Shadowing Practice: 🎙️ 5 English Expressions for Strong Desires - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hello and welcome to your English five a day on the English Lycanated podcast.
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My name is Anna and I'm so excited.
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It's great to be back and starting the third season of this
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We are going to run for 12 weeks and we have a very set format,
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but every single episode is geared towards making sure that you increase your vocabulary,
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improve your listening skills and overall start to feel more confident when using the English language.
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And you're going to be taking a little journey forward around the UK as well.
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So stick with me for the next 12 weeks and we are going to have fun.
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Now a little promise to you This podcast will always be.
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Human generated.
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I'll be using my voice for the whole thing.
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You will hear...
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Different voices, but it's all voiced by me.
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The only time I will use AI is just to put an effect on my voice.
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Okay, so this is all human generated.
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And with that out of the way, Let's begin.
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This is week one, day one of our brand new story following Gabriel, a French traveler, preparing for his big adventure in the UK.
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Today, we're looking at five wonderful expressions that you can use to talk about your hopes,
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dreams and desires.
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Now supporting materials for this podcast are available at www .joinelan .com.
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E -L -A -N.
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Before we begin, let me give you a quick snapshot of Gabriel's evening in Lyon.
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It's a warm July night and Gabriel is sitting at his small desk, finishing off an entry on his travel blog
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He smiles as he writes that he has got his heart set on exploring British cities, especially Liverpool.
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Visiting Penny Lane is right at the top of his bucket list.
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He admits he's itching to discover more of the UK, that he can't wait to practice his English again,
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and that he's counting down the days to his trip.
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All right.
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It's time for the vocabulary breakdown.
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Our first phrase is to have your heart set on.
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something.
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If you have your heart, H -E -A -R -T, Set on something,
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then it means you deeply desire that thing and you're determined to make it happen.
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This phrase is deeply emotional.
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It expresses a prolonged feeling.
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It's a long -term desire.
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Here's an example.
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She has her heart set on studying abroad next year.
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Next, we have bucket list.
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A bucket list.
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This is a noun.
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Bucket.
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B -U -C -K -E -T.
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A bucket list is a list of things that you dream of doing at least once in your lifetime.
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Usually big, meaningful experiences like swimming with dolphins or travelling to another country.
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Here's an example.
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Seeing the Northern Lights is on my bucket list.
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Next, we have the phrase 'be itching to'.
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Be itching to...
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Itching we spell I -T -C -H -I -N -G.
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If you are itching to do something, then you have a strong,
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restless urge to do something and to do it soon.
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For example, I'm itching to try that new restaurant.
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Next, we have the phrase, can't wait to.
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Can't wait to.
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Notice how I pronounce can't with a long vowel.
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Ah, I can't wait to... Do something.
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If you can't wait to do something, then you feel happy and impatient because something good is coming very soon.
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For example, I can't wait to visit my friend this weekend.
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Next and last on today's vocabulary breakdown, we have be counting down the days to.
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Be counting down the days to.
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If you are counting down the days to something, then you are actively waiting for a future event.
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often using a calendar or mentally tracking time.
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For example: They're counting down the days to their holiday.
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OK, that's our vocabulary breakdown, so listen out for those items once again as we head into storytime.
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Gabriel Morel, a 24 -year -old Media and Communication Studies graduate from France,
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is reading his blog at his small desk at his parents' home in Lyon on a mild July evening.
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The previous month, he had completed his Masters in Social Linguistics at Lyon II, a major university in the city,
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and now he was looking forward to his reward.
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I've always had my heart set on visiting different British cities, walking down Penny Lane in Liverpool and seeing the Cavern Club,
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is right at the top of my bucket list, he says, smiling.
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My uncle listens almost exclusively to British music, and thanks to that, I love it too.
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He got this from his mother, my maternal grandmother, who came to Lyon to teach English and experience Europe in the 70s.
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She passed away last year.
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Gabriel pauses for a moment and adjusts his headphones feeling the emotion?
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She was from London and we used to go there sometimes when I was a child,
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but we never really checked out the rest of the country.
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So I'm itching.
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to discover more about it.
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I'm a quarter English
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and ever since Brexit I've been dying to go to the UK to find out
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if British people really are happier to be more removed from Europe.
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How will they treat a proud European like me?
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It will be all interesting for my future studies and career, but also for myself personally.
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"My grandmother did the opposite to Brexit." Honestly,
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I've been counting down the days to this trip ever since I booked the flights.
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I've mapped out the tours, listed the places I want to see, and I can't wait to test my English on the street.
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It's going to be brilliant.
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Now let's do a quick recap of our phrases and I'd like you to repeat each one after me.
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Have your heart set on.
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Bucket list. Be itching to.
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Can't wait to.
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Be counting down the days too.
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Brilliant work.
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Now are you ready for tomorrow's teaser?
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Tomorrow, Gabriel meets his British language partner,
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Sophie, and tries out some very British idioms for the first time with some amazing results.
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Now if you'd like to go beyond simply listening and truly expand your English, then join Podcast Plus.
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For more information, go to www .nc .gov. join elan .com /elan.
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Plus.
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That's all from me until tomorrow.
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Take care. And goodbye.
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Who Will Benefit from This Video?
This video is perfect for intermediate learners ready to move beyond basic phrases and add color to their speech. If you want to talk about hopes, dreams, or strong desires with more emotion—whether in travel blogs, conversations, or daily life—these expressions will help you sound more natural. It’s also great for anyone practicing shadowing technique, as the clear, conversational tone makes it easy to mimic rhythm and intonation.
5 Must-Know Expressions for Strong Desires
The video breaks down five vivid phrases to describe deep wants. Here’s a quick look:
- Have your heart set on: Means a strong, determined desire (e.g., "She has her heart set on visiting Japan"). It feels emotional and long-term.
- Bucket list: A list of life goals (e.g., "Skydiving is on my bucket list"). These are usually big, meaningful experiences.
- Be itching to: Shows an eager, almost restless desire (e.g., "I’m itching to try that new café"). It sounds immediate and energetic.
- Can’t wait to: A common but powerful phrase for excitement (e.g., "He can’t wait to start his job"). It’s simple but effective.
- Counting down the days: Means eagerly waiting for a specific event (e.g., "We’re counting down the days to our vacation"). It conveys anticipation.
Mastering Pronunciation with Shadowing
To nail the accent, try shadow speech: pause the video after each phrase, then repeat it aloud, matching the speaker’s pace and stress. Notice how "bucket list" has a short "u" sound (like "buh-ket") and "itching" ends with a soft "ing" (not "in"). A shadowing site could help you practice, but even repeating the video directly works. Focus on the emotional tone—"have your heart set on" should sound sincere, while "itching to" feels urgent. With practice, these phrases will roll off your tongue naturally.
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 | I've been dying · I've been counting |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've always had · I've mapped |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | we're looking · is sitting · are itching |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will always be · I'll be · will hear |
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.