Shadowing Practice: HOW TO LEARN ENGLISH: Complete Study Plan 2026 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
If you want to become fluent in English this year, you need a plan.
2
My name's Michael, I'm an English communication coach, and it's my goal to help you speak English confidently, clearly, and fluently.
3
In this video, I'm going to tell you why you need a plan when learning English and how you can create one.
4
I'm also going to give you seven different language learning techniques, which you can use to help you improve your English more quickly and efficiently.
5
I know when it comes to learning English, it can seem like there's a lot of information out there.
6
Too much information.
7
It can be really overwhelming and often you don't know where to start.
8
But don't worry, in this video I'm going to be very specific
9
and tell you everything you need to know to create your own custom study plan.
10
Now before we talk about how to do this, I want to talk about why you need a plan.
11
Let's imagine you're driving a car.
12
You probably know where you're going and you have a destination in mind.
13
Maybe it's work, the beach or another city.
14
But wherever it is, if you want to reach this place, you need to know which roads to take.
15
Maybe you use a GPS or maybe you use a map.
16
But before you start driving, you figure out which path you're going to take and how you can reach your destination.
17
Learning English is no different.
18
In this case, your goal is fluency or a C2 level.
19
Well this is where we need to talk about how to create a plan.
20
Everybody's plan when learning English will be slightly different.
21
And the reason for this is everybody has different needs.
22
Maybe you're learning English to get a better job.
23
Or maybe you've just moved to the US or the UK
24
and you want to improve your fluency to fit in and sound more like a native speaker.
25
Now how do you figure out what your needs are?
26
All you need to do is ask yourself the question why?
27
Why am I learning English?
28
Your answer to this question is the reason you're learning English.
29
And when you create a study plan, you need to focus on this reason.
30
So let's look at the seven skills you need to practice if you want to reach this level.
31
You're going to have to focus on reading, writing, speaking, listening, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
32
Now that we've listed these seven skills, I want you to look at each and think honestly about how good you are at it.
33
How well do you know these seven skills?
34
I want you to rank them each from one to seven.
35
Seven being the worst, so you don't know this very well, it's a big weakness for you.
36
And one being the best, which means you know this skill very well and you're very good at it.
37
Be honest with yourself because this is really important for the next part of the exercise.
38
say your reading skills aren't that great, but they're also not horrible.
39
You give yourself a three.
40
Now let's say writing is actually one of your strongest skills.
41
You're very good at it, so you give yourself a one.
42
But on the other end, your speaking skills are really not great.
43
You feel nervous and you can't find the right words when you speak, so you give yourself a seven.
44
Maybe your listening isn't that bad, give yourself a 3.
45
You know you need to expand your vocabulary, so you give yourself a 4.
46
Your grammar and pronunciation are both pretty good, so you give yourself a 2 for both.
47
Now, as I said before, it's really important that you be honest with yourself,
48
because knowing your strengths and weaknesses is really the only way you can actually improve.
49
So now you're probably thinking, Michael I have these seven numbers, what's the point of this?
50
What do I do now?
51
Well this is where the magic happens.
52
I want you to look at this blank schedule.
53
We have seven days of the week and seven different rows.
54
Each of those numbers you chose represents how often you're going to practice that skill per week.
55
So you gave yourself a three for reading.
56
You could do this on Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
57
Since you're really good at writing, you don't need to practice it that much.
58
You gave yourself a one, so you need to practice once a week.
59
Let's say you have some time on Monday so you practice it then.
60
And you have problems speaking so you gave yourself a seven.
61
This means you need to practice speaking seven days a week.
62
Once you've filled out this whole chart it should look something like this.
63
Obviously yours will look a bit different depending on what skills you need to practice
64
and how much time you have on certain days.
65
For example if you don't have much time on Monday, you can arrange your schedule so you only practice one skill on Monday,
66
but then practice four other skills on a day you have more time.
67
This just gives you a general idea of how to structure your weekly schedule.
68
Now if you're wondering about how much time to spend a day, you can use this simple formula.
69
Just take how much time you have to spend
70
and divide it by the number of skills you have to practice that day.
71
For example, if you have an hour on Monday and you have to practice writing,
72
reading, speaking, and vocabulary, that means you have to spend 15 minutes on each skill.
73
So pause the video, go fill out that chart, and you will have your weekly study schedule.
74
So now you're probably thinking, okay, I have my schedule and I know which skills I need to practice,
75
but how do I actually practice them?
76
I'm going to give you seven techniques you can use to practice these skills
77
but before we get to that make sure to subscribe to the channel if you're finding this video helpful.
78
And I love hearing from you so make sure to leave a comment below.
79
You can connect with me on Instagram and TikTok.
80
My username on both is English at the Ready.
81
If you want to learn more about how you can improve your English this year go to www.englishattheready.com
82
or click the link in the description below.
83
With that said let's get back into the video
84
and let's look at the seven techniques you can use to practice these skills.
85
But for each skill I'm going to give you one technique which you can use to start practicing now.
86
So first of all how do we practice English reading skills.
87
We have to read but there are actually two types of reading.
88
If you want to improve your reading skills you need to practice both reading quickly and detailed reading.
89
You can read quickly where maybe you don't understand every single word
90
but you try to understand the general meaning of the text
91
and you can also do detailed reading where you look at every single word and translate the ones you don't understand.
92
Now what you read depends on your level of English.
93
If you're at A2 or B1 you need to read something a bit simpler without too many difficult words.
94
My number one recommendation at this level is simple Wikipedia.
95
Go to simple.wikipedia.org And there you will find thousands of Wikipedia articles in relatively simple English.
96
Some words will still be a bit difficult, but this is definitely a great starting point.
97
So go check it out and I'm sure you can find a topic that you're interested in reading about.
98
Once you get to a B2 level or higher,
99
you can really start reading authentic material which is content written by native speakers for native speakers.
100
You can obviously read books, which are great, but if you're looking for something a bit shorter, I recommend online newspaper articles.
101
The language in these is difficult and it will challenge you, but that's exactly what you need if you want to improve your English quickly.
102
I'll put a link in the description to a couple sites which I think have some very good articles.
103
Now, when it comes to writing, how should you practice this skill?
104
First of all, you should ask yourself, what do you actually need to write in English?
105
For most people, that means emails, letters, or maybe academic writing at school.
106
Once you know what you need to write, think about the context.
107
For example, are you sending an email to your boss asking for a meeting?
108
Or maybe you're writing an application letter for a new job.
109
Once you figure that out, what you need to do is practice writing drafts.
110
Imagine you're writing the real thing, but now you have a bit more time to think about what you want to say, to play around with your word choice,
111
and to structure everything perfectly.
112
So when the time comes to actually write one of those emails or letters in real life,
113
you'll know exactly what to say and you can do it really quickly because you've already practiced.
114
Now if you want some more information on how you can improve your writing,
115
I'm also going to put a link in the description to a great free tool so go check that out.
116
And if you haven't already make sure to subscribe to the channel because I will be talking about writing in future videos.
117
Okay let's talk a bit about speaking.
118
Speaking might be the easiest thing to practice because all you need to do is to speak with people.
119
If you feel nervous when you speak that's completely normal and it will eventually go away with practice.
120
Now what if you don't have anybody to practice speaking with?
121
Well you can actually speak to yourself.
122
Don't do this in public but when you're alone it helps to actually say your thoughts out loud in English.
123
I have personally used this technique when learning German and Italian and I can tell you it works.
124
Obviously it's better to find somebody to practice speaking with, but if you can't find anybody, speaking to yourself is a great alternative.
125
When it comes to listening skills, here's one thing you can do to improve.
126
Turn on a British or American movie or TV series and listen to it for two minutes without subtitles.
127
Then what I want you to do is listen to those two minutes again with subtitles.
128
And I'd even recommend you write the subtitles down so you have a little paragraph you can look at and study.
129
Once you have the words in front of you, listen to those two minutes again and follow along with the text.
130
Connect what you hear with what you see and keep doing this until you understand every word in the text.
131
This exercise will help you because it allows you to hear how native speakers talk
132
and at the same time see what's actually written so you can connect what you hear with what you see.
133
Alright moving on to vocabulary.
134
What can you do to expand your vocabulary in English?
135
Now, I've mentioned that you can read books or news articles or you can watch TV or movies,
136
but how do you actually remember these new words?
137
So, one great way to do this is to keep some sort of diary or notebook.
138
Maybe it's on your phone or on paper, but the point is you have a list of new vocabulary words.
139
Every time you hear or see a new word, write it down and look up the definition,
140
and you can write the word but also the definition in your notebook.
141
When the time comes to practice this vocabulary, you can sit down and repeat every word in the list until you've memorized it.
142
If you can I'd actually recommend doing this before bedtime
143
because some studies have shown that when you sleep you're actually improving your memory.
144
All right moving on to grammar.
145
For some people grammar is the most boring skill.
146
For other people it's the most interesting
147
but it actually doesn't matter what you think of it
148
because grammar is so important to any language and you do have to learn it.
149
A lot of learning grammar is just memorization, but it's not enough just to memorize the rules.
150
Once you've learned a new grammar concept, you need to practice it in context.
151
The best way to do this is to sit down and write 10 to 20 sentences using that grammar concept,
152
but make sure these sentences are ones that you would actually say in real life.
153
This way you can connect the grammar concept with your real life experiences which will actually help you memorize them faster.
154
Again when it comes to the actual grammar concepts there are
155
so many free resources out there but I'm going to link a couple in the description below so go check them out.
156
And lastly let's talk about pronunciation.
157
Remember how I said you need to create a vocabulary list to memorize?
158
Well, you also need to create a pronunciation list.
159
When you hear words that are new or difficult to pronounce, write these down and eventually you'll have a pretty long list.
160
Now it's not enough to only write the words down, you actually have to practice pronouncing them.
161
And you do this by imitating
162
or mimicking someone's pronunciation as many times as you need to until you can say the word perfectly.
163
If you don't have a native speaker to help you, you can go to any translation website
164
and normally they will have a button you can press so you can hear how the word sounds.
165
Obviously if you have somebody to correct your pronunciation like a coach,
166
you will see progress more quickly but you can also try to do this on your own.
167
Okay, I could talk about all these topics for hours, but I don't want to make this video too long today.
168
We've seen why you need a plan, how you can create a plan, and seven different techniques you can use to practice the seven language skills.
169
Now you have no excuse not to take action, so get to work and start improving your English today.
170
If you found this video helpful, make sure to leave a like and subscribe to the channel for more videos and lessons about all things English.
171
And if you want to take your English to the next level this year,
172
go to www.englishattheready.com or click the link in the description below.
173
And you can also connect with me on Instagram and TikTok.
174
My username on both is English at ready i'll see you in the next video
📺 Same Channel
B21
Why You Always Forget English Words (Science Explains)
University StudentsWorking Adults+1
B12
The ONLY way to become fluent in English in 2026...
University StudentsBusiness English+2
B21
Can You Understand The 5 Levels of English?
University StudentsBusiness English+2
B12
Stop Saying SORRY in English - Say This Instead!
University StudentsBusiness English+2
B2429
English TRAVEL Vocabulary: Useful Words & Phrases (Speak Like a Native Speaker When Travelling)
TeensUniversity Students+2
C16 Habits Destroying Your English (Fix These NOW)
University StudentsBusiness English+1
B17
How Good Is Your English? Take This 7-Minute Test!
High School StudentsUniversity Students+2
B17
Things You Should NEVER Say in English Small Talk (Don't Make These Mistakes!)
High School StudentsUniversity Students+3
B134
Why you can understand English but can't speak.
High School StudentsUniversity Students+2
B11
Don’t Always Say I’M GOOD in English - Say This Instead! | English Vocabulary Lesson
University StudentsBusiness English+3
B23
Learn English With a Story: Hiking a Volcano | B1–B2 Listening Practice
High School StudentsUniversity Students+3
C16
How to THINK in English (and why you must)
Daily Conversation
B213
Why you can't understand English movies.
University StudentsWorking Adults+1
C12
You will NOT become fluent in English (until you do this...)
University StudentsWorking Adults
B24
How to Learn English FASTER (without studying more)
University StudentsWorking Adults
B23
Do These 6 Things Every Day to Become Fluent in English
Daily Conversation
B17
Speak English With Me: 15-Minute English Podcast (Real-Life Listening Practice)
High School StudentsUniversity Students+2
B15
How to Introduce Yourself in English
TeensHigh School Students+3
B2SPEAK ENGLISH LIKE A PRO! (Steal these phrases)
University StudentsBusiness English+2
B2How to learn English ALONE (no teacher!)
University StudentsBusiness English+2
✨ Recommend Video
B11
67 sentences
In Just 5 Minutes｜Your PERFECT Learning Plan with 3 Questions🙋
High School StudentsUniversity Students+3
B12
366 sentences
The 7-Day English Plan That Finally Makes You Speak
American Accent, en-USHigh School Students+4
B11
459 sentences
How to Speak English Fluently like an American in just 1 Month (Step by step) - Part 1
High School StudentsUniversity Students+3
B11
71 sentences
3 Goals You Can Set To Help Improve Your English 🎯
High School StudentsUniversity Students+3
B1669 sentences
Easy English Podcast for English Conversation | Change Your Life in English | Learn English Fast
High School StudentsUniversity Students+3
A25,776
11 sentences
English Speaking and Listening Practice for Beginners
KidsTeens+5
B11
48 sentences
How to train your brain to speak English every. day.#LearnEnglish#SpeakEnglish#EnglishFluency
High School StudentsUniversity Students+3
B1193 sentences
If I Had to Learn English Again, This Is Exactly What I'd Do !!
University StudentsBusiness English+2
B122
18 sentences
The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Students (Part 1) ✅
American Accent, en-USHigh School Students+4
B15
277 sentences
Why Your English Isn’t Improving (10 Real Reasons & Fixes) | English On The Way
High School StudentsUniversity Students+3
B117
209 sentences
5 Easy Apps to Boost Your English Learning | Google, Microsoft, Amazon, etc.
High School StudentsUniversity Students+3
B11
30 sentences
Daily English Speaking Challenge | Planning
University StudentsBusiness English+2
Why a Study Plan Matters for English Fluency
Learning English can feel overwhelming with endless resources, but the video emphasizes a key truth: you need a plan. Think of it like driving—without a GPS, you’d get lost. A custom study plan, tailored to your goals (like career growth or fitting into a new country), keeps you focused. The first step? Asking why you’re learning. This "why" becomes your compass, guiding which skills to prioritize.
Top 5 Phrases to Boost Daily Confidence
The video is packed with practical language. Here are 5 phrases to start using today:
- "It's my goal to help you speak confidently"
- "It can be really overwhelming"
- "Be honest with yourself"
- "know your strengths and weaknesses"
- "what's the point of this? What do I do now?"
How to Shadow This Video for Better Speaking
Shadowing (repeating aloud what you hear) is a powerful way to improve pronunciation and fluency. Here’s how to tackle this video:
- Watch once to grasp the main idea. Notice how Michael speaks—his pace, pauses, and tone.
- Break it into 10-second clips. Pause, then repeat immediately. Focus on matching his rhythm. Tools like a shadowing app can help loop clips.
- Record yourself. Compare it to the video. Do your "overwhelming" and "confidently" sound similar? Adjust until they do.
- Practice daily. Even 5 minutes a day with learn english with youtube videos builds habit. This is "shadow speech" in action—training your mouth and brain to work together.
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.