Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: Blow Off Steam - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
20 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Welcome to English in a Minute.
2
Maybe you have heard this phrase in American English.
3
Blow off steam.
4
Sounds like someone might have a problem.
5
Let's listen.
6
Please forgive me for yelling at you.
7
I had such a bad day.
8
I just needed to blow off some steam.
9
It's okay.
10
I understand.
11
You know, when my friend Rebecca needs to blow off steam, blow off steam?
12
She goes for a long bike ride.
13
Blow off steam.
14
That's what people do when they need to get rid of negative or bad feelings.
15
This phrase comes from steam engines.
16
When pressure builds up inside, the engines must release steam.
17
How do you blow off steam?
18
Send us a comment at our Facebook page, VOA Learning English.
19
You can also check out our website, learningenglish.voanews.com.
20
And that's English in a Minute.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
B1English in a Minute: Thorn in My Side
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B2English in a Minute: Ahead of the Curve
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A289
English in a Minute: Make Up Your Mind
American AccentTravel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
B188
English in a Minute: Wishful Thinking
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B167
English in a Minute: When it Rains, it Pours
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B118
English in a Minute: Call It a Day
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A257
Call It A Day
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B1100
English in a Minute: Get Out Of Here
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
A216
English in a Minute: Start from Scratch
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B131
English in a Minute: Make (One's) Head Swim
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B24
English in a Minute: Break Even
American AccentBusiness EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B214
English in a Minute: Pound the Pavement
American AccentInterview EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A26
English in a Minute: Grab a Bite
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B114
English in a Minute: It's Up To You
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B19
English in a Minute: Under The Weather
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B12
English in a Minute: Boils Down To
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B111
English in a Minute: Call It A Day
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B115
English in a Minute: Like Oil and Water
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B21
English in a Minute: The Jury is Still Out
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B18
English in a Minute: Sink or Swim
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B12
15 sentences
English in a Minute: Let Off Steam
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B13
462 sentences
Speak English Confidently: Daily Life Vocabulary
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B14
197 sentences
give me 14 minutes and I will change how you learn English forever
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B13
417 sentences
🎧 Luyện Nghe Tiếng Anh Level B1 - KẸT XE - | Listening English Podcast |🎯
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B13
251 sentences
Daily English Speaking Practice | Listening Training to Improve English Conversation 🎧
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B111
692 sentences
English Podcast For Learning English Conversation | 8 Ways to Build English Sentences Quickly
Interview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B24
26 sentences
Go off! You're doing great!
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B17
310 sentences
23 Minutes of British English Listening Practice! (MODERN RP)
British AccentCambridge Exam PrepDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
360 sentences
Speak English Without Fearing Mistakes | Easy English Listening Practice
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B11
29 sentences
7 English Expressions in 57 Seconds
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
159 sentences
Common English Phrases to Keep Your Conversation Going!
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “English in a Minute: Blow Off Steam”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: steam, blow, English. This video has 20 sentences and 140 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:56. The speaker talks at a natural 151 words per minute, close to everyday conversation.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 11 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| forgive verb | /fɚˈɡɪv/ | To pardon (someone); to waive any negative feeling towards or desire for punishment or retribution against. |
| yell verb | /jɛl/ | To shout; holler; make a loud sound with the voice, especially to express intense emotions such as anger or excitement. |
| steam noun | /stiːm/ | The hot gaseous form of water, formed when water changes from the liquid phase to the gas phase (at or above its boiling point temperature). |
| blow verb | /bloʊ/ | To produce an air current. |
| bike noun | /baɪk/ | Any vehicle sharing some characteristics with a bicycle or motorbike, such as pedal power, a handlebar, or a saddle. |
| engine noun | /ˈɛnd͡ʒɪn/ | A large construction used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult etc. |
| welcome | /ˈwɛl.kəm/ | Greeting given upon someone's arrival. |
| comment noun | /ˈkɑmɛnt/ | A spoken or written remark. |
| ride verb | /ɹaɪd/ | To transport oneself by sitting on and directing a horse, later also a bicycle etc. |
| negative adjective | /ˈnɛɡ.ə.tɪv/ | Not positive or neutral; bad; undesirable; unfavourable. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| blow off verb | To vent, usually, to reduce pressure in a container. |
| build up verb | To erect; to construct. |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). |
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like phrase, forgive, yell.
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.