Shadowing Practice: Introducing yourself - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hi.
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You must be John's cousin Matt, right?
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From San Diego?
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Correct!
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I just got in last night.
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I'm Todd, John's roommate from Tech.
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Glad to meet you.
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I can assure you that I'm not anything like what John has told you.
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I'm happy to meet you too.
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And yes, I have heard about you.
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Football player and party animal extraordinaire.
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Football, yes.
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And as a matter of fact, I do like parties.
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But tell me more about yourself and what you do in San Diego.
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Well, I'm more of a surfer than a football player.
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You know, San Diego has a fantastic coast, and we can surf all day and then party on the beach at night.
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That sounds awesome!
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How long are you staying?
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Well, I'll be here for two weeks.
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John has promised me a non-stop schedule.
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Kind of a mix of sightseeing, meeting his friends, checking out the local scene, and Hopefully camping in the mountains for a couple of days.
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John's a good guy, and you can be sure he knows the local scene.
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He knows everybody in town.
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I'm sure he'll show you a good time.
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And his friends are here to help.
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Thanks so much.
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I really appreciate that.
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I'm still a bit jet-lagged at the moment, but should be in good shape by tomorrow.
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I'm looking forward to hearing what John has in store for me.
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Don't worry.
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We'll all take good care of you.
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And don't be surprised if we show up on your doorstep in San Diego one day, ready for surfing.
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Thank you.

About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "Introducing yourself" using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.

Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.

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 →