Shadowing Practice: MiniPod: Call it a day | Words we use | SBS Learn English - Learn English Speaking with Video
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39 sentences
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Words we use, we say every day.
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Learn a phrase and use it your way.
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Call it a day.
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Call it a day.
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Have you heard this phrase before?
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When we say call it a day, we mean to stop working on something, usually because you're tired.
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Call it a day comes from an older phrase.
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Call it half a day.
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That was used in the 1830s when workers left before the day was over.
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By 1919, the shorter version, call it a day, became common with the meaning to stop work and not to return for the rest of the day.
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Over time, it became a common way to simply say, let's finish now.
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You can hear it everywhere.
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When you stop work after a long day.
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We've had a lot of meetings.
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Let's call it a day.
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When you finish a project or activity I've been gardening all morning.
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I'm ready to call it a day.
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In casual situations, when you want to stop whatever it is that you're doing Have you played enough basketball?
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OK, let's call it a day then.
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When you're tired I've been cleaning the house all morning.
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Time to call it a day.
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And here's when some learners like to call it a day.
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I recently did some fencing and was completely tired and just said, you know what, let's just call it a day.
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I call it a day when I start feeling too tired to focus.
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Sometimes I tend to call it a day and just before five o'clock, like 4.30 if I'm lucky, or sometimes even 6, 6.30.
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Oh God, you're asking way too many questions.
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Let's just call it a day.
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When is it a good time for you to call it a day?
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When you're tired?
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After working in the garden?
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When your project is finished?
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Okay, now we've learnt something new.
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Shall we call it a day and end this lesson?
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Let's say it out loud together.
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Let's call it a day.
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Ready?
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Say it out loud.
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I'm Shannon, and I'd like to respectfully acknowledge the Cameragal people of the Eora Nation, whose land this podcast was recorded on.
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This is the SBS Learn English Podcast.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “MiniPod: Call it a day”. This video has 39 sentences and 365 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:36. The speaker talks at a steady 141 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 8 of its 39 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
13 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| 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… |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| worker noun | /ˈwɝ.kɚ/ | One who works: a person who performs labor for a living; traditionally, especially, manual labor. |
| casual adjective | /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/ | Happening by chance. |
| fence noun | /fɛns/ | A thin artificial barrier that separates two pieces of land or forms a perimeter enclosing the lands of a house, building, etc. |
| acknowledge verb | /əkˈnɑ.lɪd͡ʒ/ | To admit the knowledge of; to recognize as a fact or truth; to declare one's belief in. |
| learner noun | /ˈlɜɹnəɹ/ | One who is learning; one receiving instruction. |
| respectfully adverb | /ɹɪˈspɛkt.fə.li/ | In a respectful manner. |
| loud adjective | /ˈlaʊ̯d/ | Of great intensity. |
| everywhere adverb | /ˈɛv.ɹi.(h)wɛɹ/ | In or to all locations under discussion. |
| tend verb | /ˈtɛnd/ | To look after (e.g. an ill person.) |
| basketball noun | /ˈbæs.kɪt.bɔl/ | A sport in which two opposing teams of five players strive to put a ball through a hoop. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Have you heard this phrase before?
- We've had a lot of meetings.
- Let's call it a day.
- I'm ready to call it a day.
- When your project is finished?
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 | I've been gardening · I've been cleaning |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | Have you heard · We've had · we've learnt |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | you're doing · you're asking |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 13 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, I'm, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 phrase, podcast, lesson.
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.