Shadowing Practice: British English phrases that confuse learners - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hello, hello and welcome back to the English Like a Native podcast.
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My name is Anna and today we are diving deep into a handful of unusual phrases
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that native speakers use in the UK.
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I was actually inspired to do this episode after watching one of my favourite comedians.
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he's from the UK from the north of the UK
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and he's called Peter K
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so let me share with you some of these wonderful little phrases see
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if any of them are new to you if they are
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and you're watching via YouTube or a streaming platform that allows you to use the comments feature
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then I encourage you to try to write out a sentence that's relevant to you using the phrase
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that you've just learned and that way you're making passive vocabulary more active.
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Okay so the first phrase I'm going to share with you is I'll tell you this for free.
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I'll tell you this for free.
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I'll tell you this for free.
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So this is a conversational phrase that's used before giving a strong opinion,
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often a warning or a piece of honest truth.
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It really just means listen carefully because I'm about to share something
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that I'm sure about and I think you need to know.
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For example, if you come to me and you're upset
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because you've been offended by some actions or words of a close friend,
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and I know your close friend very well, then I might give you this advice.
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I'll tell you this for free.
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He's not going to apologize.
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or perhaps you are planning to come to the UK for
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a holiday maybe you already live here maybe you're planning to go to a different city
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and you haven't yet booked your travel so you haven't booked your plane
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or your train tickets and I know very well how the prices can change
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so I might say to you I'll tell you this for free
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if you don't book now the prices will go up
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so be more organized and book or something
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that I said to someone recently they are planning to have a family
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and I said to them I'll tell you this for free parenting in a heat wave is not for the faint-hearted
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Because having little children during intense heat just makes everything so much harder.
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So I'll tell you this for free, parenting in a heat wave is not for the faint hearted.
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Okay.
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The next phrase I'd like to introduce you to is believe you, me, believe you, me.
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This is slightly odd.
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When you really think about it, it feels odd.
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It's just an emphatic version of believe me.
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That's all you're saying.
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Believe me.
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But rather than saying you should believe me or listen to me, believe me because what I'm saying is true,
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you say, believe you me.
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And this means I promise you that what I'm about to say or what I've just said is true.
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Trust me.
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OK, so it's emphasizing that what you're saying is the truth.
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it's informal and I'm not sure if the youth of today use it
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but certainly it was a common phrase when I was young
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and something that my generation and the older generations still use it's slightly dramatic slightly theatrical
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but there it is and I really love this phrase believe you me she knows exactly what she's doing.
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Yes, it looks dangerous, but believe you me, she's an expert.
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Or you might come out of a meeting and your friend looks at you and says, did it go well?
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How was it?
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I might say, believe you me, that meeting was awkward.
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or you might say believe you me once you've taught a
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room full of tired students on a Friday afternoon nothing scares you
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because tired teenagers on a Friday afternoon are really hard work
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and quite confrontational so believe you me once you've taught a room full of tired students on a Friday afternoon, nothing scares you.
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Fantastic.
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A very different type of phrase now is I wouldn't touch him with a barge pole.
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It's such a funny phrase.
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I wouldn't touch him with a barge pole.
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Now, this means I would completely avoid a person.
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So, we usually use this in the context of relationships or intimate connections.
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So imagine you're trying to find me a partner.
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Let's say I'm single.
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I've been single for a long time and you think I should be with someone and you say, Anna, come on.
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I know lots of eligible bachelors and I'd love to introduce you to someone
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or to one or two of them and see if there's a spark there.
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Tell me, would you like to meet Alfred?
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And you show me a picture of Alfred and you tell me a little bit about him.
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And I say, oh, no, I've met Alfred, haven't I?
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Didn't he go to that summer party?
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And you say, yes, that's Alfred.
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Should I arrange a date for you guys?
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And I'd say, no, no, no. I wouldn't touch Alfred with a barge pole.
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And so I'm saying, not only do I not want to date him, but I also just don't want to have anything to do with him.
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I don't want to be involved with him in any way.
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It suggests that there's something really repulsive or offensive about that person.
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So something that that person does or has said or has portrayed,
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they've come across in a way that repulses me, offends me.
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And I say, I wouldn't touch that person with a barge pole.
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No, thank you.
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Now, a barge pole is an extremely large pole
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that would be used when you're on the canals in a barge
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and you'd use the pole to push your barge away from the sides of the canal.
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I assume I haven't spent much time on a barge.
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So my experience of barges and barge poles is limited, but it's a very long pole,
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maybe a 10 foot pole.
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If you're an expert in barges and canals, then please correct me if I'm wrong.
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But a barge pole is very long.
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So if you wouldn't even extend a long pole to touch someone, then they must be very offensive.
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Okay, it's strongly negative and quite judgmental.
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So, be careful how you use it.
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But here are some example sentences.
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You might say, he seems charming, but I wouldn't touch him with a barge pole.
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He is not my type.
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Or moving away from relationships, you might say, that company has a terrible reputation.
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I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.
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Or she asked if I'd join his business idea, but honestly, I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.
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It seems too risky.
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So when we use it to talk about a person, I wouldn't touch him, her or them, then it sounds very personal and it's harsh so be careful
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but when you use it to talk about a company an idea an offer then it means
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that that offer or company seems dodgy or risky
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or just not worth getting involved with all right moving on
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first things first maybe i should have started with this phrase first things first.
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So this means let's deal with the most important thing before anything else.
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I think it's quite obvious, really.
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You're saying let's deal with the first thing first.
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Before anything else, let's do the important thing.
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Let's do the preparation first.
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So for example, in the morning when my son wakes up, he creeps into my bedroom and he says,
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mommy, mommy, not every morning, but most mornings, mommy, mommy, can I go downstairs and watch something?
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And I say to him, first things first, we must get dressed, brush our teeth, wash our faces,
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and then go downstairs and have breakfast.
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And if there's still time, then I might let you watch TV for a little while before school.
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So first things first.
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You say it just before telling whoever you're talking to what should be prioritized or what task you should begin with.
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For example, you might say, First things first, has everyone got the worksheet?
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Or first things first, let's make a cup of tea and talk about the problem.
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Or you could say first things first, before you worry about sounding native, make sure your message is clear.
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okay so that's four items we've had
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so far I'll tell you this for free believe you me
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I wouldn't touch him with a barge pole first things first and finally we end with chock-a-block
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Chocoblock.
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I love this one.
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We spell it C-H-O-C-K.
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Choc hyphen a hyphen block.
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B-L-O-C-K.
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Chocoblock.
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Chocoblock.
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Chocoblock just means completely full, crammed or crowded.
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I might say it took me ages to park the car park was chock-a-block
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or I went to the supermarket and I had to leave
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because it was just chock-a-block
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or I might say I'd love to meet up with you for coffee
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but this week my diary is chock-a-block so it suggests that something's completely full and there's no more room.
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It's often unpleasant if a place is chock-a-block.
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Fantastic.
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Okay, so which of those phrases was your favorite?
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Are there any of those phrases that were completely new to you?
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And if so, please let me know in the comments.
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I do hope that you enjoyed this episode.
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If you'd like to get more from your listening experience, then consider becoming a Podcast Plus member where you can enter into my community,
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get access to lots of previous podcasts with transcripts,
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interactive questions, writing prompts, and all sorts of support in order to help turn your passive learning into active learning.
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For now, it's time for me to say goodbye, have a nice day and take care.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 148 sentences and 1665 words to shadow. The speech runs for 13:23. The speaker talks at a steady 124 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pole noun | /pəʊl/ | Either of the two points on the earth's surface around which it rotates; also, similar points on any other rotating object. |
| barge noun | /ˈbɑɹd͡ʒ/ | A large flat-bottomed towed or self-propelled boat used mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods or bulk cargo. |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| canal noun | /kəˈnæl/ | An artificial waterway or artificially improved river used for travel, shipping, or irrigation. |
| podcast noun | /ˈpɑdˌkæst/ | A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on… |
| offensive adjective | /ˈɔˌfɛnsɪv/ | Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, hatred, sadness, or indignation. |
| introduce verb | /ˌɪntɹəˈdus/ | To cause (someone) to be acquainted (with someone else). |
| scare verb | /skɛɚ/ | To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way. |
| passive adjective | /ˈpæs.ɪv/ | Being subjected to an action without producing a reaction. |
| risky adjective | /ˈɹɪski/ | Dangerous; involving risks. |
| faint adjective | /feɪnt/ | Lacking strength; weak; languid; inclined to lose consciousness |
| downstairs adverb | /daʊnˈstɛɹz/ | Down the stairs. |
| offend verb | /əˈfɛnd/ | To hurt the feelings of; to displease; to make angry; to insult. |
| reputation noun | /ˌɹɛpjʊˈteɪʃən/ | What somebody or something is known for. |
| strongly adverb | /ˈstɹɔŋli/ | In a strong or powerful manner. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| come across verb | To change sides; to cross over to work for the opposition. | |
| go up verb | To move upwards. | |
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
| write out verb | To write at full length or in expanded form. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 62 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, wouldn't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: reputation /ˌɹɛpjʊˈteɪʃən/, unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, preparation /ˌpɹɛpəˈɹeɪʃ(ə)n/, brush /bɹʌʃ/, harsh /ˈhɑɹʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: reputation /ˌɹɛpjʊˈteɪʃən/, unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, preparation /ˌpɹɛpəˈɹeɪʃ(ə)n/, eligible /ˈɛl.ɪ.d͡ʒɪ.bəl/, apologize /əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like pole, barge, phrase.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've just learned · you've been offended · haven't booked |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was actually inspired · you've been offended · be involved |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might give · might say · might come |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should believe · should be · Should I arrange |
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.