Shadowing Practice: Ellen Taught This Fan How to Speak English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B1
Our next guest is sitting in the audience right now.
⏸ Paused
104 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Our next guest is sitting in the audience right now.
2
And it could be you.
3
Everybody stand up.
4
All right. And you have to be honest here.
5
Stay standing if you watch my show every day.
6
Every day. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
7
Stay standing if you have written me over 30 letters.
8
Stay standing if you're originally from the Dominican Republic.
9
Stay standing if you've learned English by watching my show.
10
Diana, come on down.
11
Hi. Diana Aquino, right?
12
Yes. Hello.
13
Hi. Hi. I love you.
14
I love you, too.
15
I love you, too.
16
You're very sweet.
17
So, first of all, it was a great way to find out who watches my show everyday.
18
So when did you move here from the Dominican Republic?
19
I moved here on May of 2011.
20
OK. And you didn't speak any English at all?
21
No. I literally speak two words.
22
It was hello and goodbye.
23
The most important words here.
24
Really. Of course.
25
All right. And so you learned English from watching my show.
26
And how did you do that?
27
Oh. OK. That's a funny story.
28
I was just flipping through the channels, just flipping through it.
29
And I just came to your face.
30
You were there I asked my mom, "Who is that?" And my mom was like, "She's Ellen.
31
She's really funny.
32
Just watch the show.
33
You will love her.
34
I was like, "But I don't understand what she's saying.
35
She was like, "Me either.
36
But just watch it.
37
She's hilarious.
38
And then I was like, "OK.
39
I watch it." I didn't understand anything you were saying, literally.
40
I'm sorry, but I didn't.
41
And then, at the end of the show, it was like, there was just this word that you say.
42
You say, "Be kind." And then that word stuck with me.
43
You know when you get this word that you really want to see what it is.
44
I got my dictionary.
45
I looked it up.
46
And I kept looking at the wrong word, with the C instead of the K. Oh, my God.
47
But I got it.
48
And I saw how the word kind, and it means kindness, to be good to other people.
49
And that stuck with me forever, because I'm loud.
50
I'm affectionate.
51
I like to be kind to everyone.
52
So that just stuck with me to be who I am, with myself.
53
So yeah. That's so sweet.
54
I love that.
55
I love that.
56
So you said that you're very affectionate.
57
I know that our culture is not as affectionate as your culture.
58
Right? Yes.
59
Y'all are very affectionate, and Americans are very uptight.
60
Over there in Dominican, we are so loud.
61
And we know everybody.
62
We know every neighbor by name.
63
We hug. We kiss in the cheek.
64
And we hug you no matter what.
65
If we meet you for the first time, we will still hug you.
66
We still crazy.
67
So I just keep doing that.
68
Yeah. You keep doing it.
69
You keep hugging them.
70
You kiss them in the cheek.
71
Of course. I do it.
72
All right. And so you're putting yourself through college.
73
You're a math tutor, And what else do you Do I'm a math tutor right now and I'm a cashier, sixth floor, in a retail store.
74
In a retail store.
75
So all right.
76
So I have a gift for you, because you said you learned English watching me.
77
So I have the Ellen DeGeneres Dictionary.
78
All right. Thank you.
79
All right. So Let's see.
80
All right. The first word of course, it starts with an Andy.
81
And it's a noun.
82
And the definition is an average human.
83
OK. I love Andy.
84
He's so cool.
85
I love Andy.
86
I love him, too.
87
And then we have a Bachelor.
88
And that's a noun, a television show Ellen tries not to watch but inevitably gets sucked back into every season.
89
It's OK. Me too.
90
I know. They pull you in.
91
And then we have glitter.
92
It's a noun.
93
Tiny pieces of sparkly material that make me an absolute mess and should be illegal.
94
Oh, my God.
95
Right. Then we go further back in the dictionary we have Shutterfly.
96
It's a noun.
97
It's an incredible company that loves sharing life's joy and wants to help you with your education by giving you a check for $10,000.
98
Oh, my God.
99
Thank you so much!
100
You're welcome.
101
Hi. I'm Andy.
102
Ellen asked me to remind you to subscribe to her channel so you can see more awesome videos, like videos of me getting scared or saying embarrassing things, like ball peen hammer.
103
And also some videos of Ellen and other celebrities, if you're into that sort of thing.
104
God!

Download App

AI scoring for every sentence you speak

Scan To Download
Scan To Download
Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play
TRENDING

Popular

About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will have the opportunity to practice their English speaking skills through a heartfelt conversation between Ellen and a fan from the Dominican Republic, Diana. This exchange showcases the journey of learning English through immersion and repeated exposure, particularly through media such as television shows. By engaging with this content, learners will not only improve their vocabulary and listening skills but also gain insights into cultural aspects of language learning.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Be kind - A phrase emphasizing kindness and goodwill towards others.
  • Flipping through the channels - The act of browsing television channels.
  • Literally - Used to indicate that something is true in an exact and straightforward manner.
  • Affectionate - Showing warm feelings towards others; loving.
  • Diction - The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.
  • Mom - A casual term used in English to refer to one's mother.
  • Understand - To grasp the meaning of, to comprehend.
  • Goodbye - A common expression used when parting or bidding someone farewell.

Practice Tips

To effectively utilize the shadowing technique with this video, focus on the natural rhythm and tone of Ellen's speech. Start by watching the clip without pausing to familiarize yourself with the content. Then, practice shadowspeaking by repeating phrases immediately after Ellen speaks. Pay attention to her intonation and pronunciation.

As Diana explains her experience, notice the emotional undertones in her voice. This can be especially helpful when you practice your own speaking. Try mimicking the inflections and emotions conveyed, which will help you in real-life conversations. Additionally, keep your dictionary handy, just as Diana did, to look up unfamiliar vocabulary during your practice sessions on a shadowing site. By incorporating these strategies into your English speaking practice, you'll enhance both your language skills and your ability to express kindness in your daily interactions.

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.

☕ Buy us a coffee