Shadowing Practice: How to give advice in English - Learn English Speaking with Video
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59 sentences
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1
Hi, I'm Anna.
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Welcome to What to Say.
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do you know what to say
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when you give advice listen out for useful language for giving advice
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then we'll practice saying the new phrases after
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this this is just ridiculous Susan again yeah Susan she just keeps emailing me about things
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that have nothing to do with work and nothing to do with me.
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What do you think I should do?
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Well, if I were you, I'd email and ask her to stop sending them.
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I'm not sure that's a good idea.
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I have to be careful what I say, as she's quite an important client.
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I'm not sure then.
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Perhaps you could try talking to Yuna about it.
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Why don't you try doing nothing?
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Sorry?
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Perhaps you could just do nothing.
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Really?
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I'm not too sure about that.
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Well, I remember this guy I used to work with, Mark.
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And he kept emailing again and again and again about all sorts, mostly unrelated to work.
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Well, I kept responding politely and he kept sending them.
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In the end, I stopped replying to his emails, unless they were only about work.
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Then what happened?
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He stopped sending them.
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It's a bit like being faced with a dangerous snake.
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If you move quickly, it'll bite you.
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But if you keep very still and do nothing, eventually it'll move away and leave you alone.
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I had to learn the hard way.
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Hey, Bob.
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Have you got a minute?
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Yeah.
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So, I tried what you suggested and I only responded to Susan's emails about work for a few days.
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Then guess what?
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The irrelevant emails stopped.
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Yes, now she only sends me work -related ones.
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Well, that's very good news.
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All thanks to you, Bob.
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Anytime, Noelia, anytime.
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All in a day's work.
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Hello again.
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It looks like
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Bob is in Noelia's good books.
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So, did you notice the useful phrases used for giving advice?
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Listen to me and then repeat.
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What do you think I should do?
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What do you think I should do?
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If I were you, I'd ask her.
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If I were you, I'd ask her.
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I'm not sure that's a good idea.
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I'm not sure that's a good idea.
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Perhaps you could try talking to Yuna.
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Why don't you try doing nothing?
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I'm not too sure about that.
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I'm not too sure about that.
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I tried what you suggested.
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I tried what you suggested.
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Try and use some of these phrases the next time you give advice in English.
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Bye for now!
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “How to give advice in English”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: email, advice, Perhaps, Yuna, phrases. This video has 55 sentences and 442 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:35. The speaker talks slowly, about 96 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 16 of its 55 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
14 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| ridiculous adjective | /ɹɪˈdɪk.jə.ləs/ | Deserving of ridicule; foolish, absurd. |
| bite verb | /baɪt/ | To cut into something by clamping the teeth. |
| snake noun | /sneɪk/ | Any of the suborder Serpentes of legless reptiles with long, thin bodies and fork-shaped tongues. |
| irrelevant adjective | /ɪˈɹɛləvənt/ | Not relevant, as |
| unrelated adjective | Not connected or associated. | |
| argh | /ɑː(ɹ)(ɡ)/ | Expressing annoyance, dismay, embarrassment or frustration. |
| politely adverb | /pəˈlaɪtli/ | in a polite manner |
| email noun | /ˈiˌmeɪl/ | A system for sending messages and datas by means of a computer network, primarily the Internet, using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and the Internet… |
| respond verb | /ɹɪˈspɑnd/ | To say something in return; to answer; to reply. |
| careful adjective | /ˈkɛɹfəl/ | Taking care; attentive to potential danger, error or harm; cautious. |
| client noun | /ˈklaɪ.ənt/ | A customer, a buyer or receiver of goods or services. |
| reply noun | /ɹɪˈplaɪ/ | A written or spoken response; part of a conversation. |
| repeat verb | /ɹɪˈpiːt/ | To do or say again (and again). |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| move away verb | To go away from a place, especially when permanently changing one's residence. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Do you know what to say when you give advice?
- What do you think I should do?
- Perhaps you could just … do nothing?
- Have you got a minute?
- Why don't you try doing nothing?
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 were you, I'd email · If you move quickly, it'll bite · If I were you, I'd ask |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | practice saying · keeps emailing · stop sending |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should do |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | we'll practice · it'll bite · it'll move |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 17 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: ridiculous /ɹɪˈdɪk.jə.ləs/, irrelevant /ɪˈɹɛləvənt/
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 phrase, ridiculous, bite.
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.