Shadowing Practice: Learn English Through Real Conversations | Everyday English Listening Practice! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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This is Max and Mia Podcast.
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Hello, everyone.
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Welcome back to the Max and Mia Podcast.
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It's great to have you with us.
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If you want to improve your English in a fun and different way, with real conversations and the words native speakers use every day,
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you're in the right place.
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Today, we'll talk about everyday situations,
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learn common expressions, listen to how words connect in natural speech, and much more.
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By the end of this episode, we're sure you'll have learned lots of new words and phrases,
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improved your listening skills, and taken one more step towards speaking English better.
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So what are you waiting for?
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Let's get started with today's episode.
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Okay, listener, just like in our last episode,
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we read your comments and many of you really enjoyed the videos with real conversations from viral clips.
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So, we decided to bring you another one.
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But we also saw that some of you prefer our old style.
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So, don't worry!
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In today's episode, We'll have both types of conversations.
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You can find the timestamps in the description, so you can easily choose which conversations you want to listen to.
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Now, for our first conversation, we have a girl walking up to a fast food stand to order something to eat.
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It may seem like a simple conversation about ordering food, but there's something special about it.
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We'll hear two different accents, along with some real -life vocabulary that you might not find in your usual English lessons.
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So, pay close attention.
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Are you ready?
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Let's get into our first conversation of the day.
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okay i would suggest uh go for the noodle to make it going yeah the noodles with chicken yeah thank you
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hi for the noodle yeah uh you want everything like spring onion crispy onion yeah any fresh chili on top yeah
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Want a chicken?
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Chop?
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Into pieces, yeah.
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Okay, just a noodle.
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Thank you so much.
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Thank you.
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Well, that conversation seemed pretty simple, didn't it?
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Yeah.
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At first, it sounds like a very easy conversation.
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A girl asks for a food recommendation, makes her choice, and orders her food.
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Nothing too complicated.
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But here's something interesting.
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Have you ever listened to a conversation like this and thought, Wow, that's so easy.
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I understand everything thing.
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But then, when you're in the same situation, you suddenly can't find the words?
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Oh, absolutely.
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And I'm sure many of you have experienced that too.
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You know what you want to say, but when it's time to speak, your mind goes completely blank.
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So, here's our first question for you.
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Have you ever frozen when speaking English, even when you knew exactly what you wanted to say.
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Let us know in the comments.
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And here's one important tip.
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Stay calm.
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Seriously, don't put too much pressure on yourself.
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Just listen to the conversation we watched.
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The girl wasn't using complicated sentences.
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She was simply asking questions, listening to the answers, and taking her time.
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Exactly.
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You don't need to speak fast or use fancy words to have a good conversation.
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Now, let's look at three interesting expressions from the conversation.
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First, let's look at the expression, which is better?
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The girl asks, which is better, moggy goring or loaded fries with chicken?
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But why does she say which is instead of what is?
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Aren't both words used to ask questions?
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Good question.
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We use which when we're choosing between specific options.
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In this case, she's choosing between two dishes, Maggi Goreng and Loaded Fries.
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On the other hand, we usually use WHAT when we're asking for information without choosing from a specific list.
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For example, you can ask, what's your favorite food?
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Because you're asking someone to tell you their preference.
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But if you have two restaurants in front of you and want to know which one is better, you can ask, which restaurant is better?
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So, remember, which is especially useful when you have specific options to choose from.
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All right, let's move on to our next expression, chop into pieces.
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When the guy asks, you want a chicken chop into pieces?
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He's checking if the customer wants the chicken cut into smaller parts.
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We use chop into pieces when we want to talk about cutting something into smaller pieces.
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For example, you might say, can you chop the onions into small pieces?
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Or I need to chop this chicken into pieces before cooking it.
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It's a very useful expression, especially when talking about food and cooking.
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And finally, there's another interesting detail in this conversation.
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Did you notice when the guy said,
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Normally in English classes, we're taught to use do when asking questions in the present simple.
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So we might expect him to say, But in casual, everyday English,
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native speakers sometimes leave out do in questions like this especially in quick conversations.
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It's a more relaxed way of speaking.
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You'll hear this kind of informal speech quite often when ordering food, talking to friends, or having everyday conversations.
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However, remember that this isn't the standard form for every situation.
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If you're learning English, it's still important to know how to use do you want correctly.
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Exactly.
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The goal isn't just to learn textbook English.
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It's also to understand how people actually speak in real life.
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Alright, let's move on to our second conversation.
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This time, we're going to talk about a very common situation.
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Dealing with a noisy neighbor.
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Imagine it's midnight.
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You're trying to sleep, but your upstairs neighbor keeps making noise.
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Footsteps, loud music, things moving around.
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It's really frustrating, isn't it?
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So the next morning, you decide to talk to him and try to solve the problem.
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That's exactly what we're about to hear.
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Emily is going to talk to her neighbor, Ryan, about the noise coming from his apartment.
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Ready?
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Let's get into our second conversation of the day.
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hey ryan good morning do you have a minute oh hey emily yeah sure what's up well
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i wanted to talk to you about something i hope you don't mind
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but the noise from your apartment has been keeping me up at night oh really i'm sorry about
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that was it last night yeah last night actually it was around midnight i could hear music people talking
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and what sounded like furniture being moved around Oh, wow.
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I didn't realize it was that loud.
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A couple of friends came over, and we ended up staying up later than we planned.
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I figured something like that was going on.
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I mean, I don't mind you having friends over, but the walls seem pretty thin around here.
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Yeah, you're right about that.
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I guess we got a little carried away.
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We weren't really paying attention to how loud we were being.
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I understand.
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It happens but I have to get up pretty early for work, and it's been difficult to get a good night's sleep. Of course.
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I totally get that.
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Look, I'll make sure to keep the noise down, especially late at night.
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I don't want to cause any trouble.
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Thanks, Ryan.
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I really appreciate it.
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I just wanted to bring it up before it became a bigger problem.
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No, absolutely.
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And hey, if it ever happens again, just let me know.
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You don't have to put up with it.
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That's nice of you.
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Actually, I was wondering if you could also keep the music down after 10.
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Sometimes I can hear it even when I'm trying to sleep.
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Yeah, no problem.
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After 10, I'll keep the volume low.
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We can always use headphones if we want to listen to music.
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That would be great.
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And don't worry, I don't want you to feel like you can't enjoy your apartment.
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We just need to find a good balance.
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Definitely.
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Thanks for coming to talk to me instead of just getting angry about it.
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Well, I'd rather talk things out.
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We're neighbors, after all.
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That's true.
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Anyway.
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I'll be more careful from now on.
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Sorry again about last night.
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It's all right, Ryan.
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Thanks for understanding.
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Have a good day.
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You too, Emily.
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See you around.
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Well, that was a pretty interesting conversation, wasn't it?
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Absolutely.
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And notice something.
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Emily didn't get angry or start an argument.
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She explained the problem politely, and Ryan was happy to find a solution.
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There were also some useful everyday expressions.
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For example, What's up? is a casual way to ask what's happening or why someone wants to talk to you.
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And what about, We got a little carried away?
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That's a great expression.
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It means you did something more than you planned, or you got too excited and didn't notice how much you were doing it.
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Exactly.
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Ryan also said, keep the noise down.
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This means to make less noise or lower the volume.
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You can use it when asking someone to be quieter.
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And finally, Emily said, I'd rather talk things out.
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This means she prefers to discuss problems and find a solution instead of getting angry.
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These are the kinds of expressions you'll hear in everyday conversations, so try to remember them.
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And before we move on, if you're enjoying this episode, don't forget to give us a like and subscribe to the channel.
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It really helps us create more content like this.
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All right.
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Now, remember something we said at the beginning of today's episode.
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We want to move away from boring grammar lessons and focus more on real conversations.
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That's right, but that doesn't mean grammar isn't important.
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Sometimes, learning one small grammar point can make a big difference.
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Actually, the other day, I was playing a video game called Red Dead Redemption 2,
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and one of the characters said something that caught my attention.
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Oh, really?
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What was it?
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He said, so do you.
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And I thought, wait a minute, this is something we should talk about on the podcast.
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And it's actually a very useful expression.
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We use, so do I, so do you, so does he,
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and similar structures to say that someone shares the same situation or feeling as another person.
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For example, if someone says, I love video games, you can reply, so do I.
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It means you love them too.
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And if someone says, I work on weekends, you can say, so do you,
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meaning that the other person also works on weekends.
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The important thing is to choose the correct auxiliary verb, depending on the first sentence.
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You'll hear more examples in our next conversation.
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So, for our final conversation today, we'll listen to a natural exchange between Susan and Gabriel.
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Pay close attention to their sentences and see if you can recognize when they use this structure.
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Ready?
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Let's listen to our final conversation of the day.
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Hey, Gabriel.
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How's your week going?
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Pretty good, actually.
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I've been really busy with work, though.
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I barely have any free time these days.
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Oh, I know what you mean.
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I've been working a lot lately, too.
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Sometimes I feel like I spend more time at the office than at home.
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Same here.
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And the worst part is that I still have a lot of things to do when I get home.
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So do I.
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I usually cook dinner, clean up a little, and then try to relax.
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But by that time, I'm already exhausted.
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Tell me about it.
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I used to go to the gym after work, but I haven't been there in weeks.
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Really?
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I used to work out almost every morning, but I stopped when I got my new job.
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So did I.
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I actually enjoyed getting up early and exercising before work.
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I should probably get back to it.
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You definitely should.
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I feel so much better when I exercise regularly.
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So do I.
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It gives me more energy throughout the day.
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By the way, have you started watching that new series everyone's talking about?
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Not yet.
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I've heard it's really good, though.
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It is.
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I watched three episodes last night.
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I couldn't stop. That sounds like me.
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I sometimes watch an entire season in just a few days.
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So do I.
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And then I regret staying up so late the next morning.
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Exactly.
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Anyway, we should probably get going.
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I still have a few things to finish before lunch.
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Same here.
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Well, it was nice catching up with you.
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You too.
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Let's grab a coffee sometime this week.
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Sounds good.
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See you around.
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See you, Susan.
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Have a good one.
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Well, that was a really interesting conversation.
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And did you notice how often Susan and Gabriel agreed with each other?
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Yes.
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They used the expression we've been talking about.
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So do I.
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So did I.
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And even so am I.
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These are small expressions, but they can make your conversation sound much more natural.
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Let's quickly review how they work.
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We use so plus auxiliary verb plus subject when we want to say that we share the same experience,
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feeling, or situation as someone else.
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For example, if someone says, I love coffee, you can simply answer, so do I.
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It means you love coffee, too.
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But remember, the auxiliary verb depends on the tense.
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If someone says, I went to the gym yesterday, you can reply, so did I.
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And if they say, I'm really tired, you can answer, so am I.
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Exactly.
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Here's another interesting detail.
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You can use this structure with different subjects, too.
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For example, she likes music.
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So does he.
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Or, they work from home.
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So do we.
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The important thing is to keep the same auxiliary verb or tense as the original sentence.
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And don't forget the word order.
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The auxiliary comes before the subject.
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So, instead of repeating a whole sentence, you can use just a few words to show that you feel the same way.
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Pretty useful, right?
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Absolutely.
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And now that you've seen it in a real conversation, try to notice this structure whenever you're watching a movie,
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playing a video game, or listening to native speakers.
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Here's a little challenge for you.
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Imagine someone tells you, I really enjoy learning English.
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How would you respond using what we've just learned?
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That's right.
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You can say, so do I.
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Try leaving your answer in the comments.
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We'd love to see how many of you get it right.
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And that's a wrap for our grammar section.
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We hope this little lesson helped you understand the expression and, more importantly, how to use it in real conversations.
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Now, let's take a moment to look back at everything we covered today.
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We listened to three different conversations each with its own situation and useful expressions.
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First, we heard a girl ordering food at a fast food stand.
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We learned how to ask for recommendations, how to use which is better,
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and even picked up some informal expressions that people use when ordering food.
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Then we listened to Emily talking to her neighbor Ryan about the noise coming from his apartment.
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We learned some useful expressions for making polite requests, explaining problems, and finding solutions without being rude.
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And finally, we listened to Susan and Gabriel sharing their everyday experiences.
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That's where we learned how to use
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So Do I and similar expressions to agree with someone and show that we have something in common.
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As always, remember that learning English isn't just about memorizing words or studying grammar rules.
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It's about understanding people, listening to how they speak, and using what you learn in your own conversations.
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So, don't just watch this episode and move on.
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If you have some extra time, go back to your favorite conversation, listen to it again, and try repeating some of the sentences.
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This is a great way to improve your pronunciation and get more comfortable with natural English.
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And if you've made it this far, thank you so much for spending your time with us.
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We really appreciate having you here.
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If you enjoyed today's episode, make sure to give this video a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel.
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Your support helps us bring you more real conversations and useful English lessons.
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Also, tell us in the comments, which conversation did you enjoy the most, and which expression are you going to start using in your everyday English?
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We always enjoy reading your comments, And your suggestions help us decide what to bring to future episodes.
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That's all for today, everyone.
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Keep practicing, stay curious, and remember that every little step counts.
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Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in the next episode.
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Take care, everyone.
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Bye.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Learn English Through Real Conversations”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: conversation, expression, English, episode. This video has 298 sentences and 2758 words to shadow. The speech runs for 20:28. The speaker talks at a steady 135 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| everyday adjective | /ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/ | Appropriate for ordinary use, rather than for special occasions. |
| chop verb | /t͡ʃɑp/ | To cut into pieces with short, vigorous cutting motions. |
| grammar noun | /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/ | A system of rules and principles for the structure of a language, or of languages in general. |
| auxiliary adjective | /ɔɡˈzɪl.(jə).ɹi/ | Helping; giving assistance or support. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| verb noun | /vɝb/ | A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being. |
| podcast noun | /ˈpɑdˌkæst/ | A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on… |
| onion noun | /ˈʌn.jən/ | A monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice. |
| complicated adjective | /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/ | Difficult or convoluted. |
| midnight noun | /ˈmɪd(ˌ)naɪt/ | The middle of the night: the sixth temporal hour, equidistant between sunset and sunrise. |
| relax verb | /ɹɪˈlæks/ | To make something loose. |
| casual adjective | /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/ | Happening by chance. |
| depend verb | /dɪˈpɛnd/ | To be contingent or conditioned; to have something as a necessary condition |
| recommendation noun | /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/ | An act of recommending. |
| subscribe verb | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name). |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| carried away adjective | Made excessively emotional or excited, so that one goes too far. |
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. |
| move around verb | To relocate to new homes repeatedly; to not live in any one place for long. |
| stay up verb | To remain awake; to not go to bed. |
| clean up verb | To make an area or a thing clean; to pick up a mess; to tidy. |
| come over verb | To affect in a sudden, unprecedented or surprising manner; to overwhelm a person's ordinarily contrary impulse. |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. |
| get back to verb | Return to (an activity) |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- It's great to have you with us.
- First, let's look at the expression, which is better?
- For example, you can ask, what's your favorite food?
- How's your week going?
- How would you respond using what we've just learned?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | has been keeping · I've been working · we've been talking |
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to go · used to work |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | Have you ever listened · have experienced · Have you ever frozen |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | expression, which is · asks, which is · say which is |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 72 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: thin /ˈθɪn/, thumb /ˈθʌm/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/, suggestion /səˈd͡ʒɛst.ʃən/, dish /dɪʃ/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: auxiliary /ɔɡˈzɪl.(jə).ɹi/, complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/, recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/, importantly /ɪmˈpɔɹ.tənt.li/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like everyday, chop, grammar.
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.