Shadowing Practice: Practice Shadowing with Me! - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hey everyone!
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Hey everyone!
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Welcome or welcome back to the channel.
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Today we're doing something a little different which I hope will be useful to a lot of you and a little fun.
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We're doing some shadowing practice.
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Shadowing is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation,
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overall fluency, and your confidence in English.
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If you've never heard of shadowing before, it's pretty simple.
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Shadowing is a technique in language learning where you listen to a native speaker
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or someone you'd like to sound like in English and repeat exactly after them,
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paying careful attention to the pronunciation of their words and the intonation of their sentences.
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Now, I'm a native speaker from the US,
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so I speak with an American accent.
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So if you want to learn the American accent,
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you're in the right place.
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I'm going to read a voicemail out loud and you'll repeat exactly as I say it.
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So you'll be my shadow.
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You'll mimic my tone, my speed, my rhythm, everything.
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And don't worry if it feels awkward at first.
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I felt silly the first time I tried this technique in German,
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but trust me, this method does work.
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So grab some water to get those vocal chords ready and let's begin.
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English made easy with Claire.
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Okay, so like I said,
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I'm going to read out loud a voicemail or voice note that I may send to a friend.
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I'll stop and go over some of my pronunciations and intonations
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that I want to point out to you all as we go.
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But the idea is that you'll not only repeat after me,
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but also say it with me and I'll give you opportunities to do that.
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And if you ever want more practice on something,
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you can always pause the video and repeat it as many times as you like.
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So let's begin.
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I'll read and you shadow me.
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Hey, it's me.
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Hey, it's me.
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You'll notice at the beginning of the sentence,
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my intonation rises, and then it falls at the end.
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So you practice with me.
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Hey, it's me.
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And together, hey, it's me.
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Rise and fall.
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Just wanted to check in and see how you're doing.
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Okay, so I want to draw your attention to the T's in just and wanted.
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So I didn't actually pronounce the T's in either of these words.
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I just wanted, I just wanted, just wanted, just wanted.
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So if the T comes at the end of the word or in the middle of a word,
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we often totally drop the T in the American accent.
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You try.
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I just wanted to check in.
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I just wanted to check in.
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You'll also notice that I don't pronounce to with the oo vowel,
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but I used the schwa sound.
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Uh, right?
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To check in.
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to check in.
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It's not always pronounced in very fast speech to check in,
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to check in, to check in.
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Okay, let's repeat the whole phrase together.
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Here we go.
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Just wanted to check in and see how you're doing.
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Again, and we don't always pronounce the D at the end.
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That one falls away.
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An, an, an, c, an, c.
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How you're doing?
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Also the ng at the end there,
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that fell away as well.
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I didn't pronounce doing, but often will shorten ing endings to how you're doing.
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Okay, let's say the whole thing together.
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I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing.
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I haven't heard from you in a while and I figured you've been busy.
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I haven't heard from you in a while and I figured you've been busy.
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Again, we have the rise in the first phrase.
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I haven't heard from you in a while.
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And I figured you've been busy.
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The intonation falls at the end of the sentence.
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Also, the and elides with the I here.
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So we don't pronounce the D at the end.
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We had that already.
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But with the followed by a vowel sound,
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we have and I, and I,
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and I, and I figured you've been busy.
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And I figured you've been busy.
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So I was thinking, are we still on for dinner this Friday?
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So I was thinking, are we still on for dinner this Friday?
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Here we have a question.
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So the intonation doesn't go down.
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It goes up at the end.
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Are we still on for dinner this Friday?
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That one goes up because it's a question.
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And still on, still on,
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again, we kind of allied the L sound to the beginning of a word that begins with a vowel.
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Still on, still on.
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Let's say that one together.
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So I was thinking, are we still on for dinner this Friday?
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I found this great Italian place downtown,
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and I think you'll love it.
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Here, we want to emphasize the words that are most important.
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You can hear that in my speech.
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I found this great Italian place downtown and I think you'll love it.
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So I'm emphasizing the place,
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the restaurant is great and that I think you'll love it.
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I suspect you will like it.
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Let's say that one together.
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I found this great Italian place downtown and I think you'll love it.
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Oh, and one more thing.
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Do you remember that book I mentioned last week?
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Okay, again, we have an exclamation followed by a question.
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So we know the question intonation.
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If there's an exclamation point,
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our intonation might go a little higher here.
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Oh, and one more thing.
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Do you remember that book I mentioned last week?
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Now, you may have noticed I didn't pronounce do you.
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Do you remember?
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But do you remember?
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We can elide do and you.
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Do you becomes do.
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Do you remember that book I mentioned last week?
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Also, I want to draw your attention to this ed ending in mentioned.
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This has a d sound, mentioned.
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Again, it kind of falls away in normal speech.
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Do you remember that book I mentioned last week?
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Okay, you may not hear the ed so strong here,
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but it's a d sound, right?
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In the next sentence, I finally finished it.
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And oh my gosh, it was amazing.
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I finally finished it.
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And oh my gosh, it was amazing.
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Now, finished has a T ending for ED.
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We often have to know which pronunciation of the ED ending it is.
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And a lot of the time,
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you just have to memorize these.
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here it's a t.
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I finally finished it.
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I finally finished it.
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And oh my gosh, it was amazing.
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You have to read it.
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I really want my friend to read it.
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So I emphasize half.
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It's not have with this V sound that we've probably all been taught, but half.
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And hafta, hafta.
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You have to read it, not have to, right?
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We have a different way of speaking very quickly.
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You have to read it.
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Let's say it together.
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You have to read it.
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Let me know if you want me to bring it for you on Friday.
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Let me know if you want me to bring it for you on Friday.
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So not let me, we have lemme, let me know.
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Let me know if you want me to bring it for you on Friday.
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We drop that T at the end of want as well.
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If you want me, want me.
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Okay.
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Anyway, no rush.
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Just give me a call when you get a chance.
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Okay?
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Okay?
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This tag question at the end,
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okay, is a rise in intonation there.
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And give me was not overly pronounced, but gimme, gimme.
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Anyway, no rush.
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Just gimme a call when you get a chance, okay?
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Hope everything's good on your end.
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Talk to you soon.
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hope everything's good on your end,
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your end, your end, those allied together,
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talk to you soon, talk to you,
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talk to you, not talk to you,
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but talk to you soon.
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Let's say that one more time together.
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Hope everything's good on your end, talk to you soon.
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Okay, awesome job.
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I'm now going to read the whole voicemail again in one take,
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and I want you to read along with me.
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This is also so you can come back to this video at any time and practice speaking along with me without stopping.
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Of course, you can still pause the video at any time.
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Hey, it's me.
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Just wanted to check in and see how you're doing.
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I haven't heard from you in a while,
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and I figured you've been busy.
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So I was thinking, are we still on for dinner this Friday?
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I found this great Italian place downtown and I think you'll love it.
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Oh, and one more thing.
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Do you remember that book I mentioned last week?
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I finally finished it and oh my gosh, it was amazing.
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You have to read it.
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Let me know if you want me to bring it for you on Friday.
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Anyway, no rush.
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Just give me a call when you get a chance, okay?
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Hope everything's good on your end.
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Talk to you soon.
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Okay guys, I hope you found this shadowing practice useful.
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Please let me know in the comments what you think and
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if you guys would like more videos like this for shadowing practice.
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The members on my channel actually voted for today's topic,
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so if you'd like to join our community of English learners and support the work I do here on my channel,
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click the join button below.
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Also, don't forget to like,
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subscribe, and turn on your notifications so you don't miss my future video lessons.
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Happy learning, guys, and I'll see you next time.
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Thank you.
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Context & Background
In the learning process of mastering the English language, implementing effective techniques can greatly enhance your skills. One such method, highlighted in the video, is shadowing. This technique enables language learners to mimic native speakers, thereby improving their pronunciation and fluency. The video features a friendly instructor who shares her experiences with the shadowspeaks method and demonstrates its effectiveness in a fun and interactive way. By listening and repeating in real-time, learners can build confidence and develop a more natural American accent.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- Hey, it's me. - A casual greeting that sets a friendly tone.
- Just wanted to check in. - A useful phrase for showing you care about someone's well-being.
- How are you doing? - A common inquiry to initiate conversations.
- Talk to you soon. - A perfect way to conclude a conversation casually.
- Hope you're having a great day! - A positive expression that brightens up communication.
Each of these phrases is essential for daily communication in English. Practicing them through the shadowing technique will help reinforce your speaking skills and make them feel more natural over time.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively utilize the shadowing technique demonstrated in the video, follow these simple steps:
- Prepare Your Space: Find a quiet place where you can focus without distractions. Gather water to keep your vocal cords ready.
- Listen Actively: Start by listening carefully to the instructor. Notice the pronunciation and intonation used in phrases.
- Begin Shadowing: As the speaker reads aloud, repeat immediately after them, mimicking their tone, speed, and rhythm. This is the essence of shadow speak.
- Practice Difficult Sounds: Pay special attention to challenging sounds or phrases. For example, notice how certain consonants may be dropped, as in "I just wanted."
- Rewind and Repeat: If you find any part difficult, don’t hesitate to pause and repeat phrases multiple times. This builds muscle memory in your speech.
Incorporating these steps in your English speaking practice will enhance your language skills and boost your confidence in conversing in English. By practicing shadowing techniques regularly, you'll see significant improvement in your pronunciation and fluency, making you sound more like a native speaker over time. Remember, consistent practice is key when you choose to learn English with YouTube resources!
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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