Shadowing Practice: Being polite: how to soften your English - English Masterclass - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hi, Sian here for BBC Learning English.
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Hi, Sian here for BBC Learning English.
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In this masterclass, we're going to look at something British people love doing.
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Being polite.
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No, I'm not coming to your party this evening.
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Wow, this food is disgusting.
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Give me some of your lunch.
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Now, sometimes it's okay to be direct or even blunt with your friends, but it's important not to sound rude, particularly in the workplace.
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We're going to look at four ways you can soften your language to make you more polite.
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OK, listen to these two requests.
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Which one sounds more polite and less direct and why?
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Number one.
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Pick me up on your way to the party this evening.
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Or number two.
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I was hoping you could give me a lift to the party.
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Now, number two is much more polite.
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We soften requests and suggestions and questions by using past forms, continuous forms, or both.
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For example, I was wondering if you could give me a lift later.
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We can also make requests softer by using a negative question with a question tag.
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So, you couldn't give me a lift later, could you?
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Or I don't suppose you could pick me up tonight, could you?
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OK, listen to these two opinions.
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Which do you think sounds less direct and more polite?
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Number one...
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You're too young to get married.
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Or number two...
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reckon you're a little young to be getting married.
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Yeah, the second one is much less direct, it's softer.
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We use verbs like reckon, guess, feel to make your opinions less direct.
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You can also use vague expressions like sort of, kind of, a little bit.
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It also helps if you make it into a question.
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Aren't you kind of young to be getting married?
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OK, now listen to these two problems.
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Which one sounds less direct?
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The first one?
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You've made a mistake in this report.
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Or the second one?
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You seem to have made a mistake here.
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Yes, the second one was softer, less direct.
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We introduce problems with verbs like seem and appear to soften them.
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So you appear to have saved over all my documents.
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You could also use these to introduce your own problems.
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So I seem to have lost those reports you wanted.
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Now listen to these two ways of refusing an invitation.
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Which one sounds less direct?
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Number one?
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No, I'm not coming to your party this evening.
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Or number two?
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I'm not sure I'll be able to make it to your party this evening.
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OK.
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Again, the second one was much softer, less direct.
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We find it really hard to say no. So instead we use tentative language to soften it.
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So, I'm not sure I'll make it to your party or it's looking unlikely I'll be able to come this evening.
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This basically means I'm not coming.
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Now, to find out more about avoiding being too direct and to practice not being rude, I was hoping you would check out our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
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See you soon, goodbye!

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Why practice speaking with this video?

This masterclass on politeness in English provides essential skills for anyone looking to communicate effectively in both personal and professional settings. Understanding how to soften your language not only makes your requests and opinions more respectful, but also helps you build stronger relationships with your peers. Additionally, practicing with this video allows you to engage with real-world scenarios where politeness is crucial, especially in the workplace. By shadowing the speaker, you can improve English pronunciation and develop a more nuanced speaking style that is essential for effective communication.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the video, several key grammatical structures are highlighted that can help you sound more polite:

  • Past Forms: The speaker suggests using past tense forms to soften requests. For example, “I was hoping you could give me a lift” sounds much more courteous than a direct demand.
  • Negative Questions: Introducing a request with a negative question, such as “You couldn’t help me, could you?” makes the request sound less imposing and more polite.
  • Vague Expressions: Utilizing words like “kind of” or “sort of” dilutes the strength of your statements. For instance, instead of saying, “You’re too young to get married,” you can say, “I reckon you’re a little young to be getting married,” which conveys the same message in a gentler manner.
  • Verbs to Indicate Possibility: Words like “seem” and “appear” can help introduce problems in a softer way. For example, “It seems there’s a mistake in this report” is less accusatory and more diplomatic.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice with the video, pay attention to some tricky words or phrases and how they are pronounced:

  • Polite Requests: The phrase “I was hoping” may require extra attention to ensure you're softening the sound appropriately. The intonation helps convey politeness.
  • Vague Expressions: Words like “kind of” or “sort of” can be easily mispronounced or rushed when spoken quickly, so take your time when shadowing.
  • Contractions: Noticing how the speaker uses contractions, such as “I’m not sure” instead of “I am not sure,” can help you sound more natural in daily conversations.

By engaging with this video using the shadowing technique, you will not only improve English pronunciation but also develop the ability to express yourself more politely and effectively. It's an ideal way to enhance your speaking skills while learning 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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