Shadowing Practice: Save Money or Spend on Experiences? Two Friends Debate | Learn English Naturally - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hi everyone and welcome to Coffee or Tea.
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Hi everyone and welcome to Coffee or Tea.
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The podcast where two friends disagree about everything.
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I'm Alex, also known as Alex the Adventurer.
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And I'm Jamie, also known as Jamie the Sensible.
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We're really happy you're here with us today.
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Yes!
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Grab your coffee or your tea and let's get started.
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So today's big question is this.
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Should you save your money or spend it on experiences?
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Think about trips, concerts, restaurants, adventures.
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Or think about your bank account growing every month.
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This is a question a lot of people think about.
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Especially when you see a cheap flight and you want to click buy.
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Or when you look at your savings and feel really proud.
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Before we start, we have a question for you, our listener.
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Are you a saver or a spender?
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Tell us in the comments.
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We read every single comment,
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so please write to us.
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And while you think about that, let's start the debate.
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You always want to spend money,
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Alex, so you go first.
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Ha!
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Yes, I will go first.
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Thank you, Jamie.
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Okay, so my side is clear.
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Spend money on experiences.
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In my opinion, experiences make life feel full and exciting.
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Tell me more.
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When I travel, I feel alive.
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I feel happy.
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Okay.
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A bank account doesn't give you that feeling.
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Hmm.
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So, my first reason is about memories.
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Go on.
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Experiences create memories.
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Money in a bank does not.
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That's a good point.
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For example, last year I went to Thailand with two friends.
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Really?
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It cost a lot of money,
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but I still talk about it every week.
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Okay.
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Those memories are with me forever.
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That's why I spent the money.
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I see.
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My second reason is about happiness.
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Okay.
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Research says experiences make people happier than buying things.
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Really?
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Yes.
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If you buy a new phone,
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you feel happy for maybe one week.
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That's true.
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But if you go to a concert,
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you feel happy before, during, and after.
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Hmm.
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Way...
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For me, that's a much better way to use money.
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Interesting.
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Because you get happiness three times, not just once.
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That's a good point, actually.
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And one more thing.
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Experiences connect you to other people.
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Hmm?
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When you travel or try new things, you meet new people.
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Go on.
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You have stories to share.
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You feel connected to the world.
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Okay.
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For instance, I went to a cooking class in Italy once.
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Oh, nice.
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I met people from six different countries in that one class.
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That does sound fun.
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From my point of view,
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saving money means missing those moments.
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Hmm.
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I see what you mean.
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Life is short.
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We don't know what comes next.
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That's true.
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So I say spend on experiences.
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Enjoy your life now.
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Okay.
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I hear you.
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But I really disagree.
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Ha!
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I knew you would.
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Okay.
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I have to disagree with Alex on this one.
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Surprise, surprise.
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For me, saving money is the smarter and safer choice.
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Hmm.
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It was...
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I'm not saying don't enjoy life.
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I love fun, too.
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Okay.
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But I think having money saved gives you real freedom.
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Hmm.
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My first reason is about security.
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Go on.
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Life is unpredictable.
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Anything can happen at any time.
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That's true.
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For example, you might lose your job suddenly.
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Hmm.
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Or your car might break down.
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Or you might get sick.
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Okay.
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If you have savings, you feel calm.
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You feel safe.
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That's a good point.
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But if you spent everything on trips, you have a problem.
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Yeah.
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The reason is, money in the bank is like a safety net.
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I see.
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My second reason is about future goals.
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Okay.
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Saving money helps you reach big goals in life.
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Like what?
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Like buying a house, starting a business, or retiring early.
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Hmm.
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Personally, I'd say those things bring long-term happiness.
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Interesting.
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A trip is great for one week.
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A home is great for 30 years.
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That's fair.
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Compared to one concert, a strong savings plan changes your whole life.
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Okay, I hear that.
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There's something else I want to add.
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Tell me more.
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Spending on experiences can become a bad habit.
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Really?
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Yes.
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Some people always want the next trip, the next adventure.
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Hmm.
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That's called the excitement cycle.
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You always need more.
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Interesting.
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The best thing about saving is that it builds discipline.
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Discipline?
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Yes.
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Discipline means controlling yourself and planning carefully.
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Hmm.
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Okay.
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If you ask me, discipline is more valuable than any single experience.
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That's a strong point, Jamie.
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Thank you.
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I believe a calm, secure life is a happy life.
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I'm not sure I fully agree, but I respect it.
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Okay, Jamie, you said saving gives you freedom.
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Yes, exactly.
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But I think spending on experiences also gives you freedom.
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How so?
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Freedom to explore, to grow,
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to discover who you are.
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I see your point, but that freedom costs money you may need later.
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True, but later is never certain.
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On the other hand, if you save now, later becomes more certain.
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That's fair You talked about memories I love memories too Right But you can make memories without spending a lot of money
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Give me an example A picnic in the park A road trip close to home A free concert That's true,
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however Those are smaller experiences Are smaller experiences less valuable?
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Okay, that's a good question,
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Jamie I think small, free experiences can be just as good.
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I agree with that, actually.
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But I still want the big trips, too.
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I'm not sure I agree that big trips are always worth the cost.
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But what about happiness?
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You said saving gives you calm.
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Yes, I believe calm is a form of happiness.
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For me, adventure is also a form of happiness.
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you're right about
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that we just have different kinds of happy exactly you're a
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calm happy person i'm an adventure happy person that's actually a perfect way to say it
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so here's my challenge what
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if you do both what do you mean save some money each month but also plan one great experience
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I see what you mean.
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That's called a balanced budget.
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Yes, you save and you live.
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That's true, however.
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Most people are not that disciplined.
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Maybe, but some people are.
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On the other hand, if you don't plan carefully, spending wins.
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Ha, spending winning sounds good to me.
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Of course it does, Alex.
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I see your point about discipline, though.
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It is important.
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And I see your point about experiences creating memories.
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So maybe we both have a piece of the answer.
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I think we can agree to disagree on the bigger question.
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Yes, maybe we both win this one.
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A rare moment.
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Enjoy it, Alex.
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Okay, let's do our language recap.
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Yes, this is the part where we teach you useful phrases.
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These are phrases you can use in real English conversations.
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Let's start with opinion phrases.
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The first one is in my opinion.
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I used this today.
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I said, in my opinion, experiences make life full.
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Use in my opinion when you want to share what you think.
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It's polite and natural.
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Try it this week.
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The next phrase is, I have to disagree.
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Jamie used this one.
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She said,
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I have to disagree with alex this is a polite way
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to say you don't agree with someone it doesn't sound rude it sounds honest
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and calm next is i see your point
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but we both use this one in the debate it means i understand you
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but i still disagree a little for example i see your point
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but saving money can feel boring it shows you are listening
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that's very important in a debate now let's talk about the
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phrase compared to i said compared to one concert a savings
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plan changes your life compared to helps you show a difference
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between two things for example compared to last year i saved more money Very useful in daily English.
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Next phrase is the reason is...
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This helps you explain why you think something.
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I used it today.
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I said the reason is money is like a safety net.
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A safety net means something that protects you if things go wrong.
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Try this phrase when you give reasons in English.
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And the last phrase is personally I'd say...
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I said this in the debate.
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Personally, I'd say saving brings happiness.
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This phrase means you are giving your own personal view.
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It makes your English sound more natural and confident.
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So we have six great phrases for you today.
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In my opinion, I have to disagree.
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I see your point, but...
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Compared to the reason is, personally, I'd say.
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Try to use at least two of these phrases this week.
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In a conversation, in an email,
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or even talking to yourself.
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Practicing alone is totally fine.
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We all do it.
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Now, our comment question for this episode is this.
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Are you a saver or a spender, and why?
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Tell us in the comments below.
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We want to know.
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And use one of today's phrases in your comment.
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For example, in my opinion,
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saving is better because… Or,
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personally, I'd say spending on experiences is worth it.
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We will read your comments and maybe talk about them next time.
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Speaking of next time, our next episode is a fun one.
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We're going to debate city life versus country life.
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I think you can already guess which side Alex will take.
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City life all the way.
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More adventures, more people, more food.
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And I will be defending the quiet, peaceful country life.
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It's going to be a great episode.
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Don't miss it.
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Thank you so much for listening today.
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You make this podcast worth doing every single week.
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Keep practicing your English.
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You are doing amazing.
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I'm Alex.
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Stay adventurous.
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And I'm Jamie.
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Stay sensible.
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Bye.
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Bye.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
Engaging with the debate in this podcast episode provides an excellent opportunity to improve your English speaking skills in a natural context. As Alex and Jamie discuss whether to save money or spend on experiences, listeners are exposed to authentic conversational exchanges.
Participating in discussions like these helps you practice articulating your thoughts, which is critical for your IELTS speaking practice. By using the shadow speak technique, you can mimic the speakers’ tone and rhythm, allowing you to enhance your fluency and confidence. Furthermore, sharing your opinion in the comments section encourages active engagement and offers a platform for applying what you’ve learned.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Throughout the dialogue, several key grammatical structures and expressions exemplify everyday conversational English. Here are a few to highlight:
- Comparative phrases: Alex frequently uses comparative structures such as "experiences make people happier than buying things." This construction helps weigh the pros and cons, a common requirement in effective speaking.
- Present simple for opinions: Expressions like “I think” and “my opinion is” signal personal perspectives, which are crucial for presenting arguments in discussions or debates.
- Use of anecdotes: Alex shares personal experiences, a compelling technique in speech that adds authenticity and relatability to your points, which can be particularly effective during the IELTS speaking test.
- Questions for engagement: Phrases such as “Think about...” or “Tell me more” invite deeper conversation, encouraging the listener to engage, a key skill in conversational English.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While shadowing this video, pay attention to certain words and phrases that might present challenges:
- Experience: The pronunciation can often lead to confusion, especially the second syllable (ex-PE-ri-ence). Use the shadowing technique to hear the subtle nuances in Alex's delivery.
- Memories: Be mindful of emphasizing the "mem" and softening the last syllable to sound more natural.
- Bank account: The phrase can be challenging due to the link between the words. Practice saying it as one smooth phrase to enhance your fluidity.
- Happiness: Make sure to focus on the vowel sounds; pay special attention to the 'h' sound at the beginning!
By being aware of these potential pitfalls in pronunciation, you can better articulate your thoughts, making your spoken English clearer and more effective. This awareness is essential for both daily interactions and formal settings, such as job interviews or presentations.
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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