Shadowing Practice: Adam Levine's New Girlfriend - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Just like the rest of us, our first guest was heartbroken to hear that Adam Levine got married.
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Take a look.
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- I don't want you to be too sad, but I was gonna tell you, Adam Levine got married.
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- No. - He did.
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- No way! No, he didn't, Mommy!
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Mommy, he didn't.
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- Oh, man.
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I know.
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So, please welcome three-year-old Mila and her mom Emily.
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So you've been wanting to marry Adam for a long time?
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- Yeah. - He's, like, your boyfriend?
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- Yeah. - Have you ever talked to him or anything?
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- Mm...no. - Well, you will, I mean, if he's your boyfriend at some point you will. - Yeah.
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- - Did you think-- How did you know that she was-- I mean, obviously, you knew she loved him, but when did you know that she'd react that way?
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- We were in the grocery store and I think I said, "Oh, Adam. Adam got married." And meltdown, so...
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"Okay no. Let's go over here-- change the subject." And then, I felt really bad, but I told her again and I filmed it.
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- You are s-- - And...and yeah, so...
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- But then she got over it really fast, right?
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- Yeah, we turned on the radio.
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We started singing and, you know, 3-year-old style...moved on. - Yeah.
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- You just moved on? - But she still loves him?
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- Yeah, you still love him a whole lot, right?
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- Yeah. - Do you like him or do you love him? - I love him.
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- You love him. audience: Aww.
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- Well, if he ever met you he would love you, too.
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Is he married?
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Or he's not married, right, Mila?
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- He--yeah.
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- He is or he is not?
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- Um...he's not. - He is married?
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He's not married.
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Good, okay. 'Cause--'cause, so...
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but you're gonna marry him. - Yeah.
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- Mm-kay, good. - - When do you think you will marry him, and at what age?
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- I don't know.
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- You're gonna wait for a little while?
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'Cause you're too young now, right?
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So you think you'll wait till you're like 7 or 8?
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Yeah, good.
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All right, well, I have an outfit for you that I think you're gonna love a whole lot, and it says...
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- - - That...yeah. - Look at what's on there.
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- And then you have pictures of him all over.
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- Yeah. - Oh, my gosh, Mila.
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- Isn't that cute? - Yeah.
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- It's adorable. - Yeah.
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- What do you say? - Thank you.
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- You're welcome. - - Okay, and I got you something else that--it's not in this bag.
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Where is it? It's over there, I think.
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- And I know I said it a million times But I'll only stay with you one more night Try to tell you no But my body keeps on telling you yes Try to tell you stop but your lipstick-- - Look who it is.
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What do you say to Adam? - Can I have a hug? - Thank you.
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- Give him a hug. - Can I have a hug?
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- Aw.
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- Thank you so much.
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- I still love you.
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I still love you.
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I think she's changed his mind. I don't know what happened.
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- She is-- - She is over it.
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- Yeah. It's, uh, you know...
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- It's--I mean, it's a lot.
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It's a lot to meet the love of your life all of a sudden. - Yeah.
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- - What'd you do--I called you, I asked if you saw the video and you said you'd seen it.
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What did you think when you saw it?
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- It was kind of heartbreaking, like-- But it was so unbelievably cute and every single person that I know in my entire life... - Sent it to you?
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- Sent it to me. - I think the first two people were my wife--sorry, earmuffs.
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And then my mother, and they're like, "This is so cute," and then we spoke...
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- Yeah. - And here we are.
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- And I think-- - And she's clearly transfixed.
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- Yeah. I hate to tell you, but I think it was Emily's plan to get you here for Emily to meet you, I-- That's what I think. - Aha.
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- All right. - But yeah, she's, like, the cutest person. - Well, this is very exciting, and she's gonna be excited later on.
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- Hi. - Hi.
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- How you doing? - - Who is it--Mila, do you know who this is?
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Who is this?
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- Usher. - All right. Well, we'll take a break, and do you-- - Oh, my gosh.
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- Do you still want this? - I have the same outfit.
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- I thought you did. - Go take your outfit.
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- All right. - Get your outfit.
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We will, uh--I think... audience: Aww.
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- No, Mila's seeing someone else, I think.
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- - She's--she has moved on, so...
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- All right. She's moved on.

Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

Practicing speaking with video transcripts like the one from Adam Levine's interview can significantly enhance your English communication skills. Engaging with this content allows you to understand everyday spoken English while enjoying a relatable scenario involving a child reacting to celebrity news. This context not only makes learning fun but also helps you grasp conversational phrases and emotional expressions.

By using the shadowing technique, you can mimic the pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm of the speakers in the video. This technique involves listening to a segment, pausing it, and then repeating what you heard immediately after, thus enhancing your fluency and comfort with speaking. Furthermore, watching and listening to live conversations fosters active listening skills, which are crucial for effective communication in English.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Several key expressions in the video offer valuable insights into everyday English usage. Here are a few examples:

  • "Did you think...?" - This question form is used conversationally to inquire about someone's thoughts or predictions, making it useful for discussions.
  • "I love him." - The simple present tense here expresses a strong current feeling or emotion, essential in everyday conversations.
  • "You're going to wait till you're like 7 or 8?" - This structure exemplifies the future tense in casual dialogue, showing expectations or plans regarding future actions.
  • "Is he married?" - A straightforward way to ask about someone's relationship status; mastering interrogative forms is important for smooth conversations.

Practicing these structures in context will help you learn English with YouTube while making your speaking sound more natural and fluent.

Common Pronunciation Traps

One of the challenges faced in this video relates to the pronunciation of certain words and phrases. Here are some tricky elements to keep in mind:

  • "Mila" - The pronunciation emphasizes the first syllable, often mispronounced; practice saying it correctly to avoid confusion.
  • "Thank you" - Ensure you link the words together smoothly. Native speakers often say it quickly, which can be hard to pick up for learners. Emphasizing the "k" sound in "thank" can aid clarity.
  • "Can I have a hug?" - This phrase can be pronounced quickly, so focus on each word's articulation to sound more natural.

By identifying and practicing these common pronunciation traps through shadowspeak, you can greatly improve English pronunciation. Taking time to practice these nuances will elevate your overall speaking ability as you continue with your English learning journey.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →