Shadowing Practice: A2 English Listening Practice - Complaining - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hey everybody!
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Welcome to this A2 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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Remember to sign up for our $1 listening practice seminars at polyglasa.com and download our free Listening Time podcast so you can practice your listening skills.
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So today, I'm going to talk about complaining.
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This might seem like a strange topic, but I think it's very relevant because most people complain about many things in their lives.
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Specifically in this video, I want to talk about some of the different things that people complain about often.
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The first complaint that I'm going to talk about is the weather.
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Depending on where you live, this might be a common complaint.
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In the US, when people make small talk, they tend to talk about the weather.
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They might comment on how nice the weather is that day, or they might talk about how terrible the weather is.
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It's very easy to connect with another person when complaining about the weather because it's an easy topic to talk about.
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I think this is a big reason why people like to complain about this topic.
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It helps you start conversations.
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I sometimes complain when it's raining, especially on the weekend.
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I love going outside and enjoying the outdoors, so it's disappointing for me when I can't do this.
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I know I shouldn't complain about things I can't control, but I do this sometimes.
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Another thing that people love to complain about is traffic.
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This is one of the worst parts about living in a big city.
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Nowadays many people work from home, but if you work in an office, you probably have to commute to work 5 days a week.
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The verb to commute means to travel to and from some place regularly.
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If you commute to work in the morning and commute back home in the evening, you probably do this during rush hour.
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This is the time during the day when there are more cars on the road.
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If you live in a crowded city, you'll definitely hear people complain about the traffic during rush hour.
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I know some people that spend two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening in traffic.
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It's hard not to complain in this situation.
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I hate being stuck in traffic and I definitely complain about this sometimes.
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Alright another thing that people complain about is rising prices.
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It seems like every year life gets more and more expensive.
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For example, in the past houses and apartments were much cheaper than they are now.
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For many young adults buying a house seems impossible nowadays.
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I hear people complain about this all the time.
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It also seems like gas prices keep getting higher and higher.
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It's funny because Americans complain about this a lot, but actually gas is much more expensive in other countries.
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Still, we Americans like to complain about this.
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Okay, I saved the worst one for last.
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In my opinion, the thing I complain about the most is the government.
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Of course, everyone complains about corrupt politicians and terrible presidents, but what annoys me the most is the horrible experience you have when you use government services.
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I can't tell you how many times I've been disappointed with government services.
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Just in the last month, I've had at least three bad experiences with the government.
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Unfortunately, this is completely normal.
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Almost every time I use a government service, there are errors with their website, their workers are rude, and it takes them a long time to do their job.
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And of course, the quality of their work and their institutions is terrible.
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For example, almost all of the students I talk to tell me that the government hospitals in their countries are not good.
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Overall, governments don't offer high quality services.
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I'm sure many of you complain about government services too.
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Alright, now I'm going to ask you some questions about today's video to see if you understood.
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Number one, what's the most common topic of small talk?
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Number two, what does the verb commute mean?
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And number three, what's one thing that seems to get more expensive all the time?
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Okay, remember to sign up for our $1 listening practice seminars and download our free Listening Time podcast so you can practice your listening skills.
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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.
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Bye.
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Why practice speaking with this video?

This A2 English listening practice video on the topic of complaining is a valuable resource for learners. By engaging with this content, you not only improve your listening skills but also gain practical vocabulary and expressions used in everyday conversations. Complaining about common issues such as the weather, traffic, and rising prices is a universal experience, making this topic highly relatable. Using this video, you can effectively practice speaking by repeating phrases and sentences, which enhances your fluency. The video encourages discussions about common grievances, providing a comfortable context for learners to express their opinions and practice their speaking skills.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

This video introduces several key grammatical structures and expressions that are essential for effective communication:

  • “I love going outside and enjoying the outdoors” - This structure demonstrates the use of gerunds to express likes and preferences, useful for learners to articulate their hobbies and interests.
  • “You probably do this during rush hour” - The use of modal verbs like "probably" allows learners to express assumptions or probabilities, an important skill when making generalizations.
  • “It seems like every year life gets more and more expensive” - This phrase illustrates the use of “seem” to express opinions about ongoing situations, showcasing how to discuss changes and trends.
  • “What annoys me the most is…” - This expression helps learners articulate their frustrations, which is a common part of daily conversation.

By practicing these structures, you can improve your English pronunciation and fluency. Use a shadowing site or shadowing app to mimic the speaker’s intonation and rhythm for even better results.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice speaking along with the video, be mindful of several tricky words and pronunciation patterns:

  • “commute” - The stress on the second syllable can be challenging. Make sure to pronounce it as /kəˈmjuːt/ to avoid confusion.
  • “weather” - Note the soft 'th' sound; it can often be pronounced incorrectly by non-native speakers. Aim for the pronunciation /ˈwɛðər/.
  • “complain” - This word contains a silent ‘p’ and should be pronounced /kəmˈpleɪn/. Pay attention to the vowel sounds to sound more natural.
  • “government” - The middle syllable can be tricky. Focus on saying it as /ˈɡʌvərnmənt/ where both 'n' sounds are pronounced clearly.

Using a shadowing app to practice these words can significantly enhance your English pronunciation. Repeat after the speaker, focusing on clarity and rhythm, to improve your overall speaking skills.

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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