Shadowing Practice: 2704 - Are You Giving Fluency? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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1
Hey, Lindsay, how are you today?
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Hey, I'm doing great, Aubrey.
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I'm doing great.
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How are you?
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Excellent.
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Quick question for you.
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What do you think of smart glasses, the kind you wear that can record everything or translate languages for you?
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Honestly, it's giving creepy for me.
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I agree.
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I don't like it.
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I don't want to know anytime someone's wearing glasses, I don't want to be wondering if they're recording me.
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Oh, no, that is creepy.
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I mean, now we know, you know, someone takes out a phone, they might be recording me.
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I can kind of dodge the phone or something, but when it's glasses, you can't dodge everyone's glasses.
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There's no way to know.
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I know.
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I agree.
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It's giving creepy.
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And you guys might have noticed Lindsay used this fun, new trendy slang phrase, it's giving, which is super common right now.
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And we're excited to dive into it.
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We're answering a listener question today about this phrase.
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Yes.
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I'm going to go ahead and read the listener question to get us started off.
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This of course comes from YouTube.
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Guys, don't forget, we have an entire YouTube channel where if you prefer to consume this podcast by video, you can do that.
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So Aubrey, what should they search for when they go over to YouTube?
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Yes, All Ears English on YouTube.
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You'll see our signature yellow pop up and most of our episodes are on video over there.
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So definitely go check them out.
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You got it.
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Exactly.
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So this is from Saddam Mohamed U1G.
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This was an amazing episode.
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I really enjoyed it.
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Using this phrase, can't help but, is so natural and creates a great sense of your clinginess to people you hold dear.
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So he's commenting on a previous episode here.
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Exactly. So let's see.
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Where's the question for today?
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So I'll share the rest.
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He said we can also say, I can't stop myself from loving something.
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And then he said, can you please reflect on it's giving naturally to refer that something serves a vibe.
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Thanks a bunch, Lindsay, Aubrey, Michelle for your great topics.
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And I love that you actually use two slang terms, both of which we're going to cover today.
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It's giving and it's serving that something serves the vibe.
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So this is going to be really fun.
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All right.
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Well, thank you to this listener for listening to our show.
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We love that you're enjoying these episodes and yeah, we love covering new slang, new slang expert.
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This one's been around a little while now though, right?
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Aubrey, it's been around a couple
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It's been around a little while, but it's still pretty modern.
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It's great for connection, right?
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We use it to talk about the vibe something gives off, but it's really playful, right?
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It's a great way to share our opinion, but in a natural way.
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So I hear it a lot.
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I do use it quite a bit as well.
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It really has become adopted in English, at least in the States.
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It's really common.
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Yes, I hear it a lot for sure.
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Guys, go ahead and hit the follow button wherever you listen.
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Again, if you're on YouTube, hit subscribe if you're on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, et cetera, hit follow.
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So we come up in your queue five days a week.
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All right.
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Yes.
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Awesome.
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So let's first dive into it's giving on its own, right?
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It's when something is giving off a noticeable vibe or aesthetic or energy.
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So you might just say like that outfit is giving today.
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And there's so much implied there.
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It means you think it's giving a good vibe.
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It's a great look.
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It fits someone really well.
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Yes.
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Love that.
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All right.
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And so that's one way we can use it just by itself.
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Just that is giving.
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That's all you have to say.
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It just means I love it.
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It's a great vibe.
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There's so many good things.
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So much is unsaid when we just say that is giving.
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But it's positive.
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We know it's positive when we don't put any noun or anything after that or any feeling after that.
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But we could also put a noun or a feeling.
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We could say it's giving plus a noun or a feeling what does
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that look like oprah let's do a role play all right
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so this cake we made is so delicious i know it's giving gourmet yeah
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so that's another way of saying like it is gourmet
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it's super gourmet we'll use this be like it's giving gourmet yeah
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i guess it comes from it's giving me the vibe of
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or giving me the feeling of exactly the feeling
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that it's gourmet just removing all those extra words yeah right all those extra words yeah
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or another little role play this cafe is
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so cute isn't it totally it's giving cozy sunday morning yeah
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and that's what you mean is it's giving the vibe of a cozy sunday morning
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but all you need is that it's giving love it
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and then you could do it's giving plus a cultural reference hmm
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i wonder what this looks like what do you think of this outfit
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i'm into it it's giving early 2000s pop star yeah
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it's true you're just removing the vibe of early 2000s pop star
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but it does make it more playful yeah
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or instead of saying like you look like an early 2000s pop star
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it's just more fun it's more fun it's fun to be on trend sometimes right
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or i might say this restaurant is cool yeah
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i like it it's giving old school diner love old school diners right just a fun way to compare
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it to something else right or you might say it's giving and then give more information, like a full vibe interpretation, right?
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Yeah.
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So this bar feels so fancy, but also beachy.
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isn't it?
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It's giving Aperol spritz on a European promenade.
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This is a fun thing to do where you actually end up using more words because you're like, I'm going to give this other example,
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other experience with a lot of details that might have the same vibe.
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It's giving and then you make it even longer.
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It's fun to do that.
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Fun.
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And this allows us to be creative, right?
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Creativity is a big part of connection.
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So here's your creativity opportunity, right?
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Yeah.
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And it doesn't always have to have
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that it's right it can be also about a person you might say okay he's giving Elvis Presley meets
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Mick Jagger or
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if someone has big Elvis Presley glasses you might just be like he's giving Elvis Presley with those glasses yeah
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or you could say she's giving main character energy right
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so the star of a play for example
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or a movie my kids say this when if we're watching a show
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and someone is clearly a main character
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and they're like there's no chance they're gonna die they'll say he's giving plot armor
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or she's giving plot armor they'll say
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that meaning like okay this is the main character
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they're gonna survive right they can't be killed yeah unless it's game of thrones
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or house of the dragon or something like
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that where anyone could die at any time
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there is no plot armor main characters they'll just off them interesting uh
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or you could say i don't think i want to hang out with them
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they're giving mean girls oh that's not good hey
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it's just another way to say like they're not kind
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they are mean girls they're giving mean girls interesting hey quick question do you want to feel more confident
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when you speak english if
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so we made a free guide for you it'll help you avoid those common mistakes
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and start speaking more naturally in real conversations 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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Aubrey, so what do we think are some similar phrases?
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We've been dropping them a few times as we've been explaining these.
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What are we really saying here?
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Yeah, and our listener mentioned serve or serving, right?
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So we'll say serving and then blank something, which is the same, the vibe or an image someone gives off that's very noticeable.
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This is pretty common.
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We see it a lot in social media.
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Okay.
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Okay.
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Yes.
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Um, it can be positive.
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It can be dramatic.
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It can be a little bit playful, right?
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And it's about being obvious or intentional.
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We'll often hear the chunk they're serving looks.
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So for example, he is serving looks in that outfit means they intentionally are wanting to turn heads.
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Maybe something is very colorful or different
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or unique to say someone is serving looks
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or you could say he was serving face in
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that photo shoot meaning there were he was using impressive facial expressions
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that we want to comment on so this reminds me of zoolander right
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when he does like blue steel
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or whatever these you'd say he's serving face like intentionally making
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extreme facial expressions for a reaction interesting what else aubrey what else might say she was serving old hollywood glam
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so this might mean someone has like a dress or an outfit that is that vibe.
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And you'd be like, she's serving and then fill out the details.
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Yeah.
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Or, or you might just drop everything else.
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Just like with giving, she's serving.
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Right.
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Yeah.
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If you just say she is serving, that just means she looks really good.
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You're complimenting the outfit, the whole vibe.
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Nice.
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All right.
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So what else might we say, Aubrey, if we want to just not always say giving and serving?
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Right.
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We also will say someone's in their blank era.
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This is a phrase where someone's embodying a certain mood.
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You know, this is also playful, kind of dramatic.
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You might say he's been posting gym selfies every day.
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Yeah.
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He's in his fitness era.
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Yeah, exactly.
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Right.
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So we're saying like, that's his vibe.
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That's what he's into right now.
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It's a good way of saying that.
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Or she just moved to the city and is going on so many dates already.
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I guess she's in her single girl era.
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Yes.
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Right.
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Talking about kind of phases that people are in.
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Yeah.
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And then a much more common one that's been around forever is just to say,
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it reminds me of, and then you're comparing it to something else.
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Right.
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So this is a more literal way to say what something reminds you of.
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Right.
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So you might say this cafe feels so cozy and quiet.
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Yes.
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It reminds me of my grandma's kitchen.
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Or this song feels really nostalgic.
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I know it reminds me of high school road trips yeah
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so these are all yeah to add a bonus what i often say is just
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it makes me think of something right
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it makes me think of my grandma's kitchen it makes me think of high school road trips exactly
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so it's fun to have these new trendy slang terms ready in your pocket
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but you could overuse them right you could especially where some of these are more used on social media in comments,
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like they're a little less common to be added to conversations.
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You could, you know, drop them in every now and then, but then these are what we'll use more often.
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What you said, Lindsay, this makes me think of this.
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This reminds me of this.
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Those are just very common in everyday conversation.
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Yeah.
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So be selective about your use of slang and mix it in.
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You know, use classic phrases, use new ones, use evergreen ones, mix it in so people don't predict what you're going to say.
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That's the key.
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Yes.
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All right.
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Let's do a role play here.
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You and I are friends.
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We're talking about someone that we saw at a party last night.
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I'll start us out.
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All right.
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Okay.
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Did you see
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Emma at the party last night?
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She was serving looks.
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Yeah.
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She was so stylish.
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It was giving red carpet vibes.
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I know the dress was glamorous in a very nineties way.
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Completely.
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Her whole vibe right now, it reminds me of old school celebrities or models.
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I totally see that she's definitely in her main character era 100
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and it's working for her yeah this is interesting one thing to note here
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we've talked a lot on the podcast about how we shouldn't always comment on appearance
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and it's interesting how these phrases are more about a vibe even
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when we say she's serving looks we're not talking about her like face
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or her appearance you're not complimenting you know something
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that someone can't change about their appearance
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it says more about what they're wearing about their overall vibe
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what they've chosen to wear how they've styled their hair
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that kind of thing right exactly so here I started with did you see
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Emma she was serving looks I'm talking more about what she was wearing
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and her overall vibe yeah that makes sense
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and then I said yeah she was
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so stylish it was giving red carpet vibes yeah and this is
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so fun to take something else to compare it to like it was giving
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and in this case yeah red carpet we're just at a party
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but someone wore something really fun
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so like i could see her on the red carpet exactly it makes you think of the red carpet perfect
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and then let's see i said you said i know
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that dress was glamorous in a very 90s way
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and i said completely her whole vibe right now it reminds me of old school celebrities
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or models yeah so it makes me think of
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or it reminds me of those are always you know really easy to throw in
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and use and then i said she's definitely in her main character era
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so you can you know the the construction here is you know she's in
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or he's in then blank describe what they're doing
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and then era nice love it yeah I love
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this way as a way to I don't know
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it's it is fun to build parallels in life right
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this the way this person looks reminds
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you of the red carpet right the way this person looks reminds you of drinking Aperol spritz in, in Europe in the summer.
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I mean, it's so fun.
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It can show how worldly you are in a way, right.
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Without, without being condescending, it can show what you've experienced.
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Maybe as long as you know, the other person is going to understand what you're saying.
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That's the key.
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Right.
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Yeah.
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Especially if you have something in common to build on, maybe you've taken a trip with them or you've had an experience with them,
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then you can do that.
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It's serving or it's giving and then share details about something you experienced together to like reminisce about this fun memory.
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That's a great, so it could become a little bit of an inside phrase or an inside joke that you,
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that really builds the connection with that.
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Just be careful who else is around because obviously you don't want to leave them out.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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That can be kind of hard sometimes for sure.
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Aubrey.
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Uh, well guys, first of all, go over to 2702, have the last laugh with these English idioms.
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That would be a great episode to check out next.
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Aubrey, where shall we leave our listeners.
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Yeah, this is such a fun way to connect, right?
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We do want to comment, especially positively like this, on people we know who are taking risks,
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maybe wearing something unique, giving off a fun vibe, right?
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And these are great phrases to be able to do that, to connect with friends.
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All right.
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Good stuff.
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Good stuff.
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Aubrey, I'll see you back here on the show very soon.
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You have a good rest of your day.
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You too.
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See you next time.
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Bye.
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All right.
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Bye.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “2704 - Are You Giving Fluency?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: giving, vibe, serving, reminds. This video has 304 sentences and 2716 words to shadow. The speech runs for 14:08. The speaker talks fast, about 192 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 86% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| vibe noun | /vaɪb/ | An atmosphere or aura felt to belong to a person, place or thing. |
| remind verb | /ɹəˈmaɪnd/ | To cause one to experience a memory (of someone or something); to bring to the notice or consideration (of a person). |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| carpet noun | /ˈkɑɹ.pət/ | A fabric used as a complete floor covering. |
| outfit noun | /ˈaʊtfɪt/ | A set of clothing (with accessories). |
| listener noun | /ˈlɪs(ə)nɚ/ | Someone who listens, especially to a speech or a broadcast. |
| playful adjective | /ˈpleɪfl̩/ | Enjoying play; sportive; prone to playing frequently, in the manner of a child or young pet (viz. puppy or kitten). |
| compare verb | /kəmˈpɛɚ/ | To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things [“to compare X with Y”]. Having made the comparison of X with Y, one might have found it… |
| connect verb | /kəˈnɛkt/ | To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object. |
| blank noun | /ˈblæŋk/ | The white spot in the centre of a target; hence (figuratively) the object to which anything is directed or aimed, the range of such aim. |
| creepy adjective | /ˈkɹipi/ | Moving by creeping along. |
| armor noun | /ˈɑːɹ.mɚ/ | A protective layer over a body, vehicle, or other object intended to deflect or diffuse damaging forces. |
| noun noun | /naʊn/ | A word that functions as the name of a specific object or set of objects, such as person, animal, place, word, thing, phenomenon, substance, quality, or idea… |
| naturally adverb | /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/ | In a natural manner. |
| dramatic adjective | /dɹəˈmætɪk/ | Of or relating to the drama. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| give off verb | /ɡɪv ɒf/ | To emit; to produce and send forth; to come across in some manner. |
| go ahead verb | /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ | To proceed with; to begin. |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). | |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. | |
| fill out verb | /fɪl ˈaʊt/ | To complete a form or questionnaire with requested information. |
| pop up verb | To come up with a "pop" sound. | |
| start off verb | To begin. | |
| take out verb | To remove. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Honestly, it's giving creepy for me.
- We're answering a listener question today about this phrase.
- Where's the question for today?
- It means you think it's giving a good vibe.
- What are we really saying here?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | We've been dropping · he's been posting |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | one's been · it's been · has become |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | can't be killed · be added |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | giving, which is · something, which is |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 78 contractions and reduced forms, such as they're, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: throne /θɹəʊ̯n/, aesthetic /ɛsˈθɛ.tɪk/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: facial /ˈfeɪ.ʃəl/, intentionally /ɪnˈtɛn(t)ʃənəli/, stylish /ˈstaɪlɪʃ/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/, interpretation /ɪnˌtɜːpɹəˈteɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, celebrity /səˈlɛb.ɹɪ.ɾi/, creativity /kri.eɪˈtɪv.ᵻ.ti/, intentionally /ɪnˈtɛn(t)ʃənəli/, interpretation /ɪnˌtɜːpɹəˈteɪʃən/
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 vibe, remind, phrase.
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.