Shadowing Practice: Advanced Expressions (C2) to Build Your Vocabulary - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hey everyone, I have a great lesson for you today because we are going to talk about some common expressions.
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And I think these are a little more advanced expressions that you can use in a variety of situations.
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Now, I'm going to tell you how these expressions are used as well as
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when they are used and try to explain the situation.
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Because when you think of these expressions, I don't want you to look at the individual words.
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I want you to think about it as a whole.
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I think that if you're able to try and learn these expressions as one chunk, as a single piece of information,
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then it'll be a little easier to comprehend,
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to understand, and you'll be able to use it correctly when you find yourself in a situation where these expressions are relevant.
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So I am going to tell you the expression.
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I'll give you the meaning.
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I will tell you and explain some of the situations in
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which I think you may use these expressions or you may hear somebody else use them.
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And then I may throw in a few video clips here
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and there to help reinforce that information so that you have a better understanding.
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The first expression is having said that.
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So this is a transitional phrase, which means that you are using it to transition from one idea to the next.
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And in this case, you are transitioning basically to an opposing view.
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You are going to say something contradictory to what was just said.
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And this this phrase, I think, is often found at the beginning of a sentence.
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And I think it's becoming more and more common in spoken English.
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Now, let me give you an example so you know what I mean
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when I say that you are trying to disagree or you're basically contrasting information that was just said.
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Maybe I am talking to you and I'm saying this great stuff about you.
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And then I want to say the opposite.
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So I'd say, oh, you are amazing.
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You're very smart.
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You're very hardworking.
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and then I'd say having said that and then I would say the opposite of everything I just said.
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Often I think it's used in a context in which you are maybe you have to give somebody bad news
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but before you give them the bad news you want to say some good things about them.
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So let me give you an example, hopefully make this a little easier to understand.
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Let's say that you are applying for a job and,
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you know, unfortunately you don't get the job and I am going to tell you this, but before I tell you, I might try to say some things that are,
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that are nice about you, that are great because I don't want to just be mean and say, you know, you didn't get the job, get out of here.
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So I might say something like, okay, you are obviously very passionate about what you do.
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You're hardworking.
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You seem like you're a responsible person.
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Having said that, I contacted your previous employers and they said you were stealing from the company, so you're not going to get the job.
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I hope that example makes it a little easier to follow.
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Having said all of that stuff before, let me tell you what the opposite is.
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And it can go both ways.
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It's not just about delivering bad news.
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It can be used in a positive sense.
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So, for example, maybe you say a lot of bad and negative things to begin with.
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And then you say, having said that, and then you say the positive things.
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I can't be your hero anymore.
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Okay.
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Sure.
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Having said all that, I still would like to get together on Tuesdays for bowling and alternating Sundays for general horseplay.
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Recognize that Google is not a conventional workplace.
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Having said that, we have rules.
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I'm over it completely.
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Having said that, it's so hard to move on.
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The next expression, and this is one of my favorites, is wishful thinking.
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And if somebody says wishful thinking,
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then it means that some other person is imagining a future event that is rather unlikely,
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but they, they just wish that that is the way things were.
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And you could say, look, you know, that's wishful thinking.
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And often I think it's used as that statement right there.
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And you hear somebody talking about some situation that is unlikely, but that's what they want to happen.
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And then you could say, look, you know, that's wishful thinking.
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you know, that's just wishful thinking.
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It's not going to happen.
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For example, if somebody were to say,
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okay, I want to learn Portuguese and I am going to start studying Portuguese
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and I am going to be fluent in Portuguese by the end of the week.
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Give me seven days and I will achieve fluency.
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And then you would look at me and say, okay, that's wishful thinking.
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It is an unlikely event.
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It is an unlikely future.
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It's probably not going to happen, but that's wishful thinking.
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You are just hopeful.
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You are optimistic that something will happen.
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Anyway, can't raise a kid here.
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Where would you even put her?
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How do you know it's a she?
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Wishful thinking, I guess.
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I just hope you found someplace where you could find a little piece.
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A place set in the cedars and oak trees.
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But that's probably wishful thinking.
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Then we have to take something for granted.
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And this means, I think this is a very common expression.
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And what it means is that you don't fully appreciate something because you just,
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you come to assume that it will always be there and it will always be available.
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You could also use it when talking about a person to take someone for granted
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and it means the same thing that you don't fully appreciate this person
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because you just assume that they will always be there for you.
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Let me give you an example.
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Imagine you have a car and you drive it every day.
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You go to work, you go shopping, you go to the grocery store and and you use it quite often.
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And then the car breaks down and now you have to change your routine
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and you have to take a bus or you have to walk.
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It takes a lot more time.
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It then becomes a reminder how much easier things were with the car, that you could do things much faster.
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And you might think to yourself, wow, I was starting to take it for granted.
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I completely forgot
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that it's a It's a lot more challenging to have to take a bus to all of these places
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and you didn't realize it until it was gone, until it was no longer available to take something for granted or to take someone for granted.
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Sure, but philosophy is about questioning things that you take for granted.
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Stop complaining.
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New York is the greatest city in the world.
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No, it's rude, obnoxious and dirty.
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You take this place for granted.
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Most of us here were born in America.
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We take this country for granted.
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Not immigrants like Apu.
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Then we have another expression, which I guess you could say it is also one of my favorite expressions because I use it all the time.
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And that is keep that in mind.
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You're telling somebody, you know, hey, keep that in mind.
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And what it means is that that this person should be aware of something or maybe that.
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Yeah, they should acknowledge that that something exists.
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So you may find this expression at the end of a person's comment.
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They tell you what they want you to be aware of, and then just as a reminder, say, look, keep that in mind.
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Or maybe they use it at the beginning of a statement and say something like, look, I want you to keep this in mind.
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And then proceed to tell you what they want you to be aware of.
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Listen for it with me.
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I think I say that quite often because I'm teaching you these words and phrases.
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and sometimes they can be used in different ways.
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And I want you to be aware of that.
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And I would just tell you, look, I want you to keep that in mind.
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So now that I've told you that, try to listen for it.
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I think it's a great expression, especially when you are giving instructions.
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Because as a teacher, I'm constantly talking to learners
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and trying to explain the difference between things and really help them understand a little bit better.
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So I would often try to remind them to be aware of something
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and say keep that in mind So when you are giving instructions,
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I think that is a common way in which this expression is used The Volturi don't give second chances
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Keep that in mind The world ain't what it seems is a gunny No,
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sir You keep that in mind The next expression is be that as it may
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This is another expression that is often used at the beginning of a sentence, and it's a little more formal as well.
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And what it means is that you use this expression
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when you want to say that you believe some information that you have been given, that you think it is true,
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but it does not change your opinion about some topic or some situation.
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So let me give you an example.
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And I'm trying to think of something that would be a more formal setting,
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maybe a courtroom with the judge and the judge is deciding that,
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that somebody is guilty and they're trying to determine should they give a,
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a very strict punishment or should they give a very light punishment?
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And the person is trying to say, well, Hey, here are some facts.
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Here's some information to show you that I'm a good person, even though I did something wrong.
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And when the judge is talking to this individual, the judge may say that information and they may say,
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look, yeah, you have been very helpful in your community.
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You have shown that you can be an honest and trustworthy individual, you've been a good friend to others,
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be that as it may, you have still broken the law and you must be punished for that.
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So once again, you are basically reaffirming that it doesn't matter what information or facts that you get,
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it's not going to change your opinion about this topic or this situation.
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And remember, it is a bit more formal and somebody is trying to say, look, I am not going to change my opinion,
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even though I believe all of this other information.
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Be that as it may, I'm not going to change my opinion.
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All I can tell you is that I'm a different person now.
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Oh, great.
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I don't care.
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Be that as it may, I know I don't deserve your mercy or your forgiveness.
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Well, I see it.
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I'm owed.
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Be that as it may.
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Recon is not yours to sell anymore.
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I am not out of control.
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That is it me.
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I must request that for the time being you allow the city to handle its own emergency.
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Then we have the expression around the clock.
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So in this case, it's talking about something that is continuous,
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that it is lasting, especially lasting 24 hours that it is around the clock all day, every day.
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And this expression, I think it's often used before words like open,
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like, you know, we're open around the clock or, uh, words like available.
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Uh, you know, I'm available around the clock.
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You can call me anytime.
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My phone is always on any time of the day around the clock.
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Efforts continue around the clock.
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I'm working around the clock.
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You've been working around the clock.
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You can call me Nikki.
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It will be a pleasure to serve you.
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I'm available to you around the clock.
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Just let me know.
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Next is the expression to toss around the idea, or you could say to toss around some ideas.
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And this, it's almost, it's a form of brainstorming that you are just thinking about new ideas or new possibilities,
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usually with, with another person or often with a group of people as well.
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If there is a group of individuals and you have to think of something, you have to come up with some new ideas.
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You might tell the group, you know, let's, let's toss around some ideas.
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Let's get some ideas out there and then we'll make a decision.
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This expression I think is used a little more informally
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when you are talking maybe with your colleagues or friends in order to make a great decision.
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We need to come up with many different ideas.
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So let's toss around some ideas.
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So you want to, you want to go over it and toss some ideas around?
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No. That's okay.
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That means I'm going to go to my book editor, Melissa, and toss around some book ideas and go home, soaking a tub, drink a glass of wine.
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The next expression, and I think this one is a bit more challenging, and sometimes it may even be used incorrectly, is in and of itself.
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And what this means is that you are considering something alone that is apart from everything else.
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So you're referring to something that is being considered alone.
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Now I will say that some people, they may think this expression is a little outdated.
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It's a little old fashioned.
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I think that this is definitely a more of an advanced expression.
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You may not hear it as often, but when you do just realize that it's referring to something that is being considered alone.
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Let me give you an example to help you better understand how it's used.
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So I might say that a sentence like this, the rainy weather in and of itself was not the cause of the traffic jam.
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So there could be many causes for this traffic jam, the rainy weather.
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It could be one of them.
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It's not the only one.
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It could be part of this.
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So what I said in that sentence, I said the rainy weather in and of itself when it's considered alone, which means that is the only thing
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that you are thinking of is the rainy weather was not the cause of the traffic jam.
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Something else you should know about this expression is that it would often be found in the middle of the sentence.
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That it's going to be separated by two different commas.
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So you're going to say something in and of itself
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and then finish the sentence that is reverse sexism which is in
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and of itself a sexist thing to do summoning the brethren court
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that's a sad commentary in and of itself my cousin violated his parole
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which in and of itself isn't good news
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but we're gonna get his van until he gets out i did not say stuart i said stalwart
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Which in and of itself would be weird enough.
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Next is the expression, low and behold.
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And when somebody uses low and behold, they are telling someone something surprising that happened.
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This expression often follows the word and I think also
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that it's quite common that you would use this when you're telling a story.
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You're telling somebody a story and talking about some events that happened, and then you want to reveal something surprising all of a sudden, lo and behold.
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For example, if somebody said, wow, I looked in the drawer and lo and behold, I found my wallet.
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So if you just hear that sentence, I looked in the drawer and lo and behold, I found my wallet.
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What other information is that telling you?
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If you just hear that sentence, what it tells me, you're saying, and lo and behold, I found my wallet.
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It was a surprise, which tells us that this person, they were looking for their wallet.
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Maybe they were looking all over the place.
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They could not find their wallet.
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And they were surprised when they found it in the drawer.
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When you use these expressions, and sometimes they help give a little more information as to the situation and what's happening.
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I looked in the drawer, and lo and behold, I found my wallet.
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Is there any way that I could have any less respect for you two geniuses?
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I would have said, no, no, that's not possible.
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But lo and behold, you went and pulled it off.
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Congratulations.
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No one would have predicted the results of the election that year.
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No one.
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Not long after the election, lo and behold, a miracle.
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Some believed it was the work of God himself.
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Next is the expression in hindsight.
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So this expression means that a person has gained understanding about a situation
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or event after it has already happened or perhaps after it has developed.
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And you would often find this expression at the beginning of a sentence.
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Somebody might say, well, you know, in hindsight and then talk about what should have happened,
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maybe how they would have changed the past because now they have a better understanding of what was going on.
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For example, you could say, well, in hindsight, I should have told the truth.
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I never should have lied about it.
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In hindsight, I should have told the truth.
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Or in hindsight, I should have left hours before.
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There was no reason for me to stay at the party and stay out really late and not get any sleep.
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In hindsight, I should have left.
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Charles and I blame ourselves.
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In hindsight, we weren't ready.
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Please don't interrupt.
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You know I hate that.
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In hindsight, I probably could not have picked a worse way to be honest with Mary Elizabeth.
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They'll never know.
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In hindsight, one of us should have brought a camera.
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You seem pretty hell-bent on severing ties.
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Yeah, in hindsight, they might have been a bit dramatic.
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Well, it's a little late to take it back.
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So again, I think it really helps to just learn these expressions as one chunk
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and learn their meaning so that it gives you a better understanding as to how and when it's used.
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Now, having said that, if you are somebody who likes, oh, I need to really know each and every individual word, then I think that's okay.
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But really try to view these expressions as a single chunk with a single meaning.
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because what I really don't want, I don't want you to take these expressions for granted because you will hear them from time to time.
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And now that you understand their meaning, I hope that you can go out and use them.
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And I know it can be difficult.
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I know it can be challenging, but I think you guys, you can do it.
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You're just gonna study around the clock.
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And the more you study them, the more you practice them, you're just gonna start speaking.
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And lo and behold, you're just gonna start using these expressions naturally and easily, and that's going to help you improve your overall fluency.
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And I thought I'd just try and give you a little bit of review
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while at the same time giving you an inspirational message.
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All right.
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Just, you know, I always want to encourage you to learn, practice, and continue building your vocabulary.
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Keep that in mind.
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All right.
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That is it.
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I hope you enjoyed learning some of these advanced expressions, and I will see you next time.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 277 sentences and 3313 words to shadow. The speech runs for 20:08. The speaker talks at a natural 165 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| clock noun | /klɑk/ | A chronometer, an instrument that measures time, particularly the time of day. |
| behold verb | /bɪˈhəʊld/ | To look at or see (someone or something), especially appreciatively; to descry, to look upon. |
| wallet noun | /ˈwɑl.ət/ | A small case, often flat and often made of leather, for keeping money (especially paper money), credit cards, etc. |
| toss verb | /tɔs/ | To throw with an initial upward direction. |
| unlikely adjective | /ʌnˈlaɪkli/ | Not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected. |
| drawer noun | /dɹɔɹ/ | An open-topped box that can be slid in and out of the cabinet that contains it, used for storing clothing or other articles. |
| rainy adjective | /ˈɹeɪni/ | Pouring with rain; wet; showery |
| formal adjective | /ˈfɔɹməl/ | In accordance with established forms. |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| chunk noun | /t͡ʃʌŋk/ | A part of something that has been separated; a generally squat, thick, irregular piece of something, e.g. wood or stone. |
| topic noun | /ˈtɑpɪk/ | A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest. |
| transition noun | /tɹænˈzɪʃ.ən/ | The process of change from one form, state, style or place to another. |
| refer verb | /ɹɪˈfɜː/ | To direct the attention of (someone toward something). |
| punishment noun | /ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/ | The act (action) or process of punishing, imposing and/or applying a sanction, typically by an authority or a person in authority (for example: a parent or… |
| instruction noun | /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/ | The act of instructing, teaching, or providing with information or knowledge. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. |
| work around verb | To bypass or circumvent (a problem or obstacle). |
| break down verb | To stop functioning. |
| get out verb | To leave or escape. |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. |
| go over verb | To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze. |
| stay out verb | To spend time out of one's house. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 67 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: brethren /ˈbɹɛðɹən/, trustworthy /ˈtɹʌst.wɜː.ði/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: transition /tɹænˈzɪʃ.ən/, punishment /ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/, contrast /kənˈt(ʃ)ɹæst/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/
- Long words — get the stress right: naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, continuous /kənˈtɪn.juː.əs/, commentary /ˈkɑ.mənˌtɛ.ɹi/, optimistic /ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like clock, behold, wallet.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was just said · is often found · were born |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've told · have been given · have been |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | phrase, which means · alone, which means · sexism which is |
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.