Shadowing Practice: Improve your English with this study PLAN: Elementary to Intermediate (Marina Mogilko) - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Hey guys, welcome to Lingua Marina.

In this video, I would love to go through a step-by-step plan on how

you can go from A to level of English to B to level of English.

And there is actually a huge gap between these two levels.

And in this video, we are going to try to assess your current level of English.

Of course, in order to make a formal assessment, you should take a language test. But

for the purpose of this video I want you to be able to see where you are right now

and I will give you a step-by-step plan on how to improve and become B2.

Quick background on me I was born

and raised in Russia spent 25 years in Russia then moved

to the US English is my second language German is my

third language Italian is my fourth language I speak German I

think right now it's a B1 B2 level it used to be c1

because i used to study in dresden i was there for a semester studying mathematics

and i also learned italian for two years i think i

stopped at a two level it was something like a hobby

but the thing is i've gone through the process of learning a language three times in my life

when it comes to a foreign language and four times in my life

when it comes to learning a language in general

so let's start watch this video up to the very end

because i will give you the whole schedule

that you can implement starting today

so first of all let's look at the six levels of

english language proficiency they are called a1 a2 b1 b2 c1 c2 a1 meaning starter beginner c2 meaning proficient master

and basically a1

and a2 are your basic levels c1 c2 are your proficient

levels this is according to cefr common european framework of reference

so in the u.s system we're actually talking about going from level two to level four

and they have names here so level two is a high beginner

and level four is high intermediate and of course

when we're talking about your level of english we're talking about

four aspects of the language we're talking about reading writing listening

and speaking now let's dive deeper into these two levels i'm gonna divide

my screen here so here you're a2 here b2

so at this level you know from 1500 words to 2000 words

if you want to go to b2 you need to know 3000 to 4000 words now

when it comes to listening at a2 level you're able to

understand people talking about family work i have a family of

four i have two kids emily is four lily is two

my main job is a youtube influencer i also run a company

that helps people learn languages it's called lingua trip we have amazing teachers there b2 personal

and professional conversations i've recently attended an ai conference where i

met a prominent investor his name is vinod kosla he is a co-founder of sign microsystems

and his prediction is that ai is going to replace most teachers

and doctors by 2028 and when he said

that i was kind of freaking out

so this is your example of a personal professional conversation

and you're also able to understand movies here how are you

doing with movies guys let me know down in the comments below by the way movies no subs no subtitles

if they are about everyday things right i'm not talking about

a documentary about nuclear weapons i'm talking about a day-to-day movie

so you should be good here but nuclear weapons

if it's on netflix maybe you're able to understand

that as well depending on how hard it is how are

we doing comment down below where you feel you are right now

and we're gonna continue this is not it

so we talked about vocabulary we talked about your listening skills

if you're a2 you're able to understand texts and simple letters

And a great example would be a bus schedule or a train schedule.

Here at B2, you're able to read newspapers and you're able to understand and read technical words.

Now here, when it comes to writing, you can write quick messages, postcards, happy birthday.

And you're also able to take notes in English.

Here, you're able to handle all kinds of writing even business

messages hello the investor here's an update on how our startup is doing we've been growing 20 month over month

and looking at an annual revenue of 10 million dollars we are about to raise our series b

and we have some prominent vc firms interested in the round

but we decided that we will let you know that we have some availability before we close the round.

This is something I would say B2C1 type of a business email if you are interested in Silicon Valley type of business,

VCs, etc. Now, when it comes to speaking, here we have simple conversations, talk about friends, and most importantly, give compliments.

It's my favorite way to practice English.

You just walk in the street in an English-speaking country, you say, nice jacket.

Oh my God, where'd you get your shoes?

Oh, I love your sweater.

Where'd you get it?

Very American.

Now, B2.

Conversations with native speakers and, very important, debates.

You can argue in English.

You can negotiate in English.

You can support your point of view in English.

When I was back in Russia, I took part in different, it was called Olympiads back then, but basically competing with others in how good our English was,

They would always ask us to participate in debates.

Now, when it comes to grammar, here, you know, adjectives and their comparative degrees.

Good, better, the best.

Bad, worse, the worst.

You know, tenses like past continuous or past progressive, you know, phrasal verbs.

You know how to use modal verbs like must, can, could, should, have to.

when I mention this doesn't mean that

if you take a test you make no mistakes the thing

is at a2 level you don't have to know all the phrasal verbs

but you have to have some foundation because you definitely start learning them

when you're at this level present perfect adverbs of frequency

frequently rarely etc and some other things and even zero

and first conditional are parts of a2 level zero inverse conditional

now of course at b2 you know lots of grammar future

perfect continuous piece of cake future perfect you got it mixed

conditionals you know them mixed conditionals all tenses you're using phrases like

if only i knew this wish you were here like all

of these grammatical structures are part of this level b2 now you're probably asking marina

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so where's my study plan how do i get from a1 to b2

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while watching this video you probably noticed

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that some areas of language seem harder for you for example

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when i was mentioning all of those mixed conditionals you're like ah yeah maybe you had a feeling

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that you don't even know everything that you're supposed to know

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when you're a2 and this is where you should pay some extra attention

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and this is where if i were you i would start the learning journey

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because when you're just starting out you have a lot of motivation

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and you have all the energy to tackle the hardest things i'll tell you a story

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when i was learning german my level was a2 i went

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to germany stayed with a local family spoke german every single day

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and of course my speaking skills became much better but

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that also meant that i had to pay special attention to my grammar

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because yes i was speaking german but my grammar just wasn't there

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so when you start your learning journey start with the hardest thing

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and don't let your ego pull you away from that trajectory

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because sometimes your ego tells you oh but my language is sounds

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so good uh let me just forget about grammar like who needs grammar

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if I can speak the language because I made the same mistake

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and then it was really hard for me to catch up so learn from my mistakes.

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Step number two, find the time when you're the most productive.

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Like for me that would be morning time.

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When I wake up if I had a good night's sleep

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that is not always the case because my daughter Lily is two years old and sometimes she wakes up at night.

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So for example last night I didn't have enough sleep but that's fine.

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But I know that morning is the best time for me because then I have lunch and then my energy goes down. And

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if I need to accomplish a more complicated task the ideal

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time for me is in the morning what really works for

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me is blocking off a slot in my calendar like 10

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a.m to 11 a.m marina is you know learning german learning

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italian whatever then after you blocked the slot in your calendar you know

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that every day you have like 20 minutes to learn english maybe an hour you pick your english learning style Of course,

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I feel like the most convenient thing to do is to find a tutor who you like and learn with them.

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Two problems here are sometimes they're expensive and number two

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that doesn't allow you to be flexible and if you have a baby like you just can't plan anything.

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Things happen all the time.

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So the second option is to take an English language course.

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For example, my company specializes in creating courses for English language learners.

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We have

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amazing teachers who are native speakers working for a company

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and we create these courses all together

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and we have a course called from elementary to intermediate where

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every lesson is not a 60-minute class it's a pre-recorded video

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and it lasts from 10 to maybe 20 to 25 minutes

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which means that for example

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if on Tuesdays you only have 20 minutes to learn English you can find a suitable lesson for

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that day if there are some days

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when you have more time We have additional tests that you can take to practice where you've just learned.

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We have some tips on how you can work on your accent.

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We have some practice tasks.

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And of course, we cover all aspects of the language that you need to improve in order to become B2.

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And I have recorded several motivational classes for that course that will help you boost your energy and motivation to learn English.

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So if that's your case, if you want to take an online course to help you become intermediate in English, please feel free to click the link down below and join our course.

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I would love to see you there.

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Now the next way to learn English is to go to a language school, either in a country where the language is spoken or in your own country.

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And the fourth method is solo learning when you have your textbooks, when you have your apps,

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etc. So it really depends on what makes you the most productive and what helps you the most.

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Now the final step here is your study plan.

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And this is what we're going to work on right now.

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So what needs to be included in your study plan vocabulary

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aim for five to seven new words a day not more

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because otherwise it wouldn't work study topics like family

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and relationships appearance work music education transport houses environment travel sport holidays

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and with every extra step

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that you take in your language try to pay this extra attention to how native speakers pronounce certain words

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and of course construct sentences with a new vocabulary.

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Try to learn idioms.

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Try to watch more movies and read more books.

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Now, number two, your listening skills.

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Listen to English every day.

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It could be a podcast.

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It could be an audio book.

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Then summarize what you've just heard.

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Try to tell a story to your imaginary friend about what you just heard.

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Try to take notes.

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Practice your note-taking skills.

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You will need them in case you decide to take a test or study at an American or a British university.

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Break down song lyrics from your favorite music artists.

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And of course, watch English videos, YouTube, Netflix.

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Start with subtitles and then try without them and see what happens.

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Here are some ideas on what to watch for intermediate level.

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Dead to me, Emily in Paris, Stranger Things, The Hunger Games, The Little Things, This Is Us, Seoul.

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Now three, reading.

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Read regularly.

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I'm going to recommend some books in a moment.

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Focus on comprehension.

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Try to understand the main idea.

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And gradually increase difficulty of what you're reading.

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And also friendly advice, just don't push yourself.

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If a book that you've selected is complicated and you're not enjoying it, you need to look up every single word, like every third word.

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Stop right there.

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Try something else.

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Try another book that is easier.

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everything has to be enjoyable you can learn just by constantly pushing yourself yes

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that works from time to time but not all the time

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so i'd say 10 to 20 percent in general in our

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life 10 to 20 percent of the time we're pushing ourselves 80 we should enjoy ourselves so if

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that is not the formula for your life maybe ask yourself

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some questions am i doing the right thing why am i

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not enjoying my day-to-day okay sometimes you are at this stage

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of your life where you kind of have to push through like your university

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or school and then you push through and then you decide whatever you want to do

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um but yeah you have to be enjoying whatever you're doing books for the intermediate level

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the perks of being a wallflower the book thief the girl with all the gifts about a boy

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and there are a lot more just go to a bookstore

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and see whatever catches your attention try the subtle Art of Not Giving a F-U Word by Mark Manson, one of my favorite books in the world.

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Tim Ferriss, The 4-Hour Workweek.

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I love that one.

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They're kind of basic, so try.

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I feel like you're gonna understand them.

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Now, of course, work on your writing.

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I know ChatGPT can write anything for you these days, but still work on your writing because you have to write your prompts for ChatGPT,

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right ideally get feedback so if you're writing something ask chat gpt

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if the text is correct if there are any grammar mistakes and practice different styles of writing like essays journaling

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taking notes writing a story etc five of course speaking these

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days you can speak to apps i used to talk to myself you can speak with apps

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and they can give you feedback and of course focus on Grammar.

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Key topics that you need to study.

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Different ways to talk about the future.

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Conditionals.

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Our favorite topic, of course.

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The I wish if only used two constructions.

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Passive voice.

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And focus on one grammar topic at a time.

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And of course, the more resources you can get access to, the better.

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We are working on an app for you, so hopefully I will be able to present something in one of my upcoming videos.

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We're still testing it, better testing on smaller groups of our students, but this is something super exciting, and of course it's going to have AI components in it.

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Now in your final step five is practice, practice, practice.

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I'm going to write it three times because it's very important.

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Anything you can do.

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Switch your computer and phone settings to English.

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Select a few days during the week when you consume content only in English.

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Try to talk to your kids in English.

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So that's it.

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Thank you so much for watching this video up to the very end.

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Here's the step-by-step plan on how you can improve.

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Of course, I just covered the basics.

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There are more aspects to becoming intermediate.

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But if you take a comprehensive course, if you learn with a tutor, then of course you're going to cover everything that you need.

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And I'm wishing you the best of luck with your language.

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And hopefully my channel is helpful and motivates you on this journey.

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Thank you so much and I'll see you very soon in my next videos.

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Bye!

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Improve your English with this study PLAN: Elementary to Intermediate”. This video has 242 sentences and 2791 words to shadow. The speech runs for 16:17. The speaker talks at a natural 171 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 85% 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

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
grammar noun	/ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/	A system of rules and principles for the structure of a language, or of languages in general.
conditional noun	/kənˈdɪʃ.ə.nəl/	A conditional sentence; a statement that depends on a condition being true or false.
intermediate adjective	/ɪn.tə(ɹ)ˈmi.di.ət/	Being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range.
verb noun	/vɝb/	A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being.
vocabulary noun	/vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/	A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning.
marina noun	/məˈɹinə/	A harbour for small boats.
lingua noun	/ˈlɪŋ.ɡwə/	Synonym of tongue.
phrasal adjective	/ˈfɹeɪzəl/	Relating to, or used in the manner of, a phrase.
proficient adjective	/pɹoʊˈfɪʃ.ənt/	Good at something; skilled; fluent; practiced, especially in relation to a task or skill.
subtitle noun	/ˈsʌbtaɪtəl/	A heading below or after a title.
beginner noun	/bəˈɡɪnɚ/	Someone who is just starting at something, or has only recently started.
tutor noun	/ˈtjuːtəː/	One who teaches another (usually called a student, learner, or tutee) in a one-on-one or small-group interaction.
tense noun	/tɛns/	The property of indicating the point in time at which an action or state of being occurs or exists.
investor noun	/ɪnˈvɛs.tə(ɹ)/	A person who invests money in order to make a profit.
slot noun	/slɑt/	A narrow depression, perforation, or aperture; especially, one for the reception of a piece fitting or sliding into it.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
go through verb		To travel from one end of something to the other.
push through verb		To force (legislation or a plan) to be passed or agreed to or a decision to be reached.
break down verb		To stop functioning.
catch up verb		To pick up suddenly.
go down verb		To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one.
look up verb	/ˌlʊk ˈʌp/	To have better prospects.
start out verb		To emerge suddenly; to jump out.
wake up verb	/ˌweɪk ˈʌp/	To stop sleeping; to awake.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

Where'd you get it?
Then summarize what you've just heard.
I'm going to recommend some books in a moment.
I feel like you're gonna understand them.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
“Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true	used to be · used to study · used to talk
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	i've gone · you've just learned · have recorded
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	was born · are called · was called

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 64 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, we're, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: thief /ˈθiːf/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: conditional /kənˈdɪʃ.ə.nəl/, proficient /pɹoʊˈfɪʃ.ənt/, proficiency /pɹəˈfɪʃənsi/, specialize /ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪz/, comprehension /ˌkɑmpɹɪˈhɛnʃn̩/
Long words — get the stress right: conditional /kənˈdɪʃ.ə.nəl/, intermediate /ɪn.tə(ɹ)ˈmi.di.ət/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, grammatical /ɡɹəˈmæt.ɪ.kəl/, influencer /ˈɪnflu.ənsə(ɹ)/

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 grammar, conditional, intermediate.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: Improve your English with this study PLAN: Elementary to Intermediate (Marina Mogilko) - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?