Shadowing Practice: Scared to speak English? ⏲️ 6 Minute English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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I'm Pippa.
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And I'm Beth.
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Have you ever been scared of speaking in English?
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In this episode, we're talking about why speaking in a foreign language can be so stressful.
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So Pippa, do you ever get nervous speaking in a different language?
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Yes, I learned French when I was younger and I was actually quite good at it,
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I think, but I was really nervous when I was speaking French.
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How about you?
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Yeah, I've always felt like that with Spanish.
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I am scared to speak because I don't want to make mistakes,
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even though I know it's okay to make mistakes.
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Well, in this episode of Six Minute English will be hearing about how to feel less nervous when you speak English.
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And as usual, we'll be learning some useful new words and phrases.
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You can practice these with the quiz and worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
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But first, I have a question for you, Pippa.
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So English has around one million words,
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but on average, how many words does a typical English speaker use in daily conversation?
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Is it A between 2,000 and 3,000,
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B between 20,000 and 30,000,
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or C between 200,000 and 300,000?
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I'm going to say A, 2,000 to 3,000.
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OK, well we will find out later in the programme.
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Now Pippa, you said you found it stressful speaking in French even though you are quite good at it.
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Now someone else who has had this experience is Hanan Razak.
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Hanan is a journalist at BBC Arabic and also host of the podcast Beating Speaking Anxiety.
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Here she is telling BBC Learning English presenter Georgie about speaking English.
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My English was actually pretty good but having conversations with people I found it really difficult.
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So when I first joined the BBC the learning English team made an assessment of my English level
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which they used to do for all new joiners to see if they need any help or courses.
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My results were pretty good and I was fluent but on
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that very same day leaving the building
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and going to get some coffee I couldn't really understand what the barista was saying
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and I felt pretty nervous to order coffee and was trying to stress every single word,
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hoping that my grammar is correct and I'm pronouncing the words right.
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Yeah, I'm sure that's a situation lots of people can relate to.
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Hanan's results on her English assessment were pretty good,
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but she was still pretty nervous to speak in English,
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for example, when ordering a coffee in English.
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The modifier pretty means quite or a bit.
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Georgie says that Hanan's experience is something that lots of people can relate to.
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If you relate to a situation,
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you know what it feels like,
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usually because a similar thing has happened to you.
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So lots of people feel nervous speaking another language,
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even if they're good at it, like Hanan.
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We can call this speaking anxiety.
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Anxiety means an uncomfortable feeling or worry about something that is happening or could happen in the future.
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So why do so many people have anxiety about speaking a foreign language?
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Experts think it's connected to the beliefs we have about ourselves.
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Han Luuo, professor of Chinese at Lafayette College in the United States,
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explains more to BBC Learning English presenter Georgie.
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You know, usually the beliefs that cause anxiety,
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especially severe anxiety, are, we call it irrational beliefs.
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And also like some low self-perceptions,
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fear of negative evaluation, all those learner internal, you know, factors.
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And Han says that learners worry about mistakes because they're scared of negative evaluation.
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In other words, that people will judge them for their mistakes and think badly of them.
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Han argues that irrational beliefs can make us anxious.
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Irrational beliefs are beliefs that aren't based on things that are true.
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They're not logical.
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Han says some people who have speaking anxiety have low self-perceptions.
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Your self-perception is what you think about yourself.
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Self-perception and irrational beliefs are both internal factors.
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They come from inside your head,
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not from the people around you.
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So, for example, when you speak your first language,
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you might feel confident and intelligent.
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But when you speak in a new language,
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you make mistakes and feel less confident.
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You can't show people what you're really like, and this is frustrating.
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But as we tell people all the time at BBC Learning English, mistakes are normal.
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You have to try to speak even though you make mistakes.
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And mistakes can be a good thing.
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They can help us learn.
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And if you want more tips to improve your speaking,
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listen to the Beating Speaking Anxiety podcast.
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There's a link in the notes below this episode.
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But Beth, I think it's time for the answer to your quiz question.
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Yes, I asked you how many words does the average English speaker use in daily communication?
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The answer is 20 to 30,000.
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That's quite a lot.
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Yeah, that's loads.
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Okay, let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt.
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Pretty can be used as a modifier to mean quite or a bit.
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If you relate to a person or situation,
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you understand them, usually because you've experienced something similar.
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Anxiety is feeling uncomfortable or worried about something that is happening or could happen in the future.
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Irrational beliefs are beliefs about something that is not true.
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They're not logical.
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Self-perception is the way you see yourself.
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And internal means inside the body or mind.
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Once again, our six minutes are up,
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but if you'd like to find out more about speaking anxiety,
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then head over to our website,
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bbclearningenglish.com, to find our Beating Speaking Anxiety series.
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There are podcasts about the things we find scary when speaking a different language,
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and videos with tips to help you feel more confident with speaking.
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Thanks for joining us and goodbye.
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Goodbye.
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Bye!

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Feeling nervous about speaking English is a common experience for many learners, as discussed in the "6 Minute English" episode. This video highlights that even fluent speakers can feel anxious when engaging in everyday conversations, such as ordering coffee. By practicing with real-life scenarios, you can build your confidence and reduce anxiety. Speaking practice is essential not just for fluency but also for improving your overall communication skills. This video provides a fantastic opportunity to shadow speak, where you mimic the speakers' intonation and rhythm in real-time. This method helps you improve your English pronunciation and allows you to internalize phrases and vocabulary naturally. Furthermore, there are quizzes and worksheets available on the website, providing structured practice that can be used alongside this video.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the dialogue, several key phrases and structures emerge that can enhance your speaking abilities:

  • “I was actually quite good at it” - This structure emphasizes the speaker's self-assessment, which can also convey modesty in English. Using “actually” adds a layer of honesty to your statements.
  • “I found it really difficult” - This expression effectively communicates challenges. Practicing how to articulate your difficulties can make conversations more relatable.
  • “I was trying to stress every single word” - This phrase highlights the common tendency of learners to overthink pronunciation. Learning to speak fluidly while maintaining grammatical accuracy is vital for effective communication.

Each of these expressions can serve as powerful tools in your IELTS speaking practice or any conversational context.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While practicing with this video, pay attention to certain pronunciations that often trip up English learners:

  • “Barista” - The correct pronunciation features a softer ‘r’ sound, which can be challenging for speakers from certain languages.
  • “Pretty” - This word is often pronounced quickly in conversation, which can lead to misunderstandings if not practiced correctly.
  • “Anxiety” - The stress on the second syllable can confuse learners; practicing this term can help you articulate similar words that carry emotional connotations.

By focusing on these common pitfalls, you can better your chances of sounding natural in your speech. Use shadowing techniques to improve English pronunciation by mimicking the native speakers in the video to master these tricky pronunciations consistently.

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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