Shadowing Practice: How to actually improve your English Speaking - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
83 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
If you want to improve your speaking then this is one of the most important videos
2
that I am going to make and that I have made.
3
So please watch this video if you want to improve your speaking.
4
Now the biggest problem when learning a language is your mother tongue, your first language.
5
It always gets in the way of learning your second language,
6
third language, fourth language so my number one tip and what i'm going to say to you is stop translating
7
stop translating your second language into english stop reading translations stop
8
listening to translations stop having your first language as subtitles this is hindering you or stopping you from actually learning English.
9
Now I'm going to explain.
10
Think about how did you learn your first language?
11
How did you learn your mother tongue?
12
How do babies learn?
13
Do they translate?
14
Does a baby have the word mummy,
15
madre, mammy, whatever your first language is written across their mum's chest.
16
Does it say mummy equals madre on their mummy's shirt?
17
No. How a baby learns is the mummy points to themselves and says mummy, mummy and the baby repeats.
18
There's no translation, there's no word.
19
It's listening and looking and pointing.
20
So if I was a mum I would say mummy.
21
Then if the dad was there you'd point to the dad
22
and say daddy doesn't say daddy as you can see i'm getting quite passionate
23
or angry it sounds like i'm getting angry about this situation
24
but i'm just very passionate that people are always translating in their head
25
or watching subtitles
26
or using translations it just doesn't work your brain is efficient it doesn't want to read a language that it doesn't know.
27
It wants to read its first language or listen to its first language or look at its first language.
28
Your brain naturally is going to pick the easiest option always.
29
It doesn't want to work hard or pick the difficult option.
30
Let me show you an example here.
31
Okay, here is my example.
32
This is the word book.
33
Your brain has already naturally and quickly picked out one word for book
34
which word is it it's your native language for me i'm going to look at this
35
and my brain or my eyes are instantly going to look at this at this word
36
if you are spanish your brain is going to read this word and so on this is your brain translating okay
37
what you actually want to do is look at a real book
38
and in reality these aren't even books this is not a
39
book okay none of these words mean book they're all made
40
up this is a book this is the only actual thing
41
that is a book or a libro or a lower
42
or a book
43
or a livre those are not real things those are made
44
up this is not made up this is real this is an object that's how you learn
45
another language you hear the word book
46
and you see a book you don't read libro you see okay same way a baby sees a toy
47
so if you're playing with a baby
48
and you have a toy i go oh look at the bear look at the bear the bear i don't go
49
this is not how you teach a baby bear oh bear oh let's look uh oh
50
so also bear oh look at that no you see the bear
51
and you point that's how you learn a language now obviously translations have a time
52
and a place they're not never needed like
53
if you have a paragraph in a native language
54
and you need to translate it to english then yes you need to be able to translate
55
but if you want to speak
56
because you know we live in modern society google translate exists you translate a written paragraph instantly
57
if you're writing and typing
58
and texting a friend from a different country you can translate it in about two seconds you don't need
59
to be able to read and write in another language now because you can just use the apps but speaking
60
no speaking is in real life you can't translate you can't
61
use subtitles in real life speaking is in the second you
62
don't have any time to start getting your google translate out
63
or getting your app out you want to connect with people in real life
64
so you need to stop translating if you want to improve your speaking
65
and i know most of you want to improve your speaking so stop using
66
stop watching videos who have your native language you need to only watch videos that are in english
67
or comprehensible input so my channel is comprehensible input i use pictures and gestures
68
and real life objects this is how you are going to
69
improve your english speaking okay now i also have started uh started using reels
70
and and shorts and tiktok videos so you can also follow my new instagram page
71
which is called handy english my new tiktok page
72
which is called handy english now these are my only instagram
73
and tiktok pages someone was impersonating me on tiktok so
74
if you see any other um videos of me on the internet
75
that are not english after hours or handy english on instagram
76
and tiktok it's not me please report them it's so creepy
77
and weird that people are literally stealing that is called theft
78
that is against the law to steal someone's videos
79
and pretend it's you so don't be a thief
80
and be an honest citizen in society watch my real channels
81
so if this is how you want to improve speaking follow me
82
so thank you so much for watching this video i hope
83
that you've learned the new technique on how to learn english so i'll see you later bye
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
B1How to stay Motivated to speak English / Tips to keep Learning when you’re stuck
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
Improve English Naturally while baking | Comprehensible Input |
KidsTravel EnglishTeens
A22
Practice your English with Pictures | Easy English Speaking with a Native |
KidsTravel EnglishTeens
B23
Listen to Natural English Conversation on a walk in the Countryside | Comprehensible Input |
Travel EnglishDaily Conversation
A24
Listen to Slow English in the Snow | Learn Easy English | Comprehensible Input |
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A23
Improve English Speaking skills with this video | Repeat after me English Practice |
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
B1Practice your English Listening with this video | Comprehensible input at the Park |
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B1Speak more Fluently in the Garden | Garden English Vlog |
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B1Improve Speaking English Easy to Learn | Comprehensible Input | Hobbies |
TeensDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B2Intermediate English Conversation | Improve your English Listening and Speaking |
Travel EnglishDaily Conversation
B1Watch this Video to Learn English Naturally with a Native | Comprehensible Input |
Daily Conversation
B1Q&A Get to Know Me with my Husband | 2 Years on YouTube |
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B21
313 sentences
2 English Teachers Answer Your Questions About Learning English!
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B211
70 sentences
Stop Translating In Your Head - How to Think in English Naturally
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
145 sentences
0. The Key To Excellent Speaking - Effortless English Audiobook - Welcome - AJ Hoge's Method
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
205 sentences
Chapter 1: A Better Way To Learn English
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B112
50 sentences
2 Tips For Improving Your *Listening* Skills
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B23
160 sentences
Improve Your English Pronunciation in 3 Steps (British Accent)
British AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
4 sentences
M41: Six steps to a better speaking English for a software developer
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
143 sentences
Do you feel NERVOUS to speak English? Watch this.
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B299
36 sentences
How to train your ears to understand English
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
201 sentences
Why You Never Make Progress in English
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B15
49 sentences
Why You’re Not Improving in English (And How to Fix It)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 83 sentences and 987 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:14. The speaker talks at a steady 136 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| translate verb | /tɹænzˈleɪt/ | To change spoken words or written text (of a book, document, movie, etc.) from one language to another. |
| mummy noun | /ˈmʌm.i/ | An embalmed human or non-human animal corpse wrapped in linen bandages for burial, especially as practised by the ancient Egyptians and some Native American… |
| translation noun | /tɹænzˈleɪʃən/ | The conversion of text from one language to another. |
| naturally adverb | /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/ | In a natural manner. |
| steal verb | /stiːl/ | To take illegally, or without the owner's permission, something owned by someone else without intending to return it. |
| daddy noun | /ˈdædi/ | Also used as a term of address: a father; one's father. |
| input noun | /ˈɪnpʊt/ | The act or process of putting in; infusion. |
| instantly adverb | /ˈɪnstəntli/ | At once; without delay. |
| passionate adjective | /ˈpæʃənɪt/ | Fired with intense feeling. |
| paragraph noun | /ˈpæɹəɡɹæf/ | A passage in text that starts on a new line, the first line sometimes being indented, and usually marks a change of topic. |
| technique noun | /tɛkˈniːk/ | The practical aspects of a given art, occupation etc.; formal requirements. |
| efficient adjective | /ɪˈfɪʃənt/ | Making good, thorough, or careful use of resources; not consuming extra. Especially, making good use of time or energy. |
| citizen noun | /ˈsɪtɪzən/ | A resident of a city or town, especially one with legally recognized rights or duties. |
| connect verb | /kəˈnɛkt/ | To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object. |
| pretend verb | /pɹəˈtɛnd/ | To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| make up verb | /ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/ | To constitute, to compose. |
| pick out verb | To remove by picking. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if I was a mum I would say · if the dad was there you'd point |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is written · are made · is not made |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have made · have started · you've learned |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 26 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, doesn't, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: theft /θɛft/, thief /ˈθiːf/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: translation /tɹænzˈleɪʃən/, passionate /ˈpæʃənɪt/, efficient /ɪˈfɪʃənt/
- Long words — get the stress right: naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, comprehensible /kɒmpɹəˈhɛnsɪbəl/, impersonate /ɪmˈpɜːsəneɪt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like translate, mummy, translation.
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.