Shadowing Practice: CEFR A1 Listening | Hobbies: Audio 1 | ESL Pals - Learn English Speaking with Video

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11 sentences
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1
Hi, my name is Tony.
2
I'm 25 years old and I live in Chicago.
3
Today I want to tell you about my hobbies.
4
In my free time, I enjoy cooking.
5
I like to make pasta and vegetable soup.
6
I like cooking because I enjoy trying new food.
7
On the weekend, I play football with my friends in the park.
8
It's fun and good exercise.
9
I also enjoy reading books at night in my bedroom.
10
I like reading mystery books because the stories are exciting.
11
I enjoy all of my hobbies because they help me relax and have fun.

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What Speaking Skills Can You Build with This Video?

This clip is perfect for learners aiming to master basic conversational fluency, a key milestone for CEFR A1. It focuses on describing hobbies—an essential topic for everyday interactions, IELTS speaking practice, and building confidence in simple self-introductions. By engaging with the dialogue, you’ll learn to structure short, clear sentences about your free time, a skill that lays the groundwork for more complex communication.

Phrase Bank: Reusable Expressions to Practice

Take note of these practical phrases from the video—they’re ideal for shadowing practice and real-life use:

  • "In my free time, I enjoy..." – A natural way to introduce hobbies.
  • "I like to make..." – Perfect for talking about specific activities, like cooking or crafts.
  • "I like [hobby] because..." – Helps you explain reasons, adding depth to your speech.
  • "On the weekend, I [activity] with..." – Great for describing weekend routines.
  • "It's fun and good exercise" – A simple way to highlight benefits of an activity.

These phrases are versatile—try swapping out "cooking" or "football" with your own hobbies to personalize them!

Improve Your Pronunciation and Rhythm

The video’s slow, clear pace makes it an excellent tool for fixing common A1 pronunciation issues. Pay attention to the stress in words like "vegetable" (VEJ-tuh-buhl) and "mystery" (MIS-tuh-ree)—misplacing stress can make your speech hard to understand. Also, notice how the speaker connects short phrases, like "I like reading books at night"—this natural rhythm is key to sounding fluent. Use the shadowing technique: pause the video, repeat each sentence aloud, and match the speaker’s tone and speed. Over time, this will help you speak more smoothly, whether you’re practicing with a shadowing site or just repeating along with YouTube.

Learning English with YouTube has never been easier—this video combines real-life language with actionable practice. Whether you’re prepping for IELTS speaking practice or just want to chat about hobbies, these skills will help you communicate with confidence.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing formenjoy cooking · enjoy trying · enjoy reading

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 →