Shadowing Practice: 01 Happy Birthday | Tuning in the USA | Speaking American Accent - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
B1
Song in Greece, don't forget to subscribe, like, and comment.
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Song in Greece, don't forget to subscribe, like, and comment.
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Welcome to Tuning in the USA.
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Today, we're in Riverdale, New York,
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at the home of the Stewart family.
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The Stewarts are having a birthday party for Richard,
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one of the three Stewart children.
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Today is Richard's 30th birthday.
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Richard's mother, Ellen, his wife,
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Marilyn, and his brother, Robbie, are all there.
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His grandfather is there, too.
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There is a cake, there is singing,
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and there are presents, including an unusual present from Richard's grandfather.
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Happy birthday to you!
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Happy birthday to you!
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Happy birthday, dear Richard!
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Happy birthday to you!
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Thanks, everybody.
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Hey, I'm hungry, Richard.
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Let's cut the cake.
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Hold on a minute, Robbie.
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Maybe we should wait for Dad to get home.
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What do you think, Mom?
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Oh, Richard, you know your father.
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He may stay late at the hospital.
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Ah, the life of a busy doctor.
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Go ahead.
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Cut the cake.
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Sure, Richard.
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We can save a piece for Dad.
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So, Richard, how does it feel to be 30 years old?
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Some of us can't remember.
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I'll be honest, Grandpa.
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Being 30 feels the same as 29.
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Well, maybe better.
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Listen to an old timer.
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It gets better and better.
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Your grandfather is right.
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It does get better.
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Look, you have an exciting photography project ahead.
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And I have Marilyn, my beautiful wife.
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And she makes great birthday cake.
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It's a chocolate cake, your favorite.
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Hello, I'm home.
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Hello.
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Am I in time?
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Yes.
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Just in time.
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Hi, Ellen.
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Perfect timing, Philip.
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We're cutting this beautiful chocolate cake.
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Sorry I'm late, Richard.
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There was a lot to do at the hospital.
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Oh, come on, Dad.
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We're just glad you made it.
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Of course I made it.
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Our son only turns 30 years old once.
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Hey, that is a beautiful cake.
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Here you go, Dad.
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A big piece.
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Mmm.
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This tastes great.
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Wow, who made this?
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The wife of the birthday boy.
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Marilyn?
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Thank you, Philip.
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I think it's time to give Richard his birthday presents.
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May I begin?
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Of course.
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Sure.
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Richard, soon you will be traveling around America.
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You'll have lots of time alone.
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And I think you will love this.
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A harmonica?
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Thanks, Grandpa, but I don't really know how to play the harmonica.
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No?
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Well, let me show you.
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Happy birthday, dear Richard.
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Happy birthday to you.
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So, it's Richard's birthday.
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How old is Richard today?
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Listen.
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So, Richard, how does it feel to be 30 years old?
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Some of us can't remember.
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I'll be honest, Grandpa.
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Being 30 feels the same as 29.
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Well, maybe better.
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And listen to this.
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I'm sorry I'm late, Richard.
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There was a lot to do at the hospital.
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Oh, come on, Dad.
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We're just glad you made it.
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Of course I made it.
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A son only turns 30 years old once.
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So, Richard is 30 years old.
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I'll talk to you again soon.
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And now, Act Two.
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This time on Tuning In the USA,
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we join the Stewart family again at Richard's 30th birthday party.
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In our last story, Grandpa Stewart gave Richard the gift of a harmonica.
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And as this story begins,
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Grandpa is teaching Richard to play it.
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During the party, another member of the family calls from Chicago.
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And after the phone call,
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Richard's wife, Marilyn, gives him another special present.
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That sounds great, Grandpa.
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May I try?
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Of course you can try it, Richard.
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It's your harmonica.
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Go ahead, honey.
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Give it a try.
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Yes.
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Go on.
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Here goes.
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Thanks for the help on the piano, Mom.
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I need time to practice.
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Lots of time, I'd say.
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All right, Robbie.
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He'll soon learn to play well.
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We Stuarts have a good ear for music.
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And, Richard, you will have a lot of practice time on the road.
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If you say so, Mom.
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You're the music teacher.
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Where are you going on your trip, Richard?
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Do you know yet?
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Not exactly.
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My book will need photographs from all over the United States.
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But America is a big country.
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Where will you start?
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I'm going south.
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Telephone.
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I'll get it.
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It's probably your sister, Susan.
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Hello?
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Happy birthday, big brother.
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Hey, thanks, Susan.
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Where are you?
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I'm in Chicago at the Toymakers Convention.
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Are you having fun?
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Yes, it's really exciting.
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I have a great new idea.
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I can't wait to tell the family about it.
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I'll be back on Sunday.
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I won't see you.
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I'm leaving on Saturday.
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Oh, too bad.
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But that's exciting.
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Have a really great trip.
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I will.
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Thanks.
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Happy birthday and send my love to everyone.
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Okay.
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Bye, Susan.
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Susan sends her love to everyone.
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She sounds great.
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All excited about some new idea.
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Hey, I'm excited about something, too.
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I've got a present for you.
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Since I can't go on this trip with you,
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I want you to be my eyes and my ears.
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Here.
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Go on, honey.
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Open it up.
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Okay.
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I wonder.
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What is it?
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Look.
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It's a tape recorder.
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Great.
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I can send back sounds to you for my trip.
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May I see it?
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Sure, Rob.
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Hey, there's a cassette tape in here.
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What's on it?
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Let's see.
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No, no, no, no, no,
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no, no, no, no. Hi, honey.
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This is Marilyn.
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I just want you to know that I love you, Richard.
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Good night.
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Let's study these words.
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Go ahead, go on.
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In other words, do it now.
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Now, listen to this again.
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That sounds great, Grandpa.
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May I try?
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Go ahead, honey.
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Yes.
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Go on.
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Go ahead, go on.
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And listen to this again.
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Go on, honey.
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Open it up.
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Go ahead.
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Go on.
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Okay, here's another example.
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You're in a swimming pool.
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Your friend doesn't want to jump in.
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What do you say?
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Go ahead.
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Go on.
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Jump.
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Today, we studied the words go ahead and go on.
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Bye for now.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will learn English with YouTube by immersing yourself in a lively birthday celebration featuring the Stewart family. You will practice speaking and listening skills as you follow Richard’s 30th birthday party. The dialogue captures the nuances of American conversation, including family interactions, expressions of excitement, and the typical atmosphere of a festive occasion. As you engage with this content, you will enhance your pronunciation and familiarity with everyday English phrases.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Birthday party - A celebration of someone's birthday.
- Cut the cake - To slice the birthday cake for serving.
- Perfect timing - An expression used when someone arrives at exactly the right moment.
- Grandfather - The father of one's parent.
- Exciting photography project - A creative task involving taking photographs.
- Chocolate cake - A popular sweet dessert made with chocolate.
- Busy doctor - A term used to describe a doctor who has a lot of work or patients.
- Happy birthday - A traditional greeting offered to someone on their birthday.
Practice Tips
To effectively practice shadow speaking with this video, follow these tips:
- Listen Actively: Start by watching the video without repeating. Pay attention to the tone, speed, and intonation used by the speakers.
- Shadowing Technique: After watching, play the video again and try shadowing the speech. Mimic the speakers' pronunciation and rhythm; this will help improve your American accent.
- Pause and Repeat: Use a shadowing site or tool to pause after each line or key phrase. Repeat what you hear, focusing on accuracy.
- Record Yourself: Record your shadow speech, and then listen back to compare your pronunciation with that of the speakers. This self-assessment will guide you on areas to improve.
- Practice Regularly: Incorporating phrases like "cut the cake" and "perfect timing" into your daily conversations will help solidify your understanding and fluency.
By engaging in shadowspeak exercises with this video, you’ll not only enhance your speaking skills but also gain cultural insights into ordinary American life, making your English learning experience richer and more enjoyable.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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