Shadowing Practice: A2 English Listening Practice - Learn English With Music - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
A2
Hey everybody!
56 sentences
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Hey everybody!
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Welcome to this A2 English listening practice video.
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I hope you're doing well and that you're ready to practice your listening with another video.
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Today I want to talk about learning English with music.
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This honestly is not something that I have really done as a language learner.
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I haven't really used a lot of music to learn other languages, so personally I don't have tons of experience with this but I know that many people love music.
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I'm sure many of you love music and I know that some people like using music to help them learn languages.
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So it's actually a tool that you can use to help you learn English and I want to talk about that today.
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Before I do that I want to remind you that if you want more advanced content if this is a little easy for you to understand then make sure to sign up for my advanced podcast episodes that link is in the description below and then also you can check out my US conversations podcast in which I talk to different people from all over the country we have normal conversations at normal speed it's a lot of fun and of course, I provide the transcript for each conversation, so you can also check that out.
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That link is also down below.
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So let's talk about learning English using music.
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I'm not the most musical person and maybe that's why I haven't really tried using a lot of music to learn languages.
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However, recently I've thought more about this because I was watching a Greek video.
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I actually watched it many times as I've spoken about a lot.
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I like to use repetition as a language learner.
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So there's a Greek video that I have watched many times and that video talks about learning Greek using Greek music and the person who made the video put a part of two different songs Greek songs in the video to like demonstrate something.
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And what's funny is I don't like those songs that the person put in the video.
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I didn't really pay attention much to those songs, those parts of the songs that she put in there the first couple times that I watched that video.
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But I realized after listening or watching that video a few times that I could like almost sing those parts of those Greek songs that she included in there, even though I did not try to learn them, I didn't care about them, I realized that these songs stayed in my head and there was even new vocabulary in both of those parts of those songs that I know now simply because of those songs.
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The reason why I'm talking about that experience is because it made me think of how it made me think about how powerful music can be to help you memorize things.
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I wasn't even trying to memorize those Greek lyrics, but I did because when it's in song form, it's easier to remember it.
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When there's some music to it, there's some rhythm, it's easier to remember that information.
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And I think that turning new information into a song is a great way to remember it, to memorize it.
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I can think of my son.
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This is another good example.
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He memorized his first Bible verse by turning the verse into a song.
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My wife and I did that, and he didn't do it.
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but we turned it into a song and he was able to memorize it after a while because of the song aspect, because of the rhythm.
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And I've seen other parents do that with their children when they want them to memorize something, they create a song for it.
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and then just the fact that it's like they're singing it makes it easier for them to recall it and to recite it.
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So my son memorized his first Bible verse using this technique, this music technique.
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And a good example for me is in seventh grade, I had this English teacher who taught us all of the auxiliary verbs in English, the helping verbs.
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And the way he taught us these verbs was by turning it into not really a song, but there was some rhythm to it, how we would recite these verbs.
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By the way, when you recite something, it's like you're saying the thing that you memorized.
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So he taught us those verbs, those auxiliary verbs, by making it more rhythmic like a song.
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And just to prove to you that I can still remember these auxiliary verbs, even though that was almost 20 years ago, let me just tell you all of the auxiliary verbs right now the way I learned them.
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is am or was were be being then have has had do does did shall will should would made might must can could that was basically how he taught them to us yeah it's not really a song but it kind of has like the rhythm of a song and it's different uh from just saying them so the fact that it was rhythmic like a song made it easier to learn and I still use that knowledge today as an English teacher so that's a great example of how powerful song and rhythm can be to help you memorize things and so even though I haven't personally used music as a language learner to learn other languages, I think that it can be a very helpful tool.
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And so if you're someone who likes music, you like listening to music, then this is something to consider.
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You can probably incorporate music somehow to help you learn vocabulary and different things in English, right?
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And when you do this, you're not only learning vocabulary, you might be learning grammatical structures that are in those lyrics, right?
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You learn slang and idioms, different ways that people say things, perhaps pronunciation although sometimes we change our pronunciation a little bit when we sing things so I don't really know but pronunciation as well and I should say that even though I haven't intentionally used music to learn languages I have learned two songs in French or not the whole songs, but most of those two songs, just because I like those songs.
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And the fact that I learned those songs in French has helped me because there's certain vocabulary and phrases and structures in those songs that I use now because of those songs.
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I've used certain words that I learned from those songs like I use them in my own French conversations and I learned them from the songs.
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So it wasn't intentional but I have actually benefited from songs as a language learner.
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So songs and music are a powerful tool so it's something that you can consider using as an English learner and depending on your musical preferences you might use a certain type of music that you can listen to in English that can help you.
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Like for example, I like listening to hymns, like spiritual songs, Christian songs, the traditional Christian music.
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And I've learned some words from Spanish hymns.
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Even though I'm not like learning Spanish, when I have been to Spanish church services, I have learned like vocabulary words from those hymns and so you know that's another example I'm just thinking now that I actually do have some examples of how I've learned you know Spanish or French from music so again even though I haven't done so intentionally it's happened and it's just because I like certain songs or that type of music and I listen to it and then it teaches me things.
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So I'm sure you can find ways to do that with English as well.
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So yeah, even though I'm not the biggest music guy, I recognize that music is a powerful tool that can help you learn things and memorize things.
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So you should try it if you're interested in it.
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Remember that you can get my advanced podcast episodes by clicking on the link down below and signing up for those.
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And also check out my US Conversations podcast if you want to practice with my conversations that I have at normal speed with other people.
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So you should check those out.
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Those links are down below.
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Thank you all for watching this video and I'll talk to you in the next one.
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Context & Background
In this engaging A2 English listening practice video, the speaker explores the fascinating connection between music and language learning. Though he admits a lack of personal experience in using music to learn languages, his reflections are inspired by the inherent power of music to enhance memory and recall. This discussion emphasizes the potential of integrating music into your English learning journey, particularly for those who find joy in melodies and rhythms. By utilizing music, learners can improve their vocabulary, understand grammatical structures, and even enhance their pronunciation skills.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “It’s easier to remember information when there’s music to it.” - A reminder of how music aids memory retention.
- “Learning vocabulary through songs can be very helpful.” - Highlighting the benefits of using music to acquire new words.
- “Repetition is key in language learning.” - Emphasizing the importance of practice and review.
- “Songs can help you understand idioms and slang.” - Offering insight into the cultural nuances within lyrics.
- “Creating a rhythm can make memorization fun.” - Suggesting that learning doesn’t have to be a chore.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To maximize your learning through this video, follow this structured shadow speak guide:
- Watch Actively: Begin by watching the video without distractions. Listen closely to the speaker’s tone and the context of the discussion on music and language learning.
- Identify Key Phrases: As you listen, note down the top phrases shared. Try to understand how they can be integrated into your own conversations.
- Shadow Speaking: Play specific parts of the video where the speaker emphasizes key ideas. Pause after each sentence and repeat aloud, mimicking his intonation and rhythm. This shadowspeak technique will enhance your speaking fluency.
- Incorporate Music: Select a song in English that resonates with you. Listen to the lyrics and identify new vocabulary or phrases. Use the same shadowing technique to practice these lyrics, improving your pronunciation and rhythm.
- Review and Repeat: Revisit the video and your chosen song over several days. Consistent practice will reinforce your learning, making new vocabulary and phrases easier to recall.
Incorporating such techniques not only enriches your English learning process but also makes it enjoyable. Embrace music as a path to improve your IELTS speaking practice and overall fluency as you explore English with YouTube!
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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