Shadowing Practice: English Dream Podcast | Ep. 1 – About Me | SLOW ENGLISH - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B1
Hi!
⏸ Paused
118 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Hi!
2
Welcome to the English Dream Podcast.
3
My name is Gemma.
4
I am from England.
5
I feel a bit nervous because this is the first episode of my podcast.
6
I decided to make this podcast because I want to help people learn English.
7
Currently I teach English and a lot of my students tell me,
8
Gemma, I don't understand English.
9
I'm trying and I'm trying but I don't understand.
10
What can I do?
11
So I started to think maybe people can benefit from a podcast
12
and specifically a podcast with slow English.
13
So
14
My podcast will try to help you practice your English listening and I will try to speak slowly.
15
In the future, I want to also include episodes with my friends and family.
16
That way, you can listen to a real English conversation.
17
Okay, so my first episode is about me.
18
I want to introduce myself.
19
Who is Gemma?
20
Where is she from?
21
How old is she?
22
What does she like?
23
So let's begin with some facts about me.
24
First we do normal basic facts.
25
Then we do some fun facts.
26
Let's see how much you understand.
27
Fact number one, my name is Gemma.
28
That's G-E-M-M-A.
29
In England, this is not so common a name.
30
Some people say it is related to gemstones like diamonds, rubies, emeralds.
31
So they say, oh, you're a precious gem.
32
And I say yes I am.
33
Fact number two I am 30 years old.
34
I recently turned 30.
35
We say I turned and a number when we just had our birthday.
36
So I turned 30 on December the 16th,
37
three weeks ago and yeah I'm 30 now and I feel excited,
38
a bit nervous but yeah happy.
39
People say your 30s are some of the best years of your life so I'm excited.
40
Fact number three, I'm British.
41
I was born in England,
42
my mum is from Wales,
43
My dad is from England and I was born in London.
44
Both my parents moved to London when they were in their 20s.
45
Lots of people do this because in London there's lots of opportunities for work.
46
Fact number four is I can speak Spanish.
47
I actually have previously lived in Mexico or Mexico and when I lived there I learned Spanish.
48
At the beginning it was difficult to
49
communicate and have conversations but slowly I improved and now my Spanish is very good.
50
I also would like to learn a new language.
51
I'm thinking about learning French or Portuguese.
52
Which one should I choose?
53
Fact number five is related to my character.
54
So, how would I describe Gemma?
55
I think I am friendly.
56
I like to speak to people and And I like to learn about new things.
57
And yeah, I really like interacting with others.
58
And I'm usually optimistic as a person.
59
So I think that there's lots of opportunities out there.
60
and yeah, I think the world is a confusing place but also a beautiful place.
61
Now let's do five funny facts about me.
62
Okay so one is I'm very good at table football.
63
When I was younger, However,
64
when my parents would go to work,
65
I would go to a nursery and at the nursery there was a table football
66
and the manager and I were good friends.
67
we knew each other since I was three months old to 15 yeah
68
so he was like a dad to me
69
and he was very good at table football so we played nearly every school day
70
and yeah so now I'm very good and I want to continue practicing because it's fun.
71
Yeah there's lots of adrenaline and excitement.
72
My second funny fact is I love humans.
73
I think we're just we're very interesting and complicated
74
and I like the way we interact with each other
75
and the way we form friendships and we have these different sides of us.
76
I think that's also why I like to teach because I like to interact with others and I think
77
it's really nice to help people learn and yeah a lot of people want to learn English
78
okay my third funny fact is I love Harry Potter yes I am British and yes I love Harry Potter
79
I think now when people think of England,
80
they think of Harry Potter.
81
They think of Harry Potter,
82
the monarchy, so the king and the queen.
83
They think of tea.
84
Those are some things people immediately think about.
85
And I think Harry Potter is amazing because there is so much imagination in that story.
86
I think it speaks a lot about human character and how we evolve and grow up and our different morals.
87
And yeah, I think it's just really exceptional.
88
My fourth fact is I used to play football.
89
When I was younger, I played football from about eight to 16.
90
It's obviously a very important sport in England.
91
My dad is obsessed with football.
92
His team is very important to him.
93
In our house, we watch football every day.
94
and for me I enjoyed playing when I was younger
95
because it was a nice way to play with other people in my age group
96
and yeah I like the game I like the passion people have for football and the tactics and the strategy.
97
Yeah, it's a really beautiful game and very important in British culture.
98
My fifth funny fact is I used to teach English in Mexico City.
99
Yeah, so when I moved to Mexico,
100
I taught English in an academy
101
and it was a lovely experience because Mexican people in general are very friendly and curious.
102
It was lovely to interact with them and to help them improve.
103
In the school there were adults,
104
there were adolescents, there were young children and both the students
105
and the teachers really welcomed me and it was a great experience for me.
106
And part of the reason I would like to do this
107
podcast is to help people to learn English outside of a classroom.
108
Because I think a lot of language learning happens outside of classrooms.
109
It happens listening to podcasts.
110
It happens watching films with subtitles.
111
It happens reading an Instagram post with English captions.
112
So hopefully this podcast can help people to improve their English in a new way.
113
Okay, so they are some facts about me.
114
In my next podcast, I will change the format.
115
So I will speak more about my week,
116
how I was feeling, and hopefully you join me.
117
Thank you so much, and have a lovely day.
118
Bye!

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

Context & Background

In the inaugural episode of the English Dream Podcast, the host Gemma introduces herself as a British English teacher dedicated to making the language accessible for learners worldwide. With a focus on slow-paced English dialogue, Gemma aims to assist those who struggle with comprehension and encourage them to practice listening effectively. Through her personal anecdotes and interactive style, she fosters a supportive environment for language learners, promoting genuine engagement with the English language.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “I feel a bit nervous”: This phrase conveys vulnerability and is a great way to express feelings in daily conversations.
  • “What can I do?”: A useful inquiry for seeking advice or assistance.
  • “I turned 30”: This expression can be used when discussing birthdays and age transitions.
  • “Both my parents moved”: An effective way to discuss family history and migration experiences.
  • “At the beginning, it was difficult”: A relatable phrase that denotes challenges faced in language learning.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

If you're looking to improve English pronunciation and gain fluency in your speaking, utilizing a method known as shadowspeak or shadow speak can be especially beneficial. Here's a step-by-step guide tailored for this episode of the podcast:

  1. Listen Actively: Start by listening to the podcast episode without interruption. Focus on how Gemma speaks slowly and clearly, making it easier to follow.
  2. Transcribe Keywords: Write down the key phrases from the episode listed above. This helps you remember important expressions while reinforcing their meaning.
  3. Repeat After Gemma: Play short segments of the dialogue and repeat them out loud. Pay attention to intonation, rhythm, and pronunciation. This will greatly help when you practice learn English with YouTube resources.
  4. Record Yourself: Use your smartphone or computer to record your voice while you practice. Listening to your own speech can highlight areas for improvement.
  5. Engage with the Content: Discuss the themes presented by Gemma with friends or on language forums. Sharing insights on perceptions of age or language learning experiences can enrich your understanding and make speaking practice more dynamic.

Finally, remember that diligent practice will aid in preparing you for exercises like IELTS speaking practice as you become comfortable using English in everyday contexts. By applying the shadowspeak technique, you’ll become more confident and articulate in your conversations!

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