Shadowing Practice: Repeat-After-Me + Shadowing Practice | Easily Confused Words in English - Learn English Speaking with Video

So you're interested in shadowing practice.

Whether this is your first time trying one of these, or if you clicked on this video because you've done my shadowing practice videos before,

welcome and let's jump right in.

English made easy with Claire.

Alright, so before we begin, what is shadowing?

It's really simple.

The way I do it in my shadowing practices is I give you a chance to repeat a phrase

or a sentence after me and then later you will say it at the same time as me.

And that is what shadowing is.

So after you've had a chance saying it on your own, repeating it slowly after me, you can then practice saying it at the same time as me,

matching my pronunciation, my intonation,

and my inflection, which all includes the stress of the words, the stress of the sentence,

and the way my voice moves native speaker from the US.

So if you're interested in achieving the American English accent, then you're in the right place.

And of course, it helps you with your overall pronunciation and speaking of the English language, but it's also going to help you with your confidence.

So next time you go to speak English, you're going to feel more and more confident with each shadowing practice.

So check out my shadowing practice playlist if you're interested in more after we finish today.

In today's video, I'm going to read a short story and focus on words that are easily confused,

easily mixed up by non -native English speakers.

So these are words that sound really similar

but they're not and a lot of non -native speakers find it difficult to even hear the difference between these words.

So I'm going to say them really slowly for you

and give you the chance to repeat and then of course we will shadow the whole story together.

So first repeat after me.

Thank you.

I usually shop for clothes online.

Thank you.

In American English, Even though you see a th in the word "close", you can hear that I don't pronounce the th.

clothes.

Close.

but yesterday I decided to go to my favorite store.

Thank you.

But yesterday, I decided to go to my favorite store.

Thank you.

Let's shadow this sentence together.

So say it with me.

Okay.

I usually shop for clothes online, but yesterday, I decided to go to my favorite store,

I used to shop there all the time.

Thank you.

I used to shop there all the time.

Thank you.

Back then, it was easier than shopping online.

you Thank you.

So here we have our first pair of words that sound very similar, but they are different.

"then" and "than".

then Thank you. than Thank you.

Back then, it was easier than shopping online.

Now, when I speak very quickly, it's more difficult to hear the difference between the two.

But if you can hear the difference and achieve the correct pronunciation slowly, then you will have

The knowledge of what you are saying and when you speak more quickly it will come across as the correct vowel sound.

So let's try it again.

Repeat after me.

Back then, it was easier than shopping online.

Thank you.

Now, you shadow these two sentences.

"I used to shop there all the time." Back then, it was easier than shopping online.

Great, let's keep going.

First, I tried on a dress.

Thank you.

First, I tried on a dress.

Thank you.

But it was so tight, I could hardly breathe.

but it was so tight I could hardly breathe.

Thank you.

I immediately took it off and took a deep breath.

Thank you.

I immediately took it off and took a deep breath.

Thank you.

So here we have breathe and breath.

These words look very similar, there's only one letter difference,

but to breathe, is the verb and breath is a noun.

So the verb has the e at the end.

Breathe breath So not only is the vowel sound different,

but the th sound is different as well.

For the verb: It's voiced.

Breathe.

the the Breathe.

And for the noun, it's unvoiced.

Breath.

Breath Let's shadow those two sentences now.

So say them with me.

First, I tried on a dress.

but it was so tight I could hardly breathe.

I immediately took it off.

and took a deep breath.

I tried on the size up.

Repeat.

I tried on the size up.

100

Thank you.

101

Thank you.

102

and it was much more loose and comfortable.

103

Thank you.

104

and it was much more loose and comfortable.

105

Thank you.

106

The word comfortable is often tricky for non -native speakers because it looks like it should be comfortable.

107

four syllables.

108

But in American English, we tend to say it with just three.

109

Com -f -ter -ble.

110

comfortable.

111

I thought, do I need to lose weight?

112

you Thank you.

113

Thank you.

114

Thank you.

115

I thought, do I need to lose weight?

116

Thank you.

117

Thank you.

118

So in this section we have Loose. and lose Loose.

119

Thank you.

120

Lose.

121

The difference here is the unvoiced ssss sound, and the voiced Zzzz.

122

Thank you.

123

Loose.

124

unvoiced.

125

Lose.

126

voiced.

127

Okay, let's shadow these two sentences.

128

I tried on the size up.

129

and it was much more loose and comfortable.

130

Thank you.

131

I thought, "Do I need to lose weight?" I wasn't sure the dress fit me right.

132

Thank you.

133

I wasn't sure the dress fit me right.

134

Thank you.

135

Thank you and the material seemed too light.

136

Thank you.

137

Thank you.

138

Thank you.

139

Thank you.

140

and the material seemed too light.

141

Good, so here we have right and light.

142

And many people struggle with the difference between the /r / sound and the /l / sound in American English.

143

Both are quite far back in the throat, but you don't necessarily need to place them far back in the throat.

144

It will be the position of your tongue that determines these two sounds.

145

To create the R sound, er, The back of the tongue should be touching the roof of your mouth.

146

Rrrr.

147

Prrr.

148

You don't need to press the tongue, but it's just lightly arched up in the back.

149

/r /, /r /, and the tip. is down.

150

For the 'l' sound, Or The tip is touching the back of your front teeth.

151

Oh.

152

"L" and the back of your tongue is down.

153

So not lifted like in er, but down.

154

L. R.

155

Oh.

156

Uh...

157

Oh.

158

So I would focus on the position of the back of the tongue to differentiate between these two consonant sounds.

159

So repeat after me.

160

write 'light' Let's shadow the sentence together.

161

Say it with me.

162

I wasn't sure the dress fit me right.

163

and the materials seem too light.

164

You'll notice when I speak it more naturally and within the sentence a little bit faster, I drop the T's at the end.

165

It's a stopped T sound in American English.

166

right light.

167

Write Light.

168

I thought about trying on more dresses,

169

I thought about trying on more dresses, Thank you.

170

But I was getting tired.

171

but I was getting tired.

172

Thank you.

173

I think I'll stick to shopping online.

174

Thank you.

175

I think I'll stick to shopping online.

176

Thank you.

177

Let's shadow these two sentences.

178

I thought about trying on more dresses, but I was getting tired.

179

I think I'll stick to shopping online.

180

Alright, let's say the whole story without stopping.

181

together.

182

So you are going to shadow me

183

and you can repeat this part of the video as many times as you need until these words,

184

especially the ones that sound very similar but aren't, feel comfortable, to you.

185

You feel confident saying them and you can hear the difference not only in my speech but in your speech as well.

186

Okay, here we go.

187

I usually shop for clothes online.

188

But yesterday, I decided to go to my favorite store.

189

I used to shop there all the time.

190

Back then, it was easier than shopping online.

191

First, I tried on a dress, but it was so tight I could hardly breathe.

192

I immediately took it off and took a deep breath.

193

I tried on the size up and it was much more loose and comfortable.

194

I thought, Do I need to lose weight?

195

I wasn't sure the dress fit me right.

196

and the materials seem too light.

197

I thought about trying on more dresses.

198

but I was getting tired.

199

you I think I'll stick to shopping online.

200

Alright guys, so hopefully that shadowing practice was helpful, especially in hearing those

201

slight differences between words that are easily confused by non -native speakers go check out my other shadowing videos.

202

They're a huge request from my subscribers

203

and I appreciate all the feedback you guys give and I'm so glad that I'm able to help you with these videos.

204

You can help me out by clicking the thumbs up button below and of course subscribing to my channel.

205

If you have a request for something you'd like me to cover in an upcoming shadowing video, just like I did for this video, comment below.

206

I do try and read them all but I do give and reply to my channel members.

207

So if you're interested in becoming a member on my channel, click the join button below to learn more.

208

Thanks so much for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.

209

Bye for now, guys.

210

you Bye.

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Context & Background

In this video, the host introduces the concept of shadowing practice aimed at enhancing English pronunciation, speaking confidence, and overall communication skills. By allowing learners to repeat phrases and sentences, they are encouraged to pay attention to the nuances of American English, such as pronunciation, intonation, and stress patterns. This method not only helps in mastering the language but also prepares non-native speakers to overcome common challenges, particularly with words that are easily confused.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

Thank you. – A polite expression of gratitude.
I usually shop for clothes online. – A casual statement about shopping habits.
But yesterday, I decided to go to my favorite store. – Indicates a recent change in behavior.
I used to shop there all the time. – Shares past experiences related to shopping.
Back then, it was easier than shopping online. – Reflects on previous trends compared to current practices.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively use the shadowing technique presented in this video, follow these steps:

Listen Carefully: Begin by listening to the phrases being spoken. Take note of the pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm.
Repeat After Me: Use the repeat-after-me format to practice each sentence individually. Focus on mimicking the speaker's vocal patterns.
Practice Shadow Speech: After mastering individual phrases, attempt to say them simultaneously with the speaker. This step is crucial for developing fluidity and confidence.
Identify Easily Confused Words: Pay special attention to words that sound similar but have different meanings. For instance, "clothes" and "close" can often be mixed up by learners.
Utilize a Shadowing App: Consider using a shadowing app to enhance your practice further. These apps can offer additional resources, including audio recordings to fine-tune your English speaking skills.

By following this structured approach, you can significantly improve your ability to learn English with YouTube content effectively. Remember, consistent practice using the shadowing technique will not only enhance your pronunciation but also build your speaking confidence, allowing you to engage in conversations with ease.

Grammar in this video

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

Structure	In the video
“Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true	used to shop
Comparatives -er than / more … than — comparing two things	easier than
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	was getting
Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea	should be

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 →

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