Shadowing Practice: How to Manage Your Time — 4 Easy Tips for a Better Day | Easy English for Beginners - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Enjoy English Talks, where every conversation helps you learn.
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I'm Judy.
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Hello Judy.
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Hello everyone.
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I'm Jake.
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How are you today, Judy?
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I'm feeling very organized today, thank you.
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I made a little plan this morning, three things I wanted to do before the podcast, and I finished all three.
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All three?
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Before we started?
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What did you do?
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I went for my morning walk, I cleaned my kitchen, and I called my brother.
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And now I'm here.
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And you, Jake?
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I'm a little stressed today, Judy.
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I had so many things to do this morning, but I forgot half of them.
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Oh no, what happened?
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I forgot to buy dog food for Max, I forgot to send an email for work, and I was late.
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Again.
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That sounds like a difficult morning.
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Very difficult.
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I feel like I never have enough time.
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The day starts, and then suddenly it's evening, and I didn't finish anything.
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Well, Jake, that's actually our topic for today.
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Oh, really?
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What are we talking about?
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Today, we're talking about how to manage your time.
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I have four easy tips for a better day.
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Time management.
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I need that.
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I really, really need that.
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Many people do.
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You're not alone.
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I hope today helps me.
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But first, we have a small request.
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Yes.
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If you like our podcast, please click the like button.
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Please subscribe to enjoy English Talks.
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And share this episode with your friends and family.
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Thank you.
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It helps us so much.
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We love our listeners.
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Okay, now let's start.
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I'm ready.
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Please help me, Judy.
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Let me ask you something first, Jake.
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Do you ever feel like the day is too short?
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Every single day.
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I wake up, I look at my phone, I check my messages, and then, somehow, two hours are gone.
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Many people feel this way.
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I don't have enough time.
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But here's something interesting.
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Everyone has the same time.
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24 hours.
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You, me, everyone.
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That's true, but some people do so much with their day, and I do so little.
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It's not about doing more.
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It's about choosing what matters.
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That's what time management is.
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Management means organizing, controlling, so time management means organizing your time.
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Organizing my time.
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Choosing what matters.
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I like that.
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Instead of letting the day happen to you, you plan your day.
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You decide what to do and when to do it.
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I see.
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So right now, the day controls me.
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Yes, and you want to control the day.
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Think of it like this.
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You're the driver, the car is the car.
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Right now, you're sitting in the back seat and the car is driving itself.
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That's a scary picture.
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It is.
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But today, we're going to put you in the driver's seat.
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I like that.
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Let's do it.
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Where do I start?
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I have four tips for you today.
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Our first tip is called the power list.
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The power list.
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That sounds very cool.
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What's that?
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It's very simple.
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Every morning, before you start your day, write a list.
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A very short list.
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Only three things.
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The three most important things you need to do today.
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Only three things?
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But I have so many things to do.
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Maybe ten.
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Maybe more.
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I know.
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And that's the problem.
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When you have ten things on your list, your brain feels stressed.
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It thinks, this is too much.
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I can't do all of this.
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And then what happens?
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You sit on the sofa and do nothing.
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That's what I do.
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Exactly.
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But when you have only three things, your brain thinks, three things?
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That's easy.
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I can do three things.
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So you start, and you finish.
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Three things, not ten.
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Not ten.
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Three.
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Choose the most important ones.
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These are your priorities.
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Priority.
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A priority is the thing you need to do first, the most important thing.
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Priority.
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P-R-I-O-R-I-T-Y.
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The most important thing.
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Right.
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And write them on paper, not on your phone.
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On real paper.
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Writing by hand helps your brain remember.
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Hmm.
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Can I try?
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Let me think about my three things for today. Of course.
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Go ahead.
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Okay.
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Number one, buy dog food for Max.
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He looked at me this morning with very sad eyes.
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Number two, send that work email.
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My boss is waiting.
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Number three, do my laundry.
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I don't have any clean socks.
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Perfect list.
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Three things, clear and simple.
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And when you finish all three tonight, how will you feel?
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Like a champion.
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Like a superhero.
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See?
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That's the power of the list.
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It's small, it's simple, but it works.
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I do this every morning.
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Three things on a piece of paper.
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I put it on my desk, and every time I finish one, I cross it off.
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Cross it off?
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Yes.
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I draw a line through it.
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Done.
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And that feeling, Jake, crossing something off your list, it feels so good.
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I want that feeling.
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You will.
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And here's one more thing.
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If you don't finish all three, that's okay.
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Don't feel bad.
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Move the unfinished one to tomorrow's list.
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The important thing is that you started.
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So it's okay if I don't finish everything?
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Yes.
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Progress, not perfection.
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Three things is a guide, not a test.
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Progress, not perfection.
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I like that.
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The power list.
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Okay, what's the next tip?
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Now, tip number two.
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This one is called time blocks.
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Time blocks.
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What are those?
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A time block is when you give each task a specific time.
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You don't just say, I'll do it later.
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You say, I'll do it at 10 o'clock for 30 minutes.
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So I decide the exact time.
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Yes.
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Look at your power list, buy dog food.
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When will you do it?
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Maybe after lunch, around 1 o'clock.
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Good.
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At 1 o'clock, I'll go to the shop.
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20 minutes.
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That's your time block.
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1 to 1.20.
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Dog food, done.
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And my work email?
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When is a good time for that?
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In the morning, at 9.30.
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It'll take about 10 minutes.
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Perfect.
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9.30 to 9.40.
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Work email.
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Now your day has a shape.
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It's not a messy cloud of things to do.
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It's a plan.
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A plan with times, like a schedule.
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Exactly like a schedule.
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A schedule is a plan that shows when you do each thing.
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And here's the key.
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During your time block, you do only that one thing.
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Nothing else.
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Nothing else?
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No checking my phone?
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No phone, no messages, no videos.
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Just that one task for that time.
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Then you move to the next block.
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That's hard for me.
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My phone is always calling me.
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Jake, come here.
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Look at me.
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You have a new message.
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I know the feeling.
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But your phone can wait.
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Your time block can't.
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Try putting your phone in another room during your time block.
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In another room?
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That feels scary scary.
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It does at first, but after a few days, it feels amazing.
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You'll be surprised how much you can do in 30 minutes without your phone.
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I want to try that.
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Do you use time blocks, Judy?
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Every day.
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My morning walk is a time block.
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7 a.m to 7.20 a.m.
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Walk.
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No phone.
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Just walking and thinking.
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Then 7.30 to 8.
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Breakfast and reading.
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Two simple blocks and my morning feels calm, organized.
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That sounds really nice.
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Two blocks and your morning is done.
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Exactly.
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You don't need 20 blocks.
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Start with two or three.
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Keep it simple.
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Simple.
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I like simple.
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What's the next tip?
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Next up, this one is very important.
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It's called one thing at a time.
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One thing.
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But I always do many things at the same time.
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I know, many people do.
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They eat breakfast while checking email.
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They talk on the phone while cooking.
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They watch a video while studying.
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That's me.
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I do all of those things.
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Every day.
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And how does it work for you?
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Not very well.
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I burn my food, I forget what I read, and I miss things in conversations.
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That's because your brain can't do two things well at the same time.
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This is called multitasking.
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Multi means many.
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Task means a job or activity.
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Multitasking is doing many things at once.
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Multitasking.
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M-U-L-T-I-T-A-S-K-I-N-G.
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Doing many things at the same time.
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And here's the truth.
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It doesn't work.
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When you try to do two things, your brain switches between them, back and forth, back and forth, and every time it switches,
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it loses a little energy, a little focus.
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Focus.
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That means giving all your attention to one thing, right?
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Exactly.
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Focus.
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F-O-C-U-S.
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All your attention on one thing.
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And multitasking kills your focus.
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So multitasking is actually slower.
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Yes.
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It feels fast, but it's slow.
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And you make more mistakes.
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Think about it this way.
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You're reading a book.
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Your phone buzzes.
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You check it.
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You reply.
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Now you go back to your book.
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But wait, where was I?
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You lost your place.
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You read the same page again.
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That's wasted time.
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That happens to me every day.
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Every single day.
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Like yesterday.
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I was reading an article for work.
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Then I checked my messages.
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Then I saw a funny video, then I watched three more videos, and then I forgot why I picked up my phone in the first place.
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See?
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That's exactly what happens.
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You started with one thing, but your brain jumped to another, and another, and another.
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You lost your focus.
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And the article?
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I never finished it.
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Right.
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That's 30 minutes gone, and you still need to read the article later.
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So multitasking didn't save you time.
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It wasted your time.
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The better way is this.
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One thing, finish it.
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Then the next thing.
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One thing at a time.
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Finish, then next.
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Exactly.
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Like your time blocks.
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During your time block, one task.
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All your focus.
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Then move on.
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So no more cooking dinner and watching videos.
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No more cooking and watching.
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Your food will taste better.
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Okay.
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And my kitchen will be cleaner.
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Okay, one thing at a time.
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Got it.
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Good.
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And here comes our last tip.
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This one is my favorite.
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It's called use your small moments.
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Small moments?
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What do you mean?
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Think about your day.
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There are short, free moments everywhere.
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Five minutes here, ten minutes there.
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We call these pockets of time.
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A pocket of time is a small, free moment.
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Like waiting for the bus, waiting in line at the shop, sitting on the train.
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I have lots of those moments, but I usually just scroll my phone, looking at nothing important.
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Most people do.
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But those small moments are gold.
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You can use them for something real.
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Like what?
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In five minutes, you can listen to one English lesson.
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You can review ten new words on your phone.
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You can read one page of a book.
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You can write three sentences in your notebook.
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Five minutes is enough for all that?
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More than enough.
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And think about this.
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If you use three small moments every day, that's 15 minutes of extra time.
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Fifteen minutes?
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That's not bad.
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Wait, 15 minutes a day, 7 days a week, that's almost 2 hours a week.
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2 hours a week?
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From moments I usually waste?
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Yes, and in 1 month, that's 8 hours.
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In 1 year, almost 100 hours.
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100 hours?
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That's incredible!
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All from using your small moments.
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Walking max in the morning?
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Listen to English.
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Waiting for your lunch at work?
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Review your word list.
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Cooking dinner?
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Well, after you stop multitasking, use the waiting time to listen to a podcast.
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I already listen to English when I walk max, five minutes every morning.
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See?
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You're already doing it.
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You just need to notice more small moments and use them.
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They're everywhere, between meetings at work, before bed, while your food is cooking.
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While my food is cooking?
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That's a good one.
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I always just stand there and stare at the pan.
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Now you can listen and learn instead.
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And here's the beautiful thing.
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These small moments don't feel like work.
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Five minutes doesn't feel hard.
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It feels easy.
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And easy things are things you keep doing.
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Because they're too small to say no to.
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Exactly.
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Too small to say no to, but big enough to change your life.
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Small moments, big results.
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That's a beautiful way to say it, Jake.
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Um, you know, Judy, I always thought time management was about big, complicated plans.
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But these tips are so simple.
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The best things are simple.
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A short list, specific times, one task at a time, and using your free moments.
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That's it.
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No big plan needed.
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I feel better already.
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Like my day is more organized just by talking about this.
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That's because now you have a plan.
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And a plan gives you control.
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Control.
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I like that word.
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Time management gives me control.
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Okay, let's review.
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Yes, let's see what we learned.
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Today, we talked about how to manage your time.
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Yes, we learned four tips.
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The power list, write three important things every morning.
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Good, and time blocks.
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Give each task a specific time.
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One thing at a time.
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Don't multitask, just focus.
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And use your small moments.
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Those five-minute pockets of time are gold.
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I remembered all four.
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Perfect.
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You remembered everything.
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I learned a lot today.
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And I think our listeners learned a lot, too.
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This was great, Judy.
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Well, that's all the time we have for today.
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Thank you so much for listening to Enjoy English Talks.
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Yes, thank you, everyone.
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It was fun.
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Please subscribe to Enjoy English Talks.
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Give this episode a like.
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And share it with a friend.
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Now, we have a question for you today.
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Yes, please leave a comment below.
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Tell us, how do you organize your day?
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Do you make a list or follow a schedule?
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Write it in English.
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We would love to read your answers.
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See you next time.
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Bye everyone, keep practicing your English.
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Who Will Benefit from This Video?
This video is perfect for beginner English learners looking to boost their speaking skills while picking up practical life advice. If you struggle with daily conversations or want to practice real-world dialogue, it’s a great fit. It also works for those prepping for IELTS speaking practice, as it focuses on natural, conversational flow—key for exam success. The simple, relatable topic of time management makes it easy to follow, even if you’re new to the language.
Useful Words & Phrases to Add to Your Vocabulary
- Stressed: Feeling worried or overwhelmed (e.g., "I’m a little stressed today").
- Time management: The skill of organizing your time well (e.g., "I need better time management").
- Organized: Planned and in order (e.g., "I’m feeling very organized today").
- "The day is too short": A common way to say there’s not enough time to do everything.
These phrases are easy to use in daily chats and will make your English sound more natural—great for english speaking practice.
Tips for Nailing the Pronunciation
The speakers in the video use clear, slow English, making it ideal for shadowing practice. Here’s how to get the accent right: - Focus on the rising intonation in questions (e.g., "How are you today, Judy?"). - Notice how "I’m" and "I’ve" are shortened—this is common in casual speech. - Practice repeating phrases like "I forgot half of them" to match the natural rhythm. For extra practice, use a shadowing site to record yourself and compare it to the video. Tools like shadow speech or shadowspeaks can help you refine your pronunciation and fluency, turning this dialogue into a powerful learning tool.
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.