Shadowing Practice: Day 1: Speak English in 30 Days! 40 Sentences Shadowing Practice | English Podcast - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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You understand English perfectly when you're reading.
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You can follow a podcast, a film, a difficult article.
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But the moment someone expects you to respond, your mind goes completely blank.
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You're translating in your head.
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And by the time you've found the right words, the conversation has already moved on.
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That's uncomfortably accurate, Sarah.
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Today, that changes.
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Welcome to day one of our 30-day speaking challenge.
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I'm Sarah.
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And I'm Mike.
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And for once, I'm not just hosting this conversation.
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I'm the one being put on the spot.
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Over the next 20-something minutes, we're going to work through 20-something real English sentences together, not simple ones.
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B1 to B2 level, the kind you'd actually use in a real conversation.
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40 sentences sounds like a lot to get through.
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It sounds like more than it is.
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build it up gradually, and by the end, you'll barely notice how far you've come.
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This is the English Conversation Podcast, your cozy corner of the internet for real English conversations.
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Today's a bit different from our usual episodes.
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Normally, we talk and you listen along.
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Today, you're going to be speaking out loud too, whether you're commuting, doing the dishes,
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or lying there with your eyes closed pretending this is a guided meditation.
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This is day one of a 30-day challenge.
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Every sentence you repeat today is building toward day 30, when speaking starts to feel less like translating and more like simply expressing yourself.
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I'll admit I'm slightly on edge about this.
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Good, that means it's genuine.
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Let's get into it.
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Quick note before we dive in, today's PDF has all 40 sentences written out, along with the grammar points we touch on.
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Perfect if you want to come back tomorrow and run through them again before day 2.
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Links in the description.
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Let's ease into it.
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I'll ask you a few questions and just respond naturally.
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Don't overthink the grammar, just speak.
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Okay, I'll do my best.
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How has your week been so far?
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It's been good.
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That works, but in a real conversation, we usually expand on that a bit.
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Instead of just, it's been good, you could say, it's been pretty good, actually.
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A bit hectic, but good.
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That gives the other person something to respond to.
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Let's try again.
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How has your week been so far?
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It's been pretty good.
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Actually a bit hectic, but good.
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more natural.
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Now what's something you've been putting off lately?
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Something I've been putting off.
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Um, I am wanting to organize my files for weeks but I never doing it.
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Close but two small slips.
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We don't usually say I am wanting because want isn't normally used in the continuous form.
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And for the second part we need I never do it or I never get around to it.
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Let's repeat both corrected.
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I've been wanting to organize my files for weeks.
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But I never get around to it.
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Now combine them.
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What's something you've been putting off?
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I've been wanting to organize my files for weeks, but I never get around to it.
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Perfect!
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Present perfect continuous plus a natural phrasal expression in one breath.
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That's a B2 level sentence, Mike.
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Now tell me, does speaking English in front of people make you anxious?
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Yes, honestly.
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I understand a lot when I listen, but when it's my turn to talk, I get worried about making mistakes, and I just lose confidence.
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Mike, every fluent speaker you've ever admired has gone through exactly that stage.
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The difference isn't talent, it's repetition.
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If you're not making mistakes, you're probably not pushing yourself enough.
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That's oddly reassuring.
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And that applies to everyone listening, too.
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Whatever you just said out loud, even if a tense slipped or a word came out wrong, that's not a setback.
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That's the actual practice.
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Let's build some momentum.
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I'll say a sentence, repeat it.
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These are sentences you'll genuinely use in everyday English.
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Ready?
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Ready.
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I've been meaning to practice my English more consistently.
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I tend to overthink things before I speak.
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The more I practice, the less I have to translate.
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The more I practice, the less I have to translate.
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I'm trying not to let mistakes hold me back.
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I'm trying not to let mistakes hold me back.
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Four sentences, all with real structure behind them, present perfect, a fixed expression,
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a comparative pattern, and a continuous form.
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You're already working at a higher level than you think.
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Let's go a bit deeper now.
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Listen closely, we're going to move through a few different sentence patterns.
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Mike, what originally got you into learning English?
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Honestly, it started because I wanted to understand films and interviews without relying on subtitles.
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But over time, it turned into something bigger.
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I realized how much it would open up professionally too.
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That's a solid answer, and notice how it shifted naturally from past simple to present perfect.
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Have you ever had a moment where your English just clicked, even briefly?
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Actually, yes.
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I was in a meeting once, and I responded to a question without translating first.
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It just came out.
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It only lasted a few sentences, but it felt completely different.
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That's the exact feeling we're building toward.
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Right now, you understand the vast majority of what you hear, but when it's your turn to respond,
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the nerves take over and you end up translating word by word.
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Exactly.
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And by the time I've translated the sentence properly, the moment's gone.
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And I either say something simpler than what I meant, or I just stay quiet.
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That's nearly universal among intermediate learners.
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But here's what changes it.
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The The more you practice producing the language, not just understanding it, the less your brain relies on translation.
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Eventually, it starts generating English directly.
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Does that actually happen or is that just something people say?
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It genuinely happens.
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It's gradual and you won't notice it day to day.
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But by day 30, you'll be able to look back and measure the difference.
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Okay, so practically, what should I be doing daily to get there faster?
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Four things.
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First, expose yourself to English daily.
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Podcasts, shows, anything with natural pacing.
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Okay.
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Second, speak out loud daily even if it's just narrating your own day to an empty room.
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Mm-hmm.
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Third, stop pausing to fix every grammar mistake mid-sentence.
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Prioritize getting the message across.
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Right.
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And fourth, shadowing.
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Listening to a sentence and immediately repeating it, which is precisely what we're doing right now.
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Daily exposure.
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Daily speaking.
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Prioritize communication over perfection.
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Shadow constantly.
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I can commit to that.
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Good, and remember, fluency was never about flawless grammar.
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It's about communicating comfortably under pressure.
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Even native speakers correct themselves mid-sentence constantly.
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That actually takes some of the pressure off.
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Let's apply this to real situations.
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I'll play different roles, and you respond as naturally as you can.
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First, you're checking into a hotel and there's a problem with your reservation.
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Okay, I'm ready for this one.
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Good afternoon.
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Welcome.
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Could I get your name for the reservation? Of course.
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It's under Mike Carter.
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I booked it about two weeks ago.
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I'm so sorry.
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I'm not seeing that reservation in our system.
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Would you mind if I looked into it for a moment?
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Sure, no problem.
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I do have the confirmation email if that would help.
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That would be incredibly helpful, thank you.
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Let's sort this out together.
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I appreciate it.
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I just want to make sure it isn't a bigger issue.
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Excellent.
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You stayed calm, polite, and offered a practical solution instead of getting frustrated.
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That's exactly how a native speaker would navigate this.
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Now, situation two, catching up with a friend you haven't seen in a while.
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All right.
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Hey, it's been ages.
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What have you been up to?
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It really has.
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Work's been all-consuming lately, but I've finally carved out some time to get back into learning English properly.
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That's great to hear.
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How's it actually going?
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Better than I expected.
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I was dreading it at first, but I'm slowly getting more comfortable putting myself out there.
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Nicely done.
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Present perfect, past continuous, and a few natural collocations, all in casual conversation.
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Last situation, you're disagreeing politely with a colleague's idea in a meeting.
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This is the one I find hardest in real life.
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I see where you're coming from, but I'm not sure that approach would work for our timeline.
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That's a fair point.
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Could we maybe look at a compromise instead?
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That sounds reasonable.
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What did you have in mind?
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Perhaps we could split the difference, start with the simpler version and build from there.
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That's genuinely well handled, Mike.
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Disagreeing without sounding confrontational is one of the harder skills in English, and you just did it naturally.
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I actually think I could use that exact exchange at work next week.
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That's exactly the goal.
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That's a great one.
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I've definitely been there.
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Okay, before we wrap up, let's cover one more thing, common mistakes.
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These are small, easy-to-make errors that can trip you up.
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We'll go over a few of the most common ones.
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Mike, are you ready for a quick-fire round of mistake correction?
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Okay, before we wrap up, let's cover one more thing, common mistakes.
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These are small, easy-to-make errors that can trip you up.
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We'll go over a few of the most common ones.
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Mike, are you ready for a quick-fire round of mistake correction?
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All right, Mike, ready for our final situation.
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This time, you're at a restaurant and you need to order a meal.
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I'll be your waiter.
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Ready to give it a go?
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Yes, definitely.
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I'm ready.
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Now the main set.
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20 sentences, B1 to B2 level.
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Repeat each one out loud, wherever you are.
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Don't hold back.
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I've been meaning to reach out to you.
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Good evening.
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Welcome to the English conversation.
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Here are your menus.
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Can I start you off with something to drink?
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I've been meaning to reach out to you.
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Sorry I'm late.
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Traffic was unbelievable today.
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Sorry I'm late.
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Traffic was unbelievable today.
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I'm not entirely sure, but I think it's this way.
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I'm not entirely sure, but I think it's this way.
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Would you mind repeating that a bit more slowly?
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Would you mind repeating that a bit more slowly?
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I really appreciate you taking the time to explain that.
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I really appreciate you taking the time to explain that.
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To be honest, I hadn't thought about it that way.
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To be honest, I hadn't thought about it that way.
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I'm in the middle of something.
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Can I call you back?
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I'm in the middle of something.
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Can I call you back?
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It completely slipped my mind.
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I'm so sorry.
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I'm getting the hang of it.
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Slowly but surely.
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Let's circle back to that point later.
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Let's circle back to that point later.
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I couldn't agree more with what you just said.
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It's not a big deal, honestly.
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Don't worry about it.
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It's not a big deal, honestly.
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Don't worry about it.
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I'll have to get back to you on that.
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I'll have to get back to you on that.
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That makes a lot more sense now.
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Thank you.
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I was just about to ask you the same thing.
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I was just about to ask you the same thing.
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Sorry, could you say that again?
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I missed it.
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Sorry, could you say that again?
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I missed it.
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I'm trying to figure out the best way to explain this.
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That's actually a really good point.
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I'll keep that in mind.
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Thanks for the heads up.
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It was great catching up.
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Let's not leave it so long next time.
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It was great catching up.
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Let's not leave it so long next time.
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20 sentences, all in natural B1-B2 conversational English.
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Combined with everything else today, you've spoken well over 30 complete sentences.
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I genuinely lost count somewhere around the hotel scenario.
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Eight words and phrases you'll hear constantly at this level.
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Mike, build a sentence with each one after me.
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Word 1.
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To get the hang of something.
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To gradually become comfortable with the skill.
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I'm finally getting the hang of speaking without translating.
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Your turn.
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I'm slowly getting the hang of having longer conversations in English.
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Word 2.
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To put something off.
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To delay or postpone.
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I keep putting off practicing my speaking.
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I've been putting off recording myself speaking English.
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Word 3.
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To circle back.
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To return to a topic later, let's circle back to that question.
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Can we circle back to the grammar point from earlier?
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Word 4.
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A heads up.
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A piece of advance warning.
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Thanks for the heads up about the schedule change.
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Give me a heads up next time before you switch topics that fast.
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Word 5.
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To slip your mind.
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To forget something accidentally.
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It completely slipped my mind.
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Honestly, today's challenge nearly slipped my mind this morning.
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Word 6.
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To figure something out.
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To work something out through thought.
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I'm still figuring out the best way to study.
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I'm still figuring out how to stop translating automatically.
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Word 7.
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Confrontational, aggressive or argumentative in tone.
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Try to disagree without sounding confrontational.
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I used to sound confrontational just because my English was too direct.
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And word 8.
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To put yourself out there.
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To take a risk and expose yourself to possible failure.
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Speaking a new language means putting yourself out there.
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This challenge is really about putting myself out there, mistakes and all.
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Eight phrases, eight natural sentences, all genuinely useful this week.
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Quiz time.
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No pressure, just practice.
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What's something you've been putting off lately?
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I've been putting off re-watching some of my old English lessons, even though I know they'd help.
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What usually slips your mind when you're busy?
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Honestly, drinking enough water slips my mind constantly when I'm focused on work.
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How do you feel when you have to speak English on the spot?
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At first, I get a bit anxious, but once I get going, I actually start to enjoy it.
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What's the best heads-up someone's ever given you?
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A friend once gave me a heads-up before a job interview, which genuinely changed how I prepared.
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Last one, what will you do right after this podcast ends?
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I'll put myself out there and say 10 more sentences out loud, even if no one's listening.
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Strong, natural answers.
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Every one of them.
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Before we wrap up five tips genuinely worth writing down.
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Tip 1.
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Speak English daily, even if it's only five minutes.
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Speaking is a physical skill as much as a mental one.
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The more you exercise it, the less effort it eventually takes.
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Tip 2.
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Actively resist the urge to translate.
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When a thought forms in your first language, try reaching for the English version directly instead of converting word by word.
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It feels unnatural at first, but it rewires the habit.
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Tip 3.
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Treat mistakes as data, not failure.
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Every awkward sentence tells you exactly what to practice next.
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That's information, not embarrassment.
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Tip 4.
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Listen actively, not passively.
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Don't just let English play in the background.
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Repeat phrases, notice patterns, predict what comes next.
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Tip 5.
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Be patient with the process.
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Fluency isn't a single breakthrough, it's the accumulation of unremarkable, consistent days.
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Trust that the small days are doing the work.
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Honestly, I feel noticeably different than I did at the start of this.
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I came in fairly anxious, and now I just feel like I actually exercised the muscle.
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That's precisely the point.
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You didn't just watch a lesson today, you practiced a skill.
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Out loud, under a bit of pressure.
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Let's recap quickly.
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We warmed up with natural Q&A and real-time corrections.
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We worked through four power sentences.
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We had a genuinely deep conversation about translation and fluency.
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We role-played three real situations.
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A hotel issue, catching up with a friend, and disagreeing politely at work.
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We repeated 20 everyday sentences.
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We picked up eight useful phrases, and we did every bit of it together.
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And this was only day one.
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I'm almost nervous to think about day 30.
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Thank you genuinely for being here today.
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If this helped, the PDF has every sentence and phrase from today, so you can revisit them before day two.
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And here's your challenge.
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After this podcast, say at least 10 sentences out loud about your actual day.
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Not rehearsed ones.
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Real ones.
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Drop one of them in the comments if you'd like.
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We genuinely read every single one.
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Tomorrow, day two, same time, same place Take good care of yourselves and take good care of your English
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This is Mike And this is Sarah See you tomorrow
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About This Lesson
You're practicing English with "Day 1: Speak English in 30 Days! 40 Sentences Shadowing Practice | English Podcast" using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.
Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.
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.