Shadowing Practice: Amanda McKenna - 11 Things You Miss Most About Being a Kid, Part 1 - 11 Points Countdown - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
1
Welcome to the 11 points countdown!
2
Today we are counting the 11 things you miss most about being a kid as voted by 4,000 readers on 11 points.
3
I'm Sam, joined today by Amanda McKenna, YouTube sensation of a completely different generation than me.
4
So we're going to talk about two very different experiences of being a kid.
5
Okay, awesome, I'm so ready.
6
The number 11 thing you miss most about being a kid, the ease of making new friends.
7
Friends when I was a kid either I was like six
8
or like six years old I just had I had a science down to making friends
9
and I would go up to someone I would just keep my hand out and I would be like hi.
10
I'm Amanda.
11
I go to this not elementary school You wanna be my friend and then they say yes.
12
Are you still in touch with any of those people?
13
No, no Wasn't the best relationships I was creating at
14
that age all right the number 10 thing you miss most
15
about being a kid going to toy Stores I think it's easier going to toy stores now
16
because now I have money to spend but I just feel guilty spending it on toys.
17
I feel like there aren't as many toy stores around anymore.
18
There's not.
19
There's Toys R Us, but a little overrated.
20
Very disappointing.
21
A little bit.
22
The number nine thing you miss most about being a kid, feeling rich if you had $10.
23
Yes.
24
Well, I remember when I was a kid, I really wanted, I had to be eight years old and I wanted this scooter.
25
Like, the scooter was everything to me.
26
And I remember it was $70, but I had, and those big bucks back there.
27
That's a lot of bucks.
28
A little bit now, it's pretty a lot, too.
29
I remember I had an allowance and it was every Friday I got paid $10 by my parents.
30
I remember thinking, well, I just have to wait seven weeks and then I have the scooter.
31
So did you get the scooter?
32
I never got the scooter.
33
I just probably spent on toys as I did.
34
You could not long-term save.
35
Mm-hmm.
36
The number eight thing you miss most about being a kid being basically unbreakable.
37
But I think I was a kid, I got way more hurt than I did now.
38
I think I've just learned from my mistakes because I was just inherently clumsy.
39
I had this one friend when I was a kid and he was always in a wheelchair.
40
He would be doing like wheelies in his wheelchair.
41
That's amazing!
42
So I was always coordinated individuals and it just didn't...
43
You were less coordinated than the guy in the wheelchair?
44
Yes!
45
I didn't understand.
46
Like, oh, I'm not...
47
No one told me.
48
I have an older sibling because I'm an only child.
49
So no one told me like, you can't do these things, Nemo.
50
Like, just don't, so.
51
I was also an only child.
52
Look at that, we had that in common.
53
We found each other.
54
There, finally, we finally got there.
55
All right.
56
Number seven thing you miss most about being a kid, no bills.
57
I got to, I mean, all the bills I have to pay, I mean, laundry mat list.
58
So what bills do you pay these days?
59
All of the bills.
60
Do you pay car insurance?
61
Yeah, I don't drive.
62
Okay.
63
Would you pay car insurance?
64
It's, you know, it's the struggle.
65
Alright, I hear ya.
66
But I mean, I know I'll be watching this years from now just thinking I had it all, so...
67
Yep, you didn't have any bills.
68
The number six thing you miss most about being a kid, watching cartoons on Saturday morning.
69
Yeah, I used to wake up and watch like, the Smurfs.
70
And then I transitioned hard into WWF wrestling on Saturday morning.
71
It's like, I made like a hard left into pro wrestling.
72
No, see, I was the UFC kid.
73
Oh, okay.
74
And my entire family into UFC, so...
75
I'm in like boxers and just like buffing it out.
76
Any aspirations to do any UFC fighting?
77
Oh, all day.
78
I'm sorry.
79
I don't want to like bring out the gun show here, but...
80
I'm gonna.. look...
81
Alright, the number five thing you miss most about being a kid, love this one.
82
Imagination and wonder.
83
That is insulting though.
84
Like we don't have this anymore.
85
You get to this certain age and you're like...
86
Your imagination begins to vanish.

Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging with Amanda McKenna's video on the 11 things you miss most about being a kid is an ideal opportunity for English speaking practice. By listening to the dynamic interaction between Sam and Amanda, learners can immerse themselves in conversational English that reflects genuine experiences and emotions. This context makes it easier to grasp conversational flow, idiomatic expressions, and cultural references. Moreover, using a shadowing app in combination with this video allows learners to mimic Amanda's tone and pace, enhancing their speaking skills substantially.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the transcript, several key grammatical structures and expressions emerge that are useful for learners. Here are a few notable examples:

  • Conditional Statements: Amanda mentions, “If you had $10…” This structure is essential for discussing hypothetical scenarios, enriching your ability to converse about possibilities.
  • Past Simple Tense: Phrases like “I wanted,” and “I remember” illustrate the past simple tense effectively, which is fundamental when narrating past events or experiences.
  • Present Perfect: Amanda's use of “I've learned from my mistakes” showcases how to connect the past and present, a crucial skill in storytelling.

By focusing on these structures and utilizing them in your own sentences, you can learn English with YouTube content that is both relatable and impactful.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you engage with the video, be mindful of various pronunciation challenges that could arise. For instance:

  • The word “remember” can often lead to mispronunciation; focus on the syllable stress to say it correctly.
  • Amanda uses the phrase “I just had a science down”, which might trip up non-native speakers who struggle with the 's' sounds in quick succession.
  • Watch out for the word “scooter”, as the double 'o' can be pronounced differently in casual conversation. Pay attention to how it's articulated in the context.

Applying the shadowing technique—where you repeat what you hear immediately after hearing it—will enhance your ability to pronounce difficult words accurately. This approach not only improves pronunciation but also builds your confidence in speaking English fluently.

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.