Shadowing Practice: English Dream Podcast | Ep. 4 – My Week: Small Moments & New Thoughts | SLOW ENGLISH - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hello!
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How are you?
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Welcome back to the English Dream Podcast.
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I'm happy to see you.
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Today we will do our usual order of things.
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First we speak about something happy in my week,
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Then we speak about something negative in my week.
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Then we speak about something hopeful.
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And finally, a memorable moment in my week.
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Before we start, please comment if you like the podcast and subscribe if you like my content.
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Okay, are you ready?
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Do you have your tea?
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Good.
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Let's begin.
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My positive moment from the week was that I have started to drive again.
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So in the UK, you have to do a driving test
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and you have to spend lots of time and money to prepare for the test beforehand.
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And so I am very happy because I passed and yeah,
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I decided to start driving again.
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It's been nice because I have been driving with my mum.
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So I drive and she sits next to me and it's nice because we explore the local area,
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we catch up, which means we speak about our lives,
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what happened, how we're feeling and we laugh together and also with every day I feel more confident.
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So yeah it's good.
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I like to drive, it makes me feel independent and next week two of my friends from Mexico will visit me.
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So I want to take them for a ride in London.
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Hopefully, I'll be ready.
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My negative part of the week,
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Well, honestly, last week I didn't feel very good.
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Women, we have a period every month and to be honest,
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my period is not that painful,
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but with my head, it just makes me feel very sad and low so I felt really bad last week.
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There's actually some funny memes online and they are interesting
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because they speak about the different parts of a period and how you feel in different parts.
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So for example, the follicular phase,
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you have lots of energy,
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you want to go out all the time,
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you want to socialise, you want to meet people,
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you feel really good in that period.
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And then you have the luthiel phase,
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I think, and that time you feel awful,
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you feel tired, you have no energy,
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you don't want to speak to people
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and yeah it really affects the way you perceive the world
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and the work you can do and if you can do exercise.
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So yeah last week was my difficult phase.
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Now I'm entering the nice phase so I feel a lot better.
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Now I'll speak about a hopeful moment in my week.
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After I felt so terrible I decided to go to a therapist.
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This therapist
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I actually saw about a year ago and she really helped me
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because I was not in a good place and I needed to speak to somebody and when I went back
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it was really useful because she really understands me
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and I think sometimes I feel quite a lot of shame
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or I feel guilty about some things I feel sometimes I feel a bit like my ideas about the world and life,
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I can't see them in other people or the place around me.
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Sometimes, honestly, I feel like I'm going crazy or I think,
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am I the only one who thinks this?
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But yeah, she really helped me and she made me see that my thoughts and ideas,
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yes, they are quite different thoughts,
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but it's okay that I have them.
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And actually, I think it's really nice that I think so independently.
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And I have created my own ideas about what is important in life and how I want to live my life.
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so yeah it was just really nice to have
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that conversation with her and to feel understood
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and validated really it has made me feel a lot better and more confident to
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really try to build the rather strange life that I feel is right for me.
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Finally, my memorable moment again is more of a thought than something
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that happened but I was at my mum's boyfriend's house
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and I was sat on the sofa in the living room
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and I looked outside and I saw a bird's nest in the tree
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and I started to think about this bird's nest
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and I thought wow one those birds must be really cold because in England now it's freezing,
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it's really cold and two I thought wow I need to spend less time on my phone
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because I don't appreciate what's around me.
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For example, it's really beautiful that there's a bird's nest outside my house.
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And actually, I decided to go into the garden and look at the bird's nest.
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and I started thinking about why does a bird choose a certain place for a nest?
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Does it need to be a specific type of tree?
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Is it because the bird is pregnant?
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Does a bird change homes or does it always have the same home?
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I don't know.
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But yeah,
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it made me think and I thought I need to try to be more present and appreciate the nature around me.
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Okay, well, that's the end of my podcast this week.
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I hope you found it useful and I hope you have a lovely week.
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Leave a comment, I love reading them.
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Bye!

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Context & Background

In this episode of the English Dream Podcast, the speaker shares reflections on their week through personal anecdotes, focusing on both joyful and challenging experiences. The speaker elaborates on their recent return to driving and the accompanying sense of independence, as well as the emotional fluctuations experienced during a difficult phase. These moments not only provide insights into personal life but also create valuable opportunities for listeners to engage with everyday English in a relatable context. By discussing both positive and negative events, the podcast exemplifies how language can be intertwined with real-life experiences, making it an excellent resource for learners aiming to improve their conversational skills.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "I want to take them for a ride" - A common phrase used when inviting someone to travel together.
  • "I feel more confident" - This expression conveys a growing assurance in one's abilities.
  • "I wanted to catch up" - Used when referring to catching up on personal news with someone.
  • "I decided to go to a therapist" - An important phrase related to seeking help when feeling down.
  • "It makes me feel independent" - This phrase illustrates the emotional benefit of personal achievements.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To aid your English speaking practice with this podcast episode, follow these steps to effectively use shadowing, or "shadow speak," as a technique to enhance your skills:

  1. Listen Actively: Start by listening to the podcast without any distractions. Pay close attention to the intonation, rhythm, and pronunciation of the speaker.
  2. Segment the Content: Break the transcript down into smaller segments focusing on different emotions or themes. This makes it easier to practice individualized phrases and expressions.
  3. Repeat After the Speaker: Use the shadowing technique by mimicking what the speaker says in real-time. Focus on the pronunciation and emotional tone, which will aid in improving English pronunciation.
  4. Record Yourself: After practicing, record your voice. Compare your pronunciation and intonation with that of the speaker to identify areas for improvement.
  5. Practice in Context: Integrate these phrases into your daily conversations. Try to use them when discussing your experiences or during your own English practice sessions, especially in informal settings or with friends.

By incorporating these steps, learners can effectively utilize this podcast episode to enhance their language skills for IELTS speaking practice and beyond. Embrace the opportunity to engage with the material actively, and watch your confidence and proficiency grow!

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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