Shadowing Practice: Improve your English conversation skills | 6 communication & small talk tips (with examples!) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hello lovely students and welcome back to English with Lucy.
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Today's lesson is all about how to master the art of English conversation.
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It can feel extremely awkward to start conversations in social situations where you don't know anyone
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and it can feel even worse when it's not your mother tongue or your first language.
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To help you out I'm going to give you some of the best conversation starters
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that I use so you can feel confident
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and talk to anyone in any situation important
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if you really want to take the subject seriously don't miss out on the free pdf
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that i've created for today it covers all of the conversation starters
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and explanations plus some other tips that i think you'll find really useful
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if you'd like to download
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that just click on the link in the description box you
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sign up to my mailing list by entering your name
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and your email address this pdf will arrive directly in your inbox
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and then automatically after that you will receive my free weekly PDFs alongside my news, course updates and offers.
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It's a free service and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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So let's start with our first topic, keep it simple.
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If you're someone who typically feels uncomfortable making small talk, feel free to keep things simple.
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You don't need to come up with any out of the box questions, just be yourself.
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A great way to kick off any conversation is with a sincere greeting and introduction.
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For example, Hi, I'm Lucy.
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It's a pleasure to meet you.
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It's simple but effective and it's great for social events where you don't know many people.
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At work you could say, hello, I'm Lucy.
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I just started in the marketing department.
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I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself.
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This is great for when you've started a new position and don't know many of your colleagues yet.
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It shows that you have a genuine interest in meeting the people you might be working with.
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There are many simple questions you could ask to get a
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conversation going after you've introduced yourself like what do you do
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for work have you read any good books lately what have
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you been up to today what's the last show you binged
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you consumed quickly all at once do you have any travel
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plans coming up now obviously it's important to be aware of
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the situation don't just randomly throw out these questions read the room
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and make sure you're listening to what other people are saying so that you can ask appropriate at the right time.
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Next point.
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If you're ready to branch out from some of the more simple conversation starters,
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one of the best things that you can do to instantly strike up conversation is to give a genuine compliment.
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Compliments help make a person feel appreciated and seen, and they are great for instantly making a good impression and building rapport.
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And it doesn't need to be some over the top compliment
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or one that has the potential to make the other person feel awkward.
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Just give a genuine compliment and flash a bright, cheerful smile, not a crazy one.
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The beauty of this technique is that it works in basically any scenario, whether you're at a party or in a job interview.
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At a party or another social gathering, you could say something like, I love how you've decorated your house, it feels so cozy.
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Or, I'm obsessed with your earrings.
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Or, wow, your shoes are gorgeous, where'd you get them?
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Asking a question at the end helps to keep the conversation flowing.
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At the office, you could say something along the lines of, Your work always shows so much attention to detail,
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how do you do it? or that was a really great question you brought up in the meeting today.
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If you're at a conference or a networking event, you could say, you have an excellent way with words.
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It was a pleasure to hear you speak.
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Practice giving heartfelt compliments and see how many new friends you instantly make.
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Next point, when in doubt, talk about food.
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This one might seem odd, but if you have doubts about what to say in a social setting, just talk about food or drinks.
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Think about it.
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Everyone has to eat or drink.
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And so it's something common that we all share
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and the beauty of this topic is
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that it works in nearly all situations at a party where did you get
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that drink it looks amazing or you have to try the spinach dip it's delicious
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definitely my favorite so far
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or have you tried any of the appetizers any recommendations i tend to hold pretty strong opinions about food so
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if someone were to ask me some of these we would
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talk all night now let's say you're in a more professional setting you could ask something like
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do you have a go-to spot to grab a coffee around here?
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Or, hi, I'm Lucy, today's my first day, and I was wondering if you have any recommendations of where to get a quick bite to eat.
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Just then I introduced myself and brought up food, the perfect conversation starter.
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Now you could even use this food idea on a first date.
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If there's a bit of a dull moment during the conversation, you could say something like, so I'm a bit of a foodie.
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How about you?
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Do you have a favourite type of cuisine or any must try restaurants in town.
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I know, I asked quite a few questions, but one of them is sure to get the conversation flowing again.
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I also shared a little piece of personal information about myself there, which brings us to our next topic.
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Make it personal.
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If you want to connect with people, you need to speak from a place of authenticity.
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And you can do this by sharing something interesting about yourself, like telling a little anecdote or even cracking a few jokes, maybe a few self-deprecating ones.
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A Brit's favourite weapon.
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If you're interested in British humour, I made a video all about it, and I've linked it down below.
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Yikes, I can't believe how underdressed I am for this event.
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A comment like this can break the ice, show you're quite humble, but you don't necessarily have to go down that route.
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Anecdotes are also great, and these are personal stories or experiences
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that can add depth and relatability to a conversation and bonus points if they're funny.
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Here are some examples of some types of anecdotes you could share.
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Speaking of hiking, I went hiking near here last weekend and the views were incredible.
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Where do you usually go?
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Or you mentioned you tried making Gordon Ramsay's scrambled eggs.
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Me too, and they came out terribly, but I'm eager to try them again.
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Do you have any tips?
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Notice that I'm providing some personal insight, but I'm also asking questions, showing my conversation partner that I'm actively listening to what they're saying.
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You should also try to find common ground.
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What shared interests do you have?
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Do you work in the same field?
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One of the easiest ways to start a meaningful conversation is to talk about things you have in common, like in the office,
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heard you've just been to costa rica i actually lived there for five years how was it
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or on a plane
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if they want to talk i see you're reading hemingway he's
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my favorite author have you read any of his other books
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or a work event what programs do you recommend for continuing education in software engineering these questions are quite specific
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and require strong observational skills but with practice you'll be having conversations everywhere and that brings us to our next topic
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Asking questions.
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If you haven't been able to tell by now, asking questions is quite important.
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By asking questions, you show the speaker that you're genuinely interested in what they're saying.
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It's important to ask open questions that can't be answered with a yes or a no, so that you can then ask follow up questions.
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This will ensure that you have a natural, flowing conversation.
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Here are some different questions for various scenarios.
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For example, at work, what are you working on right now?
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Anything exciting?
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Or what are your plans for for this weekend?
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What's the best part of your job?
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How has AI been impacting your job?
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Dating?
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What helps you relax after a long day?
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What do you do for fun?
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What's your biggest pet peeve?
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What's the craziest thing you've ever done?
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In networking or business conferences, which presentations have you enjoyed so far?
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Why did you sign up for this conference?
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If you had to give a talk here, what would your topic be?
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What other workshops have you attended?
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Any you recommend?
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All of these questions help you come off as being interested in the person you're conversing with, and they have the potential to spark some interesting conversations.
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And this brings me to my last tip of the day, sit back and listen.
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This doesn't require much talking at all.
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One of the biggest misconceptions about conversing is that you need to do all the talking and that's not entirely true.
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In fact, if you go on and on and on, you might end up seeming self-absorbed.
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I've experienced lots of conversations like this at networking events.
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Starting a conversation with a stranger isn't always easy and I understand your worries about
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stumbling over words or dealing with those cringe-worthy, awkward silences, but here's a neat trick to ease the pressure.
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Shift your focus to the other person.
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After breaking the ice, it's all about asking follow-up questions throughout the conversation.
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Trust me, this can lead to more engaging discussions than if you spent the whole time talking about yourself.
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Show genuine interest and curiosity in the other person, make them feel interesting.
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You can ask some of the questions I previously shared with you
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but the key is to listen to the speaker
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so these simple skills can work wonders
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and soon enough you'll be making meaningful connections with people
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and the more you practice the better you'll get at it
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give it a shot put yourself in some uncomfortable situations
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and who knows you might make some great new friends along
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the way i've met some of my best friends by pushing myself out of my comfort zone right
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that brings us to the end of today's lesson don't forget to download the free PDF.
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The link is in the description box.
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We've got all of the tips plus some extra information I think you'll find really useful.
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If you want to take an English course with me, we have our 12 week B1,
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B2 and C1 beautiful British English programmes.
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I'm extremely biased, but they are truly wonderful.
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If you'd like to learn more, visit EnglishwithLucy.com and I'll see you in my next lesson.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 149 sentences and 1852 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:37. The speaker talks fast, about 192 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 86% 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 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- topic /ˈtɑpɪk/ (noun) — A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest.
- compliment /ˈkɑmpləmənt/ (noun) — An expression of praise, congratulation, or respect.
- genuine /ˈd͡ʒɛn.juˌɪn/ (adjective) — Belonging to, or proceeding from the original stock; native.
- starter /ˈstɑɹ.tɚ/ (noun) — Someone who starts, or who starts something.
- lesson /ˈlɛs.ən/ (noun) — A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided.
- introduce /ˌɪntɹəˈdus/ (verb) — To cause (someone) to be acquainted (with someone else).
- awkward /ˈɔk.wɚd/ (adjective) — Lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments.
- instantly /ˈɪnstəntli/ (adverb) — At once; without delay.
- skill /skɪl/ (noun) — A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.
- scenario /sɪˈnɛəɹioʊ/ (noun) — An outline or model of an expected or supposed sequence of events.
- uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/ (adjective) — Not comfortable; causing discomfort.
- meaningful /ˈmiː.nɪŋ.fl̩/ (adjective) — Having meaning, significant.
- recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/ (noun) — An act of recommending.
- hike /haɪk/ (noun) — A long walk, usually for pleasure or exercise.
- necessarily /ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/ (adverb) — Inevitably; of necessity.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- talk about (verb) — Used to draw attention to the speaker's characterization of someone or something.
- work in (verb) — To find time or space for, amid other things.
- follow up (verb) — To take further actions remaining after an event; to continue, revisit, or persist; especially, to maintain communication or verify.
- bring up (verb) — To mention.
- come off (verb) — To become detached.
- come out /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ (verb) — To be discovered; to be revealed.
- come up (verb) — To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly.
- come up with (verb) — To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 58 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: worthy /ˈwɝ.ði/, gather /ˈɡæðɚ/, authenticity /ɑθɛnˈtɪsɪti/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/, flash /flæʃ/, explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/, impression /ɪmˈpɹɛʃn̩/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/
- Long words — get the stress right: uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/, necessarily /ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/, explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/, genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/
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 topic, compliment, genuine.
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.