Shadowing Practice: Improve Your English Pronunciation with the Shadowing Method - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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They say that shadowing improves your English accent.
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They say that shadowing improves your English accent.
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But how?
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If you want clearer pronunciation and a more natural accent,
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then today I'm going to show you how to shadow in a way that no one else is teaching.
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And since I'm at my lovely home,
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come inside with me and let's shadow.
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Shadowing is when you listen to someone speaking and you repeat what they say as closely as possible.
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This is one of the best and quickest ways to improve your English speaking.
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So as you first watch this video,
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I'm gonna show you vocabulary around my house and I want you to first listen.
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Pay attention to my pronunciation,
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my tone of voice, and even my body language.
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Then I'm going to repeat a second time
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and I'll show you a close-up shot of my mouth so that you can see the shape of my mouth,
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the shape of my jaw,
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my lips, my tongue, to make shadowing as easy as possible for you.
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Ready?
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Let's go.
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This is a bookshelf.
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It's made up of many shelves.
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There are books on the shelves.
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I brought these books from my hometown York back in England.
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Now let's shadow what I just said.
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This is a bookshelf.
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It's made up of many shelves.
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There are books on the shelves.
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I brought these books from my hometown York.
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Back in England.
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Good.
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Remember to pay attention to shelf and shelves.
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Again, shelf and shelves.
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Good.
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This is a rug.
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I'm sitting on the rug and holding a mug.
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We bought this rug and this mug about five months ago
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when we moved in to our new home and they add a a pop of colour to the house.
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They make it feel more creative.
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We bought this rug and this mug about five months ago when we moved into our home.
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They add a pop of colour to the house.
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And they make it feel more creative.
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Guys, remember to pay attention to rug and mug.
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Can you say them fast?
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A bug on a rug found a mug on a rug,
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and the bug and the mug on the rug had a hug.
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If you can say that, you're a legend.
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That is the ceiling.
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Our ceiling is quite high.
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Actually, I like that about our house.
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It makes it feel spacious.
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Up here you can see a glass roof,
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and we call that a roof light.
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The roof light lets in the sunlight,
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which keeps our plants happy.
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Do you know what else keeps our plants happy?
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A good drink.
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I love this.
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This is our tap and it also serves as a plant waterer, a hose pipe.
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It's raining inside.
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That's enough water for you Mr. Cheeseplant.
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Time to shadow.
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That is the ceiling.
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Our ceiling is quite high.
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Actually, I like that about this house.
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It makes it feel spacious.
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Up here, you can see a glass roof.
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And we call that a roof light.
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It lets in the sunlight,
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which keeps our plants happy.
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Now, two words to pay attention to here.
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Ceiling and roof.
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Good.
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Quick notes, a ceiling is on the inside of the house and a roof is on the outside of a house.
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This is a kettle.
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I just boiled the kettle.
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This kettle has a black handle and it's made of glass, plastic and metal.
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A very British way to say boil the kettle is to pop the kettle on.
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I just popped the kettle on.
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This is a kettle.
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I just boiled the kettle.
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This kettle has a black handle,
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and it's made of glass, plastic and metal.
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A very British way to say boil the kettle is to pop the kettle on.
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I just popped the kettle on.
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Now, something to notice when you are listening to English speakers.
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They drop the T.
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So, I would say kettle.
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Kettle.
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Instead of kettle.
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This is just for your listening.
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I would encourage you to say kettle.
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That's the proper way.
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Another one to notice is it's made of becomes it's made of.
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It's made of.
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This mug, it's made of ceramic.
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What are you doing in my microwave?
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Get out of here.
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This is a microwave, and I use it to heat up my food.
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In the UK, a lot of people eat microwave meals,
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because they're cheap and convenient.
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This is the microwave.
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I use it to heat up my food.
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In the UK, a lot of people eat microwave meals.
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Because they're cheap and convenient.
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Okay, with this one, we're going to practice word stress.
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Not that stress.
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Microwave.
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Microwave.
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Good.
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Next one.
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Convenient.
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Convenient.
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Convenient.
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Again, convenient.
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Together, it's convenient to cook food in a microwave.
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Good.
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You are a star.
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This is a canvas, and the canvas is hanging on the wall.
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On the canvas, there is a painting of a dog.
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She's wearing yellow sunglasses, a pink headscarf,
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and she looks very chic.
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There is a chick on her shoulder.
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Chang painted this with acrylic paints.
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This is a canvas.
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The canvas is hanging on the wall.
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On the canvas, there's a painting of a dog.
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She's wearing yellow sunglasses and a pink headscarf.
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She looks chic.
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There is a chick on her shoulder.
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Chang painted this with acrylic paints.
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Good job.
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For this one, there were two similar words.
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Chic and chick.
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Can you hear the difference?
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Chic and chick.
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One more time.
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Sh- Chic.
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And it means cool, groovy.
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And then chick.
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Chick.
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Which is a baby chicken.
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Try this one.
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She's a chic chick.
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She's a chic chick.
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Can you say it fast?
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She's a chic chick.
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If you like this video and you want to practice shadowing further,
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I just released a shadowing tool on SproutLanguage.com.
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Let me show you.
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So first I'm gonna go to settings and choose the speed for J.I.
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I'll choose slower.
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I'll click shadowing and type in home.
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When I'm talking with J.I.
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I can click this button here to reveal the text.
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I can click the turtle button to make him speak more slowly.
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And now I can select any language to translate the text.
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My home is a lovely place.
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My home is a lovely place.
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Two thousand years later.
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Yep, alright.
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See you later.
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What a guy.
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If you want to practise with J.I.,
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you can download the Sprout app on your phone and start practising today from your sofa,
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from the comfort of your own home.
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Thank you guys.
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I hope you found this video useful and I'll see you in the next one.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice your English pronunciation through the shadowing method. Shadowing involves listening to a speaker and repeating their words as closely as possible, mimicking their pronunciation, tone, and body language. This technique is designed to improve your shadow speech, making your accent clearer and more natural. By focusing on specific vocabulary from the transcript, you will enhance your speaking abilities while learning new words and phrases related to everyday situations. Prepare to engage with the content and elevate your English proficiency!

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Bookshelf - A piece of furniture with shelves for storing books.
  • Rug - A small piece of thick textile fabric used to cover a portion of a floor.
  • Mug - A large cup, typically used for drinking hot beverages.
  • Ceiling - The upper interior surface of a room.
  • Spacious - Having ample space; roomy.
  • Pop of colour - A bright or noticeable color that enhances the overall look.
  • Hometown - The town where one was born or grew up.
  • Shadow speak - The act of mimicking a speaker's words to improve pronunciation.

Practice Tips

To effectively use shadowing to improve your English skills, follow these specific tips tailored to the video's speed and tone. Begin by watching the video without trying to repeat what is said. Focus on the pronunciation and intonation of the speaker. Once you are comfortable with the vocabulary, you can start your shadowing practice:

  • Use a shadowing app to help control the speed of the playback. This feature can be especially helpful if you find the speaker's pace too fast.
  • Practice repeating phrases after hearing them once; then listen again and refine your pronunciation. Pay attention to challenging words like "shelf" and "shelves," ensuring you articulate them clearly.
  • Record yourself while you practice learn English with YouTube. This will help you compare your pronunciation with the original speaker's. By doing this, you can identify areas that need improvement.
  • Focus on body language and facial expressions as you shadow. Engaging with the speaker's gestures will enhance your understanding and mimicry.
  • Repeat difficult phrases multiple times until they feel natural. For example, the tongue twister about the rug, mug, and bug is a fun and challenging exercise that can improve your fluency.

Utilizing these tips and techniques will significantly enhance your shadowing practice, making it easier for you to master English pronunciation and gain confidence in your speaking abilities!

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.

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