Shadowing Practice: A1 English Listening Practice - New Year's Resolutions - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hey everybody, welcome to this A1 English listening practice video.
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62 sentences
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Hey everybody, welcome to this A1 English listening practice video.
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You can use this video to practice your listening and comprehension as I speak.
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You ready?
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So today, I'm going to talk about New Year's resolutions.
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What is a New Year's resolution?
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This is a goal or an objective that you have for the next year.
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When it's the end of the year, some people make New Year's resolutions.
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They want to have a good year and do many things.
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Let's talk about some common resolutions.
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One common New Year's resolution is to lose weight.
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Many people plan to lose weight during the New Year.
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This is a good resolution.
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It can help you be healthy.
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It's not easy to lose weight though.
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It can be difficult.
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You need to eat healthy food and you need to exercise.
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Many people go to the gym in January because their New Year's resolution is to lose weight.
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But not everyone reaches their goal.
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Many people quit.
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Okay, another common New Year's resolution is to study English more.
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This is a good New Year's resolution.
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Some people want to learn English to help their career.
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If you speak English, you can have better opportunities.
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For some jobs, you need to speak English.
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And for other jobs, you need to read and write in English.
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English is important for many jobs.
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Maybe English will help your career too.
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This year, my goal is also to study more languages.
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Alright, another common New Year's resolution is to read more books.
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Some people are very busy, so they don't read a lot.
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Other people are not good at reading, but they want to improve.
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And some people don't like reading, but they need to read.
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Many people have the New Year's resolution to read more.
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I think that's good.
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I want to read more too.
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I want to read many books this year.
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How many books do you want to read this year?
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Maybe you can read books in English this year.
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That's a good resolution.
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Okay, another common New Year's resolution is to learn a new activity.
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This is a fun one.
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There are many activities that you can learn.
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Some people learn a new sport.
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Other people learn a skill.
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It's good to learn new things.
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Maybe you can take a class to learn something new.
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There are many classes that that teach you different skills.
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You can look for classes in your city.
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Another common New Year's resolution is to quit smoking.
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This is not a fun resolution, but it's good.
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I don't smoke, so I don't need to quit.
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But I could stop other bad habits.
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For example, I eat a lot of sugar, so maybe I should eat less sugar this year.
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Or maybe I should eat more vegetables.
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These are good resolutions.
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There are many different New Year's resolutions.
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I think this is good because people want to accomplish goals.
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It's good to accomplish goals.
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Okay, that's all for today.
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Leave a comment and tell me if you have a resolution for this year.
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I'll see you next time.
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Thank you.
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Why practice speaking with this video?

Practicing your English listening and speaking skills while engaging with content about relatable topics, like New Year's resolutions, can significantly enhance your language learning experience. In this A1 English listening practice video, you will learn to recognize and understand common goals that individuals set for themselves at the beginning of the year. By actively listening to native speakers and echoing their phrases through a technique known as shadow speak, you can not only improve your vocabulary but also develop your ability to express similar ideas in conversations.

This approach is beneficial because it not only helps you improve your English pronunciation but also allows you to gain insights into cultural practices surrounding the New Year. Whether you are planning to learn English with YouTube or are actively preparing for IELTS speaking practice, integrating this video into your study routine can yield positive results.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The video contains several essential grammatical structures and expressions that are commonly used in everyday English. Here are a few key examples:

  • What is a New Year's resolution? – This question structure introduces the topic effectively, allowing you to understand and engage with definitions in English.
  • Many people plan to lose weight during the New Year. – This sentence showcases the use of present simple tense, ideal for discussing routines and general truths.
  • It can help you be healthy. – Understanding modal verbs like "can" is crucial for describing potentiality or ability in various contexts.
  • This year, my goal is also to study more languages. – The structure of goals using the verb "to be" and "my goal is" is extremely useful for self-expression.

By repeating these phrases during shadowing practice, you can effectively internalize their usage and pronunciation, aiding your overall fluency.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While practicing with the video, pay attention to some tricky words and phrases that may present challenges:

  • Resolution – Ensure you emphasize the third syllable, as it can be a common slip for many learners.
  • Healthy – The sound “th” can be particularly challenging; practice placing your tongue between your teeth to pronounce it correctly.
  • Many people quit – The contraction may lead to hesitation, so listening carefully to how it flows in natural speech can help.

Focusing on these elements will help you improve English pronunciation and sound more natural in conversation. Utilize the techniques discussed here as you learn from the video, and don't hesitate to re-play parts that you find particularly challenging.

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.

How to Practice Effectively on ShadowingEnglish

  1. Choose your video: Pick a YouTube video with clear, natural English speech. TED Talks, BBC News, movie scenes, podcasts, or IELTS sample answers all work great. Paste the URL into the search bar. Start with shorter videos (under 5 minutes) and content you find genuinely interesting — motivation matters.
  2. Listen first, understand the context: On your first pass, keep the speed at 1x and just listen. Don't try to repeat yet. Focus on understanding the meaning, picking up new vocabulary, and noticing how the speaker stresses words, links sounds, and uses pauses.
  3. Set up Shadowing mode:
    • Wait Mode: Choose +3s or +5s — after each sentence plays, the video pauses automatically so you have time to repeat it out loud. Choose Manual if you want full control and press Next yourself after each repetition.
    • Sub Sync: YouTube subtitles sometimes appear slightly ahead or behind the audio. Use ±100ms to align them perfectly so you can follow along accurately.
  4. Shadow out loud (the core practice): This is where the real work happens. As soon as a sentence plays — or during the pause — repeat it out loud, clearly and confidently. Don't just mouth the words: mirror the speaker's exact rhythm, stress, pitch, and connected speech. Aim to sound like a shadow of the speaker, not just a word-by-word recitation. Use the Repeat feature to drill the same sentence multiple times until it feels natural.
  5. Scale up the challenge: Once a passage feels comfortable, push your limits. Increase speed to <code>1.25x</code> or even <code>1.5x</code> to train high-speed language reflexes. Or set Wait Mode to <code>Off</code> for continuous shadowing — the most advanced and rewarding mode. Consistent daily practice of 15–30 minutes will produce noticeable results within weeks.

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