends have everything they need to start practicing today.
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I think so, too.
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Don't forget to leave your introduction in the comments below.
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Yes, please subscribe to Mr. English Channel, like this video, and share the love.
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Thank you so much for hanging out with us today.
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See you next time.
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Bye-bye, everyone.
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Keep practicing and have fun.
Why Practice Speaking with This Video?
Engaging with the Mr. English Podcast video, titled "Tell Me About Yourself in English," provides a unique opportunity for learners to develop their speaking skills in a relaxed context. The scenario depicted—the common question, "Tell me about yourself"—is frequently encountered in various settings such as job interviews, casual encounters, or social gatherings. Practicing this question helps learners articulate their thoughts, improving both fluency and confidence in spoken English.
By shadowing the conversation, learners can enhance their top-tier speaking abilities and embrace the art of shadowspeak. Utilizing this method, you can mimic intonation, rhythm, and pronunciation—making it an effective approach to real-world conversation practice. This video serves as an excellent resource for those aiming to excel in IELTS speaking practice and general communication skills.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
The casual yet structured dialogue in the video introduces several useful grammar and expressions. Here are a few highlights:
- Simple Sentences: The speakers often use concise sentences, such as "I love sweets" and "I teach English." This straightforward construction is crucial for clear self-introduction.
- Question Formation: The pivotal question, "Tell me about yourself," exemplifies how to ask open-ended questions. This technique encourages the listener to share more about themselves.
- Descriptive Phrases: Expressions like "I brought my favourite coffee" and "the worker looked at me" enrich the conversation, providing context and engaging details.
- Use of 'Well': Starting responses with filler words like "well" helps to buy time while formulating thoughts.
Practicing these structures will make your speech more natural and relatable, especially when you engage in shadow speech exercises.
Common Pronunciation Traps
Pronunciation is a fundamental aspect of effective communication. In the video, several terms may present challenges for learners:
- “Bakery”: Pay attention to the stressed syllables; it should sound like “bay-kə-ree.”
- “Donut”: This popular treat can also be pronounced as "doughnut," with a silent 'gh'. Focusing on this could avoid confusion in conversation.
- "Tell me": Many speakers tend to blend these words together, making it sound more like "temee." Practicing this phrase slowly can help in making it clearer.
For optimal improvement, consider utilizing a shadowing site where you can frequently practice mimicking these pronunciations. Incorporating reflective listening and speaking exercises will significantly enhance your verbal skills.
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.