Shadowing Practice: English Collocations | Learn Vocabulary The SMART Way! - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Well hey there, I'm Emma from mmmEnglish.
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Well hey there, I'm Emma from mmmEnglish.
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Today we're gonna bust out some awesome phrases using 'keep'.
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Now I know what you're thinking, this is a really common English verb but we're going to focus on accuracy today, using these phrases correctly.
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So we'll practise some common collocations, words that are often used together with 'keep'.
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And if you're wondering why that's a good idea, it's a good idea to practise words together, well, because learning words together in chunks is going to help you to sound more natural when you speak.
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You'll be using words exactly as native speakers do when they speak not as Google Translate tells you to, which often sounds really unnatural and strange.
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So everybody keep calm, stay focused.
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You're about to learn fifteen common collocations with 'keep'.
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Now the verb 'keep' has two main uses.
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Firstly, we use it to explain that we have or we retain possession of something and that's why it's often used with the noun 'secret' or 'promise'.
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So you need to retain possession of that secret, right?
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And not share it with anyone else.
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My friend just told me that she's pregnant but she doesn't want anyone else to know yet.
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I don't know how I'll keep it a secret!
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Or we can say: I don't know how I'll keep her secret!
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You said you'd arrive by Monday.
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I just hope that you can keep your promise.
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We need you here.
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We also keep something safe and this means to look after it, right?
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To look after something.
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When I was back home in Melbourne over Christmas, my mum pulled out my primary school uniform.
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She'd been keeping it safe all these years.
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I had no idea.
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Keep it somewhere safe so you know where to find it when you need it/ Do you have something that you're keeping safe right now?
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See if you can use this expression and write a sentence about it in the comments below.
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What about 'keep in mind' which has quite a literal meaning, you know.
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You keep something in your mind, you remember it, right, until you need it.
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So when you get some helpful advice from someone you can say: Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.
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Keep in mind that there are five vegetarians coming for dinner so we may need to prepare their meals separately.
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Hopefully, you keep a few of these expressions in mind so that you can use them later.
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'Keep' can also mean to remain in a certain condition or position which is why we always say: Keep quiet!
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Remain quiet.
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Ben kept quiet while she explained what had happened.
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And 'Keep away!' 'Keep away' means to stay or remain at that distance.
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Keep away from the sand dunes, there are snakes in there!
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Now if you're advising someone or you're warning them, you can use 'Keep your distance' When the monkeys started fighting, the ranger told us to keep our distance.
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And of course, you can tell someone that you want to remain in contact with them by saying: Keep in touch.
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Keep in touch.
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Now this is usually with someone who you don't see very often and as you're leaving you might say: Well, it was great bumping into you.
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Let's keep in touch.
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I shared a few extra examples about that expression up here in this video, so you can check it out later.
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'Keep up' or 'keep up with' is a really handy phrasal verb, especially if you're falling behind and there's a couple of meanings.
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You can use it when you're falling behind in your understanding.
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It's really hard to keep up with native speakers when they speak at natural pace.
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Or if you're walking with someone who's really slow, you might say: Come on, keep up!
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They're physically far behind so you can use 'keep up' in a physical sense as well.
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Okay so there are a heap of expressions using 'keep' that we use to help get organised and stay informed.
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We keep track of things, we keep tabs on stuff.
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We keep people posted and we keep up to date.
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These are just a few.
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So let's take a look at a few examples.
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'To keep track of something' has two different meanings actually, depending on whether that something is a physical object or it's information.
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If it's a physical object, then keeping track of it means that you know where it is.
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I'm sorry, I am listening to you.
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I'm just trying to keep track of where my kids have gone.
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Now if you're not talking about a physical thing, like your kids, then 'keeping track of it' means that you're staying informed.
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You've got up-to-date information and it's really clear in your mind.
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I use Google Calendar to keep track of all of my appointments and meetings.
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Is there anything in your life that you find difficult to keep track of? Let me know about it in the comments.
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Hey a super quick reminder to subscribe to my channel if you haven't already.
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If you have subscribed, then let me know in the comments because I like to keep track of who my regular students are.
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To keep tabs on someone or something, it's similar to keeping track of them but it means to watch something or someone carefully, to monitor their activity, to keep an eye on things.
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I try to keep tabs on my bank account so that I don't spend too much.
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If you're anything like me you like to feel organised and you like to have everything under control.
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Is that what you're like?
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Anyway, we can use 'keep with on top of' to say exactly that.
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I like to keep on top of things, most often it's used in this really general way with things.
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But you can make it a little bit more specific by saying something like: I like to keep on top of all my admin tasks at work.
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I do a little bit every day.
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So as I said earlier we use 'keep' in expressions when we want to have all of the information about something.
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For example, we like to keep up to date, don't we?
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Some people read the news every morning to keep up to date with world affairs.
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Do you like to keep up to date with world affairs?
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I do but I don't read the news every day.
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Most of the time the stories feel like they're quite negative, you know, all of the negative things from around the world and I start feeling really depressed.
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But I have a friend who's a journalist and she usually keeps me posted if there are any major stories breaking.
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Now you can use this expression when you're letting someone know that you'll give them updated information as soon as you receive it.
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It sounds a little bit formal right but this expression can actually be used all of the time, you know, if you're trying to organise dinner with friends and one of them may need to work late or they can't get a babysitter and they're unsure if they can come, you could say: No worries, but keep me posted.
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I may need to change our booking.
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A more formal way of saying this exact same thing is 'Keep me informed'.
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So this expression is more appropriate in the workplace and it's a little too formal to use with friends.
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Talking about a product order for the clothing company that you work for, you might say to your boss: I'll make sure that you're kept informed if there are any substantial changes to the shipment or the delivery dates.
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So you're letting your boss know that you can deal with the problem but you'll definitely update them and share important information with them.
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So did you keep up with me all the way through this video?
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I hope so! If not, never mind, the brilliant thing about all of my lessons here on YouTube is that you can go back and watch them again at any time.
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In fact, you can even go back and slow down or increase the speed of the video which is super cool.
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Now that we've been through fifteen expressions, I'm setting you a little bit of homework.
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I want you to try and use five of these expressions together in a comment below this video.
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So let me see that you're using them in ways that are meaningful to you.
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It's the best way to try and remember these expressions, you know, and make them relevant to you.
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How can you use them to talk about your daily life?
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Now if you get in early, I'll be down there giving feedback and checking that you're using all of those expressions correctly.
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If you're ready right now to keep going, then head into this lesson right here and I'll meet you in there. See you soon!

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging with this video on English collocations is an excellent way to enhance your English speaking practice. By listening to Emma's explanations and examples, you can grasp how native speakers use the verb keep in various contexts. This practice is particularly beneficial because it involves the shadowing technique, allowing you to mimic the speaker’s pronunciation and intonation. When you learn phrases in chunks rather than isolated words, you develop a more natural flow in your speech. This method is crucial for sounding more authentic in conversations, helping you communicate with confidence.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the video, Emma introduces several key structures and collocations that highlight the versatility of the verb keep. Here are a few notable examples:

  • Keep a secret: This expression emphasizes the importance of retaining information responsibly. Usage: "I promise to keep your secret safe."
  • Keep in touch: This phrase signifies maintaining communication, often used when parting ways. Example: "Let's keep in touch after graduation."
  • Keep up with: This structure indicates staying informed or matching someone's pace, either in conversation or physical activity. E.g., "It's hard to keep up with the latest news sometimes."

Incorporating these structures into your speech can greatly improve your fluency, making it easier for you to express yourself just as a native speaker would.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice, pay attention to some common pronunciation traps that may arise. For instance, the phrase keep quiet can be tricky; ensure you pronounce both words distinctly to convey your message clearly. Likewise, the word distance can pose challenges for non-native speakers. Remember to break it down: dis-tance. Practicing these phrases using the shadow speak technique will help you achieve a more accurate articulation and enhance your overall English pronunciation.

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.

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