Shadowing Practice: Real Life English Questions Practice For Beginners (A1-B1) | English Podcast - Learn English Speaking with Video

Can you understand English but freeze when someone asks you a question?

You know the words, but your mind goes blank.

Your heart beats fast.

You panic.

Today, that stops.

Welcome to Speak Up Sessions English Podcast, where we help you speak English with confidence, not fear.

Hello everyone!

Welcome back to Speak Up Sessions English Podcast.

I'm Masu, your English teacher and friend.

Today we have something very special for you.

We're going to practice asking and answering questions in English.

Real questions you hear every single day.

Questions at restaurants, with friends, at work, while traveling, everywhere.

And joining me today is my good friend, Fizu.

Fizu, how are you feeling today?

Hi Masu!

Hi everyone!

To be honest, I'm a little nervous.

I always get confused when people ask me questions in English.

Sometimes I understand the question, but I don't know how to answer quickly.

My brain just… stops working.

That's very common, Fizu.

You're not alone.

Millions of English learners feel exactly the same.

But here's the good news.

Asking and answering questions is a skill, and skills can be learned.

Today, you and I will practice together, step by step.

We'll make mistakes, we'll laugh, we'll learn.

And by the end of this session, you'll feel much more confident.

Are you ready?

Yes, I'm ready.

Let's do this.

Perfect.

And to everyone watching right now, grab your headphones, relax, and listen carefully.

This is your listening practice.

This is your speaking practice.

This podcast will help you improve your fluency naturally.

Let's start.

Okay, Fizu, let's begin with something very simple.

I'm going to ask you some basic questions.

Just answer naturally, okay?

Don't think too much.

Just speak.

Okay, I'll try.

Great.

First question.

What's your name?

My name is Fizu.

Perfect.

See?

That was easy.

Next question.

Where are you from?

I am from...

I'm from Turkey.

Good try, but listen carefully.

Don't say, I'm from Turkey.

Say, I am from Turkey.

Or simply, I'm from Turkey.

You need the verb am.

Let's try again.

Where are you from?

I'm from Turkey.

Excellent.

Much better.

You see, small corrections make a big difference.

Now, next question.

How old are you?

I have 25 years old.

Ah, very common mistake.

In English, we don't say, I have 25 years old.

We say, I am 25 years old, or just, I'm 25.

The verb here is am, not have.

Try again.

I'm 25 years old.

Perfect.

Now you've got it.

Okay, one more question.

What do you do?

What do I do?

Um, I don't understand the question.

No problem.

What do you do means what is your job or what do you study?

It's a very common question in English.

So, what do you do, Fizu?

Oh, I understand now.

I'm a student.

I study engineering.

Wonderful.

You see, at first you didn't understand the question, but now you do.

And that's exactly how learning works.

You listen, you practice, you improve.

Great job, Fizu.

Thank you, Masu.

I feel a little better now.

You should feel confident.

And to everyone listening, did you notice how Fizu improved?

At first, he made small mistakes, but he kept trying.

He didn't give up.

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And now his answers sound natural and fluent.

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That's what practice does.

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So keep practicing, keep speaking, keep making mistakes.

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Mistakes are proof that you're learning.

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All right, Fizu, now we're going to practice some real-life situations.

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These are conversations you'll actually have in the real world.

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Ready?

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Yes, let's do it.

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Situation one.

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At a restaurant.

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Okay, imagine you're at a restaurant.

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I'm the waiter.

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I come to your table and say, good evening.

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Are you ready to order?

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Uh, yes.

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I want, I want a pizza, please.

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Good, but instead of I want, try saying I'd like or can I have.

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It sounds more polite.

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Let's try again.

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Are you Mehdi to order?

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Yes.

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I'd like a pizza, please.

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Perfect.

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Now I ask, what size?

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Small, medium, or large?

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Medium, please.

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Great.

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And then I ask, anything to drink?

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Yes.

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Can I have a cola?

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Excellent.

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You used, can I have.

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That's very polite.

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Now I say, of course, your order will be ready in 15 minutes.

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Thank you.

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See how easy that was?

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You ordered food in English like a pro.

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Let's try another situation.

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Situation two, talking to a friend.

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Now, imagine I'm your friend, we haven't seen each other for a long time.

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I call you and say, hey Fizu, how have you been?

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Hi Masu, I'm good, how are you?

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I'm great, thanks.

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So, what have you been up to lately?

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What have I been up to?

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Um, I don't know this phrase.

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No problem.

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What have you been up to means what have you been doing.

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It's a very common question among friends.

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So, what have you been doing lately?

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Oh, I've been studying English every day, and I've been watching English podcasts like this one.

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That's awesome, Fizu.

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I'm so proud of you.

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Now, let me ask, do you want to meet up this weekend?

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Yes, I'd love to.

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Where should we meet?

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How about the coffee shop near your house?

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Sounds good.

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What time?

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Is 3 p.m okay for you?

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Yes.

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3 p.m is perfect.

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See you then.

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Perfect.

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You just had a full conversation with a friend in English.

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You asked questions, you answered questions, you made plans.

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That's real-life English.

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Situation 3.

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Shopping.

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Now, let's imagine you're shopping for clothes.

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I'm the shopkeeper.

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I say, hi, can I help you?

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Yes.

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I'm looking for a jacket.

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Great.

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What size are you?

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I'm size medium.

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Perfect.

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What color do you prefer?

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Do you have black?

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Yes, we do.

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Here's a black jacket in size medium.

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Would you like to try it on?

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Yes, please.

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Where is the fitting room?

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It's right over there, on your left.

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Thank you.

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Excellent, Fizu.

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You asked, where is the fitting room?

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That's a perfect question.

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Now, imagine the jacket fits you well.

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I ask, how does it fit?

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It fits perfectly.

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How much is it?

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It's $50.

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Okay, I'll take it.

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Wonderful.

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You just bought a jacket in English.

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You asked about size, color, price, and location.

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These are very useful questions in real life.

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Okay, next situation.

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Imagine you're lost in a new city.

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You need to ask for directions.

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I'm a stranger on the street.

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You come up to me.

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What do you say?

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Um, excuse me?

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Yes?

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Can you help me?

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I'm looking for the train station. Of course.

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Go straight down this road, then turn left at the traffic light.

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You'll see the station on your right.

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Go straight, then turn left at the traffic light.

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Exactly.

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How far is it?

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It's about a 10-minute walk.

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Okay.

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Thank you so much.

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You're welcome.

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Perfect, Fizu.

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You asked for help.

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You repeated the directions to make sure you understood, and you asked how far is it.

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That's a very smart question when you're traveling.

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Great job!

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Okay, last situation.

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Imagine you're at a party.

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You meet someone new.

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I'll be that person.

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I say, hi, I don't think we've met before.

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I'm Masu.

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Hi Masu.

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I'm Fizu.

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Nice to meet you.

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Nice to meet you, too.

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So, how do you know the host?

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He's my classmate.

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We study together.

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How about you?

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He's my colleague.

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We work together.

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So, what do you do, Fizu? do fisu i'm a student i study engineering oh that's

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interesting what year are you in i'm in my third year

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nice do you enjoy it yes i do it's challenging

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but i like it what about you what do you do

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i'm an english teacher i run a podcast called speak up english podcast oh

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that sounds amazing i love learning english that's great to hear we should exchange contact information

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Maybe we can practice English together sometime.

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Yes, I'd love that.

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Fantastic.

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You just made a new friend in English.

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You asked questions, you shared information, you showed interest.

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That's how real conversations work.

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Alright everyone, now it's time for our Listen and Repeat section.

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This is where you practice speaking out loud.

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I'll say a sentence slowly, and I want you to repeat after me.

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Fizu will repeat too.

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Ready?

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Let's go.

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What's your name?

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What's your name?

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Good.

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Again.

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What's your name?

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What's your name?

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Perfect.

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Next one.

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Where are you from?

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Where are you from?

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Excellent.

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Again, where are you from?

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Where are you from?

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Great.

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Next, how old are you?

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How old are you?

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Good.

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One more time.

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How old are you?

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How old are you?

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Perfect.

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Now this one.

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What do you do?

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What do you do?

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Excellent.

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Again, what do you do?

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Great job.

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Next sentence, I'd like a coffee, please.

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Perfect.

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Again, I'd like a coffee, please.

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Wonderful.

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Now this one, can you help me?

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Good.

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One more time, can you help me?

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Excellent.

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Last one.

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Nice to meet you.

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Nice to meet you.

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Perfect.

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Again, nice to meet you.

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Nice to meet you.

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Amazing work, everyone.

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If you repeated all of these sentences out loud, you just practiced your speaking.

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That's how you build fluency, by speaking, not just listening.

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Great job.

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Now, let's talk about some very useful words and phrases from today's lesson.

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I'll explain each one in simple English, and Fizu will ask questions if needed.

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Ready?

306

Yes, ready.

307

Word one, freeze.

308

When you freeze, it means you suddenly stop moving or thinking because you're scared or nervous.

309

Example, I freeze when someone asks me a question in English.

310

Oh, I do this all the time.

311

I freeze when I have to speak English.

312

Exactly, and that's completely normal.

313

But with practice, you'll stop freezing and start speaking confidently.

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Word two.

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Confused.

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When you're confused, it means you don't understand something.

317

You feel unclear.

318

Example, I was confused by the question.

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Yes, I feel confused sometimes when people speak English very fast.

320

That's okay.

321

When you feel confused, just say, I'm sorry, I didn't understand.

322

Can you repeat that, please?

323

Phrase three.

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I'd like.

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This is a polite way to say, I want.

326

We use I'd like in restaurants, shops, formal situations.

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I'd like a cup of tea, please.

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So I'd like is more polite than I want.

329

Exactly.

330

I want is not rude, but I'd like sounds more polite and respectful.

331

Phrase 4.

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How have you been?

333

This is a friendly question we ask when we meet someone after a long time.

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It means, how are you doing?

335

Or, what's new in your life?

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So I can say, how have you been to a friend I haven't seen in a long time?

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Yes, perfect.

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Phrase 5, what have you been up to?

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This is another way to ask, what have you been doing?

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It's very common in casual conversations.

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I like this phrase.

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It sounds natural.

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It does.

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And now you can use it with your English-speaking friends.

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Phrase 6.

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Fitting room.

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This is the small room in a clothing store where you try on clothes before you buy them.

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Oh, in my language we say something different, but in English it's fitting room.

349

Exactly.

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So if you want to try on clothes, ask, where is the fitting room?

351

Phrase 7.

352

Excuse me.

353

We use excuse me to get someone's attention or to say sorry.

354

Example, excuse me, can you help me?

355

This is very useful when I need to ask for directions.

356

Absolutely.

357

Always start with excuse me when you talk to strangers.

358

It's polite and respectful.

359

Alright, Fizu, now it's quiz time.

360

I'm going to ask you some questions based on what we learned today.

361

Let's see how much you remember.

362

Ready?

363

Yes, I'm a little nervous, but I'll try my best.

364

Don't worry.

365

There are no wrong answers here.

366

Just try your best.

367

Okay, first question.

368

How do you ask someone's name in English?

369

Um, what's your name?

370

Perfect.

371

Correct.

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Next question.

373

If you want to order food politely at a restaurant, what do you say?

374

I say, I'd like, right?

375

Yes, exactly.

376

I'd like a pizza, please.

377

Great job.

378

Next question.

379

What does freeze mean?

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Freeze means you stop thinking or moving because you're nervous.

381

Excellent.

382

You remembered.

383

Okay.

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One more question.

385

If you meet a friend you haven't seen for a long time, what can you ask?

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Um, how have you been?

387

Perfect!

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Or you can say, what have you been up to?

389

Both are correct.

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You passed the quiz, Fizu!

391

Well done!

392

Yay!

393

Thank you, Masu!

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Alright, everyone.

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Before we finish today's session, I want to share five very important speaking tips with you.

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These tips will help you improve your English faster and feel more confident.

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Are you ready?

398

Yes, I want to hear these tips.

399

Great!

400

Here we go!

401

Tip 1.

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Don't be afraid to make mistakes.

403

Mistakes are not your enemy.

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Mistakes are your teacher.

405

Every time you make a mistake, you learn something new.

406

So speak English, even if you're not perfect.

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Speak with confidence.

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But sometimes I feel embarrassed when I make mistakes.

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I understand.

410

But remember, everyone makes mistakes.

411

Even native speakers make mistakes.

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The important thing is to keep trying.

413

Don't let fear stop you from speaking.

414

Tip 2.

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Practice every single day.

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You don't need to practice for three hours a day.

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Even 10 or 15 minutes is enough.

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Watch English videos.

419

Listen to English podcasts like this one.

420

Repeat sentences out loud.

421

Speak to yourself in English.

422

The key is consistency.

423

So every day is better than one long session per week.

424

Exactly.

425

Daily practice builds fluency much faster.

426

Tip 3.

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Think in English, not in your native language.

428

When you speak English, don't translate word by word from your native language.

429

That makes your sentences sound unnatural.

430

Instead, try to think directly in English.

431

At first it's difficult, but with practice it becomes easier.

432

How can I practice thinking in English?

433

Start small.

434

When you see an object, say its name in English.

435

When you do something, describe it in English.

436

For example, I'm drinking water.

437

I'm walking.

438

I'm happy.

439

This trains your brain to think in English.

440

Tip 4.

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Listen to native speakers and copy them.

442

Watch English movies, TV shows, podcasts, YouTube videos.

443

Listen to how native speakers talk.

444

Pay attention to their pronunciation, their rhythm, their intonation.

445

Then try to copy them.

446

This is called shadowing, and it's very effective.

447

So I should repeat what they say?

448

Yes, repeat after them.

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Try to sound like them.

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It's a fun and powerful way to improve your speaking.

451

Tip 5.

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Be patient with yourself.

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Learning English takes time.

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You won't become fluent in one day, one week, or even one month.

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But if you practice every day, you will improve.

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Celebrate small wins, be kind to yourself, and never give up.

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Thank you, Masu.

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These tips are really helpful.

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I'm so glad, Fizu.

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And to everyone watching, I hope you write down these tips and use them in your English learning journey.

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Alright, Fizu, we've practiced a lot today.

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Let's quickly summarize what we learned.

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Can you tell me what we talked about?

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Yes.

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We practiced asking and answering questions in English.

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We learned how to introduce ourselves, how to order food at a restaurant, how to ask for directions, how to talk to friends, and how to meet new people.

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We also learned useful vocabulary like freeze, confused, I'd like, and fitting room.

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And we got five amazing speaking tips.

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Perfect summary, Fizu.

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You remembered everything.

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I'm so proud of you.

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How do you feel now?

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Honestly, I feel much more confident.

474

At the beginning, I was nervous.

475

But now I feel like I can ask and answer questions in English without being so afraid.

476

That's exactly what I wanted to hear.

477

And to everyone watching, I hope you feel the same way.

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Remember, asking and answering questions is a skill.

479

The more you practice, the easier it becomes.

480

So don't be afraid.

481

Don't overthink.

482

Just speak.

483

Thank you so much for joining us today on Speak Up Sessions English podcast.

484

I'm Masu, and this was Fizu.

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We had an amazing time practicing English with you.

486

I hope you learned something new, I hope you feel more confident, and most importantly, I hope you enjoyed this session.

487

Thank you for watching, everyone.

488

Keep practicing, keep learning, and don't give up.

489

Before you go, I have one small request.

490

If you enjoyed this video, please hit the subscribe button.

491

Turn on the notification bell so you never miss a new lesson.

492

Share this video with your friends who are learning English.

493

And leave a comment below telling us what you learned today.

494

We love reading your comments.

495

And remember, every day you practice, you get better.

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Exactly.

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English is not about being perfect.

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English is about communication, connection, and confidence.

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So speak English every day.

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Make mistakes, learn from them, and keep moving forward.

501

You can do this.

502

Yes, you can.

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Until next time, keep speaking, keep learning, and keep believing in yourself.

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This is Speak Up Sessions English podcast.

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See you in the next video.

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Bye, everyone.

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Bye.

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 Practice: Real Life English Questions Practice For Beginners (A1-B1) | English Podcast - Learn English Speaking with Video

Context & Background

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

What is the Shadowing Technique?