Shadowing Practice: Everyday English: Going to the doctor - Learn English Speaking with Video
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68 sentences
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1
Hey there, I'm Sarah.
2
And I'm Jack.
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Welcome to Everyday English.
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Today, we're going to talk about going to the doctor.
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Oh, that's not much fun.
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No, it isn't, but it's something that we all have to do from time to time, so it's important to know the right vocabulary.
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If you're feeling sick or unwell, or if you have a pain, then you might want to go to a clinic to see a doctor or GP.
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That stands for General Practitioner, and it refers to a doctor who's trained in General Medicine.
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For more specific problems, you might go to a specialist, and you would go to a hospital for a medical emergency, for example, a broken arm.
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When you see a doctor, he or she will ask you about your symptoms.
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Symptoms are any feelings of discomfort which are caused by a health problem.
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For example, you might feel ill or sick or nauseous.
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You might have a temperature, which means your body is hotter than it should be.
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That's also called a fever.
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You might feel weak or dizzy.
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You might have a running nose or runny nose, as we often say.
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Or you might have an itch.
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You can use the adjective itchy.
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For example, I have itchy eyes or you might have some sort of pain.
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For example, pain in your back, pain in your arm or pain in your shoulder.
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Another way to say that you have pain is to use the adjective sore.
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For example, I have a sore back, a sore arm or a sore shoulder.
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If you are feeling pain, a doctor might ask you to describe it.
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For example, he He or she might ask if it's a sharp pain, that's a strong and acute pain,
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or a stabbing pain that feels like something is stabbing you, or a dull pain that's a less severe pain.
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You might also have an ache which is a type of persistent dull pain, for example a headache or a backache,
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or you could have a cramp which is caused by muscles contracting.
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Let's have a look at the sort of conversation you might have with the doctor.
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Hi Charlotte, please take a seat.
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Thanks.
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What seems to be the problem?
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I'm not feeling very well.
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Okay, what sort of symptoms are you experiencing?
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I feel a bit nauseous and I have a headache
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and I've got a cramp in my stomach and I also have a really runny nose and sore eyes.
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Do you have a temperature?
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Yeah, I think so.
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It's been a bit high.
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I think you've probably got the virus that's been going around.
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I'm going to write a prescription for some medication, which will hopefully bring the pain down a little bit.
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You should rest, though, and make sure that you take plenty of fluids, OK?
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Would you like me to write a sick certificate for work?
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Yes, please.
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OK.
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Take that with you.
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That's your sick certificate, and reception will give you your prescription form.
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A medical certificate is an official document that proves that you can't work because you're sick.
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And a prescription is a document that you give to a pharmacist, a person authorised to sell drugs or medication.
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You need to provide a prescription to buy some medicine.
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There's a chance your doctor or pharmacist will give you instructions,
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advice and suggestions and for that you need to know the modal verbs like must,
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shall, will, should, would, can, could, may and might.
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If it's an instruction that has to be followed you use the word must.
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For example you must eat before taking this medication.
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You must not mix medication.
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You could also say have to as in you have to eat before taking this medication.
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If you're strongly advising someone that is giving advice that you want followed you use the modal verb should.
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For example, you should rest and drink plenty of water.
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And if you're making a suggestion you can use can, could, may, might or would.
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For example, you can take an aspirin for pain.
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You could try drinking more water.
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You may want to eat less.
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You might want to exercise more.
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I would take some time off if I were you.
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Well that's it for today.
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Why don't you try making a list of words and phrases that you might use at the doctor.
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It's also a good chance to practice words for parts of the body.
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Stay well and we'll see you next time.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Everyday English: Going to the doctor”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: pain, example, doctor, sore, medication. This video has 68 sentences and 757 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:44. The speaker talks at a natural 160 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| sore adjective | /soɹ/ | Causing pain or discomfort; painfully sensitive. |
| medication noun | /mɛdɪˈkeɪʃən/ | A medicine, or all the medicines regularly taken by a patient. |
| prescription noun | /pɹəˈskɹɪp.ʃən/ | A written order from an authorized medical practitioner for provision of a medicine or other treatment, such as (ophthalmology) the specific lenses needed for… |
| symptom noun | /ˈsɪm(p)təm/ | A perceived change in some function, sensation or appearance of a person that indicates a disease or disorder, such as fever, headache or rash; strictly, a… |
| certificate noun | /səˈtɪf.ɪ.kɪt/ | A document containing a certified statement. |
| adjective noun | /ˈæd͡ʒ.ɪk.tɪv/ | A word that modifies a noun or noun phrase or describes a noun’s referent. |
| cramp noun | /kɹæmp/ | A painful contraction of a muscle which cannot be controlled; (sometimes) a similar pain even without noticeable contraction. |
| itchy adjective | /ˈɪt͡ʃi/ | Characterized by itching. (of a condition) |
| modal adjective | /ˈməʊdəl/ | Of, or relating to a mode or modus. |
| nauseous adjective | /ˈnɔʃəs/ | Causing nausea; sickening or disgusting. |
| pharmacist noun | /ˈfɑɹməsɪst/ | A health professional who controls, formulates, preserves, and dispenses medications and provides medical advice and counseling on how medicines should be used… |
| runny adjective | /ˈɹʌni/ | Fluid; readily flowing. |
| verb noun | /vɝb/ | A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being. |
| stab verb | /stæb/ | To pierce or to wound (somebody) with a (usually pointed) tool or weapon, especially a knife or dagger. |
| dull adjective | /dʌl/ | Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go around verb | To move or spread from person to person. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- I'm not feeling very well.
- Do you have a temperature?
- Would you like me to write a sick certificate for work?
- Stay well and we'll see you next time.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | discomfort which are · temperature, which means · ache which is |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are caused · is caused · be followed |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might want · might go · might feel |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should be · should rest |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 15 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: medication /mɛdɪˈkeɪʃən/, prescription /pɹəˈskɹɪp.ʃən/, nauseous /ˈnɔʃəs/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/, suggestion /səˈd͡ʒɛst.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: medication /mɛdɪˈkeɪʃən/, certificate /səˈtɪf.ɪ.kɪt/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/
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 sore, medication, prescription.
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.