Shadowing Practice: 30 English Small Talk Phrases - Shadowing for Everyday Conversations (Speak Naturally A2-B2) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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126 sentences
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Do you sometimes want to speak in English,
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need to speak in English but you don't know what to say?
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Maybe speaking with friends or family at a social event is difficult for you.
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Maybe a work event is your worst nightmare
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or even just talking with your neighbor today you will learn life -saving small talk phrases
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that you can use in real situations these are natural polite
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and easy to remember this is a shadowing video
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so you will repeat after me to work on natural pronunciation By the end of this short video,
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you will feel more confident starting and continuing conversations in English.
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Let's get started.
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Let's imagine you arrive at a social event like a party or a dinner and you don't know many people.
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What can you say?
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Here are some useful phrases to start conversations.
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Hi, I don't think we've met yet.
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I'm Kirsty.
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Hi, I don't think we've met yet.
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I'm Kirsty.
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How do you know the host?
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How do you know the host?
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This means, what is your connection to the person who invited us?
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Hi, I don't think we've met yet.
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I'm Kirsty.
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How do you know the host?
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This place is really nice, isn't it?
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An easy way to start a conversation is to talk about your surroundings.
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Oh, this place is really nice, isn't it?
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Now you need to keep the conversation going with phrases like these.
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So tell me, what do you do?
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So tell me, what do you do?
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This means, what is your job?
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Have you been here before?
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Have you been here before?
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Now let's talk about reacting in a conversation.
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This is very important.
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If you don't react, the conversation can feel awkward.
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These small phrases show that you are listening and interested.
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Intonation is key here.
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So you really need to copy the sound of my voice and the way I say the words.
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If you use the wrong intonation, it could sound like you are making fun of the person you are talking with.
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So we want to get this right.
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Really?
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I didn't know that.
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Really?
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I didn't know that.
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Oh, that sounds interesting.
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Oh, that sounds interesting.
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Wow, that's amazing.
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Wow, that's amazing.
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If there is food, say this.
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This is delicious, have you tried it?
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This is delicious, have you tried it?
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Do you recommend anything from the buffet?
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Do you recommend anything from the buffet?
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And if you don't understand something you just have to say one of these two phrases.
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Sorry, could you repeat that?
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Sorry, could you repeat that?
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Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean.
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Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean.
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Talking with colleagues or clients can feel more formal, but the idea is the same.
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Simple, polite conversation.
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To start a conversation with a client
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or colleague you don't know try one of these hi it's
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nice to meet you hi it's nice to meet you
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which department are you in
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which department are you in how long have you been working
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here how long have you been working here to continue the
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conversation talking about work is always safe what kind of projects
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are you working on what kind of projects are you working on how do you like your job
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so far how do you like your job so far
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so what's the most interesting part of your work
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so what's the most interesting part of your work let's move
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on to networking phrases use these phrases to stay connected with someone after a conversation.
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Let's stay in touch.
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Let's stay in touch.
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It was great talking to you.
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Here's my card.
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It was great talking to you.
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Here's my card.
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Do you have LinkedIn?
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Do you have LinkedIn?
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And this is how you can end a work conversation politely.
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I'll let you get back to it.
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When you use this phrase you are saying I don't want to take more of your time.
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It's a polite way to end a conversation.
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I'll let you get back to it.
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Casual small talk is perfect for neighbors.
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These are short, easy conversations you can have in everyday life.
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Let's look at how to start a friendly conversation.
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Hi, how are you?
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Hi, how are you?
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Notice how, how are you?
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Sounds like one word in natural speech.
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I don't say, hi, how are you?
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That sounds robotic.
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I say, hi, how are you?
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How are you?
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It's more natural.
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Nice weather today, isn't it?
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Nice weather today, isn't it?
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Notice how the T in natural speech is dropped isn't it
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isn't it how's your day going again here the G in
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natural speech is dropped how's your day going how's your day
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going not going how's your day going here are some everyday casual topics have you lived here long
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have you lived here long do you like the neighborhood do you like the neighborhood
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have you tried the new cafe nearby have you tried the new cafe nearby
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and this is how you can show you care let me know
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if you ever need anything let me know
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if you ever need anything I need to go
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but it's nice to see you I need to go
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but it's nice to see you if it's a neighbor
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or someone you meet often you can use one of these
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phrases good to see you again good to see you again
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have you been have you been notice how I contract how
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and have to sound more natural how have you been small talk Talk doesn't have to be stressful.
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You don't need perfect English, just a few simple, natural phrases.
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The most important part is your intonation, the way your voice goes up and down.
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Even short phrases sound friendly and natural if you say them with the right tone.
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Let me know in the comments below which situations are the most difficult for you.
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Work events?
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Parties?
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Everyday conversations?
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Or maybe another situation?
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If you tell me, I can make more videos like this one just for you.
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And please don't forget to like, subscribe and hype.
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It really helps my channel.
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I'll see you in the next video take care
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 126 sentences and 1041 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:27. The speaker talks at a steady 123 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 89% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- phrase /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ (noun) — A short written or spoken expression.
- everyday /ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/ (adjective) — Appropriate for ordinary use, rather than for special occasions.
- polite /pəˈlaɪt/ (adjective) — Well-mannered, civilized.
- delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/ (adjective) — Pleasing to the sense of taste; tasty.
- casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/ (adjective) — Happening by chance.
- react /ɹiːˈækt/ (verb) — To act in response.
- colleague /ˈkɒliːɡ/ (noun) — A fellow member of a profession, staff, academic faculty or other organization; an associate, a workmate.
- neighbour /ˈneɪbɚ/ (noun) — A person living on adjacent or nearby land; a person situated adjacently or nearby; anything (of the same type of thing as the subject) in an adjacent or…
- buffet /bəˈfeɪ/ (noun) — A counter or sideboard from which food and drinks are served or may be bought.
- tone /ˈtəʊn/ (noun) — A specific pitch.
- topic /ˈtɑpɪk/ (noun) — A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest.
- formal /ˈfɔɹməl/ (adjective) — In accordance with established forms.
- shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/ (noun) — A dark image projected onto a surface where light (or other radiation) is blocked by the shade of an object.
- arrive /əˈɹaɪv/ (verb) — To reach; to get to a certain place.
- connect /kəˈnɛkt/ (verb) — To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- talk about (verb) — Used to draw attention to the speaker's characterization of someone or something.
- work on (verb) — To apply mental or physical effort to (something) in order to shape, form, improve, investigate, solve it, etc.
- get back to (verb) — Return to (an activity)
- stay in (verb) — To remain at home.
- go up (verb) — To move upwards.
- go with (verb) — To choose or accept (a suggestion).
- have in (verb) — To allow in; grant permission or admittance to; invite in or over; admit.
- look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 32 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, isn't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/, casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, intonation /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, intonation /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like phrase, everyday, polite.
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 | have you been working |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | we've met · Have you been · have you lived |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is dropped |
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.