Shadowing Practice: A1 English Listening Practice - Winter - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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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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Before we start, remember to download the Listening Time podcast and become a member at patreon.com slash listening time to receive my listening practice seminars.
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Okay, today we're going to talk about winter.
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This isn't my favorite topic because I prefer other seasons.
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But it's winter now so let's talk about it.
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In most places the weather is cold during winter.
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I don't live in a very cold area but I still feel uncomfortable during this season.
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I don't have a heating system in my apartment.
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This means that my apartment isn't warm during winter.
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So we have to use extra blankets and wear warm clothes inside.
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And of course, every time we go outside, we have to wear warm clothes too.
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In my city, we often have cloudy weather or sometimes rainy weather during this season.
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I don't like this.
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But the worst part of winter is that the days are shorter.
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The sun goes down really early.
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Normally in the summer the sun sets around 7 30 or 8 p.m.
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in my city.
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However in December it sets before 5 p.m.
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Many people don't like this because they don't have many opportunities to to enjoy the sunlight.
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When they finish working it's already dark outside.
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This can be depressing.
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I try to start working early in the morning so I can finish early.
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This way I can have some hours of sunlight after I'm done with work.
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In general I love the Sun so I prefer long summer days not short winter days.
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Okay Now let's talk about some winter activities.
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Of course, some of the funnest winter activities involve snow or ice.
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For example, it's common to go skiing or snowboarding during this time.
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In the US, there are many ski resorts where people can practice these sports.
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If you don't know how to ski or snowboard you can also try sledding.
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Sledding is the activity where you sit on something and slide down a hill.
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It's easy and fun.
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Another fun thing you can do in the snow is have a snowball fight.
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This is where you throw balls of snow at other people.
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Everyone likes throwing snowballs at people.
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One other winter sport is ice skating.
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There are many places to ice skate in the US even in the middle of big cities.
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I'm terrible at ice skating but I still think it's fun.
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The only bad part is when you fall because it hurts, trust me.
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Okay now let's talk about winter holidays and traditions.
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For me, the best part of winter is Christmas.
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I don't usually like holidays, but I love Christmas.
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My family had several Christmas traditions that I'll always remember.
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For example, we always decorated the Christmas tree together with the same ornaments every year.
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Another tradition that I like is going to see the beautiful lights and decorations in different neighborhoods.
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I'm excited to start new Christmas traditions with my own family.
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Many people around the world also celebrate New Year's Eve.
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In the U.S., a lot of people turn on the TV to watch the New Year's Eve party in New York City.
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I did this when I was younger.
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But nowadays, this holiday isn't really important to me.
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I like Christmas, but not New Year's Eve.
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However, when I'm with my wife's family, I have to celebrate this holiday with them.
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Okay, that's all for today.
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Leave a comment and tell me your favorite thing about winter.
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Before you go, remember to download the Listening Time podcast and become a member at patreon.com slash listening time to receive my listening practice seminars.
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Also, subscribe to the channel, click on the bell, and follow us on Instagram.
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I'll see you next time.

Why practice speaking with this video?

This A1 English listening practice video focused on winter provides an excellent opportunity to enhance your speaking and comprehension skills. By listening to the speaker's personal experiences with winter, you will become familiar with everyday vocabulary and phrases related to this season. Utilizing the shadowing technique, you can repeat after the speaker, mimicking their intonation and rhythm, which will aid in improving your fluency. Engaging with this content will not only prepare you for IELTS speaking practice but also teach you to express your own thoughts about winter and seasonal activities in English.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the video, several key grammatical structures and expressions are used that are particularly useful for English learners:

  • Present Simple Tense: The speaker frequently uses this tense, as in "The weather is cold during winter." This structure is essential for discussing habitual actions and general truths.
  • Comparative Structures: Phrases like "better part of winter" help learners understand how to compare different aspects or experiences, an important skill in conversation.
  • Expressions of Preference: The speaker states, "I prefer summer to winter." Learning to express preferences is crucial for developing conversational skills and making choices clear.
  • Descriptive Language: Words such as "cloudy," "rainy," and "depressing" enrich vocabulary and enable learners to describe emotions and states effectively.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While practicing with the video, pay attention to these common pronunciation challenges:

  • Words with “-ing” endings: The speaker uses terms like "snowboarding" and "skating." Some learners might struggle with the /ɪŋ/ sound; practice this by exaggerating the sound while shadow speaking.
  • Vowel Sounds in “season” and “reason”: These words feature subtle vowel sounds that can be tricky; ensure you listen closely and repeat them in context to master their pronunciation.
  • Intonation in Questions: The speaker uses rising intonation when expressing preferences and opinions. Practicing this will aid in sounding more natural and engaging in conversation.

Incorporating these elements into your study routine on this shadowing site can significantly boost your confidence in speaking and listening skills. Dive into this engaging audio-visual content as you learn English with YouTube, and discover how enjoyable it can be to communicate about your thoughts and experiences!"

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.

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