Shadowing Practice: 02 A Great Idea - Tuning in the USA - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Maxwell McMillan presents Tuning In The USA.
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Maxwell McMillan presents Tuning In The USA.
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Today on Tuning In The USA, we're in New York City at the office of the American Toymakers Association.
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Association.
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Susan Stewart has a meeting with Mr. Martinez, the president of the association.
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She tells him about her new idea.
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She wants to start a program to give toys to children in hospitals.
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But she needs help.
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She wants toy companies to give the toys.
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Maybe Mr. Martinez will offer Susan his help.
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National Toymakers Association.
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May I help you?
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One moment, please.
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There's a call for Mr. Donoghue on line one.
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Hello, may I help you?
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Good morning.
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Yes, my name is Susan Stewart, and I'm here to see Mr. Martinez.
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I see you have an 1130 appointment.
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I'm a little early.
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Please have a seat.
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I'll call him.
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He may be able to see you now.
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Susan Stewart is here to see you.
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Fine.
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I'll send her in.
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He'll see you now.
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His office is the first door on the left.
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Thank you.
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Hello, it's me.
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Come in, come in, Susan.
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It's good to see you again.
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Please sit down.
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I'm glad you had time to see me.
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For you, I always have time.
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What can I do for you?
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Well, I have a marvelous idea.
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I want you to hear about it.
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Oh?
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Yes.
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There are thousands of children in hospitals across the country.
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Some of them are very sick, and they are spending months indoors and in bed.
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Oh, I know about children in hospitals.
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From your own experience?
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Yes.
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My nephew was in the hospital with cancer.
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He was five years old.
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Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that.
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Oh he's better now, thank goodness.
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But the poor child spent eight months in bed.
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And his uncle brought toys to him, right?
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Yes, and he loved them.
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They were his friends, his world, his life.
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Then you're going to love my plan.
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I want to ask toy companies to give toys to hospitals.
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Do you think the manufacturers will want to help?
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Yes, I think so.
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It's good publicity.
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And of course, everyone loves children.
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You know, it might work.
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But who's going to organize the program?
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I am.
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I'll contact all the children's hospitals in the country, and my volunteer helper will contact all the toy manufacturers.
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That's a lot of work.
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I have a computer, and I hope to have a very good helper, a very important powerful, intelligent man.
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Also very busy.
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Oh, remember your little nephew.
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Yes, of course.
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I'll gladly help.
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Great!
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Now, how about letting me buy you lunch?
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Well, since you're buying.
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I'm hungry.
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Let's go.
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Let's study for a minute.
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How do you introduce yourself in an office?
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Listen to this again.
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Hello, may I help you?
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My name is Susan Stewart, and I'm here to see Mr. Martinez.
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Listen to Susan one more time.
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My name is Susan Stewart and I'm here to see Mr. Martinez.
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Okay, let's say you come to see me.
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My name is Mr. Lee.
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First you see my secretary and she says, Hello, may I help you?
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What do you say?
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My name is My name is...
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And I'm here to see Mr. Lee.
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Right!
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That's one way to introduce yourself in an office.
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Bye now.
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And now, act two.
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This time on Tuning In the USA, we join Susan Stewart at Riverdale Hospital.
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Her father, Dr. Philip Stewart, works there as a children's doctor, a pediatrician.
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Susan tells her father and his young patient, Jimmy, about her new idea, giving toys to children in hospitals.
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She's excited because Mr. Martinez, the president of the American Toymakers Association, is going to help her Dr. Stewart loves her idea, and he offers some helpful suggestions
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Excuse me, nurse?
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May I help you?
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I'm looking for my father Dr. Stewart.
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He's down the hall in room 202.
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Hello, may I come in?
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Susan, of course, come in.
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Meet Jimmy Kronsky.
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Hello, Jimmy.
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How are you today?
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Fine.
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Well, you don't sound very happy.
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After three weeks in this bed, he is, well, a little unhappy.
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Why is he here?
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Nothing serious, I hope.
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No, not really.
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A broken leg with some minor problems, but he's okay.
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Next week, he's going home.
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Right, Jimmy?
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I hope so.
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Do you like tigers, Jimmy?
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Yes, I do.
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I love to see them at the zoo.
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Well, I have one here for you.
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And this one doesn't bite.
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Wow, a toy tiger?
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Thank you.
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Oh, it's my pleasure.
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How nice, Susan.
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Where did you get it?
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I had a wonderful meeting with the president of the American Toymakers Association, Mr. Martinez.
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And he gave you this stuffed animal?
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Dad, he gave me a thousand stuffed animals.
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A thousand?
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Wow.
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We're working together on a marvelous project.
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Oh?
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We're asking toy manufacturers to give toys to children in hospitals.
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Like me.
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Right.
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But I have a problem.
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A problem?
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I have to contact all the children's hospitals in the country.
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Hundreds of them.
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I can't call them all on the telephone, and I'm afraid that letters will go to the wrong people.
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Is that all?
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No. We also need to find volunteers to distribute the toys.
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We can give the toys to them, and they can give them to the children.
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Well, I have an idea.
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Send a letter to our professional magazine, American Hospital magazine.
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Explain your idea.
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Tell them you need local volunteers.
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Maybe they'll write a short article with your name, address, and phone number.
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Perfect.
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Thanks for the great idea.
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Don't mention it.
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The great idea was yours.
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I'm just trying to help.
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In fact, I'd like to help by organizing the program here at Riverdale Hospital.
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What about me?
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I want to help too.
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Okay, you can be my assistant.
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Wow!
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And you're the best dad in the world.
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What do you say when someone says thank you?
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Today we're going to look at different things we can say.
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Listen to Jimmy and Susan again.
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Wow, a toy tiger.
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Thank you.
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Oh, it's my pleasure.
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Susan said, it's my pleasure.
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More often we say, you're welcome.
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Thank you.
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You're welcome.
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There are many other things we can say, but you're welcome is the most common.
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now you try it thank you you're welcome and here's something a
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little different thank you very much you're very welcome thank you for listening you're very welcome bye now
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We hope you'll join us next time on Maxwell MacMillan's Tuning In the USA.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging with the video "A Great Idea - Tuning in the USA" presents an excellent opportunity for English learners to practice speaking in a realistic context. The conversation between Susan Stewart and Mr. Martinez focuses on a charitable initiative for children in hospitals, highlighting not only the importance of community support but also the nuances of persuasive communication. By practicing with this material, you can enhance your speaking skills while discussing meaningful topics.

Utilizing the shadowing technique with this video allows learners to mimic native pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation, which is particularly beneficial for those preparing for the IELTS speaking practice. This interactive method encourages active participation, helping learners gain confidence in speaking while expressing complex ideas.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Within this dialogue, several key structures stand out:

  • Requesting assistance: “I want you to hear about it.” This structure demonstrates how to confidently present an idea or request help, an essential skill in both personal and professional settings.
  • Descriptive phrases: “There are thousands of children in hospitals across the country.” This example showcases how to convey statistical information effectively, which is critical in persuasive speaking.
  • Expressing empathy: “Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that.” Understanding how to express feelings appropriately strengthens conversational skills and builds rapport.

By practicing these structures, English learners can enhance their ability to communicate more effectively and empathetically.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While shadowing this video, pay attention to some tricky words and accents that can be challenging for non-native speakers:

  • “Hospital” - Focus on the syllable stress: “hos-PIT-al.” Misplacing the stress can hinder clarity.
  • “Appointment” - It is pronounced as “ap-POINT-ment.” The emphasis on the second syllable is crucial for proper articulation.
  • “Marvellous” - In American English, the pronunciation often simplifies to “MAR-vel-ous,” which may differ from British English on the vowel sounds.

Practicing these words in the context of their conversation will significantly improve your English pronunciation and ensure that you sound clear and confident while speaking.

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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