Shadowing Practice: Practise Speaking With Me! [English Imitation lesson] - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
60 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Well hey there I'm Emma from mmmEnglish.
2
It's the start of a new year, I've got new hair and I'm really excited about all of the new English lessons that I have in store for you and what I want most for you this year is that this is the year where you start to feel more confident and more natural when you speak English like you can finally be yourself in English.
3
I'll be here all year to help you and we're kicking off with some speaking practice so you're going to practise speaking with me right now out loud okay.
4
We're going to work on your pronunciation, connected speech, your tone and facial expressions to help you be more expressive in English.
5
We're going to be talking about goals and intentions for the year ahead and there's lots of useful phrases and expressions. You'll get to hear them being used naturally and in context.
6
By the way, what are your goals or your plans for the year ahead?
7
Let me know down in the comments.
8
If you want to, go and grab the PDF download that I've created for you, it's got the script that we're going to use through this whole lesson so you can practise easily at home and you'll also have all of the really natural expressions, the phrases that are helpful to talk about this topic.
9
If you're already on the mmmEnglish mailing list then don't worry, I've already sent this to you, it's in your inbox.
10
Go check it.
11
We are using the imitation technique today and that's going to help you to develop your speaking and your listening skills.
12
Both of them are really important if you want to speak clearly and be understood. The focus is on natural pronunciation, word stress, connected speech and tone that's going to help you to be more expressive.
13
If you've done one of my imitation lessons before you probably already know how this works, it's pretty simple once you know it.
14
So if you've done it before, jump straight ahead to this time stamp and you can start practising right now.
15
If this is your first time, then I'll explain the three simple steps you need to follow really quickly.
16
The first one is you'll just need to listen to me.
17
You can read the words on screen, it's just to get a feel for the story.
18
Step two is where things get interesting, you'll listen to the same story again but there'll be a pause after each clause or sentence and you'll get to repeat after me.
19
And the last step is where you'll shadow me. You'll be speaking at the same time as me.
20
Now pronunciation is important here but it's not the only thing that we're focusing on. I also want you to pay attention to my facial expressions, my body language, all of these things are part of confident and effective communication.
21
All things that you can work on with me through this video to help you feel and to sound more relaxed when you speak.
22
Step one, just listen first.
23
Throughout my twenties, I regularly made New Year's resolutions. I was obsessed!
24
But I hardly ever kept them for longer than a few weeks.
25
I'd reach the end of January and feel disappointed or annoyed that I'd let my bad habits creep back in.
26
I'd say to myself "Wow, you didn't even last a month!" And then year after year I'd get more and more disappointed with myself and eventually, I just stopped making resolutions.
27
It seemed pointless but I think that's a shame!
28
I love the optimism and the hope that a new year brings.
29
It's a fresh start, a clean slate.
30
So, I've been listening to podcasts and talking to my friends about their plans and their goals for the year ahead, and I've decided to try a new strategy this year.
31
Instead of setting goals and setting intentions for myself and there's an important difference between the two, instead of focusing on the endpoint, the result, I'm going to focus on the behaviours that I need to adopt to get there.
32
So, for example, one intention I have for myself this year is to take better care of myself, physically, mentally and spiritually.
33
Now the old me would say: Okay what do I need to do to make this happen?
34
Ah! I know, I'll set a goal to meditate for 10 minutes every morning and I'll always take Sundays off so that I have some time for myself.
35
But these goals really just set me up for failure.
36
If I accidentally sleep in or skip a morning meditation, I suddenly feel like I've failed.
37
Instead, I can use my intentions to help make good decisions that are going to lead me towards the outcome I want.
38
Like, would someone who's taking care of themselves say "yes" to a late-night meeting just because it was more convenient for the other person in their time zone?
39
Probably not.
40
I'm hoping that being intentional with the decisions that I make can help me to take better care of myself this year.
41
Okay you've listened to the story now.
42
It's your turn to speak so you're going to follow along with me, repeat what I say after me.
43
There's going to be a little pause where you can imitate exactly what I say.
44
When you're listening, pay attention to word stress, to the tone and to the pronunciation the way that words link and connect together. Try to practise, try to copy those.
45
Step two, listen and imitate.
46
Step three is a little more challenging but I think you're ready for it.
47
If you want to, you can head back to step two and do it over again if you want do it again and again until you feel comfortable, do it as many times as you like, no one's gonna know.
48
So in step three we are shadowing okay? You're gonna listen but you're also gonna speak at the same time as me.
49
You may get a little bit tongue-tied, that's okay, don't worry.
50
Shadowing me is the best way to copy the rhythm, and the tone that I'm using which is, really, really important in English.
51
Step three, shadow me.
52
Hey you did it! Awesome work!
53
Now you get to speak about your new year's intentions with clarity and with confidence.
54
Don't forget that you can grab the PDF download that I made you, it's got the script to make it easy to practise at home.
55
You can also save this video just so that you can redo it, replay it a few more times again and again.
56
See if you can play around with some of the ideas that I shared through this lesson and make it your own, add your own goals and plans for the future.
57
The more that you practise, the better you'll get and you've got every opportunity right now at this time of year to practise talking about this topic so make sure you do And you can keep practising your natural expression and your pronunciation with me right here in this lesson, it's all about connected speech.
58
I'll see you in that lesson, have a wonderful year ahead.
59
I can't wait to share all of the lessons I've got in store for you.
60
I'll see you again soon!
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
B11
Small Talk | Useful Phrases & Questions for Everyday Conversation
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
Speaking Practice Lesson | Tell A Great Story in English
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2199
Quick English Shadowing Practice
Business EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B14
How to SOUND Better in English! | Pronunciation Lesson
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B13
How to answer 'How was your weekend?' (without sounding boring!)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
Prepositions of PLACE 👉 IN / ON / AT / BY 👈 Common English Grammar Mistakes
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B17
Shadow Me & Learn Phrasal Verbs for Shopping!
Travel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
B1How To Talk About MONEY 💰 English Conversation & Vocabulary
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
Practice phrasal verbs in conversation | Speak naturally with me!
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B16
Conversation Lesson | How To Be Polite & Show Respect in English
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
Speak With Me | English Speaking Practice
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B218
Speaking English On Your Own | Shadow Me Every Day
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
Business English | Imitation Lesson | Idioms & Vocabulary
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B14
Speaking Practice For B1 (intermediate) | English Imitation Lessons
Interview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B25
Advanced Speaking Practice (Persuasive Techniques)
Interview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B14
Lesson 2 - Speak English Clearly! The Imitation Technique
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B22
English Phrases for Daily Conversation (Practice Small Talk!)
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
C13
The Present Perfect Tense | English Grammar Lesson
Cambridge Exam PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B19
Advanced speaking practice: English Imitation Lesson
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
Common English Phrases to Keep Your Conversation Going!
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B22
82 sentences
English Speaking Practice | Advanced Imitation Lesson
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B124
874 sentences
Train Your Mouth to Talk || Graded Reader || Speak Fluently English ✅️
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B14
377 sentences
Speak Like an American: Accent & Pronunciation Training 🇺🇸
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B12
329 sentences
LET’S PRACTICE YOUR ENGLISH?
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B11
29 sentences
Bonus Practice: #102 Getting organised (Med) | SBS Learn English
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B14
131 sentences
Repeat-After-Me + SHADOWING English Speaking Practice
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B14
420 sentences
Speak With Me: Realistic English Speaking Practice
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B116
410 sentences
How to Practice English Alone Every Day (Only 15 Minutes!)
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B12
194 sentences
Learning English Through Speaking Practice Lessons | Shadowing English Conversation ✨
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B110
423 sentences
Read out loud with me! Practice vocabulary, pronunciation and connected speech | The Housemaid
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B14
689 sentences
Copy Me! The Secret to Clear, Confident English Speaking
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
Context & Background
In this engaging English lesson, Emma introduces a new year's theme focusing on personal goals and intentions. The session emphasizes the importance of confident communication in English, particularly through speaking and imitation practice. By addressing aspects like pronunciation, connected speech, and even non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and body language, learners are guided to become not only better speakers but more expressive communicators. The use of the shadowspeak technique allows learners to develop their speaking and listening abilities effectively, making it a perfect opportunity for those preparing for exams like the IELTS speaking practice.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “I’ve decided to try a new strategy.” - A great way to express intentions or plans.
- “It seemed pointless.” - Useful for discussing feelings of discouragement.
- “I love the optimism a new year brings!” - A positive statement to use when talking about fresh starts.
- “I’m hoping that…” - A phrase that helps express aspirations or goals.
- “It’s a clean slate.” - A metaphor to discuss new beginnings.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To maximize your learning experience, follow these three simple steps using the shadowing technique introduced in Emma's lesson. This method will help you become more comfortable with speaking English and improve your fluency.
- Listen First: Start by listening to Emma's story without repeating anything. Focus on understanding the overall message and get familiar with the content.
- Listen and Imitate: Replay the audio, pausing after each clause or sentence. Repeat exactly what Emma says, paying close attention to the pronunciation and tone. This is the core of the shadowspeaks method, where you start to develop your own speaking skills.
- Shadow Together: For the final step, listen and speak at the same time as Emma. Though this may be challenging, it will significantly enhance your ability to replicate the rhythm and intonation of native speakers. Don't worry about making mistakes; it’s a natural part of learning!
This structured shadow speak process not only enhances pronunciation and word stress but also boosts your confidence when communicating in English. Remember, practice makes perfect, and repeating these steps will lead you toward greater fluency in your English speaking abilities!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've created · I've already sent · you've done |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | practise speaking · start practising · stopped making |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | you're going to practise · We're going to be · we're going to use |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | I'll be · You'll get · you'll also have |
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.