Shadowing Practice: Practice phrasal verbs in conversation | Speak naturally with me! - Learn English Speaking with Video

Well hey there, I'm Emma from mmmEnglish.

Today you're going to get to practice speaking with me.

We're going to be using a lot of really awesome phrasal verbs to help express ideas about support,

health, illness and even finance.

All of the really good ones that will help you to talk about what's been happening in the world lately.

We're going to practice naturally using the mmmEnglish imitation technique and this will really get your English flowing.

We're going to focus on your fluency

and we'll get those words coming out of you smoothly

and effortlessly as you speak so that you can communicate more confidently in English.

So let's do it!

Learning a language is hard, especially English but the opportunities you create for yourself

if you can speak English confidently and fluently are awesome and

if you want to get there faster and under the guidance of native English teachers,

then you'll definitely want to sign up for the next language sprint created of course by our lovely friends at Lingoda.

Not only will you launch yourself towards confident English in just 90 days, if you're good student and you attend every one of your classes,

Lingoda will happily give you up to a hundred percent of your cash back.

Over 40 ,000 students have participated in the Sprint.

Many of them are students of mine, viewers of this channel and of course I'm one of them as well.

There are two ways to participate.

You can sign up firstly for the Super Sprint which is 30 classes a month for three months.

If you complete every class, you'll get 100 % of your cash back

or you can join the regular sprint which is just 15 classes a month for three months and if you do that,

you're going to earn 50 % of your cash back.

Now, I know what you're thinking.

100 % cash back, really?

Yes, really!

In fact, if you want to find out more about how the sprint really works

and find out for sure if you really can get a hundred percent cash back, check out this video that I made up here.

You can do the sprint in English, in business English, German, French or Spanish.

To secure your spot, you'll need to sign up and pay your deposit by April the 16th.

Plus, if you use this code down here, you'll get a €10 discount on your deposit as well.

The link is in the description y 'all, check it out and good luck!

If you're a regular here at mmmEnglish, then you have probably practised speaking with me before.

You probably already know exactly how this works.

You'll listen, you'll practise with me and then you're going to try it out for yourself.

If you've practised with me before, you'll know exactly how it works

so you can actually just skip ahead to where the lesson starts right here but if this is new for you, if you haven't practised this way before,

there are just three things that you need to know.

Step one's easy, just listen to what I say and read along as I say it.

Next, you'll copy what I say so listen first

and then I'll pause for you so

that you can copy what I say exactly as you hear me say it

and that might take a little bit of practice

and it's absolutely okay to repeat this step again and again if you want to.

It might take you a few goes to just loosen up your mouth muscles

and relax your tongue and get into the swing of things.

Just keep practicing, just make sure you're feeling really relaxed and natural before you move on to step number three.

Oh and did you know that you can slow down the speed

so that you can practice more slowly before returning to regular pace?

This might also help you to practice.

Step three is a bit of a challenge.

This time you'll be listening to me and what I'm saying but you'll also be saying it yourself at the same time.

Now because we'll both be speaking together at the same time,

you can actually adjust the sounds that you're making to match mine especially the tone, the intonation and just so you're ready for it,

you are going to mess this up.

You'll get tongue -tied, you'll get stuck, don't worry about it.

It's all part of the fun.

It's kind of like just singing along to your favourite song.

You know the first time you try, you can't do it, right?

You don't know the words but with a little practice it gets easier and easier and you'll start having fun.

Today we're going to be practising using some of the phrasal verbs

that I taught you a few weeks ago

so you might recognise some of them from this lesson up here

and that is exactly where you can find all of the details around the meaning, the definitions, the explanations,

the examples and I'll link to that at the end of today's practice

but I also think

that this speaking lesson is going to be awesome for any of you who are preparing for English speaking exams.

This topic is definitely going to be one

that will be useful to talk about and I know

that the phrasal verbs and the expressions you learn today are going to help you to confidently speak about it.

So let's get started.

A year to remember or forget.

The first step, listen and read.

2020 was an unprecedented year.

In my mind, it will always be the year the world ran out of toilet paper.

The year when it became acceptable to go to work in our pyjama pants.

The year we all brushed up on skills and took up new hobbies.

I started baking sourdough, along with everyone else.

But it's also the year

that millions of people around the world came down with a mysterious virus that quickly became a global pandemic.

And tragically, more than 2 million people have passed away from it.

But did you know that over 60 million people have successfully fought off the virus?

Incredible!

People have been impacted in different ways, and it has certainly highlighted inequality.

There has been lots of financial uncertainty.

People have lost their jobs.

Businesses have been impacted.

Some have been lucky and had savings to dip into.

but other people have gone without essential items at times.

On a positive note, we've really seen people step up and help out their local communities where they can.

We've rallied around our families and neighbours doing whatever it takes to help them get by.

Collaboration between scientists and researchers has led to the development of multiple vaccines

which are being rolled out in many countries right now and it seems to be working.

Infection rates over the last few months have started to drop off.

I hope you're optimistic about the year ahead.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Step two, listen and imitate.

Now you need to imitate exactly what I say.

So that means you're trying to copy my pronunciation, the word stress, the pause in every sentence.

100

You can even try to imitate my facial expressions if you want to just to practise communicating with more than just words.

101

There will be a pause after each sentence so that you can practise out loud straight after me, okay?

102

So just try to relax and go with the flow.

103

2020 was an unprecedented year.

104

In my mind, it will always be the year the world ran out of toilet paper.

105

The year when it became acceptable to go to work in our pyjama pants.

106

The year we all brushed up on skills and took up new hobbies.

107

I started baking sourdough along with everyone else.

108

But it's also the year that millions of people around the world came down with a mysterious virus

109

that quickly became a global pandemic.

110

And tragically, more than 2 million people have passed away from it.

111

But did you know that over 60 million people have successfully fought off the virus?

112

Incredible!

113

People have been impacted in different ways, and it has certainly highlighted inequality.

114

There has been lots of financial uncertainty community.

115

People have lost their jobs, businesses have been impacted.

116

Some have been lucky and had savings to dip into.

117

But other people have gone without essential items at times.

118

On a positive note, we've really seen people step up and help out their local communities where they can.

119

We've rallied around our families and neighbours doing whatever it takes to help them get by.

120

collaboration between scientists and researchers has led to the development of multiple vaccines

121

which are being rolled out in many countries right now

122

and it seems to be working Infection rates over the last few months have started to drop off.

123

I hope you're optimistic about the year ahead.

124

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

125

Step three, shadow.

126

now we're moving on to step three

127

which is a little more challenging don't forget that you can pause here

128

and go back to practice section two as many times as

129

you need to before you keep going this is going to take a little bit of practice

130

so of course you're going to shadow me and that means listening

131

and speaking at the same time so try to copy the rhythm

132

and the tone even if you do get a little tongue -tied at first, you're trying to copy the pattern of my speech as we go.

133

2020 was an unprecedented year.

134

In my mind, it will always be the year the world ran out of toilet paper.

135

The year when it became acceptable to go to work in our pyjama pants.

136

The year we all brushed up on skills and took up new hobbies.

137

I started baking sourdough along with everyone else.

138

But it's also the year that millions of people around the world

139

came down with a mysterious virus that quickly became a global pandemic.

140

And tragically, more than two million people have passed away from it.

141

But did you know that over 60 million people have successfully fought off the virus?

142

incredible people have been impacted in different ways and it has certainly highlighted inequality

143

there has been lots of financial uncertainty people have lost their jobs businesses have been impacted some have been lucky

144

and had savings to dip into

145

but other people have gone without essential items at times on a positive note we've really seen people step up

146

and help out their local communities where they can we've rallied around our families and neighbors

147

doing whatever it takes to help them get by collaboration between scientists and researchers

148

has led to the development of multiple vaccines

149

which are being rolled out in many countries right now

150

and it seems to be working infection rates over the last few months have started to to drop off.

151

I hope you're optimistic about the year ahead.

152

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

153

Awesome work!

154

You did it!

155

Well done!

156

There were lots of phrasal verbs in there and hopefully by practising out loud with me today,

157

speaking with me today, you're feeling more comfortable about pronouncing these phrasal verbs

158

and using them really naturally as you speak in English.

159

Now what I do want to know is what was new or weird or wonderful for you in 2020?

160

Did you take up a new hobby?

161

What did you do to get by during lockdown?

162

Or did you have to go without something important because you couldn't get it at the supermarket or you know, there was a period where you just had to get by?

163

Let me know down in the comments and looking forward to an amazing year ahead.

164

I know that we're all coming out the other side of this super excited.

165

If you do have the opportunity to speak about the impact of the pandemic

166

and what 2020 was like to you during an exam, a speaking exam, a written exam, I really hope

167

that this lesson has helped to inspire you to think about

168

how you can use it to your advantage using some amazing phrasal verbs,

169

some excellent expressions and different ways of sharing ideas about what we've been through together over the past 12 months.

📺 Same Channel

✨ Recommend Video

$Improve Your English Speaking Fluency \ Level "Hard"$ B2

193 sentences

Improve Your English Speaking Fluency \ Level "Hard"

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

563 sentences

Speak With Me: 30 Minute English Speaking Practice

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

526 sentences

What You Practice, You Become | Intermediate English Listening Practice (B1-B2)

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

1087 sentences

How to Improve Your English Speaking VERY FAST | Speak English Fluently & Confidently

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

104 sentences

Shadowing English Speaking Practice | Speak Fluently & Naturally | 10-Day English Speaking Challenge

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

153 sentences

Who Can Make You Speak English Fluently?

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

18 sentences

TESTING VIDEO

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

82 sentences

English Speaking Practice | Advanced Imitation Lesson

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

292 sentences

Improve Your English Conversations with Slow English Shadowing Practice | Repeat After Me

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

84 sentences

Daily English Practice | 4 Everyday Habits to Speak Fluent English

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

397 sentences

Real English Conversation: Advanced English Lesson

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Practice phrasal verbs in conversation”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: step, English, practice, speaking, month. This video has 169 sentences and 2070 words to shadow. The speech runs for 16:03. The speaker talks at a steady 129 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

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
phrasal adjective	/ˈfɹeɪzəl/	Relating to, or used in the manner of, a phrase.
verb noun	/vɝb/	A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being.
sprint noun	/spɹɪnt/	A short race at top speed.
practise verb	/ˈpɹæktɪs/	To repeat (an activity) as a way of improving one's skill in that activity.
hobby noun	/ˈhɑ.bi/	An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.
pause noun	/pɔːz/	A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation.
confidently adverb	/ˈkɑnfɪdəntli/	In a confident manner; with confidence; with strong assurance; positively.
imitate verb	/ˈɪmɪteɪt/	To follow as a model or a pattern; to make a copy, counterpart or semblance of.
sourdough noun	/ˈsaʊɚˌdoʊ/	A type of bread dough leavened with yeast and lactobacilli that produce acids giving a sour taste.
tragically adverb		In a tragic manner.
unprecedented adjective	/ʌnˈpɹɛsɪdɛntɪd/	Never before seen, done, or experienced; without precedent.
optimistic adjective	/ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk/	Expecting the best in all possible ways.
bake verb	/beɪk/	To cook (something) in an oven (for someone).
researcher noun	/ˈɹiˌsɝ.t͡ʃɚ/	One who researches.
inequality noun	/ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɑ.lɪ.ti/	A condition or state (of social, cultural, or legal matters) that is not equal; especially, such a condition that is thereby also unfair.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
take up verb	To pick up.
come down with verb	To develop symptoms or signs of (an illness).
drop off verb	To fall asleep.
fight off verb	To succeed in defeating a challenge, or an attack.
help out verb	To provide assistance.
step up verb	To increase, augment, or advance, especially by one or more steps.
sign up verb	To add a name to the list of people who are participating in something.
check out verb	To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

I hope you're optimistic about the year ahead.
Did you take up a new hobby?
What did you do to get by during lockdown?

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	If you complete every class, you'll get · If you've practised with me before, you'll know
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	have participated · have probably practised · you've practised
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	have been impacted · being rolled
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	Sprint which is

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 56 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, you'll, we've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: smoothly /ˈsmuːðli/, rhythm /ˈɹɪð.əm/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: imitation /ɪmɪˈteɪ̯ʃən/, intonation /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, facial /ˈfeɪ.ʃəl/
Long words — get the stress right: confidently /ˈkɑnfɪdəntli/, unprecedented /ʌnˈpɹɛsɪdɛntɪd/, optimistic /ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk/, inequality /ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɑ.lɪ.ti/, uncertainty /ʌnˈsɜːtənti/

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 phrasal, verb, sprint.

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 →

Shadowing Practice: Practice phrasal verbs in conversation | Speak naturally with me! - Learn English Speaking with Video

Speaking Practice Lesson | Tell A Great Story in English

Quick English Shadowing Practice

How to SOUND Better in English! | Pronunciation Lesson

How to answer 'How was your weekend?' (without sounding boring!)

Prepositions of PLACE 👉 IN / ON / AT / BY 👈 Common English Grammar Mistakes

Shadow Me & Learn Phrasal Verbs for Shopping!

Conversation Lesson | How To Be Polite & Show Respect in English

Speak With Me | English Speaking Practice

Business English | Imitation Lesson | Idioms & Vocabulary

Advanced Speaking Practice (Persuasive Techniques)

English Phrases for Daily Conversation (Practice Small Talk!)

Speaking Practice For B1 (intermediate) | English Imitation Lessons

Speaking English On Your Own | Shadow Me Every Day

Lesson 2 - Speak English Clearly! The Imitation Technique

The Present Perfect Tense | English Grammar Lesson

Common English Phrases to Keep Your Conversation Going!

Lesson 1 - Speak English Clearly! The Imitation Technique

The SCHWA Sound! English Pronunciation Lesson

Practise Speaking With Me | Daily Routines

50+ Advanced Phrases For English Conversations

Improve Your English Speaking Fluency \ Level "Hard"

Speak With Me: 30 Minute English Speaking Practice

What You Practice, You Become | Intermediate English Listening Practice (B1-B2)

How to Improve Your English Speaking VERY FAST | Speak English Fluently & Confidently

Shadowing English Speaking Practice | Speak Fluently & Naturally | 10-Day English Speaking Challenge

Who Can Make You Speak English Fluently?

TESTING VIDEO

English Speaking Practice | Advanced Imitation Lesson

Improve Your English Conversations with Slow English Shadowing Practice | Repeat After Me

Daily English Practice | 4 Everyday Habits to Speak Fluent English

Real English Conversation: Advanced English Lesson

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?