Shadowing Practice: 10 Minutes Shadowing Practice | Speak English Fluently (A2-B1) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hello, my friends.
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Welcome back to English Unlocked, the fluency podcast.
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I'm Adam and I'm happy you are here.
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Today, we will do a short English shadowing practice.
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This lesson is about daily life.
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You will practice speaking about your day in natural English.
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This is perfect if you are busy.
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You do not need one hour.
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You just need about 10 minutes.
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Listen to each sentence.
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Then repeat after me.
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Try to copy my rhythm.
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Try to copy the feeling.
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Do not only listen in your head.
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Open your mouth and speak out loud.
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Some sentences will be easy.
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Some sentences will be a little longer.
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That is good.
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We will start simple, and then we will speak more naturally.
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Are you ready?
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Let's begin.
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Part 1.
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Morning Shadowing Practice Every day starts with a new morning.
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When I wake up, I try not to rush right away.
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Now, repeat, when I wake up, I try not to rush right away.
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Very good.
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I give myself a few minutes to wake up properly.
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Repeat, I give myself a few minutes to wake up properly.
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Good.
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Sometimes I feel tired, but I still get out of bed.
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Repeat.
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Sometimes I feel tired, but I still get out of bed.
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Excellent.
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I open the curtains and let the morning light in.
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Repeat.
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I open the curtains and let the morning light in.
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Very good.
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I check the time, but I try not to spend too long on my phone.
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Repeat.
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I check the time, but I try not to spend too long on my phone.
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Good.
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I drink some water before I make coffee.
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Repeat.
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I drink some water before I make coffee.
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Great.
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I get ready for the day step by step.
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Repeat.
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I get ready for the day step by step.
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Excellent.
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I brush my teeth, wash my face, and choose what to wear.
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Repeat.
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I brush my teeth, wash my face, and choose what to wear.
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Very good.
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If I have time, I eat something simple for breakfast.
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Repeat.
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If I have time, I eat something simple for breakfast.
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Good!
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If I am running late, I grab something quick and leave.
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Repeat!
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If I am running late, I grab something quick and leave.
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Great!
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Running late means you do not have enough time, and you may be late.
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Repeat this sentence.
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I'm running late so I need to leave now.
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Excellent!
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Before I leave, I check that I have my phone, keys, and wallet.
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Repeat!
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Before I leave, I check that I have my phone, keys, and wallet.
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Very good!
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Then I take a deep breath and start my day.
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Repeat.
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Then I take a deep breath and start my day.
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Wonderful.
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Part 2.
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Work, Study, and Daily Tasks Now,
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let's practice sentences about work, study, and daily tasks.
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Repeat after me.
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When I arrive at work, I try to organize my thoughts.
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Repeat.
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When I arrive at work, I try to organize my thoughts.
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Good.
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I look at my schedule and decide what to do first.
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Repeat.
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I look at my schedule and decide what to do first.
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Excellent.
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I usually start with the most important task.
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Repeat.
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I usually start with the most important task.
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Very good.
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Sometimes I have too many things to do at once.
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Repeat.
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Sometimes I have too many things to do at once.
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Good.
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When that happens, I slow down and make a short list.
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Repeat.
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When that happens, I slow down and make a short list.
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Great.
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A list helps me stay focused.
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Repeat.
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A list helps me stay focused.
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Very good.
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Stay focused means to keep your attention on one thing.
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Repeat.
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I try to stay focused, even when I feel tired.
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Excellent.
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During the day, I answer messages and emails.
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Repeat, during the day, I answer messages and emails.
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Good.
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Sometimes, I need to ask someone for more information.
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Repeat, sometimes I need to ask someone for more information.
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Very good.
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If I do not understand something, I ask a clear question.
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Repeat.
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If I do not understand something, I ask a clear question.
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Excellent.
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I can say, Could you explain that again?
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Repeat.
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Could you explain that again?
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Good.
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I can also say, I didn't catch the last part.
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Repeat.
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I didn't catch the last part.
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Very good.
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I didn't catch means I did not hear or understand clearly.
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Sorry, I didn't catch the last part.
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Excellent.
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Around lunchtime, I take a break and try to relax.
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Around lunchtime, I take a break and try to relax.
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Good.
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Some days I bring lunch from home.
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Some days I bring lunch from home.
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Very good.
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Other days, I eat something quick nearby.
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Repeat.
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Other days, I eat something quick nearby.
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Great.
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After lunch, I sometimes feel a little sleepy.
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Repeat.
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After lunch, I sometimes feel a little sleepy.
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Good.
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So, I walk for a few minutes to clear my mind.
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So, I walk for a few minutes to clear my mind.
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Excellent!
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Clear my mind means to feel calmer and think better.
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A short walk helps me clear my mind.
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Very good!
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In the afternoon, I try to finish one task at a time.
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Repeat.
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In the afternoon, I try to finish one task at a time.
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Good!
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I remind myself that I do not need to do everything perfectly.
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Repeat.
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I remind myself that I do not need to do everything perfectly.
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Excellent!
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I just need to keep going and make progress.
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Repeat.
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I just need to keep going and make progress.
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Wonderful.
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Part 3.
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Evening Shadowing Practice Now, let's talk about the evening.
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Repeat after me.
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When the day is almost finished, I start to slow down.
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Very good.
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I check what I completed and what I still need to do.
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Repeat.
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I check what I completed and what I still need to do.
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Good.
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If something is not finished, I plan to do it tomorrow.
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Repeat.
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If something is not finished, I plan to do it tomorrow.
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Excellent.
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After work or study, I like to have some quiet time.
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Repeat.
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After work or study, I like to have some quiet time.
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Very good.
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When I get home, I just want to relax for a while.
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Repeat.
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When I get home, I just want to relax for a while.
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Good.
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Sometimes I cook dinner.
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Repeat.
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Sometimes I cook dinner.
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Great.
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Sometimes, I eat something simple because I feel tired.
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Repeat.
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Sometimes, I eat something simple because I feel tired.
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Very good.
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I try not to use my phone too much at night.
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Repeat.
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I try not to use my phone too much at night.
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Excellent.
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Instead, I listen to something calm or read a little.
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Repeat.
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Instead, I listen to something calm or read a little.
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Good.
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Before I sleep, I think about my day.
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Repeat.
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Before I sleep, I think about my day.
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Very good.
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I ask myself, what went well today?
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Repeat, what went well today?
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Excellent!
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I also ask myself, what can I do better tomorrow?
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Repeat, what can I do better tomorrow?
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Great!
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This helps me learn from the day.
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Repeat, this helps me learn from the day.
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Very good!
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Then, I get ready for bed and try to sleep on time.
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Repeat, then I get ready for bed and try to sleep on time.
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Wonderful.
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Final shadowing challenge.
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Now, let's put everything together.
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Repeat this short paragraph after me.
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I wake up and start my day slowly.
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I get ready step by step.
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I try to stay focused during the day.
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When I feel tired, I take a short break.
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If I do not understand something, I ask a clear question.
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I keep going and I keep making progress.
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In the evening, I slow down and relax.
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Before I sleep, I think about my day.
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Tomorrow, I will try again.
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Excellent work!
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You just practiced speaking about a full day in English.
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This was not only listening, this was speaking practice.
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Your mouth practiced useful sentences.
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Your brain heard natural English patterns.
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Your confidence became a little stronger.
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Before you go, tell me in the comments which sentence was useful for you today.
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For example, I try to stay focused.
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Or, a short walk helps me clear my mind.
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Or, I keep going and make progress.
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Write one sentence in the comments.
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Thank you for practicing with me today.
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This is English Unlocked, the fluency podcast.
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I'm Adam.
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Keep listening.
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Keep repeating.
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Keep speaking.
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Keep believing in yourself.
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And keep unlocking your English fluency.
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See you in the next lesson.
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Bye for now.
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Thank you.

Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging in shadow speech through this video is an effective way to enhance your spoken English skills in a busy lifestyle. The shadowing technique allows you to mimic the natural rhythms and tones of the English language, improving your fluency and pronunciation. By dedicating just 10 minutes, as suggested in the video, you can effortlessly fit this practice into your daily routine. It's especially beneficial for learners at the A2-B1 levels, as it helps you respond to real-life situations and conversations, integrating vocabulary that relates to daily life.

Moreover, the context of discussing morning routines is universal and relatable, making it easier to remember and use the phrases you learn. By practicing out loud and incorporating your own experiences, you'll find yourself speaking more confidently in everyday conversations.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The video introduces several practical structures that are essential for conversational English:

  • Present Simple Tense: "I wake up," "I drink some water." This tense is used for habitual actions, making it ideal for expressing daily routines.
  • Time Clauses: "When I wake up." This structure helps to connect actions and indicate when something happens.
  • Conjunction 'but': "Sometimes I feel tired, but I still get out of bed." This contrastive conjunction shows how to express conflicting feelings or actions, an important skill for nuanced communication.
  • Step-by-step actions: "I get ready for the day step by step." This phrase emphasizes the process of completing tasks one after another, a useful expression for summarizing activities.

These structures are not just crucial grammar points; they also enable you to convey thoughts clearly in conversation, making you sound more fluent.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While practicing with the video, pay attention to words and phrases that may pose pronunciation challenges:

  • “Tired”: The emphasis should be on the second syllable, which can often be mispronounced as "tiered."
  • “Curtains”: Some learners mispronounce this as "curtins." Ensure you pronounce both syllables clearly.
  • “Routine”: Pay attention to the pronunciation; many learners tend to drop syllables, saying it more like "rootin." It's important to articulate each part of the word.

By actively focusing on these tricky pronunciations, you can improve your overall accent and ensure clearer communication. Incorporate shadowing practice into your learning routine, and consider using a shadowing app to further refine your skills. Utilizing resources like learn English with YouTube offers diverse variations of English that can enrich your language learning experience.

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.