Shadowing Practice: LGCAM18T1-P3 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hi, Chantal.
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71 sentences
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Hi, Chantal.
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What did you think of the talk then?
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Hi, Hugo.
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I thought it was good once I'd moved seats.
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Oh, were the people beside you chatting or something?
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It wasn't that.
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I went early so that I'd get a seat and not have to stand.
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But then this guy sat right in front of me and he was so tall.
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It's hard to see through people's heads, isn't it?
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Impossible.
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Anyway, to answer your question, I thought it was really interesting, especially what the speaker said about the job market.
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Me too.
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I mean, we know we're going into a really competitive field, so it's obvious that we may struggle to get work.
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That's right.
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And we know we can't all have that dream job.
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Yeah, but it looks like there's a whole range of areas of work that we hadn't even thought of, like fashion journalism, for instance.
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Yeah, I wasn't expecting so many career options.
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Hmm.
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Overall, she had quite a strong message, didn't she?
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She did.
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She kept saying things like, I know you all think this, but...
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And then she'd tell us how it really is.
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Perhaps she thinks students are a bit narrow-minded about the industry.
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It was a bit harsh, though.
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We know it's a tough industry.
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Yeah.
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And we're only first years, after all.
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We've got a lot to learn.
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Exactly.
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Do you think our secondary school education should have been more career-focused?
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Well, we had numerous talks on careers, which was good, but none of them were very inspiring.
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They could have asked more people like today's speaker to talk to us.
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I agree.
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We were told about lots of different careers, just when we needed to be, but not by the experts who really know stuff.
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So, did today's talk influence your thoughts on what career you'd like to take up in the future?
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Well, I promised myself that I'd go through this course and keep an open mind till the end.
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But I think it's better to pick an area of the industry now and then aim to get better and better at it.
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Well, I think we'll just have to differ on that issue.
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One thing's for certain though.
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From what she said, we'll be unpaid assistants in the industry for quite a long time.
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I'm prepared for that, aren't you?
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Actually, I'm not going to accept that view.
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Really?
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But she knows it's the case, and everyone else says the same.
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That doesn't mean it has to be true for me.
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OK.
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Well, I hope you're right.
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I thought the speaker's account of her first job was fascinating.
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Yeah.
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She admitted she was lucky to get work being a personal dresser for a musician.
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She didn't even apply for the job, and there she was, getting paid to choose all his clothes.
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It must have felt amazing.
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Though she said all she was looking for back then was experience, not financial reward.
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And then he was so mean telling her she was more interested in her own appearance than his.
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But she did realise he was right about that, which really made me think.
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I'm always considering my own clothes, but now I can see you should be focusing on your client.
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She obviously regretted losing the job.
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Well, as she said, she should have hidden her negative feelings about him, but she didn't.
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It was really brave the way she picked herself up and took that job in retail.
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Fancy working in a shop after that.
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Yeah, well, she recommended we all do it at some point.
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I guess as a designer you'd get to find out some useful information, like how big or small the average shopper is.
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I think that's an issue for manufacturers, not designers.
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However it would be useful to know if there's a gap in the market, you know?
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An item that no one's stocking but that consumers are looking for.
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Yeah, people don't give up searching.
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They also take things back to the store if they aren't right.
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Yeah.
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Imagine you worked in an expensive shop and you found out the garments sold there were being returned because they fell apart in the wash.
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Yeah.
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It would be good to know that kind of thing.
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Context & Background

The dialogue we hear in the video features two students, Chantal and Hugo, discussing a career-oriented talk they attended. Chantal initially struggled to see the speaker due to an obstructive tall individual seated in front of her. However, once settled, she found the speaker's insights about the job market, especially concerning competitive fields, to be eye-opening. This conversation touches on the realities of pursuing a career in a tough industry, highlighting the importance of broadening one's perspective about available jobs and the challenges of entering the workforce.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "I thought it was good once I'd moved seats." - A great way to express your feelings about a situation after making adjustments.
  • "It's impossible to see through people's heads." - A humorous way to describe frustration in a crowded setting.
  • "I wasn't expecting so many career options." - Useful for sharing surprise about opportunities in discussions.
  • "We know we can't all have that dream job." - A realistic acknowledgment of career aspirations.
  • "I'm prepared for that, aren't you?" - Engaging in a conversation about shared expectations or challenges.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

Using the conversation from the video as a shadowing exercise can greatly enhance your English pronunciation and speaking skills. Here’s how to effectively approach it:

  1. Listen Actively: Begin by watching the video multiple times. Focus on the intonation, stress, and rhythm of the speakers. This will help you understand how natural conversations flow.
  2. Break it Down: Split the dialogue into smaller segments. Take a few sentences at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed and to allow deeper practice.
  3. Repeat After Them: Use the shadow speech technique. As you listen to each segment, pause and repeat what the speakers say, mimicking their tone and pronunciation closely. This is where shadowspeak can be particularly effective, as it fosters muscle memory for your mouth and tongue positions.
  4. Record Yourself: After practicing a segment, record your voice. Compare your pronunciation to that of the speakers to identify areas for improvement.
  5. Reflect and Adjust: Note any challenges you encounter. Focus specifically on tricky phrases and return to them seasonally to refine your English skills. This ongoing practice on a shadowing site or resource can provide continual improvements in your spoken English.

By utilizing these steps with the context provided in the video, you can effectively improve your English pronunciation and grow more comfortable speaking in various situations. Whether you're preparing for a career in a competitive field or just looking to enhance daily communication, the exercise of shadowing these dialogues will be invaluable.

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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