Shadowing Practice: Dime a Dozen - Learn English Speaking with Video

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16 sentences
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Welcome to English in a Minute, where we teach you about idioms in American English.
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If you have heard American English, you have probably heard this.
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It's a dime a dozen.
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What does this phrase mean?
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Let's find out.
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There's no need for you to pay $20 for the hairbrush.
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It's too expensive.
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Why not?
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I really need it.
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The store down the street has them at a dime a dozen.
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Come on, I'll show you.
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When you say something is a dime a dozen, it means that there's a lot of it,
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it doesn't cost much, or that it isn't special.
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It's a dime a dozen.
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This is a common way of saying that something is so easy to get that it doesn't have much value.
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And that's English in a Minute.

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About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "Dime a Dozen" 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.

Grammar in this video

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

StructureIn the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowhave heard
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or predictionI'll show

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 →