Shadowing Practice: Understand FAST English Conversation - Learn English Speaking with Video

Can you understand fast English conversations?

Do you know if your listening skills are beginner, intermediate, or advanced?

Have you ever turned on an English TV show and after a few minutes,

you thought, wait, what are they saying?

They speak so quickly, words blend together,

and suddenly you're feeling completely lost.

Well, never fear.

I am here to help you.

Today, we are going to test your listening skills with some real English speakers.

And I will show you exactly how you can understand fast English conversations easier.

Let's do it.

Hi, I'm Vanessa from SpeakEnglishWithVanessa.com.

And for over the past 10 years,

I have been teaching real life English here on my YouTube channel now to more than 7 million of you.

I can't believe it.

Thank you for learning English with me.

And like always, I have created a free PDF worksheet that includes everything you're going to learn today,

plus a special bonus.

Inside this free worksheet, you will have access to a bonus 15 minutes of today's real life conversation

so that you can continue to test your listening skills.

See if you can actually understand fast English conversations.

How can you get this free worksheet plus bonus listening conversation?

All you need to do is click on the link in the description,

enter your name and email address,

and voila, just like that,

it will land in your email inbox.

This is my gift to you.

So here's how today's lesson is going to work.

We are going to use my proven conversation breakdown method.

Number one, you will listen to a short clip from a real life conversation.

Number two, after the clip,

I will ask you a question to see if you understood what was said in that conversation.

And number three, I will teach you an important concept

that was used in that conversation clip so that you can understand fast conversations better.

Just a little note, if you have subtitles turned on,

turn them off right now.

I don't want you to use subtitles right this moment, not yet.

I want you to really test your listening skills.

You can do it.

All right, let's dive in.

You're about to meet my friend,

Sarah, who is a massage therapist as her job.

She is talking about a massage technique.

So listen carefully.

Are you ready?

Three, two, one.

Massaging with a stone is wonderful.

Usually they're a little bit bigger and made of basalt.

Okay.

That gray kind of color.

B-A-S-A-L-T, basalt.

Okay.

And those rocks are found in Northern California or Hawaii.

And they hold the heat beautifully,

so you can heat the rocks in water.

And so you use them as a tool up and down the back and arms and legs to

to massage and warm up the muscle.

So you're using them as a tool.

And it feels amazing to be massaged with warm rocks,

especially in cold weather.

Great work listening.

Did you catch all that?

Now I have a challenge question for you.

What phrase did she use in this sentence?

They, basalt rocks, beautifully.

I'll give you three seconds.

They hold the heat beautifully.

Here she's using the word hold to talk about carrying something or containing something.

The rocks are able to maintain their heat for a long time,

which is great for massage.

And here, this fixed phrase we can use in a couple other sentences as well.

You might say, this cup doesn't hold the heat for my coffee.

It gets cold too easily.

So maybe you want to choose something different.

Or you could say this,

if you put a lid on the pot,

it will easily hold the heat after cooking.

Here we're using this full fixed phrase, hold the heat.

Let me give you a quick example from my personal life.

The first year that I was married,

we lived in a house that did not hold the heat.

In fact, there were huge icicles that grew inside the window inside our house in the winter.

That house did not hold the heat.

All right.

Now that you have listened to the clip,

you have answered a challenge question about the clip,

and we have talked a bit about the phrase, hold the heat.

Now it's time to review the clip.

We are going to watch it one time with subtitles and one time without subtitles.

I think that final time,

you're going to understand it wonderfully.

Are you ready?

Open your listening ears.

Let's go.

Massaging with a stone is wonderful.

Usually they're a little bit bigger and made of basalt.

Okay.

That gray kind of color?

B-A-S-A-L-T, basalt.

100

Okay.

101

And those rocks are found in Northern California or Hawaii

102

and they hold the heat beautifully so you can heat the rocks in water.

103

Massaging with a stone is wonderful.

104

Usually they're a little bit bigger and made of basalt.

105

Okay that gray kind of color?

106

B-A-S-A-L-T.

107

Basalt.

108

Okay.

109

And those rocks are found in Northern California or Hawaii and they hold the heat beautifully.

110

So you can heat the rocks in water.

111

Well, great work.

112

How did you do?

113

This was our beginner English conversation.

114

Next, we're going to take a look at an intermediate conversation.

115

But before we do, I want to tell you something.

116

If you enjoy this type of real English conversation lesson,

117

I want to invite you to join me in the Fearless Fluency Club,

118

which is just $5 for the first month if you join right now.

119

You'll practice understanding fast real English speakers,

120

just like Sarah and others you're about to see,

121

including over 45 other speakers.

122

And I will help you to break down those real life conversations in detail,

123

just like we're doing today with the conversation breakdown method.

124

I'll tell you a little bit more about that later,

125

but if you'd like to join me now,

126

you can click on the link in the description and I would love to be your teacher.

127

All right.

128

Are you ready to level up to the intermediate conversation?

129

You're about to meet James who knows a lot about martial arts.

130

I want you to listen to this conversation.

131

I will ask you a conversation question,

132

and then we'll break down some important details.

133

Are you ready?

134

Three, two, one.

135

completely different styles.

136

Sure, some people might think martial arts are similar,

137

but they're probably a lot different.

138

Right, and a lot of people think that Kung Fu is karate.

139

Everybody, oh, you know karate?

140

No, actually this is like Muay Thai, you know.

141

So different than that.

142

Right, there's always that karate thing.

143

Like when they came out with the new karate kid.

144

Oh, that's what everyone's familiar with.

145

That wasn't even karate that he learned,

146

that was Kung Fu that he was learning.

147

And experts know that.

148

They can pick that out.

149

Exactly. So...

150

Great job listening to this intermediate conversation clip with James.

151

Now I have a challenge question for you.

152

How did James pronounce this word?

153

Did he say karate?

154

Did he say karate?

155

Or did he say karate?

156

I want you to think about this for just a minute.

157

James said karate, karate.

158

That final T changed to a D sound.

159

This is exceedingly typical in American English.

160

When there is a T surrounded by vowel sounds,

161

it's going to change into a D sound, karate.

162

Let me give you a bunch of other examples so

163

that you can use this yourself and you can understand this in fast conversations.

164

I'll say each sentence one time and I want you to repeat it the second time with me.

165

Are you ready?

166

There's a little bottle of orange juice sitting on the counter.

167

All right, one more time.

168

There's a little bottle of orange juice sitting on the counter.

169

All right, one more sentence.

170

Listen to this sentence one time and then we'll practice it together.

171

Later, we'll buy enough water when we get to the city.

172

We have three words here.

173

Later, water, city.

174

All three of those words have that T in the middle,

175

change to a D.

176

This is a typical sound in American English.

177

And once you recognize that this is used a lot,

178

you'll be able to hear it when you're listening to fast English conversations.

179

And I bet you'll be able to use it yourself too.

180

So, let's practice our pronunciation.

181

I want you to say this sentence out loud with me right now.

182

Are you ready?

183

Later, we'll buy enough water when we get to the city.

184

Great work.

185

All right.

186

Now that you have listened to the clip,

187

you have answered a challenge question about the clip and we have talked a bit about the phrase.

188

Now it's time to review the clip.

189

Are you ready?

190

Open your listening ears.

191

Let's go.

192

Completely different styles.

193

Sure, some people might think martial arts are similar,

194

but there probably a lot of people think

195

that kung fu is karate everybody oh you know karate

196

and no actually this is like muay thai you know but

197

so different there's always right there's always that karate thing completely different styles sure some people might think martial arts

198

right but they're probably right and a lot of people think that kung fu is karate everybody oh Oh,

199

you know karate?

200

And no, actually this is like Muay Thai,

201

but- So different than that.

202

Right.

203

There's always that karate thing.

204

If you got that challenge pronunciation question correct,

205

congratulations, you have an intermediate listening level,

206

but are you ready to take it to the next level?

207

Our final level, advanced listening skills,

208

you're about to meet Bree,

209

who has a specific eating style that she follows.

210

She is vegan.

211

You're going to hear us talk about this briefly during our conversation.

212

I want you to listen carefully and then we'll talk about it together.

213

Let's listen in three, two, one.

214

Do you find that most of your friends are also vegans?

215

Are you just attracted to people who are also vegans?

216

I do have, I would say it's about 50-50,

217

but most of my friends aren't even vegan.

218

A lot of them are just vegetarian.

219

And that just happened by circumstance with my job.

220

Everybody that works at the coffee place,

221

all of us are vegetarian or vegan.

222

And it just happened.

223

I mean, I wasn't looking for it.

224

I got this job and they were,

225

but no, most of the people in my close circle,

226

like Heather, Liz, you guys,

227

none of you guys are even vegetarian.

228

Great job listening to this advanced conversation clip.

229

Here is my challenge question for you.

230

I asked Brie, are most of your friends vegan?

231

And she said this, which phrase did she use in her sentence?

232

I would say it's about,

233

but most of my friends aren't even vegan.

234

I want you to think about it.

235

She said, I would say it's about 50,

236

50, but most of my friends aren't even vegan.

237

So here she's talking about 50% of her friends are vegan or vegetarian of some sort,

238

but 50% are not at all.

239

Not only is this phrase 50-50 an excellent vocabulary phrase,

240

but it uses a pronunciation concept that we just talked about.

241

Do you remember that T changing to a D?

242

Fifty.

243

Fifty.

244

Do you hear that D at the end?

245

Oftentimes when we have TY,

246

it's going to sound like D,

247

just like the word 50 or party.

248

Fifty.

249

Let me give you a little personal example using this phrase 50-50,

250

sometimes my friends ask me,

251

Vanessa, do more men or women watch your YouTube channel?

252

And do you know what I tell them?

253

Well, actually it's about 50-50.

254

This means it's an even split.

255

There are almost exactly the same amount of men and women who learn English with me,

256

which I think is pretty cool.

257

So I could say it's about 50-50.

258

There are an equal number of men and women.

259

But to challenge you a little bit more,

260

let's take a look at a couple other numbers that use this D sound at the end.

261

Let's take a look at this sentence.

262

I'm going to invite 30 people to the dinner.

263

30. Can you say that with me?

264

30. Let's say the full sentence.

265

I'm going to invite 30 people to the dinner.

266

What about this sentence?

267

Last week, I went to a party that had 80 people.

268

Here we have two words,

269

party, which I briefly mentioned before, and 80.

270

Both of these words, 30 from before and 80 in this sentence,

271

plus 50, all end in that dy sound.

272

Let's try to this sentence together.

273

I want you to use your voice, speak out loud.

274

It's great to listen to me,

275

but it's more important that you speak and you hear your voice.

276

So try to say this sentence with me.

277

Last week I went to a party that had 80 people.

278

Great work.

279

All right.

280

Now that you have listened to the clip,

281

you have answered a challenge question about the clip and we have talked a bit about the phrase.

282

Now it's time to review the clip.

283

Are you ready?

284

Open your listening ears.

285

Let's go.

286

Do you find that most of your friends are also vegans?

287

Are you just attracted to people who are also vegans?

288

I would say it's about 50-50,

289

but most of my friends aren't even vegan.

290

A lot of them are just vegetarian.

291

And that just happened by circumstance with my job.

292

Do you find that most of your friends are also vegans?

293

Are you like just attracted to people who are also vegans?

294

I do have, I would say it's about 50-50,

295

but most of my friends aren't even vegan.

296

A lot of them are just vegetarian.

297

And that just happened by circumstance with my job.

298

If you got this vocabulary and pronunciation question correct from the conversation with Bri, congratulations.

299

You have an advanced English listening level.

300

And if you enjoyed today's lesson,

301

I want to invite you to join me and thousands of other motivated English learners in the Fearless Fluency Club.

302

My student Ildiko from Hungary said, this course is fantastic.

303

I like the most that you teach us real English.

304

My student Yuko from Japan said,

305

I think there is no other course which deals with the real conversations of ordinary people.

306

And my student Matija said,

307

the Fearless Fluency Club is just the best thing I have ever seen.

308

The good part is that you teach us real English,

309

which makes you the best English teacher ever.

310

Oh, thank you for your kind words.

311

So the Fearless Fluency Club has worked for Ildiko,

312

Yuko and Matija, but can it work for you?

313

Let's find out.

314

I want you to meet a special guest.

315

My student Shnejana joined the Fearless Fluency Club six months ago and has joined the speaking groups within the course community.

316

Let's see if her experience is similar to yours.

317

Let's watch.

318

I hope very happy to learn English with you and with other wonderful kind,

319

supportive people from this group.

320

And yes, I wanted to introduce myself.

321

My name is Snezhana and I'm from Belarus. And

322

I joined this group last year on the 1st of October

323

and at the end of October I started participating in Zoom meetings

324

that are organized by Phoi and Kaori and I really liked those meetings

325

because it is such a nice opportunity to talk to people

326

and for the first time it took guts to step out of my comfort zone

327

and start to participate in meetings like this

328

and it was a completely new experience for me to talk to people from different countries

329

and yes I really appreciate this opportunity that you provide for us.

330

I think that for a long time I was studying English in a passive way because I was just memorizing some words,

331

vocabulary, grammar rules, but I didn't practice it so much.

332

But now I decided to try to speak more and to improve my speaking skills.

333

So join me in the Fearless Fluency Club right now for a trial of only $5 for your first month.

334

Get started understanding fast English conversations and speaking real English.

335

So how can you join?

336

All you need to do is click on the link in

337

the description to join me in the Fearless Fluency Club for this discounted rate for a limited time.

338

And of course, don't forget to download today's special PDF worksheet,

339

which includes all of the conversations that you saw today,

340

plus a bonus 15 minutes of a conversation extended version plus a transcript

341

so that you can continue to test your listening skills.

342

This is the goal, to be able to understand fast English conversations.

343

So how can you get this PDF worksheet?

344

All you need to do is click on the link in the description,

345

enter your name and email address,

346

and voila, just like that,

347

the worksheet and extended listening bonus will land in your email inbox.

348

It is my gift to you.

349

Well, thank you so much for learning English with me,

350

and I'll see you again next Friday for a new lesson here on my YouTube channel.

351

Bye.

352

But wait, do you want more?

353

I recommend watching this video next where you will meet my neighbors and test your listening skills.

354

Can you understand our fast English conversation?

355

We're going to be talking about moving from the big city to the country.

356

And why would someone do that?

357

Well, I'll see you in that conversation to find out.

📺 Zelfde Kanaal

✨ Aanbevolen Video

283 zinnen

How To Speak FAST ENGLISH: A Step-By-Step CONVERSATION LESSON

Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students

73 zinnen

Listen & Shadow: Listening to English and SHADOWING

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

352 zinnen

Speak English With Me – Stop Translating & Speak Instantly | Day 3 | English Speaking Practice

Interview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

201 zinnen

English Reading with Connected Speech 📖 Vocabulary and Native Pronunciation Practice

Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students

456 zinnen

Improve Your English Listening Skills IN 30 MINUTES!

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

31 zinnen

Slow English Podcast | My English community

Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students

287 zinnen

Not so fast | Learn English with real-life stories | Bonus 133

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

210 zinnen

Can You Understand This Video In English?

Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students

Why You Cannot Understand Native Speakers Even When You Know The Words

3,222

19 zinnen

Why You Cannot Understand Native Speakers Even When You Know The Words

Daily ConversationWorking Adults

1087 zinnen

How to Improve Your English Speaking VERY FAST | Speak English Fluently & Confidently

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les

Deze spreekles op niveau B2 is gebaseerd op de video “Understand FAST English Conversation”. Deze woorden komen het vaakst terug: conversation, English, listening, karate, vegan. Deze video bevat 357 zinnen en 2946 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 19:28. De spreker praat in een natuurlijk tempo van ongeveer 151 woorden per minuut, dicht bij een alledaags gesprek. 84% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden; de rest kun je beter vooraf bekijken.

Belangrijke woorden in deze video

De 15 moeilijkste woorden uit de video, met uitspraak en betekenis:

Woord	Uitspraak	Betekenis
vegan zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈviːɡən/	veganist, veganiste
massage zelfstandig naamwoord	/məˈsɑ(d)ʒ/	massage
basalt zelfstandig naamwoord	/bəˈsɔlt/	basalt
vegetarian zelfstandig naamwoord	/vɛ.d͡ʒɪˈtɛ.ɹi.ən/	vegetariër
beautifully bijwoord	/ˈbju.tɪ.fə.li/	mooi
intermediate bijvoeglijk naamwoord	/ɪn.tə(ɹ)ˈmi.di.ət/	middelmatig
subtitle zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈsʌbtaɪtəl/	ondertiteling, ondertitel
pronunciation zelfstandig naamwoord	/pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/	uitspraak
circumstance zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈsɝ.kəmˌstæns/	omstandigheid
vocabulary zelfstandig naamwoord	/vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/	woordenschat, vocabulaire
voilà	/(v)wɑˈlɑ/	voilà
inbox zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈɪnbɑks/	postvak
beginner zelfstandig naamwoord	/bəˈɡɪnɚ/	beginneling, beginnelinge
breakdown zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈbɹeɪkˌdaʊn/	defect, mankement
icicle zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈʌɪsəkəl/	pegel, ijspegel

Phrasal verbs die je zult horen

Woord	Betekenis
break down werkwoord	stukgaan, kapot gaan
find out werkwoord	ontdekken, onderzoeken
speak out werkwoord	zich uitspreken

Zinnen om te herhalen

Korte, volledige zinnen uit de video die je in alledaagse gesprekken kunt gebruiken:

Do you know if your listening skills are beginner, intermediate, or advanced?
How can you get this free worksheet plus bonus listening conversation?
Did you catch all that?
Everybody, oh, you know karate?
Can you say that with me?

Grammatica in deze video

De structuren die de spreker het meest gebruikt, met de exacte woorden uit de video:

Structuur	In de video
Present perfect have/has + voltooid deelwoord — iets uit het verleden dat nu nog telt	have created · have listened · have answered
Lijdende vorm be + voltooid deelwoord — het gaat om wat er gebeurt, niet om wie het doet	was said · are found · be massaged
Betrekkelijke bijzinnen who / which + zin — extra informatie over een persoon of ding	people who are · women who learn

Uitspraak om op te letten

De spreker gebruikt 49 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals you're, aren't, I'll. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.

De klanken “sh” en “zh”: massage /məˈsɑ(d)ʒ/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, martial /ˈmɑɹʃəl/
Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: vegetarian /vɛ.d͡ʒɪˈtɛ.ɹi.ən/, beautifully /ˈbju.tɪ.fə.li/, intermediate /ɪn.tə(ɹ)ˈmi.di.ət/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/

Klanken die Nederlandstaligen lastig vinden:

Stemhebbende eindmedeklinker — /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, /v/ niet verscherpen: massage /məˈsɑ(d)ʒ/, memorize /ˈmɛm.əˌɹaɪ̯z/, oftentimes /ˈɔf.ənˌtaɪmz/, surround /səˈɹaʊnd/, blend /blɛnd/
/æ/ — opener dan de Nederlandse “e”: circumstance /ˈsɝ.kəmˌstæns/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, transcript /ˈtɹæn.skɹɪpt/, passive /ˈpæs.ɪv/, grammar /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/
/g/ — een harde plofklank, geen Nederlandse “g”: vegan /ˈviːɡən/, beginner /bəˈɡɪnɚ/, guts /ɡʌts/, organize /ˈɔɹɡənaɪz/, grammar /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/

Zo oefen je met deze video

Luister de hele video één keer zonder te spreken en noteer de woorden die je niet kent.
Begin op 0,75× snelheid, spreek zin voor zin na en ga terug naar normale snelheid zodra het makkelijk gaat.
Neem jezelf op en vergelijk met het origineel; let daarbij op woorden als vegan, massage, basalt.

Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?

Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.

Shadowing-techniek: lees de volledige stap-voor-stap-gids →

Shadowing Practice: Understand FAST English Conversation - Learn English Speaking with Video

"What time is it?": A Simple Answer #Shorts

How to Talk About Movies and TV Shows in English

Make the Bed With Me in English

50 Important English TRAVEL Phrases

Speak With Me: English Speaking Practice

English Conversation Lesson: Learn 3 advanced expressions

Speak With Me: Real Life English Conversation

You know the words but you can't SPEAK

England VS America: Ten Items That Have Different Names

English SPEAKING Practice: 10 Conversations for Daily Life

How to Give Directions in English: Advanced English Lesson

3 Essential ADVANCED English Verbs that you don't know

I use these words every day: Daily English Vocabulary

Top 15 Tongue Twisters in English: Advanced Pronunciation Lesson

5 Secrets to Having an American English Accent: Advanced Pronunciation Lesson

Talk about HOBBIES Fluently in English

Understand FAST English: Advanced Listening Practice

Speak With Me: English Speaking Practice

2 Tips For Improving Your *Listening* Skills

Order PIZZA in English: Daily Life English Lesson

How To Speak FAST ENGLISH: A Step-By-Step CONVERSATION LESSON

Listen & Shadow: Listening to English and SHADOWING

Speak English With Me – Stop Translating & Speak Instantly | Day 3 | English Speaking Practice

English Reading with Connected Speech 📖 Vocabulary and Native Pronunciation Practice

Improve Your English Listening Skills IN 30 MINUTES!

Slow English Podcast | My English community

Not so fast | Learn English with real-life stories | Bonus 133

Can You Understand This Video In English?

Why You Cannot Understand Native Speakers Even When You Know The Words

How to Improve Your English Speaking VERY FAST | Speak English Fluently & Confidently

Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les

Belangrijke woorden in deze video

Phrasal verbs die je zult horen

Zinnen om te herhalen

Grammatica in deze video

Uitspraak om op te letten

Zo oefen je met deze video

Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?

2 Tips For Improving Your Listening Skills