Shadowing Practice: Curso Berlitz (009 Oral Review 1) - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video builds practical speaking skills for everyday communication and IELTS speaking practice. You’ll master yes/no question responses, which are critical for clear, confident dialogue. You’ll also learn to link city names to their countries (e.g., “London is in England”) and describe nationalities (“It’s a German city”), a common IELTS speaking task. Plus, the repetitive structure makes it ideal for the shadowing technique—repeat phrases immediately after the speaker to train your mouth and brain to sync.

Listen For These Sounds

The dialogue uses connected speech that’s key for natural English. Notice how “Is it a” often links to “Isita” (e.g., “Is it a German city?” becomes “Isita German city?”). Reductions like “it’s not” sounding more like “it’s nuh” (instead of a full “not”) are common in casual speech. These patterns are essential for understanding real-world conversations, whether you’re using a shadowing site or learning English with YouTube.

Say It Like a Native

To mirror the speaker’s rhythm, stress the key words: “NEW YORK is a CITY in the UNITED STATES.” The speaker pauses briefly after each question, so follow that pace—don’t rush. For shadow speech, pause the video after short phrases (“Yes, it is”) and repeat them, matching the rising intonation in questions and flat tone in answers. This mimics the shadowing technique used by fluent speakers. For IELTS speaking practice, focus on clarity: even when linking words, ensure “London” and “England” are distinct. Practice daily with this video, and you’ll notice your speech becomes more natural, whether you’re talking about cities or tackling exam tasks.