Shadowing Practice: New headway series 15 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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It was a typical Saturday night, but Matt was acting rather strangely.
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Thanks.
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Thank you.
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Oh, thanks.
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Are you all right, Matt?
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Yes. Are you expecting someone?
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No. Well.
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Oh, huh.
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Come on, Matt, tell us.
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What's been going on?
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Well, I was working today, and I'd just gone out for lunch.
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I was walking into Radcliffe Square when I saw a girl.
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She was doing a survey, you know, interviewing people on the street.
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Except she wasn't having much luck.
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Nobody wanted to stop.
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How long have you been standing here?
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Since ten o 'clock.
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And how many people have you interviewed?
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Four.
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My boss said he wanted me to interview at least 20.
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You could interview me.
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Okay.
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Right.
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My name's Matt.
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Actually, I don't need your name.
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Oh.
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But my name's Mel.
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So, Matt, do you live in Oxford?
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Yes, I do.
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How long have you been living here? Since 1997.
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How many jobs have you had since then?
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Two.
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and what do you do now i manage a computer games shop how long have you been working there
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nearly five years what newspapers do you read she asked me about what newspapers i read
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and the observer what food do you like the food i
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like anything what kind of clothes do you buy the clothes
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i buy we got on really well where do you go
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for entertainment uh the cinema clubs restaurants not really although I
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quite often eat at Freud's I've been there a few times
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really I've never seen you there I'm going there tonight actually oh
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okay holidays
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which kind of holiday do you usually prefer I'm really like
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going abroad I've been to Italy a few times I want you to ask her lots of questions
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but she was asking me so many I didn't really get a chance.
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Did you go to a gym?
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Yeah.
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After the interview, I went to buy her a coffee but when I got back, she'd gone.
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Oh, Matt.
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Is she going to be here tonight?
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She said she was coming.
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How romantic.
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We haven't arranged anything.
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Oh, I'm sure she'll come. Of course she'll come. Is that her?
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Go on, then.
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Go on, Matt.
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Go for it.
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Hi.
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oh hello so you came then yes would you like a drink hi hi
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oh this is peter peter this is uh matt nice to
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meet you uh there's a table over there are you sitting with us, Matt?
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No, no. Go ahead.
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Bye, then.
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Yeah.
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See you around.
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Oh, poor Matt.
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I'll be back in a minute.
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who's that a boyfriend what do you think sorry it's okay are you all right not really
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I feel a bit of an idiot Come on.
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What?
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Let's go and get some fresh air. Where are they going?
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I don't know.
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It seems a shame to waste their drinks.
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Oh, David.
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Why is it always happier to me?
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It happens to everyone.
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What, even you?
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Yes, Matt.
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Even me. Did you like her?
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I thought she was really nice.
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Don't worry.
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There'll be someone else. Where?
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Anywhere.
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here hmm Matt oh you mean
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you gosh how long have you you know quite a long time
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Me too.
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What are we going to tell the others?
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We can worry about that later.
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Yeah.
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Who said there was no such thing as a happy ending?
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Thank you.

Everyday English in Action: A Saturday Night Story

The video captures a relatable conversation between friends, where Matt shares a quirky encounter with Mel, a girl conducting a street survey. Set in Oxford, the dialogue is packed with natural phrases, casual questions, and real-life interactions—perfect for learn English with videos and building practical speaking skills. It mirrors the kind of exchanges you’d have in daily life, making it ideal for IELTS speaking practice as it focuses on fluency and topic development.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "Are you expecting someone?" – A common way to ask if someone is waiting for another person, useful in social settings.
  • "I've been there a few times" – A simple phrase to talk about past experiences, great for sharing habits or preferences.
  • "She wasn't having much luck" – A casual way to say someone isn't succeeding, perfect for describing situations.
  • "I didn't really get a chance" – Expresses missing an opportunity, essential for explaining constraints.
  • "What's been going on?" – A friendly question to ask about recent events, key for starting conversations.

Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Video

Shadowing is a powerful shadowing technique to boost pronunciation and fluency. Here’s how to use it with this dialogue:

  1. Listen and repeat short chunks: Pause the video after 2-3 sentences (e.g., "It was a typical Saturday night, but Matt was acting rather strangely.") and repeat, focusing on improve English pronunciation—mimic the rhythm and stress of words like "strangely."
  2. Focus on casual intonation: Notice how questions like "Are you all right, Matt?" rise at the end. Copy this to sound more natural, a key skill for shadow speech.
  3. Speed up gradually: Once you’re comfortable, play the video at 1.25x speed and shadow. This trains your mouth to keep up with real-life conversation pace, helpful for IELTS speaking.
  4. Role-play the dialogue: Switch between Matt and his friend. This practice helps you internalize phrases and respond naturally, turning passive listening into active speaking.

By breaking down the video into manageable steps, you’ll build confidence in using everyday English—one conversation at a time.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →