Shadowing Practice: 2623 - Whatever Happens, You Should Be Using This Vocabulary! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hey there, Aubrey.
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What are you doing this weekend?
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Well, I haven't been to the movies in ages.
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So whatever happens, I want to see a movie.
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Oh, I just went to the movies on Friday.
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Oh, what'd you see?
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I saw that movie Send Help.
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Oh, I haven't even heard of it.
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It was interesting.
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It was a little crazy.
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Would not recommend Zero Stars.
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I feel like there are not a ton of great movies out right now.
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There's a new one, but by the time this comes out, it'll be old anyway.
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But yeah, it's true.
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We're having a bit of a drought on amazing movies that are worth going to the theater for.
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I can wait for streaming.
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But I love going to the theater.
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So I'll go to an average movie just to go to the theater.
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I agree.
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Well, this episode today, you'll notice I said, whatever happens, I want to see a movie.
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We're talking about that phrase and some other ways to say that.
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And this was inspired by something one of our students, Jennifer, posted in the Allers English community.
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She said, you are safe happen to happen.
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And then she said in Spanish, it's pase lo que pase.
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She said, how do you say this in English?
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I'm like, that's going to be a great episode.
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Yep.
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Yep.
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I'm so excited to get into this and kind of what it means, what it means for connection.
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But first we have to take a minute to recognize
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and call out those that went and left us a review or a rating.
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Wherever you listen today, we're looking at our Spotify listeners, right?
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So first of all, Tony Sousa said, hi, Lindsay and Michelle.
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My name is Tony Sousa.
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I'm from Angola.
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Without a doubt, discovering your podcast has been one of the best things that's ever happened to me.
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I've learned so much from you both.
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That is amazing.
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That is amazing.
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Thank you, Tony.
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And everyone else who has left these amazing comments on Spotify, we read them.
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They make our day.
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We really appreciate it.
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Yeah.
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Huge thank you to Saddam Maud,
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Satomi Parisan, Vlad Armstrong, and Orens Rowe were some of the reviewers and commenters just recently in Spotify.
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So thanks guys.
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If you want to have your name announced out loud on the show, leave us a rating and a review wherever you listen.
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Okay.
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Yes.
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Awesome.
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So we are going to dive into these phrases.
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There are a few ways we say this in English.
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In Spanish, it's pase lo que pase.
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The most common one is just whatever happens is what this means like regardless of anything
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that might happen in the future yes exactly whatever happens right
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or whatever happens happens I guess too don't we sometimes add you could just say
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that by itself like whatever happens happens but we'll also use
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that in a phrase like for example whatever happens tomorrow I'm proud of you for trying yeah
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or we'll stay friends whatever happens exactly yeah so the direct translation of
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that pase lo que es just whatever happens happens we will often use this latin phrase too que sera sera
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which means the same thing we'll hear it in music
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sometimes it means the exact same thing yeah for sure um
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but you're saying we use it in english we take the spanish
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and we use it in english
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sometimes right is what you mean yeah well is oh i guess that's spanish i was thinking it was latin
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but i think it is spanish to say que sera sera que sera sera might be
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because i but then it's pase lo que pase they maybe it's just two ways of saying
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that listeners write in tell us is that latin or spanish
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or both maybe it's the same in latin
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and spanish maybe it's the same
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but in english there are other things
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you could say like no matter what happens this basically has the same meaning it's a little bit stronger more definite
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um than whatever happens it's used to emphasize a true commitment you know you are committed to this person, this scenario, whatever it is,
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we're not giving up no matter what happens.
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I'm imagining like a survival situation, right?
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Exactly.
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Yeah.
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Right.
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And I'm realizing, I'm like, is that French?
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Because it would be que sera, sera means will be.
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So, but with that accent, the way we say que sera, sera is not very French. So interesting.
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I'm curious now, but yeah.
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So our second way, very similar, no matter what happens, you could say we're not giving up no matter what happens,
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or no matter what happens with the job interview, let's celebrate tonight.
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Yes.
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Love it.
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And then come what may.
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Now this one's a little more rare.
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I think it's more formal, more poetic, more dramatic.
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You might hear it in a Broadway play or a poem or something.
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Song maybe.
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Exactly.
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It's less common.
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I did.
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It's interesting.
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I was able to use it in the role play and I think it makes sense.
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I think sometimes we do use it in casual conversations, but it is more rare.
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And we sort of intentionally use it to be more dramatic or a little more poetic with our speech.
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Yeah.
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For example, we'll move to the city and start fresh come what may.
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Or she decided to speak her truth come what may.
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Yes.
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Love it.
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Hey, quick question.
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Do you want to feel more confident when you speak English?
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If so, we made a free guide for you.
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It'll help you avoid those common mistakes.
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and start speaking more naturally in real conversations.
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Go grab it in the description below.
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And if this is helpful for you, make sure that you like and subscribe.
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We're here five times a week to help you connect in English.
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All right.
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So let's see how these all fit into a nice, tidy role play, Aubrey.
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So here, what's the scenario?
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All right.
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You and I are friends and it's the night before you move out of the country.
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So you've got a big life change happening and I'm probably sad that my friend is leaving the country.
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So these kind of conversations also remind me of leaving for college conversations, right?
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Yes.
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Did you have a lot of these when you're, you know, like you're 18 and everyone's going to different college,
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at least for me, we all went to different colleges and oh, whatever happens, we're going to stay best friends
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and absolutely right we're all saying
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that no matter what happens we'll stay in touch we'll stay friends
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and usually unfortunately that's not the case at least for me some of them some of them yes
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but i lost touch with a lot of a lot of people from high school even from college
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i'm terrible at staying in touch with people me too i'm
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so bad i have to be very the other person has to be very intentional otherwise
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it's probably not going to happen right that's so true unfortunately yeah All right.
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I can't believe I'm actually leaving tomorrow.
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I'm excited about this new job, but I'm also terrified.
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That's completely normal.
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It's a huge change.
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What if it doesn't work out?
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Whatever happens, you're brave for giving it a chance.
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Not everyone would be up for it.
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I'm worried I'm going to lose touch with friends.
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Well, no matter what happens, we'll stay friends.
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You promise?
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Absolutely.
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You're stuck with me come what may.
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You got a little poetic in the end there, right?
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Yeah, I was kind of, I'm intentionally getting emotional.
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We're saying goodbye.
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We might not see each other for a long time.
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I could see myself using this phrase in this way to be like, you know, yeah, a little poetic.
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A little poetic.
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Exactly.
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So again, yeah, this is a very familiar connection moment.
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We're saying goodbye to someone that you care about, right?
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So I said, what if it doesn't work out?
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I'm nervous about my situation.
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And you said?
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I said, whatever happens, you're brave for giving it a chance.
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And this, I really love this phrase as a connection skill, because if someone is expressing doubt about a decision they've made,
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a big change that they're making, there are a lot of things that you could say that might hurt the connection.
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Expressing doubt that they made the right choice, saying anything that makes them even more nervous.
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There are so many things you could say that could be a problem.
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This is a great thing to say.
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That's a good, that's a good point.
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Yeah.
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It's an important connection moment where the right choice of words really matters.
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Yeah.
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You can say whatever happens, you're brave for giving it a chance.
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And you're also saying, because there is a chance that you would move there, hate it or be like too lonely and immediately move back.
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That certainly has happened.
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And I'm already giving you the out to say like, even worst case scenario, even if that happens,
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I'm proud of you for being brave and taking this chance, right?
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What a great way to connect to let people know whatever happens however
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this turns out I'm proud of you yes I love that
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and then I expressed another worry I'm worried
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I'm gonna lose touch with my friends right including this person in front of me including me right
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so I said no matter what happens we'll stay friends yeah very common
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I think I feel like no matter what happens is the most common here
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I agree that's what I say the most
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it feels the most casual conversational even you know whatever happens we do use
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that chunk like you mentioned Lindsay whatever happens happens we'll say
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that just to mean the same as this Spanish phrase right
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like there's no way to control the future like whatever's gonna happen is is gonna happen yeah
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and so you're the stable friend here and
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so you got a little poetic at the end right
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so you said you I said you promise
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and you said absolutely you're stuck with me come what may
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so that's nice yeah it's nice and it's also interesting
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because I sort of needed a few different ways to say this throughout this conversation.
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So it's nice that I had all three, right?
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You don't want to repeat vocabulary.
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You need multiple ways to express something sometimes.
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So that's another reason you might say, come what may, if you've already said whatever happens or no matter what happens,
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then you can say come what may.
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Yeah.
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100%.
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We have a couple of minutes.
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So Aubrey, when is the time in your life when you
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You felt most like this, like you're on the precipice of a big change and you just were like, Oh, what am I doing?
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You know, probably when I got married, I think I've shared this before in the podcast or with you,
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Lindsay, that I did not know my husband very long when we got married.
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We had only been dating and engaged for a few months.
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We hadn't lived together yet.
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That wasn't common in my culture.
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And so we got married and I remember like the night before
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and like my wedding day sort of having these feelings of like, am I ready for this?
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It felt really big and like this huge change.
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And so, yeah, I definitely felt it, but luckily it all worked out.
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So maybe you remember someone that talked to you through it.
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So we remember these moments, right?
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And, and, and usually that person is quite stable and like, well, you need someone who's counteracting your anxiety in a way.
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Yeah.
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I remember talking to my mom about it, um, the night before my wedding.
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And I wasn't, it's not that I was having cold feet, but I was like, wow, this is a big change, you know?
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And she probably would have said something like this, like, no matter what happens, you're going to be fine.
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It's all going to work out.
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Yeah.
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I love that.
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I love that.
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So these are connection moments because we do remember them 20 years later.
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Right.
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I mean, I, for me, I think when I moved to Japan, I just think it was such a big change.
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And I remember, I think my parents, I took me out for dinner I think I had a flight out of New York
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and they took me out for dinner the night before
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and I was going through the crisis of I'm moving to
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Japan for the next two years what what did I even do you know what am I thinking right
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this very conversation you might have had with your mom
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or your dad right yes I'm excited but I'm also terrified
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but in a way it's really good
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because the more of these big chances
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we take in life kind of the richer our life does ultimately end up being in a way.
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Imagine if you went back, if you had never taken that chance, how much you changed and grew as a person,
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you wouldn't change that for anything.
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Absolutely.
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A hundred percent.
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So today's episode really matters for that connection, for thinking back to the people that mattered that were there for you.
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Right.
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And each of our listeners, you guys can think about those moments for you too, and how you might have this conversation in English.
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Absolutely.
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Yes.
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I'm excited for you to use this vocabulary to connect, to give this advice, right?
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Whatever happens, you're brave for trying it.
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It's going to work out, right?
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To be able to support people in that way.
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Yeah, guys, go check out 2616 if you love our style.
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Our style is a special focus on human connection when you learn English.
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That's what we do here.
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So if you agree with that, if you love that, go check out 2616.
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That's on me, admitting mistakes without making it awkward.
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Okay, what a connection topic because you can make it really awkward
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when you admit a mistake so you need the phrases to avoid
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that for sure aubrey we'll see you back here on the show very soon have a good day
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you too see you next time bye
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “2623 - Whatever Happens, You Should Be Using This Vocabulary!”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: happen, whatever, English. This video has 19 sentences and 2425 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:21. The speaker talks fast, about 196 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 38 of its 19 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| poetic adjective | /poʊˈɛtɪk/ | Relating to poetry. |
| brave adjective | /bɹeɪv/ | Strong in the face of fear; courageous. |
| connect verb | /kəˈnɛkt/ | To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object. |
| theater noun | /ˈθi(ə)tɚ/ | A place or building, consisting of a stage and seating, in which an audience gathers to watch plays, musical performances, public ceremonies, and so on. |
| scenario noun | /sɪˈnɛəɹioʊ/ | An outline or model of an expected or supposed sequence of events. |
| listener noun | /ˈlɪs(ə)nɚ/ | Someone who listens, especially to a speech or a broadcast. |
| stable noun | /ˈsteɪ.bəl/ | A building, wing or dependency set apart and adapted for lodging and feeding (and training) ungulates, especially horses. |
| dramatic adjective | /dɹəˈmætɪk/ | Of or relating to the drama. |
| goodbye | /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/ | Farewell; a formula used to another person or persons when the speaker, writer, or person addressed is departing. |
| awkward adjective | /ˈɔk.wɚd/ | Lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments. |
| wherever | /(h)wɛɹˈɛvɚ/ | Regardless of the place in, at or to which. |
| casual adjective | /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/ | Happening by chance. |
| rat noun | /ɹæt/ | Any of the numerous members of several rodent families that usually have short limbs, a pointy snout, a long, hairless tail, and a body length greater than… |
| podcast noun | /ˈpɑdˌkæst/ | A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| work out verb | /ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/ | To calculate. |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). | |
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). | |
| call out verb | To specify, especially in detail. | |
| come out verb | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | To be discovered; to be revealed. |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. | |
| go back verb | To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time. | |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- What are you doing this weekend?
- I'm like that's going to be a great episode.
- I guess too, don't we?
- I'm proud of you for trying.
- You know, what am I thinking?
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 81 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, we'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, intentionally /ɪnˈtɛn(t)ʃənəli/, translation /tɹænzˈleɪʃən/, gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, intentional /ɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/
- Long words — get the stress right: intentionally /ɪnˈtɛn(t)ʃənəli/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/, intentional /ɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like phrase, poetic, brave.
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.