Shadowing Practice: 8 Essential English Phrases for Conversation - Improve Conversation Skills - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
C1
Hi I'm Martin.
159 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Hi I'm Martin.
2
Welcome to Oxford Online English.
3
In this lesson, you can learn some essential phrases to help you understand native speakers and sound more natural when you speak English.
4
When you’re talking to a native English speaker, do you sometimes find they use phrases and questions which you haven’t heard before?
5
If you’ve learned English in classrooms, there are probably many simple but important phrases that you aren’t familiar with.
6
We’ll show you a few of these useful phrases to help you understand and speak to native English speakers.
7
Let’s start with a question.
8
What have you been up to?
9
Have you heard this question before?
10
What does it mean?
11
How would you answer it?
12
I ask students this question all the time, and they never know what it means.
13
So how should you answer it?
14
What have you been up to? is like asking What have you been doing recently?
15
It’s a common question after you say hello to someone, especially if you haven’t seen that person in some time.
16
For example: Hey!
17
Hi, Martin!
18
Long time no see.
19
How’s life?
20
Good! What about you, what have you been up to?
21
Oh, not much, just busy with work and the usual things.
22
Here are some other answers you could give.
23
Someone asks you What have you been up to? and you could say: I’ve just got back from my holiday.
24
I’ve been pretty lazy recently, to be honest.
25
I’ve been working so hard I haven’t had much time for anything.
26
What about you; what have you been up to?
27
Hey Martin, what common phrases do your students need?
28
Actually, I dunno.
29
I’d have to think about it.
30
Have you heard or seen the word dunno before?
31
It’s a short form of don’t know.
32
I dunno means I don’t know.
33
But actually, English has lots of these, like gonna for going to, wanna for want to, and so on.
34
However, words like gonna are generally used in a sentence.
35
That makes it easier to work out the meaning.
36
Dunno can be used as a one-word answer.
37
In my experience, this can be confusing for many non-native speakers!
38
For example: Is he coming to the wedding?
39
Dunno. What time is it?
40
Dunno. What does hold on mean?
41
Dunno. Really?
42
Okay, well Martin can’t help me.
43
What about you?
44
What does hold on mean?
45
Have you heard this before?
46
Actually, I do know!
47
Hold on means wait.
48
You might hear it on the phone.
49
You call a company to ask a question, and you might hear: Can you hold on for a moment, please?
50
This is like saying can you wait for a moment?
51
It’s also common during conversation.
52
If the person you’re talking to says something you don’t understand, or that you don’t agree with, you can say hold on to show this.
53
For example: So, you start by multiplying the matrices together to get your vectors… Hold on, what does any of that mean?
54
Anyway, I told them that we’d be there on Saturday morning… Hold on, I thought we said we were going on Sunday!
55
You can see that you can use hold on to interrupt someone else if they say something you don’t understand, or that you don’t agree with.
56
It’s a very useful and common phrase!
57
All this teaching’s making me thirsty.
58
Want a cup of tea?
59
Yeah, might as well.
60
If you ask someone a question, and they answer might as well, what are they saying to you?
61
Might as well means there’s no reason to say no.
62
So, it’s like saying yes, or why not?
63
It can also be used to say yes to something when you don’t feel enthusiastic.
64
For example, imagine you miss a train.
65
You have to wait five hours for the next one.
66
Your friend asks if you want to go to the cinema.
67
You don’t like the film which your friend suggested, and you don’t want to watch it.
68
But, you have five hours until your train, and there’s nothing else to do, so you say, yeah, might as well.
69
Might as well isn’t always negative like this, though.
70
It can be used to say yes to something you actually want to do.
71
For example, imagine you’re waiting for a bus.
72
Your friend says, Why don’t we walk?
73
You think about it.
74
It’s not far.
75
You don’t know when the bus will come, and it’s a beautiful, sunny day.
76
So, why not?
77
You say, Yeah, might as well!
78
I’m getting kind of tired.
79
We should take a five-minute break.
80
What do you reckon?
81
We’re only halfway!
82
We can take a break later.
83
What do you reckon? can have more than one meaning.
84
Like all of these phrases, it’s very common in spoken English!
85
First, it can mean do you agree?
86
For example: Our plane’s at six.
87
We need to be at the airport at 4.30, so we should leave here at two.
88
What do you reckon?
89
Here, I make a suggestion—we need to leave at two—and I’m asking you if you agree with my suggestion or not.
90
You can also use what do you reckon to ask what’s your opinion?
91
For example: Maybe I should quit and look for a new job, but I’m not sure.
92
What do you reckon?
93
Here, I’m asking what you think: should I quit and look for a new job, or should I stay where I am?
94
I want to know what you think.
95
What do you reckon is almost always used as a fixed phrase.
96
Generally, you don’t add anything after it.
97
Can we have that break now?
98
In a bit! You’re at work.
99
You ask your colleague to send you something.
100
She says, Yeah, I’ll get it to you in a bit.
101
What does she mean?
102
In a bit means a short time later.
103
In our example, your colleague is saying she’ll send you what you need a short time later.
104
So, she’s saying that she’ll do it, but not right now.
105
You might also hear in a little bit.
106
Where else could you use this phrase?
107
Let’s see some more examples: When will my computer be fixed?
108
We’re working on it now.
109
It should be done in a bit.
110
Can you come back in half an hour?
111
Want to go for dinner?
112
I’m not hungry right now, but we can go in a bit.
113
So, that’s fixed, we’ll meet at six?
114
Yup, see you in a bit!
115
You can also use the phrase see you in a bit to say goodbye to someone if you know you’re going to see them in the near future.
116
Bad news, Martin.
117
Oh, what’s that?
118
I don’t think we’ll have time for that break.
119
How come? Martin just asked me a question.
120
Do you remember what he said?
121
He asked how come?
122
What is this, and how can you answer it?
123
Asking how come is like asking why?
124
The meaning is the same.
125
However, you can’t use it in every situation.
126
You can use how come to ask why if someone tells you something surprising, disappointing or annoying.
127
Did you hear?
128
They cancelled the wedding.
129
No way! How come?
130
He didn’t get me anything for my birthday.
131
Really? How come?
132
I have to leave three hours early today.
133
That’s not easy.
134
How come? Well, we have one more useful phrase to look at.
135
You’ve finished most of the lesson.
136
How did you find it?
137
This is another very common question which is often misunderstood!
138
How did you find it means what did you think?
139
It’s like asking did you like it?
140
You can use this question to ask about many different things.
141
For example: How did you find the film?
142
I heard you’ve started aikido lessons.
143
How are you finding it?
144
How have you found the course so far?
145
You can see that you can use this question in different times and verb tenses.
146
So, how can you answer?
147
How did you find the film?
148
It was kind of boring, actually.
149
I heard you’ve started aikido lessons.
150
How are you finding it?
151
Really interesting!
152
I was never interested in martial arts, but it’s actually very fun.
153
How have you found the course so far?
154
It’s challenging, but very useful.
155
So, how did you find this lesson?
156
If you want more practice with these phrases make sure you check out the full version of this lesson on our website: Oxford Online English.com.
157
You can find a quiz to help you practice these phrases as well as many other free English lessons.
158
Thanks for watching!
159
See you next time!
Download App
AI scoring for every sentence you speak
TRENDING
Popular
Context & Background
In today's globalized world, effective communication in English is essential. Many learners find themselves struggling to understand native speakers due to the use of informal phrases and colloquialisms that may not be covered in traditional classroom settings. This lesson aligns with the goal of helping you learn English with YouTube by introducing essential phrases that native speakers frequently use. Understanding these can improve your conversations and help you sound more natural when speaking English.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- What have you been up to? - A casual way to ask someone about their recent activities. It’s often used when reconnecting with someone after some time.
- Dunno - A colloquial contraction of "don't know". This is often used in everyday conversations and can make responses sound more informal and relaxed.
- Hold on - An informal way of asking someone to wait. Commonly used during phone calls or when you need another person to pause.
- Long time no see - A friendly phrase used to greet someone you haven’t met in a while. It sets a casual tone for the conversation.
- I’ve been busy - A simple phrase to express that you have had a lot on your plate. It can create an opportunity for the other person to share their experiences as well.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively incorporate these phrases into your conversations, consider using a shadowing technique. Shadow speech involves listening and repeating phrases as you hear them, improving your pronunciation and intonation. Follow these steps for enhanced IELTS speaking practice:
- Watch the video: Carefully listen to the pronunciation and context of each phrase. Pay attention to how the phrases are used in context.
- Repeat aloud: After hearing a phrase, pause the video and repeat it. Focus on mimicking the speaker’s intonation and rhythm.
- Use the phrases in context: Create scenarios where you can use these phrases. For example, practice with a friend or in a study group setting.
- Record yourself: Use a recording device to track your progress. Listen for clarity and naturalness as you pronounce the phrases.
- Reflect and refine: Review your recordings. Identify areas for improvement and continue practicing until you feel confident.
Utilizing a shadowing site or related resources can support your learning journey with additional materials. By embedding these phrases into your practice, you’ll find yourself growing more comfortable and fluent in everyday conversations.
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.
☕ Buy us a coffee
ShadowingEnglish remains 100% free thanks to your support. Server and AI costs are high — your coffee keeps us going! 🙏