Shadowing Practice: Doing the Right Thing | Easy English Conversation for Daily Life | Daily English - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Hi, everyone.
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Welcome back to Everyday English Talk, the podcast where we practice simple English for real daily life.
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I'm Anna.
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And I'm Ben.
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Thanks for joining us today.
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We're happy you're here, whether you're at home, at work, or just taking a walk.
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Today's topic is about something very important.
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We're going to talk about doing the right thing.
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That's right.
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This means making good choices even when it's difficult.
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It's about learning to be honest and be kind in our daily lives.
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These situations happen all the time, in big ways and small ways.
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We will talk about some simple, everyday situations.
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So sit back, relax, and let's talk about how we can make good decisions.
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And remember, you can download the free PDF transcript with today's vocabulary and exercises.
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The link is in the description.
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Okay, Anna, let's start with a very common situation.
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Imagine you are walking in a park, and you look down, and you see a wallet on the ground.
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Oh wow, that's a classic problem.
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My first feeling is excitement.
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Oh, I found something.
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What do you do?
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Do you open it?
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Yes, I think I would open it.
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I would want to see if there is an ID card or a name inside.
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Okay, so you open it and you see it's full of money.
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Maybe $100.
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And there is also a driver's license with a name and a photo.
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Now there is a choice.
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A person could just keep it.
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They could take the money and leave the wallet.
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But is that the right thing to do?
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No, it's not.
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The right thing to do is to return it to the owner.
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Why is that so important?
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The person was careless.
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Maybe it's their fault for losing it.
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I don't think it matters if it was their fault.
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You have to put yourself in their shoes.
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What does that mean?
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Put yourself in their shoes?
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It means you imagine you are that person.
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Imagine you lost your wallet.
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You would be so sad and worried.
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You wouldn't have money and you would have to get a new ID card.
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It's a terrible feeling.
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That's a very good point.
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When you think about it that way, the choice is easy.
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You know that person is probably very scared right now.
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So, what is the best way to return it?
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Well, if there is an ID card with an address, maybe you can take it to their house.
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Or, if you don't want to do that, you can take it to the police station.
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Taking it to the police is a great idea.
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It's a safe and honest choice.
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I found a phone on a bus once.
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What did you do?
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I waited for a few minutes to see if the person would call their own phone.
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And they did.
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A call came in, and the name on the screen said, Mom.
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I answered.
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And I explained that I found the phone.
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That's great.
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They must have been so happy.
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Yes.
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The person's mother was so relieved.
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We met at the next bus stop and I gave her the phone.
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How did you feel after that?
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I felt really good.
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I felt honest.
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It was a simple action, but it made me feel proud of myself.
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That's the reward.
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You don't get money, but you get to feel honest and know you did the right thing.
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Let's go over some useful phrases.
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Sure.
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First, find a wallet.
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This is the situation when you see something someone lost.
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Example, what would you do if you find a wallet in the street?
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Second, return it.
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This means to give something back to its owner.
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Example, he found my keys and returned them to me.
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Third, the right thing to do.
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This means the best, most honest, or kindest choice.
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Example, returning the wallet was the right thing to do.
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Fourth, put yourself in their shoes.
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This means to imagine how another person feels.
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Example, put yourself in her shoes.
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You would be sad too.
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And fifth, feel honest.
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This is the good feeling you have when you tell the truth or do the right thing.
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Example.
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I told the truth and it made me feel honest.
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So listeners, what would you do if you found a wallet full of money?
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Share your answer with us in the comments.
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Okay, so that was about being honest.
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Let's talk about another situation.
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This one is about being kind.
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What's the situation?
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You are at the grocery store.
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You see an elderly woman, maybe 80 years old.
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She is struggling with two very heavy bags of groceries.
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Oh, yes.
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I see this kind of thing often.
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You are busy.
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You finished your shopping and you just want to go home.
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You have two choices.
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What are the choices?
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Choice one.
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You can keep walking.
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You can look at your phone, pretend you don't see her, and go to your car.
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That is the easy choice.
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You are tired.
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It's not your problem.
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Right?
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But what is choice two?
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Choice two is you can stop and help.
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You can walk over to her and ask, excuse me, can I lend a hand with those bags?
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Is it always easy to lend a hand?
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No. Sometimes we are shy.
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We are afraid the other person will say no. Or maybe we are just in a hurry.
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But is it a kind thing to do?
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Yes, it is a kind thing to do.
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Just like with the wallet, you can put yourself in their shoes.
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How so?
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One day, we will all be old.
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Or one day, we might be the person struggling with heavy bags.
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Wouldn't we hope that a kind person would stop and help us?
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That's true.
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It's about thinking of other people, not just ourselves.
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It's a small action.
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It only takes two minutes to help her carry the bags to her car or to the bus stop.
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But for her, it makes a big difference.
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Her day is much easier because you were kind.
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I saw a man fall down on the sidewalk last week.
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He tripped and all his papers flew everywhere.
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Oh no, what did people do?
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Many people just kept walking.
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They were busy.
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What did you do?
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I stopped.
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I asked, are you okay?
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And then I helped him pick up all his papers.
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Another young woman also stopped to help.
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So two of you stopped?
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Yes, it took just one minute.
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The man said, thank you so much.
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He was okay, just a little embarrassed.
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It feels good to stop and help.
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It makes you feel connected to other people.
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It does.
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Keeping walking is easy, but lending a hand makes the world a little bit nicer.
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Let's go over some useful phrases.
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Sure.
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First, lend a hand.
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This means to help someone.
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Example, he is carrying a heavy box.
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Let's go lend a hand.
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Second, struggling with.
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This means to have difficulty doing something.
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Example.
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She was struggling with four heavy bags.
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Third, keep walking.
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This means to continue going and not stop.
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Example.
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He saw the man fall, but he just kept walking.
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Fourth, stop and help.
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This is the opposite of keep walking.
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It means to pause your day to help someone.
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Example.
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She was kind enough to stop and help me.
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And fifth, a kind thing to do.
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This is a simple phrase for an action that is nice or helpful.
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Example, giving her your seat on the bus was a kind thing to do.
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What about you, listeners?
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When was the last time you stopped to lend a hand?
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Let us know in the comments.
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So, Anna, we've talked about two situations situations, returning a wallet, which is honest, and helping someone, which is kind.
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In both situations, you don't get a reward.
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You don't get money for returning the wallet.
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You don't get paid for helping the woman with her bags.
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So, why do we do it?
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Why is it important to make the right decision?
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I think it's about how it makes you feel.
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What do you mean?
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When you do the honest choice, or the kind choice, you feel good about yourself.
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That's true.
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When I returned that phone on the bus, I felt happy all day.
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I felt like a good person.
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Yes.
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You can't buy that feeling.
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It's a feeling of pride.
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You know you did the right thing, even when no one was watching.
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That's a good point.
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Maybe your friends or family never know you did it.
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You do it for yourself.
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There is a great English phrase for this.
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We say you have a clear conscience.
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A clear conscience?
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What does that mean?
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A conscience is the voice inside your head that tells you what is right and what is wrong.
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If your conscience is clear, it means you are not guilty.
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You feel peaceful.
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Ah, I understand.
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If I kept the wallet, I would have $100, but I would feel bad.
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I would feel guilty.
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I would not have a clear conscience.
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Exactly.
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You would always be thinking, that was a bad thing to do.
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I stole that money.
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And when you have a clear conscience, you sleep well at night.
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Yes.
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You can relax.
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You are at peace with yourself because you know you are a good person.
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So, doing the right thing is not about getting a reward from other people.
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No. The reward is internal.
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It's the feeling of being honest, being kind, and having a clear conscience.
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You feel good about yourself, and that is the best reward.
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It's not always the easy choice, but it is always the best choice for your own peace of mind.
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Let's go over some useful phrases.
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Sure.
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First, feel good about yourself.
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This means to feel proud or happy about your own actions.
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Example When I help my parents,
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I feel good about myself Second Sleep well at night This means to be relaxed and not worried, so you can sleep.
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Example.
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He told the truth, so he can sleep well at night.
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Third.
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A clear conscience.
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This is the good feeling you have when you know you have done nothing wrong.
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Example.
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I return the money, so I have a clear conscience.
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Fourth.
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The honest choice.
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This means the choice to be truthful and not steal or lie.
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Giving the wallet to the police was the honest choice.
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And fifth, make the right decision.
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This means to choose the best, most moral action.
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It was hard, but I know I made the right decision.
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So listeners, how do you feel after you do something good for someone else?
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Let us know in the comments.
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Now it's your turn.
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Let's practice what you learned today.
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This is your chance to use these new phrases.
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First, listening practice.
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Listen to this episode again from the beginning.
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Try to find all the useful phrases we talked about.
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Listen for when I said you should return it.
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Or when I said you can lend a hand.
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Try to find at least three to five phrases, like, put yourself in their shoes,
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a clear conscience, or feel good about yourself.
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Second, speaking practice, try to say three short sentences out loud.
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Tell us about a time you did the right thing.
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For example, you can say, I found a phone on the train.
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I gave it to the driver.
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I made the right decision.
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Or, I saw a woman struggling with her bags.
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I stopped and helped.
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I felt good about myself.
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Third, writing practice, write a short paragraph in your notebook or in the comments.
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You can start with, doing the right thing is important because, tell us what you think.
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Remember, small practice every day helps you improve.
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That's right, just one step at a time.
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Let's quickly review what we learned today, Anna.
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Yes, it was a very important conversation.
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We talked about doing the right thing in everyday life.
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First, we talked about being honest.
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If you find a wallet, you should return it.
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We learned the phrase, put yourself in their shoes, to remember how the other person feels.
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Second, we talked about being kind.
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If you see someone struggling with something, you should stop and help.
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It's always good to lend a hand.
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And finally, we talked about why we do it.
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It's not for a reward.
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It's because it gives you a clear conscience and makes you feel good about yourself.
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And that helps you sleep well at night.
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It's not always the easy choice, but it is always the best choice.
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Thanks for listening to Everyday English Talk.
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We hope you enjoyed today's episode and learned some useful phrases about making good choices.
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Don't forget to download the free PDF transcript and vocabulary exercises from the link in the description.
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It's a great way to review.
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And we'd love to hear from you.
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Tell us in the comments, what is one good thing you did this week?
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We'll see you next time.
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Until then, keep practicing.
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Bye for now.

Context & Background

Welcome to this English learning practice session, inspired by the engaging conversation from the video titled "Doing the Right Thing." In this episode, hosts Anna and Ben explore the concept of making ethical choices in everyday situations. The dialogue emphasizes the importance of honesty and kindness, highlighting practical scenarios that require thoughtful decision-making. This is especially relevant for English learners who not only want to improve their language skills but also understand the subtleties of cultural interactions in English-speaking environments.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • Put yourself in their shoes – A phrase suggesting that you should consider another person’s perspective.
  • Do the right thing – Taking action based on moral principles, even when it is difficult.
  • Imagine you are that person – This phrase encourages empathy by asking someone to visualize themselves in another's situation.
  • Maybe it’s their fault – A way to express that responsibility may lie with someone else, but it does not justify poor behavior.
  • What’s the best way to return it? – This question emphasizes problem-solving in ethical scenarios.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To leverage the shadowing technique for enhancing your English speaking skills, follow these steps inspired by the dialogue in the video:

  1. Listen Carefully: Start by listening to the video without subtitles. Focus on the speakers' intonation and pronunciation.
  2. Read the Transcript: Download and read the accompanying PDF transcript. This will help you understand the context and vocabulary better.
  3. Shadow the Speakers: Play the video again, and begin to repeat what Anna and Ben say. This is the core activity of the shadowspeak technique, which enhances fluency and pronunciation.
  4. Focus on Key Phrases: Pay special attention to the top phrases listed above. Repeat them multiple times until you feel comfortable using them in your conversations.
  5. Practice in Real-life Situations: Once you grasp the phrases, try to apply them in your daily conversations. This not only builds confidence but also solidifies your English skills.

Using this shadowing site concept allows you to not only learn English with YouTube but also improve English pronunciation effectively. Remember, consistent practice is key to becoming fluent!

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.