Shadowing Practice: Learn 15 Common English Idioms (With Examples) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hey guys, welcome to Lingua Marina.
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Hey guys, welcome to Lingua Marina.
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Today we're gonna learn advanced phrases that would help you sound like a native speaker.
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A lot of native speakers use idioms all the time.
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What is an idiom?
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An idiom is a phrase or a couple words that you cannot just translate verbatim to understand what they mean.
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So example number one in this class is an idiom.
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Hit the books.
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What does that mean?
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If we try to kind of translate and explain it by just translating every single word in this hit the books,
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I would say, you know,
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I will take books and start hitting my table with them.
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What does that mean?
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You're going to hit the books and pass it.
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In reality, we can't just do that to an idiom.
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With an idiom, we have to understand what it means without translating every single word.
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So, hit the books means to study hard.
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For example, if your friend is asking you whether you want to go out tonight,
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you can say, no, I got to hit the books.
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I got to stay home.
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This is an idiom that means study hard.
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Tomorrow I buckle down and hit the books.
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So in this class we're gonna go through 14 more idioms that you can use in your life.
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Those idioms are also used by native speakers very often
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and it's really important to know them in order to understand what's going on when you're talking to someone.
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So make sure that you're ready,
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have your pencil ready, and start writing things down.
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The next phrase sounds like cut corners.
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Let me give you an example first.
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They really cut corners when they were building this office.
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The doors are too small,
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the windows don't open, I don't like it.
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So with this idiom, like with a lot of other idioms,
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you can try and guess their meaning from the context.
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So with this idiom, you kind of understand that when people were building this office,
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they didn't really do a great job because,
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you know, they didn't think of people who would be working in this office.
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So to cut corners means to do something in the easiest and cheapest way.
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They cut corners when they were building this office.
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We can find some corners to cut.
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The next idiom, a drop in the ocean.
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Again, let me start with an example.
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My letter of complaint was just a drop in the ocean.
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What does that mean?
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That really speaks for itself.
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You understand that your action was really small compared to what was happening.
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So, for example, somebody is ruining the backyard of your house,
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and you were complaining, but they didn't really notice.
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So your action was really small compared to what was needed.
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How's that for Japanese efficiency?
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Just a drop in the ocean.
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The next phrase, I really like it.
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Actions speak louder than words.
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I don't know how to say goodbye.
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Actions speak louder than words.
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What does that mean?
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Again, here you can really guess what's going on.
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It is really important to act instead of saying something.
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Because you can say a lot of things,
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but your actions really show your result or really show that you're an expert in something.
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An example is, your promises mean nothing,
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actions speak louder than words.
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Well, actions speak louder than words.
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To be a good catch,
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that's a good one by the way.
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Catch of the day, be a good catch is something related to fishing.
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But here, we're actually talking about relationships.
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So, when your friend approaches you and says,
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you know, your boyfriend is really a good catch, I hope he proposes.
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That means that you're dating somebody really nice and he was a really good choice.
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So your boyfriend is worth marrying.
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And this is when you can call him a good catch.
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Right, good catch.
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Beat around the bush is something you can't really translate,
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but I think you've known this phrase for ages because it's really widely used.
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Has nothing to do with the bush,
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but it has to do with you slowing things down and not getting to the point.
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So for example, you can have a conversation
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or you can have a class where the teacher tries to explain something
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but there is too much introduction of the topic and you're like,
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stop beating around the bush,
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get straight to the topic you won't say that to the teacher though
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but anyways it means that somebody is not getting straight to the point
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and giving you a lot of additional information that you don't really need.
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Bess, Bess, let's not beat around the bush.
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Another phrase that is widely used by Americans sounds like I couldn't care less.
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That means that you don't really care about what's going on.
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I really couldn't care less.
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He couldn't care less what his new co-workers think of him.
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Drive someone up the wall?
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Again, just think about it.
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So you take someone and put him up the wall.
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What does that mean?
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I'm sure that person is really unhappy because he wants to be on the floor.
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So basically, again, the meaning of this idiom is to drive someone crazy.
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The music my neighbors listen at the office is driving me up the wall.
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This means that the music is driving me crazy,
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it's annoying me, I don't like it at all.
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God, throw me up the wall.
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Boyfriends are for kids, right?
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Go down in flames.
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Let me start with an example here.
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He had a promising athletic career,
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but it all went down in flames when he broke his leg.
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Makes sense, right?
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To go down in flames means to end suddenly and completely.
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So his career was ended suddenly and completely once he broke his leg.
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This whole enterprise is going down in flames.
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Judge the book by its cover.
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Again, it's a really famous idiom.
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A lot of people use it.
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Let me give you an example.
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In America, you can't really judge a book by its cover
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because a lot of people just wear sports clothes wherever they go.
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And this is true in the U.S.
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A lot of people don't care about the way they look.
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They just care about their comfort.
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So you can't just look at the person and say,
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oh, that's a rich person because he wears this and that,
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or this person is homeless because this is the way he dresses up.
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No. People don't really care about the looks,
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they care about their comfort.
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So to judge a book by its cover means to judge a person based on what he or she is wearing.
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Never judge a book by its cover.
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Make a long story short.
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This is a phrase that you can use to introduce something.
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You can say, long story short, they bought the house.
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So instead of beating around the bush and giving a lot of context,
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you're getting straight to the point and you're saying,
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long story short, they bought the house.
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What does that mean?
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That means that you're explaining something in a few words without going into detail.
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Long story short, she fell.
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The next idiom, miss the boat.
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very clear from just looking at it.
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To miss the boat means to miss an opportunity.
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I think I have missed the boat.
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They did not accept my application.
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Sit on the fence is again when you imagine it.
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So somebody is sitting on the fence.
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So he's somewhere in the middle.
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There is something here, something here,
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but you're on the fence.
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So this idiom means
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that you're not taking any position you're kind of in the
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middle you are staying neutral let me give you an example
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i'm sitting on the fence with this one my team prefers solution a
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but my boss prefers solution b
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and i'm kind of neutral i can't choose sides i'm sitting
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on the fence i know how to sit on a fence
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when pigs fly is a very common idiom again let's just imagine the situation
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when pigs fly how can you describe this situation i would describe the situation as impossible
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because pigs don't fly so when pigs fly That means that something will never happen.
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This road will be renovated when pigs fly.
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Means I don't really believe it would ever be renovated.
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Yeah, when pigs fly.
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That was it from me for today, guys.
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I have a lot more idioms for you in my workbook that can be downloaded on the website English.Online.
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The link will be below.
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Feel free to download it and use it for your future English needs.
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And I hope it will really help you exercise
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and create this daily routine where you do something in English every single day.
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If you're not yet subscribed to this channel,
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please hit the red subscribe button
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and don't forget to smash the like button to help the algorithm determine
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that you liked this video and you've enjoyed this content.
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Thank you so much and I will see you very soon in my next Lingua Marina videos.
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Bye bye!
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Why Practice Speaking with This Video?
Learning idioms is crucial for improving your English fluency, as native speakers use them frequently in everyday conversations. By watching this video and practicing along, you’ll gain insights into advanced English phrases that will not only enhance your understanding but also your speaking skills. Engaging with the shadowing technique allows you to imitate the speaker in real-time, helping you internalize the rhythm and intonation of English idioms. This method is particularly effective for grasping nuances in meaning and usage, as exemplified in idiomatic expressions like hit the books or cut corners.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
As you immerse yourself in this lesson, take note of these key structures used by the speaker, which can enhance your English speaking abilities:
- Direct Illustrations: Phrases like “let me give you an example” introduce practical context for expressions, making it easier to learn.
- Idiomatic Expressions: Understanding phrases such as cut corners and a drop in the ocean requires interpreting meaning beyond the literal words.
- Conversational Structure: The speaker uses casual language, like “you know,” which is common in native conversations, giving you a feel for everyday speech.
- Contextual Inquiry: Phrases like “what does that mean?” promote engagement, encouraging learners to think critically about the meanings behind idioms.
These grammatical structures are not only beneficial for comprehension but also for actively participating in conversations, thereby allowing you to use these idioms comfortably in your speech.
Common Pronunciation Traps
As you practice with this video, pay attention to these tricky aspects of pronunciation:
- Idiom Stress: The emphasis on key words in idioms, such as hit in hit the books, can change how they are perceived in conversation.
- Connected Speech: Watch for how words blend together—“cut corners” may sound like one smooth phrase rather than two distinct words.
- Vowels and Consonants: Words like ocean may present challenges due to vowel sounds that differ from other languages.
Practicing shadow speech through shadowing can help you overcome these difficulties. By mimicking the speaker’s pronunciation and cadence, you will improve your English pronunciation and sound more natural in conversations, making it easier to use idiomatic phrases confidently.
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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