Shadowing Practice: Daily English Conversation Practice - Learn English Speaking with Video

Let's make breakfast.

Let's surprise mom and dad with a delicious breakfast.

They deserve it.

They've worked so much this week and have been very tired.

Good idea.

They'll be thrilled.

So, what do you have in mind?

How about scrambled eggs?

We all like eggs?

Let's better make frittata.

Sounds perfect.

How many eggs do we need?

Well, I think we need eight eggs.

And we need a little cheese, bacon, one onion, one pepper, and heavy cream.

Do we have all the ingredients?

Let me check.

Fortunately, we have everything we need.

Let's get started.

Let's pop the pan in the oven for 15 minutes.

How about we also make banana smoothie?

Would you like that?

I'm afraid we don't have any bananas left.

We ate them all yesterday.

But we have plenty of mangoes in the fridge.

Mangoes are great too.

Oh, it looks amazing.

It's beautifully puffed and cooked.

We can add some yogurt on top and some avocado slices.

It's ready to be served.

Something smells delicious in here.

You've made breakfast, kids?

What a pleasant surprise.

I didn't expect that.

What's the occasion?

We just wanted you to have a lovely Saturday morning.

That's so sweet.

I'm impressed, really.

Thank you so much.

I love you.

We love you, too.

What did you do for spring break?

Hey, Jason.

Hey, Paul.

It's so good to see you again.

Great to see you, too, Jason.

Did you have a good spring break?

Yeah, it wasn't too bad.

Although my mom had to work a lot of it, So I was in charge of looking after my little brother Jimmy.

Oh, no. Well, he's a very cool kid and great company.

He's like a mini-me.

I took him to the skate park and some other attractions.

Ah, that sounds all right.

I might need to meet the little dude at some point.

He helps me remember to be a kid and still have fun.

Nice.

What about you?

What did you get up to?

We went to visit my aunt and uncle.

They live on the other side of the country.

Really?

Was it good?

Did you have fun?

Yeah, we had a great time.

They live right next to a forest, and me and my cousins roam free all day.

We made dens to shelter when the rain came.

tracked animals through the bush and saw deer and rabbits and went canoeing on the river.

My uncle taught me how to use the paddles correctly and how to steer the canoe through the water.

Wow, you had so many amazing experiences.

Yes, I did.

And there's more.

They also have a big farm with so many animals.

I took care of them too.

Were there any horses at the farm?

Yes, there were many beautiful horses.

Wow, how cool.

Did you ride a horse?

Yes, I did.

It was fantastic.

I've never ridden a horse.

Well, next time, I'll see if you can come too.

I can show you how country folk live.

Yes, that would be awesome. Do you live here?

Excuse me, do you live here by chance?

Yes, I do.

How can I help you?

Oh, great

My wife and I are visiting for the week

And I'm looking for a local to help us get to know the town And what's good to see

Is that something you can help with?

Of course, I've lived here all my life I can tell you a thing or two Wonderful Personally,

this is the most wonderful place to visit We by far have the best walks

Because they go all along the top of the cliffs And you can see the most extensive range of wildlife.

We have a remarkable display of birds, some native and others seasonal.

And an incredible array of butterflies.

Oh, that sounds great.

We love to walk and we love nature.

We'll make sure we check them out.

Then, if you stop at the beach, you'll be able to feel the softest sand between your toes

That sounds heavenly And you mustn't leave without trying the gelato made here in the town I can assure you,

100

it is the tastiest around And once you've tried one, you'll be back every day of your visit

101

Thank you so much for your help I think we'll have a fantastic time here I just hope the weather holds off.

102

Oh, I'm sure it will.

103

It's known as the sunniest spot around these parts.

104

That's good to know.

105

Thank you so much.

106

You're very welcome.

107

Spending Habits and Saving Money Oh, wow, look at that jacket it.

108

I've wanted one like that forever.

109

I think I'll buy it.

110

Can we go into the store?

111

Yeah, that's nice.

112

Let's take a look.

113

Oh, here it is.

114

Let me try it on.

115

Looks good.

116

What does the price tag say?

117

Oh my goodness! $200?

118

That's a lot, but I need it.

119

I think I'll buy it anyway. Are you sure?

120

You could buy that somewhere else for a fraction of the cost.

121

No, I like splashing the cash.

122

Last week I went to buy some new bed sheets.

123

They cost me $150 in the end.

124

What?

125

They were just so comfortable.

126

That's so much money.

127

Do you ever have any money left at the end of the month?

128

No, I've usually spent it.

129

Why, do you?

130

Always.

131

Buying items new or at full price is not necessary.

132

If you wait a few weeks, that jacket will be on sale.

133

That's a point.

134

How else do you save money?

135

I only generally buy things I need.

136

And for items I want, I look to buy second hand.

137

Often, they're just as good as new.

138

If not, I scour the sale items.

139

And I find it quite fun coming across an absolute bargain.

140

Oh, okay.

141

That's a good idea.

142

It also means I can put money aside, into my savings account, or towards a holiday.

143

Now we're talking.

144

Maybe I don't need this jacket after all.

145

Plans for the weekend.

146

Wow, I can't believe it's nearly the weekend again already.

147

I know, the week is whizzing by so fast.

148

What have you got planned?

149

It's a family weekend for me.

150

I will be collecting my mom and dad early on Saturday morning and driving them to a rental property by the sea.

151

It's going to be peaceful and give everybody some real time out. That sounds divine.

152

I love visiting the ocean.

153

I think I'll be going with my family during the summer break.

154

What are you planning for your weekend?

155

I'll be taking things easy.

156

This week is hard work, and I need some rest and relaxation.

157

However, I will be going for dinner and drinks with my brothers on Saturday night.

158

Nice! Where to?

159

Just in town.

160

Nowhere far out of my way.

161

I want to keep things as easy as possible.

162

Sounds great!

163

Enjoy!

164

Yeah, enjoy your weekend away, too.

165

Thanks!

166

Comparing two countries Glenn, I need your help.

167

I'm thinking about traveling and don't know where to start.

168

Oh, wow, that's exciting.

169

When do you want to go?

170

July.

171

And do you have a continent in mind?

172

Either Europe or Asia.

173

Okay, cool.

174

That narrows it down slightly.

175

Kind of.

176

Okay, so thinking of Asia, you could start in Thailand.

177

Many people do, and it's an excellent base to travel to the rest of Southeast Asia.

178

Okay, and what about Europe?

179

I've always loved Austria, although that's very different to Thailand.

180

Summer in Austria is mild.

181

It's much colder than Thailand.

182

You definitely won't suffer from heat.

183

That's good to know.

184

In the foothill valleys and mountains you can even freeze.

185

Really?

186

Is it that cold there?

187

Yes.

188

If you intend to visit alpine valleys, you should have an autumn jacket.

189

Obviously, Thailand is much hotter, and many parts are very touristy with visitors.

190

Yeah, they're two very different countries.

191

Definitely, lots of Thailand has excellent beaches, but the views in Austria are stunning.

192

I see.

193

You may find the language barrier in Austria easier.

194

Almost everybody speaks English.

195

Is that so?

196

Very interesting.

197

The sanitation in parts of Thailand is also worse than in Austria, and you're more likely to have an upset stomach.

198

Hmm, that doesn't sound good.

199

It also depends on how far you want to travel and how much you want to spend.

200

Austria is much closer, but Thailand will be much cheaper.

201

Wow, I have a lot to think about.

202

Thank you for your help.

203

No worries at all.

204

Talking about life history.

205

How long have you worked with this company, Rod?

206

Oh, I think it's 20 years this year.

207

Wow, you don't look old enough to have worked here for that long.

208

You're too kind.

209

If you don't mind me asking, what year were you born?

210

No worries.

211

I was born in 1981.

212

I finished college and came straight here and never left.

213

Wow.

214

How about you?

215

Oh, I'm much older than you.

216

I was born in 1973, but didn't go to college.

217

And it's taken me a while to work my way up.

218

Were you born around here?

219

Oh, yes.

220

I've always lived here.

221

You?

222

Yep.

223

As local as they come.

224

What high school did you go to?

225

Redbrook High.

226

Oh, cool.

227

I was just down the street at Bayview High.

228

I had lots of friends at Redbrook, though.

229

Nice.

230

Yeah.

231

I went from Redbrook straight to Princeton.

232

Graduated in 2002 and got a job here.

233

It's what I've always wanted to do.

234

That's an excellent way to do it When I left high school, my first job was as an apprentice electrician I did like it,

235

but it wasn't really for me Fast forward a good few years, I tried many jobs, but settled on engineering That's great!

236

I love hearing the stories of how everybody comes to be where they are now Me too Right.

237

I'd best get back to my desk.

238

Catch you later.

239

Catch you later.

240

Different lifestyles.

241

Are you ready to go?

242

Go where?

243

We're meeting my parents at the new Italian place for lunch.

244

Oh, are we?

245

Why have you got your gym clothes on?

246

I'm booked in with my personal trainer.

247

I'm so sorry.

248

I can't cancel.

249

It cost me $40.

250

Are you joking with me?

251

This has been on the calendar for weeks.

252

My mom and dad have traveled two hours to meet us, and you're going to the gym?

253

I honestly can't remember you telling me.

254

I also can't eat pasta or pizza on my diet.

255

Okay, this is going a little too far.

256

What do you mean?

257

Jess, I love you, and I love that you want to look after yourself Great, I love you too But your obsession with your health and fitness is going too far

258

You spend more time with your personal trainer than with me No,

259

I don't Well, it certainly feels like it Then your diet is so controlled,

260

we can't go out for meals or drinks It's making everything so complicated I'm so sorry you feel this way.

261

I don't know what to say.

262

My health and fitness means so much to me.

263

Our lifestyles have gone in different directions.

264

Does it mean more to you than us?

265

I'm not sure, but I don't think I should be made to feel bad or give it all up.

266

I understand.

267

We'll talk about this later.

268

Right now, I need to meet Mom and Dad. to the next video.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Daily English Conversation Practice”. This video has 268 sentences and 1921 words to shadow. The speech runs for 15:31. The speaker talks at a steady 124 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 53 of its 268 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
jacket noun	/ˈd͡ʒæk.ɪt/	A piece of clothing worn on the upper body outside a shirt or blouse, often waist length to thigh length.
canoe noun	/kəˈnuː/	A small long and narrow boat, propelled by one or more people (depending on the size of canoe), using single-bladed paddles. The paddlers face in the direction…
mango noun	/ˈmæŋɡəʊ/	Any of species Mangifera indica of tropical Asian fruit trees.
banana noun	/bəˈnænə/	An elongated curved tropical fruit of a banana plant, which grows in bunches and has a creamy flesh and a smooth skin.
trainer noun	/ˈtɹeɪnɚ/	A person who trains another; a coach.
lifestyle noun	/ˈlaɪfˌstaɪl/	A style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group.
avocado noun	/ˌɑvəˈkɑdoʊ/	The large, usually yellowish-green or black, savory fruit of the avocado tree.
electrician noun	/ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɪʃən/	A tradesperson who installs, repairs and maintains electrical wiring and equipment.
excite verb	/ɪkˈsaɪt/	To stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement.
foothill noun		A hill at the base of a mountain or mountain range.
frittata noun	/fɹiˈtɑtə/	A crustless quiche: a molded omelette in which vegetables, cheese, etc., are mixed into the eggs and cooked together.
gelato noun	/d͡ʒəˈlɑtoʊ/	An Italian variant of ice cream made from milk and sugar, combined with other flavourings. The ingredients are supercooled while stirring to break up ice…
paddle noun	/ˈpædl̩/	A single-bladed version is typically used on canoes and some other small boats.
scramble verb	/ˈskɹæmbl̩/	To move hurriedly to a location, especially by using all limbs against a surface.
smoothie noun	/ˈsmuːði/	A smooth-talking person.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
come across verb	To change sides; to cross over to work for the opposition.
get back to verb	Return to (an activity)
get up to verb	To do something, especially something that is forbidden or improper.
hold off verb	To delay (someone or something) temporarily; to keep at bay.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

How many eggs do we need?
Do we have all the ingredients?
How about we also make banana smoothie?
You've made breakfast, kids?
What did you do for spring break?

Grammar in this video

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

Structure	In the video
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	if you stop at the beach, you'll be
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	They've worked · You've made · I've never ridden
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	be thrilled · be served · was born
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group	the most wonderful · the most extensive · the softest

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 60 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: smoothie /ˈsmuːði/, thrill /θɹɪl/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: electrician /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɪʃən/, sanitation /ˌsænɪˈteɪʃən/, relaxation /rᵻˌlækˈseɪ.ʃən/, splash /splæʃ/, obsession /əbˈsɛʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: avocado /ˌɑvəˈkɑdoʊ/, electrician /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɪʃən/, sanitation /ˌsænɪˈteɪʃən/, ingredient /ɪnˈɡɹiːdi.ənt/, beautifully /ˈbju.tɪ.fə.li/

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 jacket, canoe, mango.

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 →

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?