Shadowing Practice: My Daily Routine with Tea Belle | How to Express in English - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hello. Please tell us about your daily routine.
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My daily routine...
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I usually get up pretty late because I go to sleep pretty late, so maybe, like, 10, 11ish.
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On a good...
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like, I try to get up early or, like, nine.
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I will brush my teeth.
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Maybe read through some vocabulary in the morning.
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Cause actually that's when you remember stuff the best.
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And, you know, do my skincare routine, all of that.
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Then I usually make a bowl of oatmeal.
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I love oatmeal.
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That's like my...
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little... my favorite breakfast to have in the morning.
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And... Then, really depends on the day, what kind of schedule I have.
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Usually... if I don't have, like, a songwriting session scheduled, or like a shoot or something, I might just go to my studio.
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And then, I go write some fun songs, or, like, work on some other stuff.
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Whatever I need to get done.
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And, I usually get home pretty late.
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I might eat out somewhere close to my studio or wherever I am.
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I don't eat dinner much.
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I kind of eat, like, lunch, dinner together and, like, a big meal.
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And then I get home.
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Yeah, depends on literally what I'm doing that day, but usually, later, and then, I will still, you know, check my phone, do whatever, if I have some free time or relax, get some stuff done, and go to sleep.
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Usually, like, 2, 3, 4 a.m.
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or, like, later, depends, yeah.
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But I usually don't really have much of a routine in a day.
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I feel like I'm very, like, spontaneous.
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Like, whatever happens just happens.
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Yeah. OK, thank you for sharing.

Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging with this video allows learners to practice speaking about daily routines—a common topic in IELTS speaking practice. The conversational style and relatable content encourage students to express their own experiences. By mimicking the speaker's expressions and intonations, English learners can improve their ability to communicate spontaneous thoughts, making their speech sound more natural. This practice helps build confidence and fluency in everyday English conversations, as it challenges learners to incorporate relevant vocabulary and structures into their speaking.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the video, the speaker uses several key grammatical structures and expressions that are useful for learners:

  • Present Simple Tense: The speaker says, "I usually get up pretty late," which demonstrates how to discuss habitual actions. Using the present simple tense is essential for daily routine descriptions.
  • Time Expressions: Phrases like "on a good day" and "later in the day" provide context for actions and help learners understand how to structure time-related conversations effectively.
  • Conditional Statements: The phrase "if I don’t have a songwriting session" illustrates how to convey potential future scenarios, a crucial aspect of fluid English communication.
  • Descriptive Adjectives: The speaker mentions, "I love oatmeal. That's like my favorite breakfast," showcasing how to express preferences clearly and enthusiastically.
  • Dialogue Markers: The speaker transitions between thoughts with phrases like "and then" or "depends on," which are essential for maintaining flow in conversation.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As learners practice with this content, they should pay special attention to the following pronunciation challenges:

  • Late vs. Lay: The speaker refers to going to sleep "late," which can be confused with the verb "lay." Focus on the long 'a' sound in "late" for clarity.
  • Skincare Routine: The phrase "skincare routine" contains multiple syllables, and practicing this will help improve english pronunciation of multi-word phrases.
  • Depending on: The use of "depends on" can be tricky for non-native speakers regarding the final 's' sound. It's essential to pronounce it clearly to convey the conditional meaning.

Utilizing the shadowing technique with this content can significantly enhance learners’ speaking skills. By repeating the phrases aloud after the speaker, you can improve your fluency and accent, turning your daily English speaking practice into an effective method for mastering the language.

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.