Shadowing Practice: English Listening Practice | Let’s Talk About Food in English | Mr. English Podcast - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hello everyone and welcome back to Mr. English Channel,
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Hello everyone and welcome back to Mr. English Channel,
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where learning English is easy and fun.
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I'm Emily.
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Hi Emily.
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It is so good to see you.
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I have been looking forward to this episode all week,
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because today we are talking about my absolute favorite topic in the world.
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I can guess what it is, Paul.
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Is it about movies?
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Or maybe about sports?
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No, even better.
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It is about food.
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I think food is the best way to learn a language because we eat every single day.
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You are so right.
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Food is universal.
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Everyone has a favorite dish,
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and everyone has things they don't like to eat.
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I am already feeling a little bit hungry just thinking about it.
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Me too.
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My stomach is already starting to growl a little bit.
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So Emily, let's start with a simple question.
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What do you really like to eat?
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Oh, I love so many things.
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But if I have to choose,
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I really like Italian food.
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I love pizza, especially with lots of cheese and some fresh basil on top.
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What about you, Paul?
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Pizza is amazing, but I think I love sushi even more.
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I really like fresh fish and rice.
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It feels very healthy and light.
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That's a great choice.
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I like sushi too, but I don't really like it when it is very spicy.
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Sometimes they put too much wasabi in it.
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Yes, wasabi can be very strong.
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It makes my nose feel funny.
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But tell me, Is there any food that you really don't like,
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like you never want to see it on your plate?
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Hmm, that's a tough one.
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I think I don't like broccoli very much.
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I know it's good for me,
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but the taste is just not my favorite.
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That is funny because I actually love broccoli.
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I like it steamed with a little bit of butter and salt.
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But I really don't like mushrooms.
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The texture is just strange to me.
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Ah, I see.
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Many people feel that way about mushrooms.
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It's okay.
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We all have different tastes.
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That is what makes food so interesting.
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Emily, I heard you say,
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I really like, and I don't really like.
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Is there a difference between saying,
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I don't like, and I don't really like?
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That is a great question.
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I don't like is very direct and strong.
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But if you say, I don't really like,
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it sounds a bit softer and more natural in a conversation.
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Ah, I see.
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So it's like saying, it's not my favorite thing.
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That's very useful for our friends who want to sound polite.
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Good job, Emily.
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Exactly.
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It's always good to have options in English.
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Now, Paul, let's talk about our daily routine.
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What do you usually eat for breakfast?
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Well, on weekdays, I am usually in a hurry.
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So for breakfast, I eat eggs and bread.
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And I always have a big cup of black coffee.
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Mmm, coffee is a must.
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I can't even open my eyes without coffee.
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I usually have some fruit for breakfast,
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like a banana or an apple.
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That is very healthy.
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I should eat more fruit.
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What about lunch?
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Do you have a big lunch at work?
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Usually I have a sandwich or a salad for lunch at 12 p.m.
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I like to keep it light so I don't feel sleepy in the afternoon.
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That is smart.
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I usually have a bigger lunch.
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I love rice and beans with some grilled chicken.
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It gives me a lot of energy for the rest of the day.
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That sounds delicious.
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Do you usually cook your lunch at home or do you eat out at a restaurant?
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Sometimes I cook at home on Sundays and bring my food to work.
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It's a good way to save money.
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But on Fridays, I like to eat out with my colleagues.
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Eating out is the best.
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It's so nice to try different places.
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When you eat out, do you prefer fast food or a sit-down restaurant?
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I like both.
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If I'm in a rush,
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a burger and fries from a fast food place are great.
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But if I have time,
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I love a nice restaurant where I can sit and talk.
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Me too.
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I think the atmosphere is very important.
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Speaking of restaurants, should we practice how to order food?
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Yes.
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Let's do a role play.
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I'll be the waiter, and you are the customer who just walked into the cafe.
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Okay, I'm ready.
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I'm sitting at a small table by the window.
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Hello.
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Good afternoon.
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Welcome to our cafe.
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Would you like to see the menu?
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Yes, please.
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Can I get the menu?
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I'm very hungry today.
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Of course.
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Here you go.
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We have some great specials today.
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Are you ready to order a drink first?
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Yes.
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I would like a cold bottle of water,
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please, and maybe a glass of orange juice.
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Great.
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One water and one orange juice.
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And what would you like to eat for your main course?
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Hmm.
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Everything looks so good.
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I think I would like the chicken sandwich, please but can I have it without mayonnaise?
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Certainly.
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One chicken sandwich, no mayo.
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Would you like anything else with that?
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Maybe some fries or a side salad?
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I'll take the side salad, please.
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I want to be a little bit healthy today.
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Good choice.
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Is that all for now?
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Yes, that's all.
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Thank you very much.
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Wow, Emily, you are a pro at ordering food.
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You used I would like and can I have.
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Those are perfect for a restaurant.
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Thanks, Paul.
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I think I would like is very polite.
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If you just say I want,
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it can sound a little bit rude or too direct.
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You're totally right.
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It's a small change, but it makes a big difference in how people see you.
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I would like is always a safe bet.
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Exactly.
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And what about when the waiter brings the food?
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How do we describe it if it tastes really good?
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Oh, there are so many words.
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You can say, this is delicious or this is amazing.
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If If it's something like a cake,
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you can say, this is so sweet and tasty.
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Mmm, I love the word delicious.
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It sounds so much better than just saying good.
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What if the food is very hot?
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Then you can say, careful,
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this soup is very hot.
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Or if you're drinking something from the fridge,
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you say, this juice is nice and cold.
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Those are great adjectives.
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What about when something has a lot of salt?
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Oh, then you say, this is too salty.
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I hate it when I order something and it has way too much salt.
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I have to drink so much water after.
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Me too.
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It's not a good feeling.
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And if something has no flavor at all,
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we sometimes call it bland,
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like plain white rice without anything on it.
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Bland is a great word for our B1 learners.
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It's very common when talking about food that needs more spice or salt.
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If you are enjoying this conversation,
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don't forget to like the video,
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subscribe to the channel, and share it with a friend who's learning English.
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Yes, we love seeing our community grow.
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And if you are still listening, comment pizza below.
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We want to know your favorite topping.
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I bet most people will say pepperoni.
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Okay, Emily, let's talk about cooking.
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Do you enjoy being in the kitchen?
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I do.
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I think cooking is like a science experiment,
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but you get to eat the results.
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I cook almost every day for my family.
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That is impressive.
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I only cook a few times a week.
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I usually make simple things like pasta with tomato sauce.
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It's hard to make a mistake with pasta.
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That's true.
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Pasta is very beginner-friendly.
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I like to make more complex things,
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like a roasted chicken with vegetables.
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It takes more time, but it smells so good in the house.
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Ah, I can imagine that smell.
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It's the best part of cooking.
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When you are cooking, do you follow a recipe or do you just guess?
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I usually follow a recipe for the first time,
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but after that, I like to change things.
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I might add more garlic or some different herbs.
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I'm the same way.
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I love garlic.
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I think I put garlic in almost everything I cook.
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My friends always say they can smell me coming.
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Garlic is great for your health, Paul.
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Don't listen to them.
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What about making orders for other people, like at a party?
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That's a good point.
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If I'm hosting a party,
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I might ask my guests,
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would you like some more snacks,
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or do you want another drink?
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And as a guest, it's important to know how to respond.
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You can say, yes, please,
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that would be great, or no, thank you, I'm full.
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I'm full.
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That's an important one.
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It means you have eaten enough and your stomach is satisfied.
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Yes.
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Sometimes people say, I am satisfied,
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but in a casual situation,
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I'm full is much more natural.
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What about if you're just a little bit hungry?
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Not very hungry, but just a little.
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Do you know a word for that?
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Oh, I love this word.
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You can say, I'm a little peckish.
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It means you want a small snack,
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like a cookie or some nuts.
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Peckish.
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That is a great word.
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I feel peckish every day around 4 p.m.
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That is my snack time.
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Me too.
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I usually have some tea and a biscuit.
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It's a very nice habit.
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Speaking of tea, let's talk about being thirsty.
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If you really need water, what do you say?
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You can say, I'm thirsty.
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Or if it is very serious,
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you can say, I'm parched.
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But thirsty is the most common one.
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I'm very thirsty.
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I need some water.
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That is a sentence every traveler should know.
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Definitely.
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Especially if you are walking around a new city all day.
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You need to stay hydrated.
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So, Emily, we talked about common mistakes earlier.
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Is there another one that you hear often when people talk about food?
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Yes.
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Many people say, I have hunger,
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because that is how they say it in their native language.
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but in English, we use the verb to be.
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Right.
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We say, I am hungry, not I have hunger.
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That is a big one for A1 and A2 learners to remember.
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Exactly.
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Just like I am 20 years old,
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instead of I have 20 years.
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English loves the verb to be for these things.
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That is a very helpful reminder.
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Now, Emily, do you have a story about a time you went to a restaurant and something interesting happened?
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Oh, I have a funny story.
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Last year, I went to a very fancy restaurant for my birthday.
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I ordered what I thought was a small appetizer.
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And what happened?
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Was it actually huge?
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No, it was the opposite.
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When the waiter brought the plate,
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it was just one tiny piece of fish in the middle of a giant plate.
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Oh no, the fancy restaurant portion sizes.
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Did you have to order another meal after that?
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Yes, I was still so hungry after the appetizer that I had to order a big bowl of pasta.
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It was a very expensive birthday dinner.
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That is a classic story.
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I had a similar thing happen once.
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I went to a spicy food challenge with my brother.
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A spicy food challenge?
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That sounds dangerous.
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Did you win?
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Well, I tried a very hot chicken wing.
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At first, I thought, this is not so bad.
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But then, five seconds later,
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my whole face turned red.
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Oh, no. Did you drink a lot of water?
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I drank a whole liter of milk.
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Water doesn't really help with spicy food.
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You need milk or bread to stop the burning.
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That is a good tip for our listeners.
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If you eat something too spicy, drink milk, not water.
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Exactly.
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It was a painful lesson, but a funny memory.
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Now I am much more careful when a menu says extra spicy.
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I can imagine.
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I am very careful with that too.
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I like a little spice,
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but not a fire in my mouth.
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So, let's review some of the things we talked about today for our friends.
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We talked about how to say what we like.
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Yes, like, I really like pizza,
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or my favorite food is rice and beans.
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And how to talk about our meals,
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like breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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We also learned how to order politely,
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using I would like, and can I have the menu?
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And we described food using words like delicious,
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salty, sweet, and even bland.
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Don't forget the common mistake.
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It's I am hungry, not I have hunger.
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That's right.
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You guys are doing a great job.
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Learning all these food words will help you so much when you travel or meet new people.
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I agree.
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Food is a great conversation starter.
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You can always ask someone,
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what is the best restaurant around here?
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Or do you know how to cook?
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People love talking about their favorite recipes.
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Well, Paul, I think we have shared a lot of great information today.
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I hope our listeners feel more confident now.
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I think they do.
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And I think I'm finally ready to go find that burger I was thinking about.
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Go for it, Paul.
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You deserve a good meal after all this hard work.
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Thanks, Emily.
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And thanks to everyone for listening to Mr. English Channel.
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You are all amazing students.
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Yes, keep practicing and don't be afraid to make mistakes.
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That is how you learn.
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We'll be back soon with another fun topic to help you with your English journey.
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We can't wait.
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Don't forget to like and subscribe before you go.
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It really helps our channel.
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Have a wonderful day and enjoy your food.
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Goodbye everyone.
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Goodbye.
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Bye bye.
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Context & Background
In this engaging episode of the Mr. English Podcast, hosts Emily and Paul dive into the delightful world of food. Their conversation not only showcases their culinary preferences but also emphasizes how food can serve as a universal language, providing opportunities to enhance English language skills. By sharing personal experiences, the dialogue illustrates the connections we all have with food, making it an exciting topic for learners aiming to practice listening and speaking skills in English.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- I really like - A great way to express personal preferences.
- That's a great choice - Use this to acknowledge someone else's opinion positively.
- I don't really like - A polite way to share your dislikes.
- It makes my nose feel funny - A humorous expression to describe a strong flavor or sensation.
- That is funny because - A conversational way to share contrasting opinions or tastes.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
Enhancing your English pronunciation and fluency can be effectively achieved through the shadowing technique. Here’s how you can utilize this technique with the "Let’s Talk About Food" episode:
- Listen Actively: Start by listening to the episode without any distractions. Pay attention to how Emily and Paul express their thoughts about food.
- Identify Key Phrases: Focus on the phrases listed above. Notice their intonation, pitch, and rhythm as they speak.
- Repeat and Imitate: Utilize a shadowing app or recording tool to replay segments of the conversation. Try to imitate their speech immediately after hearing it. The goal is to match their tone and pace while speaking.
- Practice Aloud: After shadowing multiple times, try to summarize the conversation or express your personal opinions about food in English, incorporating the phrases learned.
- Record Yourself: Keep track of your progress by recording your shadow speech. Listen to the playback and compare your pronunciation to Emily and Paul's. This will help you identify areas for improvement.
By thoroughly engaging with this content and applying the shadowing technique regularly, you'll not only improve your English pronunciation but also become more confident in casual conversations about food and other everyday topics.
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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