शैडोइंग अभ्यास: English Podcast For Learning English Conversation | Daily Life English Speaking Practice (B1-B2) - वीडियो के साथ अंग्रेजी बोलना सीखें
पाठ बनाया जा रहा है...
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English Leap Podcast from Speak English with Klaas.
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Hey, hey, hey!
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Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another exciting episode of the English Leap Podcast, where we help you improve your listening,
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vocabulary, and speaking through natural English conversations.
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Hey, what's up, English learners?
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Welcome, welcome, welcome.
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We're so happy to have you here with us today.
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Get comfortable, tune in, and enjoy this time with us.
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Whoa, Jake, you seem very energetic today. Do I?
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Very.
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I feel like you arrived here with about twice your normal amount of energy.
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Maybe I've had coffee.
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Maybe?
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Fine.
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Definitely coffee.
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That explains a lot.
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Actually, speaking of coffee, can I tell you what happened when I bought one this morning?
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You say that as if buying coffee is usually an adventure.
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Mine apparently is.
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I went into this little cafe near my place, ordered my drink, paid everything completely normal,
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then the woman behind the counter asked me a very simple question.
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And judging by your face, you did not hear a very simple question.
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Not even close.
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She said, oat milk or whole milk?
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Okay.
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But what reached my brain was, old milk or whole milk?
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Old milk?
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Old milk.
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Jake, no, no, no, no. I know, and the terrible part is that for about two full seconds, I genuinely considered the question.
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I was standing there thinking, why is old milk an option?
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Is this some new café thing I don't understand?
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Please tell me you did not ask her, how old is the milk?
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I almost did.
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I opened my mouth, realized something was probably wrong with my interpretation, and just said, sorry?
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Very sensible.
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Extremely sensible.
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Possibly the most sensible decision I made all morning.
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So she repeated it?
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Yeah, more clearly this time.
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Oat milk or whole milk?
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Oat milk.
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Oat milk.
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Not old milk.
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We've established that now.
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And suddenly the world made sense again.
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Completely.
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I chose oat milk, thanked her, and quietly left before my brain could invent any more dairy products.
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That story's funny, but there's actually something really useful in it.
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Apart from avoiding old milk?
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Apart from that.
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You knew both words.
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You know oat, you know whole.
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If somebody had written oat milk or whole milk on a piece of paper, you would have understood it instantly.
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Absolutely.
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Vocabulary wasn't the problem.
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Exactly.
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Real speech was the problem.
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The words arrived quickly, the cafe was noisy, coffee machine was probably doing that shhhhhh.
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Thank you for the sound effect.
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And your brain filled in the gap with something familiar.
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Unfortunately, it chose old.
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Unfortunately.
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But that is exactly why listening matters so much when you're learning English.
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The more spoken English you hear, the more familiar those sound patterns become.
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So you're not always trying to catch one word, then another word, then another word.
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Right.
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After enough exposure, you start recognizing little groups of words almost as one unit.
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Recognizing them as a whole.
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Exactly.
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And that makes real conversation feel much less exhausting.
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Because you're not solving a puzzle every five seconds.
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Mm-hmm.
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And if you're listening today and you don't understand every single word, please don't let that worry you.
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Follow the meaning.
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Notice the expressions that come back.
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Give your ears time with English.
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Notice what comes back.
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Exactly!
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Because every time a useful phrase returns in a slightly different situation, your brain gets another chance to recognize it.
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Without sitting there thinking, I have to memorize this immediately.
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No pressure.
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Just listen, stay with us, enjoy the conversation, and let the English become more familiar.
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I like that.
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Let the English become familiar.
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That's the idea.
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Although, now that I have embarrassed myself in front of everyone with the old milk story, I think it is only fair that you contribute something equally embarrassing.
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Well...
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That well sounded promising.
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Yesterday, something happened that might actually make your old milk story seem fairly normal.
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Really?
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By the end of the evening, I was standing outside a building, seriously considering turning around, going back to my car, and driving home.
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Wait, wait, you had already traveled there and then wanted to leave?
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Yes.
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What were you supposed to be doing?
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Something I had happily agreed to two weeks earlier.
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Two weeks earlier?
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It sounded wonderful.
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Excellent idea.
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Very exciting.
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Future Anna was completely confident.
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And present Anna?
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Present Anna wanted nothing to do with future Anna's decisions.
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Oh, I know this feeling.
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So what happened?
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You got nervous?
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Very.
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Nervous enough to chicken out?
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I came very close.
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Chicken out.
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Mm-hmm.
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So you almost decided not to do it because fear suddenly took over.
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Exactly.
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When you chicken out, you lose your courage and back away from something you were going to do.
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And you nearly chickened out.
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Nearly. Of what?
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I'll tell you later.
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No!
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What?
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No, no, no. You cannot introduce a phrase, admit that you nearly did it, and then refuse to tell me what happened.
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Apparently I can.
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This is cruel.
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Stay with me.
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We have to get through the day first.
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And if you chicken out of telling me the story?
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Oh, that was quick.
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See?
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One minute later and I'm already using it.
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Very efficient.
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Efficient?
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You heard it, understood it, and used it correctly almost immediately.
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That's efficient learning.
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I'll take that.
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Good.
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Because before we get to the mysterious building, we need to go back to 8.13 yesterday morning.
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Let me guess.
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Coffee?
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Coffee. Of course.
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Busy café, loud machine, people talking everywhere, and a question I didn't understand at all.
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Another coffee disaster.
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Completely different coffee disaster.
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Perfect.
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Take me there.
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I was already a little late, so I walked into the café knowing exactly what I wanted.
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Flat white, no food.
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Pay, leave.
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Very efficient plan.
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I'm beginning to suspect the word efficient is going to suffer today.
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It lasted about 30 seconds.
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There were maybe six people waiting.
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The machine was loud.
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Someone behind me was talking on the phone.
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And when I reached the counter, the barista asked me something really quickly.
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Did you catch any of it?
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Honestly, maybe three sounds.
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Three sounds?
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Not three words?
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Not even close.
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And for half a second, I almost did that thing people sometimes do where they smile and pretend they understood.
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The dangerous nod.
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Exactly.
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The little, mm-hmm, yes, absolutely, when inside your head you're thinking, what are we agreeing to?
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I know that nod very well.
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But instead I just said, sorry, I didn't catch that.
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I didn't catch that.
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Mm-hmm.
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Short, polite, and it tells the other person exactly what you need.
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And what had she actually asked?
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Would you like anything to eat?
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Oh, much easier the second time.
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Completely.
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Then I looked at the pastries, and suddenly my simple plan became less simple.
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Cinnamon roll?
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How did you know?
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Because cinnamon rolls destroy plans.
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This one was enormous.
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I stood there staring at it, and the barista was waiting, so I said, Give me a second.
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Give me a second.
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Exactly.
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Another tiny phrase.
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You just need a moment to think, check something, or decide.
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Give me a second.
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I'm checking the address.
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Right.
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Give me a second.
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I'm trying to remember his name.
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Exactly.
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Give me a second.
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I'm deciding whether I need a cinnamon roll.
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That decision took longer than it should have. And?
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I said no. What?
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I had already eaten breakfast.
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Anna, that has never stopped me.
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I know.
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That is why I'm telling my story and not yours.
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Fair enough.
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I said, I'm good.
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Thanks.
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Just the coffee.
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I'm good, thanks.
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Very useful when someone offers you something and you don't want it.
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Would you like another drink?
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I'm good, thanks.
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Would you like some old milk?
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You need to let that go.
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I'm trying.
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So, I paid, collected my cup, walked outside, took one sip.
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Wrong coffee.
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Completely wrong coffee.
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Oh no, what did you get?
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Something incredibly sweet.
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Caramel, vanilla, maybe both?
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I don't even know.
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That sounds quite nice.
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Jake!
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Sorry.
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Wrong drink.
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Terrible.
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Deeply upsetting.
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Thank you.
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I stood outside looking at the cup and had this little argument with myself.
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Part of me thought, just drink it.
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It's not a big deal.
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The other part thought, you paid for a flat white.
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You should go back.
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Which side won?
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Eventually, the sensible side.
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Sensible.
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Mm-hmm.
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Practical, reasonable, probably the right choice.
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I realized I could either spend 20 minutes drinking something I didn't want, or spend one minute politely asking them to fix it.
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That actually is sensible.
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Thank you.
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So I went back in, waited until the barista looked at me and said, Sorry, I think there might be a mistake.
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I ordered a flat white.
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I like that.
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You're being clear without sounding angry.
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Exactly.
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I think there might be a mistake is softer than walking in and saying, this is wrong.
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Even if technically it is wrong.
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Right.
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The barista looked at the cup, immediately realized what had happened, and said, oh, I'm so sorry about that. And you?
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No worries.
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No worries.
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She made the correct drink, I thanked her, and finally I had what I ordered.
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Which you checked very carefully before leaving.
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I absolutely did.
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You know what I like about that story?
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The English was so simple.
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I didn't catch that.
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Give me a second.
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I'm good, thanks.
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I think there might be a mistake.
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No worries.
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That's the point.
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Everyday conversations are often held together by very small expressions.
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Little bridges.
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Exactly.
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They connect one moment to the next.
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You don't need an impressive speech when somebody gives you the wrong coffee.
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Probably better not to.
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Definitely better not to.
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So you got your coffee and went to work.
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Please tell me the rest of the morning was peaceful.
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For about 27 minutes.
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Oh, no. Then everybody needed something at once.
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Ah, work.
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I got to my desk, put my bag down, opened my laptop, and thought, Lovely, I have almost an hour before my first meeting.
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I can actually get something done.
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That was your first mistake.
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Very optimistic.
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Four minutes later, Sophie came over and said, Do you have a minute?
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Dangerous.
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My phone rang at almost the same time.
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Worse.
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Then an email appeared marked urgent. Of course.
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And while I was looking at that, someone sent me a message saying, Quick question.
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Ugh, no. Quick questions are rarely quick.
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That phrase has damaged my trust.
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I suddenly had four different people competing for my attention, and for a second, I didn't know which thing to do first.
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That is exactly the kind of moment where your brain starts opening 20 little tabs at once.
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Yes!
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And none of them are loading properly.
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So, Sophie is standing there.
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What did you tell her?
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I said, I'm a little tied up right now.
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Can I come back to you in ten minutes?
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Tied up.
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Busy.
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Occupied.
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You have something you need to finish first.
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And it's softer than, I'm busy.
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Usually, yes.
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Especially if you add when you'll come back.
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I'm a little tied up right now, but can we talk after lunch?
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You're not rejecting the person.
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You're just protecting the moment.
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Exactly.
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And did you actually go back to Sophie in 10 minutes?
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Nine.
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Oh.
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Reliable.
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Thank you.
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But first, I dealt with the urgent email.
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Someone needed one very specific number from a report.
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Specific?
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One exact piece of information, not a general explanation.
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They didn't want to know how the project was going, they wanted one figure.
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How many people joined?
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Exactly.
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Very specific.
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And you knew the number?
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Not immediately.
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So I didn't guess.
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I wrote, let me check and I'll get back to you.
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I'll get back to you.
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Another phrase I use all the time.
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It means, I don't have the answer yet, but I'll respond when I do.
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Very useful at work, because sometimes people ask you something, and your brain wants to fill the silence with an answer even when that answer is not ready.
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Or not true.
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Exactly.
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Better to say, let me check and I'll get back to you.
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Sensible.
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Look at you.
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I've adopted the word.
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Very efficiently.
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Okay, okay.
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I found the number, sent it, and then Sophie came back.
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She had two versions of a presentation.
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One looked beautiful, but was taking forever to prepare.
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The other was simpler and easier to update.
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Which did you prefer?
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I told her, honestly, the second one seems more efficient.
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More efficient.
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It did the job well without using unnecessary time or effort.
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So efficient doesn't just mean fast.
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Exactly.
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That's important.
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Something can be fast but still messy.
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Efficient means it works well and uses resources wisely.
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Like planning several errands for one trip instead of driving out five times.
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Yes.
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Like answering similar emails together?
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Yes.
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Like buying enough milk so you don't run out?
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Why does every example come back to milk today?
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I don't know.
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The morning changed me.
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Sophie looked at the two versions again and said, Yeah, you're probably right.
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That's a very natural response, too.
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Mm-hmm.
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Or, you've got a point.
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You've got a point.
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It means your argument makes sense.
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I can see why you're saying that.
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Even if I'm not completely changing my mind.
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Exactly.
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So by lunch, you had survived the coffee problem, the urgent email, Sophie's presentation...
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And I still had the evening hanging over me.
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Ah, the mystery.
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I had almost forgotten about it.
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I had not. Of course you hadn't.
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Around 12.30, Daniel leaned over and asked, A few of us are getting lunch.
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Are you up for it?
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That's one I hear all the time.
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Are you up for it?
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Very common.
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It means, would you like to do it?
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Are you interested?
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And you said?
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Yeah, I'm up for it.
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I'm up for it.
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Exactly.
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We went to this little place near the office, and while we were waiting for our food, Daniel asked everyone a question.
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Serious question?
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Very serious.
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Oh, no. Should weekends be planned in advance, or should they stay completely open?
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Oh, I have opinions.
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Of course you do.
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I think a little planning saves the whole weekend from disappearing.
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See, I'm somewhere in the middle.
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I like one or two plans, but if every hour is organized, I start feeling like my weekend has become another work schedule.
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But if I plan nothing, Saturday morning becomes Saturday afternoon while I'm still deciding what to do.
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That sounds like a personal problem.
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It is.
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But hear me out.
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If I know I'm meeting someone at 3, I can organize the rest of the day around that.
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You've got a point.
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There it is.
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But I still wouldn't schedule everything.
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Daniel literally schedules when he is going to relax.
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No. Yes.
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He said, 2.30 to 4, relax.
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That defeats the purpose slightly.
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Sophie said exactly that.
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She looked at him and went, You've scheduled spontaneity.
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3.15.
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Surprise myself.
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Exactly.
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Daniel defended himself, of course.
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He said if he doesn't plan rest, he fills the whole weekend with errands.
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OK.
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That is actually reasonable.
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And I told him, I see what you mean.
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Planning can protect your time, but I'm not sure I'd want every hour decided in advance.
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Nice.
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Gentle disagreement.
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He just smiled and said, fair enough.
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Fair enough.
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That one is so useful.
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It means you accept that the other person has a reasonable point, even if you still see things differently.
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I prefer working from home.
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Fair enough.
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I like being around people.
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No argument.
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Nobody throws a chair.
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Ideally, yes.
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Although there are certain topics where fair enough will not save us.
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Don't.
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Pineapple.
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No. Wait, wait.
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Not today.
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Ah, fine.
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Anyway, right in the middle of this very serious weekend planning debate, my phone buzzed.
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Maya.
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Maya.
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The evening mystery returns.
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She wrote, we're still on for tonight, right?
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And what did you do?
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I stared at the message.
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How long?
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Long enough for Daniel to ask if something was wrong.
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So the nerves had started.
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A little.
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I was still planning to go, but suddenly the evening felt very close.
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Two weeks ago, it was theoretical.
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Exactly.
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Two weeks ago, it was future Anna's problem.
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Now it was six hours away.
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And future Anna had disappeared.
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Completely abandoned me.
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So what did you reply?
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Yes, I'm still up for it.
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Still up for it?
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Mm-hmm.
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I hadn't chickened out. Yet.
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Jake.
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Sorry.
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Then Maya wrote, can we move it to 7 instead of 7.30?
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Did that work?
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I replied, yeah, that works for me.
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That works for me.
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Another little phrase that fits so many situations.
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Lunch at 1?
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That works for me.
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Meet outside the station?
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That works for me.
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Karaoke at 7?
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You're getting suspiciously close.
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Wait, karaoke?
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I said nothing.
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You paused.
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Listeners cannot see my face.
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Convenient.
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Very.
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Fine.
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Continue your mysterious story.
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I went back to work after lunch, and surprisingly, the afternoon was calm.
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That sentence worries me.
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It should.
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Something unexpected happened.
471
Exactly.
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At 4.22, my manager appeared beside my desk and said, Can you jump on a quick call?
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Ugh, quick call.
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I know.
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How quick?
476
28 minutes.
477
That is a meeting wearing a fake mustache.
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Exactly.
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But something unexpected had come up with a client, so we needed to deal with it.
480
Unexpected.
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Something you did not plan for or predict.
482
And suddenly your neat plan for leaving at 5.30… Was disappearing.
483
The call itself was fine, but afterwards I had to send two emails.
484
Manageable.
485
Then a third.
486
Less manageable.
487
Then somebody replied immediately with another question.
488
No!
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Exactly.
490
And when I finally looked at the clock, it was 5.42.
491
What time were you supposed to leave?
492
5.30.
493
So now you were running late.
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I was.
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I texted Maya, Sorry, something came up at work.
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I'm running a little late.
497
Something came up.
498
Something unexpected happened and changed your plan.
499
And I'm running late means I'm going to arrive later than planned.
500
I like running late because technically you may not be running anywhere.
501
Very true.
502
You can be sitting completely still in traffic and still be running late.
503
What did Maya say?
504
No worries.
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We're not starting immediately.
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No worries again.
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Same phrase we heard at the cafe, now in a completely different situation.
508
The phrase travels.
509
Exactly.
510
That's why repetition inside different contexts is so useful.
511
OK, so you finally left work.
512
Eventually.
513
I packed my bag, grabbed my phone, and hurried towards the lift.
514
Just as the doors closed, my phone rang.
515
Let me guess.
516
Maya.
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Maya.
518
And because life has a sense of humor, the lift had terrible signal.
519
Completely terrible.
520
I answered and I heard something like, Hey, Seven, Sophie, First, Don't.
521
Very clear.
522
Extremely.
523
I said, sorry, you're breaking up.
524
You're breaking up.
525
The sound keeps cutting in and out because the connection is poor.
526
Did she repeat it?
527
She tried.
528
Then the call disappeared completely.
529
Oh, perfect.
530
I got outside and called her back.
531
Sorry, we got disconnected.
532
And what had she been trying to tell you?
533
Don't rush.
534
Sophie's singing first.
535
Singing?
536
Mm-hmm.
537
Wait.
538
What?
539
Sophie is singing first.
540
Correct.
541
Singing where, Anna?
542
Keep listening.
543
No, we're almost there.
544
You've waited this long.
545
This is unreasonable.
546
You'll survive.
547
I got home at around 6.15, which gave me 45 minutes.
548
In my head, that sounded like plenty of time.
549
And in reality… Not remotely.
550
I needed to change, grab my things, and leave.
551
Simple.
552
Very efficient. In theory.
553
I changed my top once, looked in the mirror, changed it again, and then somehow ended up wearing the first one.
554
Ah, the classic 20-minute journey back to where you started.
555
Exactly.
556
And while I was doing all of this, I genuinely thought maybe five minutes had passed.
557
Time behaves differently when you're choosing clothes.
558
Apparently.
559
I looked at the clock.
560
6.38.
561
Still possible.
562
Then I couldn't find one earring.
563
There it is.
564
I check the bedroom, bathroom, my bag, the floor.
565
Already in your ear?
566
Jake.
567
It happens.
568
It was under the sofa.
569
How?
570
I have no idea.
571
Maybe it was trying to chicken out.
572
Oh, excellent.
573
By the time I actually left, it was 6.52.
574
And you were supposed to be there at 7.
575
Yep.
576
So I messaged my egg in, I'm really sorry, I'm running a little late.
577
Running late again?
578
Again.
579
And she replied?
580
She said, no worries, take your time.
581
She sounds very considerate.
582
She is, and that helped because I was already stressed.
583
I didn't need someone texting, where are you, hurry!
584
That would have made you slower somehow.
585
Exactly.
586
Stress does strange things.
587
So you drove there.
588
I arrived in the area at about 7.12.
589
Honestly, 12 minutes is not terrible.
590
It wouldn't have been if I had gone to the correct building.
591
No. Yes.
592
Anna.
593
There were two places with very similar names.
594
I looked at the map quickly, assumed I knew which one Maya meant, and walked into the first building.
595
Never assume.
596
Helpful now.
597
What was inside?
598
A quiet restaurant.
599
Oh, no. I stood there for a second thinking, this feels wrong.
600
No singing.
601
No singing.
602
Karaoke.
603
I knew it.
604
Yes, karaoke.
605
You agreed to karaoke.
606
Two weeks earlier, yes.
607
And then nearly chickened out?
608
We are getting there.
609
We are basically there.
610
Not quite.
611
I stepped back outside and called Maya.
612
She answered over very loud music and said, Where are you?
613
And you said, At the entrance.
614
Exactly.
615
Dangerous.
616
She replied, Me too.
617
Oh no. So now both of us are standing at different entrances saying, I don't see you.
618
That is the moment where everybody thinks the other person has disappeared.
619
Exactly.
620
Maya said, OK, can you be more specific?
621
Specific.
622
There it was naturally.
623
She didn't need, I'm near a building.
624
She needed exact information.
625
What did you say?
626
I'm beside a big glass door and there's a restaurant sign above me.
627
And she went, restaurant?
628
Then there was this pause, and she said, Anna, we're in the building across the street.
629
Across the street?
630
Across the street.
631
Painful.
632
Very.
633
But also easy to fix once we had clarified what each of us meant.
634
And that's actually a good real-life point.
635
Sometimes the conversation goes wrong because one person assumes the other person has the same information.
636
Exactly.
637
I assumed she meant the first building.
638
She assumed I had checked the address.
639
Neither of us checked.
640
So no one was being stupid.
641
Thank you!
642
I meant generally.
643
I know.
644
Misunderstandings happen.
645
The solution is usually to get more specific.
646
Exact time, exact place, exact detail.
647
Mm-hmm.
648
So you crossed the street.
649
I did.
650
Walked through the door.
651
Not quite.
652
Anna.
653
I walked up to the door. And stopped. And stopped.
654
Ah, here it is.
655
How long did you stand there?
656
Maybe two minutes.
657
Two full minutes outside the door?
658
It felt much longer.
659
I could hear people singing inside, I could hear everyone laughing,
660
and suddenly all the confidence I had two weeks earlier disappeared.
661
What were you actually afraid of?
662
Honestly, looking ridiculous, forgetting the words, singing badly, walking up to the microphone and suddenly having nothing come out.
663
So your brain was creating every possible disaster before anything had happened.
664
Exactly.
665
And the more I thought about it, the more reasonable going home started to feel.
666
Even though it wasn't really reasonable?
667
No, but fear can be very persuasive.
668
What were you telling yourself?
669
I could just leave.
670
Maya will understand.
671
I'm tired anyway.
672
I could say something came up.
673
Wait, wait.
674
Something had not come up.
675
I know.
676
You cannot misuse our phrase.
677
I didn't actually send it.
678
Good.
679
But I definitely considered it.
680
Hand on the car key?
681
Very close.
682
Wow, so this is the moment.
683
You were really going to chicken out.
684
I was. And then?
685
My phone rang.
686
Maya.
687
Maya.
688
I answered, and she said, Where are you?
689
Honest answer?
690
Outside.
691
And she asked, Why are you outside? Of course.
692
I said, I'm just thinking.
693
Thinking.
694
She knew immediately.
695
She said, Anna, don't chicken out now.
696
There it is.
697
And weirdly, hearing her say it made me laugh.
698
Suddenly I could hear how dramatic I was being.
699
Sometimes somebody else saying the situation out loud makes it smaller.
700
Exactly.
701
And then she said something really helpful.
702
You don't even have to sing.
703
Just come inside.
704
Sit with us.
705
If you still don't want to sing later, that's fine.
706
Ah.
707
The moment she removed the pressure, I felt calmer.
708
Because your task changed from perform in front of people to simply walk through the door.
709
Exactly.
710
One small action.
711
Which you were perfectly capable of doing.
712
Capable.
713
You had the ability to do it even if you didn't feel confident.
714
I love that distinction.
715
People sometimes think, I'm nervous, so maybe I can't do this.
716
But nervous and incapable are not the same thing.
717
Not at all.
718
You can feel shaky and still be completely capable.
719
That actually applies very nicely to speaking English.
720
It does.
721
You can feel nervous before a conversation and still be capable of communicating.
722
So, what did you do?
723
I took a breath.
724
Not like that.
725
Sorry.
726
I opened the door and went inside.
727
You didn't chicken out.
728
I didn't.
729
Good.
730
Thank you.
731
But now the important question, did you sing?
732
Eventually.
733
Yes.
734
Maya was sitting near the back, and Sophie had just finished singing.
735
Was she good?
736
Annoyingly good.
737
That is exactly what you don't want when you're nervous.
738
Exactly.
739
I wanted someone to go up there, forget every word, drop the microphone, and walk off laughing.
740
Somebody to lower the standard.
741
Just slightly.
742
But Sophie was brilliant.
743
Very.
744
Helpful.
745
Not at all.
746
I sat down, Maya gave me some water, and for the next ten minutes, I was completely happy watching everybody else.
747
You had found your role.
748
Audience member.
749
Excellent role.
750
Safe.
751
Comfortable.
752
Very.
753
Then Maya leaned over and said, So, what are you singing?
754
Oh, no. I looked at her and said, Give me a second.
755
Give me a second.
756
Same phrase from the cafe, completely different situation.
757
Earlier, you were choosing between a cinnamon roll and self-control.
758
Now you were choosing your musical future.
759
Slightly higher stakes.
760
Did you already have a song in mind?
761
Sort of.
762
Sophie suggested one first. And?
763
Immediate no. Why?
764
Too high.
765
Fair.
766
Maya suggested another.
767
Better?
768
Absolutely not.
769
So, helpful friends.
770
Eventually, I chose something I already knew very well.
771
Sensible.
772
Exactly.
773
I thought if I'm already nervous, choosing something unfamiliar would make everything Also less efficient.
774
You are really determined to use these words today.
775
I'm building vocabulary.
776
Then suddenly my name came up.
777
What happened physically?
778
Did your heart speed up?
779
Completely.
780
My hands felt cold, my mouth went dry, and for one second my brain said, Why did we agree to this?
781
We?
782
My brain and I were no longer taking responsibility individually.
783
Fair enough.
784
But I stood up.
785
Slowly?
786
Reasonably slowly.
787
Walked to the microphone.
788
Yes. And Maya?
789
She smiled and quietly said, Go for it.
790
Go for it.
791
And I started.
792
First line?
793
Fine.
794
Second?
795
Fine.
796
Third?
797
Came in slightly early.
798
But here's the funny part.
799
Nobody cared.
800
Of course they didn't.
801
And I had imagined that every person in the room would be studying every mistake I made.
802
While in reality one person was probably choosing their own song, someone else was ordering a drink.
803
Maya was singing along, Sophie was talking to someone, another table was laughing, everybody was just having their own evening.
804
That must have been such a relief.
805
Huge relief.
806
I realized I had turned it into this enormous performance in my head, when to everyone else it was just karaoke.
807
Did you forget anything?
808
One line.
809
What did you do?
810
Kept going.
811
That's it?
812
Exactly.
813
I missed one line and kept going.
814
Which is very similar to conversation.
815
It really is.
816
You forget a word, miss something, say something slightly wrong. And continue.
817
You don't need to stop the entire evening.
818
Exactly.
819
The mistake becomes much smaller when you don't build a house around it.
820
I like that.
821
When I finished, Maya cheered far too loudly.
822
As she should.
823
Sophie said, see, you were fine. Were you?
824
Better than fine, actually.
825
I was relieved, but I was also proud that I had done the thing I nearly walked away from.
826
Would you do it again?
827
Mmm, come to think of it, probably.
828
Probably?
829
Not next week.
830
I was just about to invite you.
831
Absolutely not.
832
Fair enough.
833
You know what I find interesting about your whole day?
834
Apart from the fact that I made several questionable decisions?
835
They weren't really questionable.
836
That's my point.
837
You had all these little moments where something didn't go perfectly.
838
True.
839
You didn't hear the barista, you got the wrong coffee, work became busy, your plans changed, the phone connection failed, you went to the wrong building,
840
then you nearly left karaoke.
841
When you list it like that, I sound slightly chaotic.
842
But none of those moments became a disaster.
843
Because each one only needed a small response.
844
Exactly.
845
I didn't catch that.
846
Give me a second.
847
I'll get back to you.
848
That works for me.
849
Something came up.
850
I'm running late.
851
No worries.
852
Very ordinary language.
853
But extremely useful language.
854
And that's where learners sometimes put too much pressure on themselves.
855
They think fluency means producing long, impressive sentences.
856
When fluent speakers often use the shortest possible phrase that fits.
857
Exactly.
858
And real conversation is messy.
859
You might begin a sentence and change your mind halfway through.
860
Like, I'll be there at 7.
861
Actually, make that 7.15.
862
Or, I thought she said Friday.
863
Wait, no, Thursday.
864
People interrupt themselves.
865
They pause.
866
They forget words.
867
They ask again.
868
They misunderstand each other.
869
And then they fix it.
870
Which is reassuring, because sometimes learners hear polished textbook dialogue and think real conversation should sound perfect.
871
But real conversation is alive.
872
You respond to whatever just happened.
873
And listening is a huge part of that.
874
Definitely.
875
If you're always preparing your next sentence while the other person is talking, you may miss the very thing you need to respond to.
876
Oh, I've done that.
877
I'm already constructing my brilliant answer in my head.
878
And then they finish, and you realize they changed the subject 30 seconds ago.
879
Exactly.
880
So maybe good conversation is less about what impressive thing can I say next, and more about what did I just hear and how can I respond?
881
I like that.
882
Me too.
883
Can we prove it?
884
How?
885
Let's have one normal conversation.
886
No stopping after every phrase, no explanations in the middle, just talk.
887
Oh, I like this.
888
Everyone listening, don't chase every word.
889
Just follow what's happening.
890
Ready?
891
Ready.
892
Hey, Anna, are you free Saturday afternoon?
893
A few of us were talking about trying that new cafe near the park.
894
Maybe.
895
What did you have in mind exactly?
896
Just coffee, or are you secretly planning another karaoke evening?
897
No karaoke, I promise.
898
Just coffee, maybe something to eat, and I thought we could walk through the park afterwards if it isn't too hot.
899
That actually sounds nice.
900
What time are you thinking?
901
Around 3.
902
Although, wait, give me a second.
903
Sophie said she might not finish work until 2.30.
904
3 should still be fine for me.
905
Where exactly is this café?
906
Next to the bookstore, I think.
907
You think?
908
Fair point.
909
We've learned from your restaurant experience.
910
Let me check.
911
Please be specific.
912
I'm not spending Saturday afternoon standing outside the wrong building.
913
Okay, here it is.
914
It's actually opposite the bookstore, not next to it.
915
Good thing I asked.
916
Very good thing.
917
I'll send you the exact location.
918
Thank you.
919
And Maya might come?
920
Yeah.
921
She said she's up for it.
922
Sophie is still checking her schedule, but she'll get back to me later.
923
I haven't seen Maya since karaoke, so it would be nice to catch up.
924
She'll probably ask you to sing again.
925
Then suddenly something unexpected will come up.
926
No. We discussed this.
927
You are not allowed to invent unexpected events.
928
Fine.
929
I'll be honest and say I'm not up for karaoke today.
930
Much better.
931
Although I might be up for cake.
932
Now we're talking.
933
What kind of cafe is it?
934
Apparently they make really good coffee and.. hang on.
935
My phone's ringing.
936
Go ahead.
937
Hello?
938
Hi.
939
Sorry, I didn't catch that.
940
Could you say it again?
941
Right.
942
Okay.
943
No worries.
944
I'll get back to you this afternoon.
945
Yep.
946
Thanks.
947
Bye.
948
Work?
949
Work.
950
Somebody needs a file earlier than we expected.
951
Something unexpected came up?
952
A little.
953
Nothing dramatic.
954
I just need to send it before four.
955
Are you tied up now?
956
Not really.
957
I know where the file is for once, so it should only take a few minutes.
958
Very efficient.
959
Thank you.
960
See?
961
I can use vocabulary, too.
962
I'm proud of you.
963
Saturday at 3, then.
964
That works for me.
965
Just send me the address.
966
Exact address.
967
Very specific address.
968
Understood.
969
And no mysterious Green-something cafe name.
970
You really remember everything.
971
Unfortunately for you, yes.
972
All right.
973
I'll message you later.
974
Sounds good.
975
See you Saturday.
976
See you then.
977
That felt completely normal.
978
Because it was.
979
We just used so much of today's language without stopping to think about it.
980
What did you have in mind?
981
Give me a second.
982
That works for me.
983
I didn't catch that.
984
No worries.
985
I'll get back to you.
986
Same phrases, different conversation.
987
And because you've already heard them several times today, they should be starting to sound more familiar.
988
Which takes us all the way back to the beginning.
989
Oat milk?
990
Please.
991
Sorry.
992
But yes, the more often your ears meet useful English in different situations, the easier it becomes to recognize.
993
And now that we've heard today's vocabulary naturally inside the conversation, let's slow down and revisit six of those words and expressions properly.
994
Word tour.
995
Word tour.
996
Alright, let's revisit a few useful words and expressions from today's conversation.
997
We'll begin with the expression that followed you all the way to the karaoke bar.
998
Chicken out.
999
If you chicken out, you decide not to do something because you suddenly become too nervous or afraid.
1000
I nearly chickened out before going into the karaoke bar.
1001
Or he wanted to try the roller coaster, but he chickened out at the last minute.
1002
Repeat chicken out.
1003
Chicken out.
1004
Now what was the word Maya used when she needed exact information about where I was standing?
1005
Specific.
1006
If something is specific, it is clear and exact, rather than general.
1007
Can you be more specific about where we're meeting?
1008
Or, she asked me a specific question about the report.
1009
Repeat, specific.
1010
Specific.
1011
Earlier, Ana decided that going back into the cafe and politely asking for the correct drink was the right practical choice.
1012
The word was sensible.
1013
If something is sensible, it is reasonable, practical, and likely to be a good decision.
1014
It was sensible to check the address before leaving.
1015
Or, taking an umbrella might be sensible if the weather looks uncertain.
1016
Repeat, sensible.
1017
Sensible.
1018
Our next word appeared when Sophie was trying to organize her presentation.
1019
Efficient.
1020
If something is efficient, it works well without wasting unnecessary time, effort, or resources.
1021
We found a more efficient way to organize the presentation.
1022
Or, doing several errands in one trip can be more efficient.
1023
Repeat, efficient.
1024
Efficient.
1025
Then, our peaceful afternoon disappeared because something happened that we had not planned for.
1026
unexpected something unexpected is something you did not expect
1027
or predict an unexpected phone call changed my plans
1028
or we had an unexpected problem on the way to dinner repeat unexpected unexpected
1029
and our final word takes us back to the moment outside the karaoke bar capable if someone is capable,
1030
they have the ability or skill needed to do something.
1031
She was nervous, but she was completely capable of handling the situation.
1032
Or you may be more capable of speaking English than you realize.
1033
I like that one.
1034
Me too.
1035
Feeling nervous doesn't automatically mean you're incapable.
1036
Exactly.
1037
You can feel nervous and still be capable.
1038
Repeat, capable.
1039
Capable.
1040
So today's six are chicken out, specific, sensible, efficient, unexpected, and capable.
1041
Listen for them when you watch videos, hear conversations, or listen to podcasts.
1042
And if one feels useful, try using it yourself.
1043
And if you'd like to practice these words again, you'll find the transcript, vocabulary activities, quizzes, games, and shadowing practice inside the English Leap Club.
1044
Take your time, practice aloud, and choose the activities that help you most.
1045
And now it's time for Say It Better.
1046
Let's take a few simple everyday sentences and give them a more conversational version.
1047
And remember, the first sentence may already be completely correct.
1048
We're simply giving you another option that you'll often hear in everyday English.
1049
Let's start with I don't understand.
1050
clear.
1051
But if the problem is that you didn't hear what someone said, try, sorry, I didn't catch that.
1052
Sorry, I didn't catch that.
1053
And if you heard the words, but you don't understand the idea, you could say, I'm not sure I follow.
1054
Nice difference.
1055
One is about hearing, the other can be about understanding the explanation.
1056
Exactly.
1057
Much better than nodding through eight minutes of a meeting you stopped understanding in minute two.
1058
Speaking from experience.
1059
Meeting Jake has suffered enough.
1060
All right.
1061
Next, wait.
1062
Very short.
1063
Sometimes too short, depending on your tone.
1064
A friendlier option is, give me a second.
1065
Or, give me a moment.
1066
Give me a second.
1067
I'm checking the address.
1068
Or, give me a moment.
1069
I'm trying to remember.
1070
Same meaning, but softer and more natural in many situations.
1071
Next one, I cannot come.
1072
Grammatically correct, but with friends it can sound a little formal.
1073
Try, I don't think I can make it.
1074
I don't think I can make it tonight.
1075
Or if you want to sound a little warmer, I'd love to, but I don't think I can make it tonight.
1076
And if you want to go?
1077
I'm up for it.
1078
Nice.
1079
Next.
1080
Seven o'clock is okay for me.
1081
Correct.
1082
But in casual conversation, you'll often hear, seven works for me.
1083
Or simply, that works for me.
1084
How about three on Saturday?
1085
That works for me.
1086
Easy.
1087
Here's another.
1088
An unexpected thing happened.
1089
In everyday conversation, a very common alternative is, something came up.
1090
Sorry, something came up at work.
1091
It tells the person something unexpected changed your situation without giving them a long story.
1092
Although you are not allowed to use it when nothing actually came up and you simply want to escape karaoke.
1093
I knew you were going to bring that back. Of course.
1094
Next, I will arrive late.
1095
A natural conversational version is, I'm running late.
1096
Sorry, I'm running about ten minutes late.
1097
And the other person might respond, No worries, take your time.
1098
Beautiful.
1099
One more.
1100
I agree that your idea is reasonable.
1101
That is a lot of words.
1102
Exactly.
1103
Try, You've got a point.
1104
Or that makes sense.
1105
And if you understand someone's opinion without fully agreeing, you might say, fair enough.
1106
Our hard-working little phrase.
1107
It has done a lot today.
1108
Very efficient phrase.
1109
You were waiting for that.
1110
Absolutely.
1111
And that really sums up today's English.
1112
Natural conversation is not about making every sentence longer.
1113
Sometimes sounding more natural means saying less.
1114
using the small phrase that fits the moment.
1115
And trusting yourself enough to use it.
1116
So, Anna, one final question.
1117
I already know what this is.
1118
Karaoke next Friday?
1119
Absolutely not.
1120
Wait!
1121
I thought you said you would probably do it again.
1122
Probably.
1123
At some point.
1124
In the future.
1125
There was no mention of next Friday.
1126
Fair enough.
1127
You have really got your money's worth from that phrase today.
1128
Efficient vocabulary use.
1129
There it is again.
1130
Before we go, tell us in the comments which phrase from today do you think you'll actually use in real life?
1131
Maybe I didn't catch that, give me a second, that works for me, or I'm running late.
1132
Or perhaps I nearly chickened out.
1133
Hopefully you won't need that one too often.
1134
True.
1135
Thank you so much for spending this time with us today.
1136
Keep listening, keep noticing, and give those useful little phrases time to become familiar.
1137
And if somebody at a cafe asks whether you want old milk...
1138
Jake.
1139
Ask them to repeat themselves.
1140
On that very sensible note, take care of yourselves, everyone.
1141
We'll see you in the next conversation.
1142
Bye for now.
1143
Your progress doesn't end here.
1144
To continue advancing your English skills, click on the next video or explore the additional videos we've thoughtfully selected for you.
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इस पाठ के बारे में
आप "English Podcast For Learning English Conversation | Daily Life English Speaking Practice (B1-B2)" के साथ Shadowing तकनीक का उपयोग करके अपनी अंग्रेजी का अभ्यास कर रहे हैं।
शैडोइंग तकनीक क्या है?
शैडोइंग (Shadowing) एक विज्ञान-समर्थित भाषा सीखने की तकनीक है जो मूल रूप से पेशेवर दुभाषिया प्रशिक्षण के लिए विकसित की गई थी। विधि सरल लेकिन शक्तिशाली है: आप मूल अंग्रेज़ी ऑडियो सुनते हैं और तुरंत इसे ज़ोर से दोहराते हैं — जैसे वक्ता की छाया 1-2 सेकंड की देरी से। शोध से पता चलता है कि यह उच्चारण सटीकता, स्वर, लय, जुड़ी हुई ध्वनियाँ, सुनने की समझ और बोलने की प्रवाहशीलता में काफ़ी सुधार करता है।