Shadowing Practice: SELF INTRODUCTION | How to introduce yourself in English (confidently) | Easy-to-use templates - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Hey guys, welcome to Lingua Marina.

Today we're going to talk about introductions.

I know they can be very difficult.

I recently attended a conference where everybody asked me, what do you do?

Where are you from?

Who are you?

Basically, today we're going to learn some phrases that are going to help you in this situation.

So please watch this video up to the very end

because we're not only going to go through phrases that you can use, we're also going to come up with little monologues

that you can use later on

and as a language learner what I've realized in the past

you know 20 years since I've started learning English I've realized

that memorizing certain templates and certain structures actually helps your brain a lot in stressful situations.

So the next time you interact with native speakers

and they ask you something you will have a template in your head that you can use right away.

So let's dive into introductions in English.

Now one of the things that you have to remember is that we typically divide our conversations into three different groups.

The first group is informal conversations.

Basically, you're chatting with your friend.

The second group, semi -formal.

And here, you know, it depends on where you are.

But for example, in the US, when I go to a creator's conference and meet people who represent brands or other creators,

I think it's semi -formal because we're not 100 % friends right away, but we're not too formal and when we talk about formal situations basically

when you interact with government officials or when you are interviewing for a job

so we're gonna go through phrases for all of these situations

so when you need to introduce yourself first thing is it a formal situation such as a business meeting

or is it an informal situation like a party back to the structure

we start the introduction with a greeting let's look at some phrases

that we might use in more formal situations greeting at the beginning of formal events for example business meetings

or interviews or formal dinners or even class use greetings like hello good morning good afternoon

and good evening

if it's an interview you can say good morning thank you for considering me for this role

then we have semi -formal greetings and this is where your mind can be free.

You can say hi there.

This is a slightly less formal way to say hello

but still more appropriate than just saying hey when you talk to your co -workers who you don't know very well.

Or you can just say morning.

It's a more casual way of saying good morning.

Informal greetings.

Now hi is obviously the most popular.

Then you can say hey, heya, hey there, what's up is my favorite how's it going how you're doing

it's common in more informal language to leave out small grammar

words in greetings how are you doing often changes to how you doing

which is more informal hey everyone i'm thrilled to join

this community now let's talk about general information of course the first thing

you want to talk about is your name

so you can say pleased to meet you my name is marina

or just i'm marina you can also say i don't think we've met may i introduce myself

or hello it's a pleasure to meet you i'm marina informal now it's funny

so a lot of people in the u .s know me as silicon valley girl

so sometimes i introduce myself it's kind of funny i tell people i'm silicon valley girl

and they're like oh yes i've seen your videos

but then i tell them you can call me marina this is my actual name

so if you have a nickname online and people might know you uh buy

that nickname feel free to use it it's kind of funny

that i have three personalities and sometimes when i realize

that the environment is very international i can say i'm lingua marina people like oh yay lingua marina

and some people still think my name is lingua

and i'm like no my name is marina

so you can call me marina i'm silicon valley girl but uh my friends call me Marina.

By the way, in North America, people often use first names right from the start and the mood is very relaxed.

This really surprised me when I first came to the US and, you know, was talking to formal venture investors and I'm like, yeah, I'm Sam.

I'm like, okay, mister.

No, no, no, Sam.

So everything is really informal and really relaxed.

That doesn't mean that people don't take this meeting seriously.

They do.

It's just the nature of formal and business communication in the US is very friendly.

In other places though, they might be more formal and use titles and last names until they get to know you better.

In the USA, there's an emphasis on personal space and this can affect greetings.

A firm handshake is standard, but respecting personal space is important.

Another fun story, I've recently met a very important businessman from India in the US and again, I'm used to this culture now,

so I did a firm handshake.

He was like, no. What you need to do is give me a hand like this, and I'm going to shake it gently.

Don't ever do the formal American handshake with Indians, right?

Because in India, the culture is completely different.

So I want you to understand that there are cultural differences, but don't think of them too much.

You will basically understand what's going on once you are in the situation.

And that Indian businessman was really kind to just explain everything to me.

And when I said goodbye, I made sure that I did it the correct way

and we kind of laughed at it i think it was pretty cool

but again when i first came to the u .s

and people were shaking my hand

and men were shaking my hand in a strong manner

i was like wow some people actually say it's a power move

so the stronger the handshake is uh the more energy

that person has so you know it's up to you what you're gonna do

but remember that about the u .s and other cultures

and other cultures might stand closer

or greet each other with a kiss on the cheek and

that happens in france and they do two kisses on both cheeks

and i just came back from uh france where people were doing

that to me all the time even people who i met for the first time

and again for me it was like you know in the us will never do

that so the first couple times i was a little bit nervous like what's going on

but then again i got used to it this is this country everybody kisses each other

that's fine then you can talk about your birthplace

and current location i was born

and raised in st petersburg russia i come from st petersburg i'm originally from st petersburg

100

but now i'm based in california that's basically what i do you know was born

101

and raised in st petersburg have been living in the u .s since um 2015

102

or i've been living in the u .s for 10 years

103

now informal you can say i'm in your nationality like i'm russian i'm originally from Russia,

104

but I've been living in the US for the past nine years.

105

St. Petersburg, Russia is my hometown.

106

That's another way to say it.

107

I grew up in St. Petersburg, but now I live in Los Altos Hills, which is in California.

108

I spent the past few years in California.

109

You may have already noticed that when talking about ourselves,

110

we're using a lot of different tenses and it's very important to know all of them to interact freely in English.

111

But if you're struggling with tenses, I have a product that will help.

112

Now is the right time to unlock the mysteries of English tenses with the 12 -in -1 Tenses Handbook,

113

perfect for everyone who wants to master tenses.

114

This interactive guide will help you understand the hard parts of grammar and fix mistakes that you make now.

115

It breaks down the rules, explains things in easy words, provides clear examples, and you practice straight away with exercises.

116

Remember, practice makes perfect.

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Say goodbye to confusion and say hello to confident automatic task usage in speaking

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and writing and tenses are an essential part of everyday conversations

119

so please make sure

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they're automatic in your brain click the link in the description below to download the handbook

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now your activity share what you do i work as a manager

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or my formal position is president at lingua marina

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so i'm a president of a company called lingua marina

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and lingua marina is basically a company above all of my channels

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but if you're not an entrepreneur

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and you're working for a company you can say i work for google in the marketing department

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or you can mention a general idea i work in sales my speciality is in sales or

128

if you have your own business you can say i'm self -employed

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i have my own business the more informal way to say

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that will be i work for myself or

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if you're unemployed right now you could say I'm unemployed nobody really I don't know it's totally okay to use that phrase

132

but I've never heard people say I'm unemployed I've heard people saying

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I'm looking for a job in the creator economy

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because I'm excited about being creator

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and working with creators now let's talk about your education let's look at some formal phrases I'm about to graduate

136

or I have a degree in physics I have a bachelor's master's PhD degree in mathematics or in literature.

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My major is or was economics.

138

Or you can also say I graduated from this or that university.

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I did a post -grad in physics at Stanford.

140

Again, see how we're using different tenses when talking about different things in our lives?

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Don't forget about the handbook.

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The link is in the description.

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Okay, let's talk about your experience.

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I have number like seven years of experience in making videos.

145

I have, what is it?

146

Nine years of experience in making videos.

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I've spent 10 years as a creator with Lingua Marina.

148

Or you can say, I have spent seven years as a manager with Google.

149

Or you can just say, I worked in marketing for nine years.

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Now, of course, whenever you're meeting new people, it's kind of cool to mention your hobby because when you're meeting new people, you're always looking for

151

common topics

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and the more common topics you find during

153

this initial conversation the more exciting this new connection is going to be now your hobby let's talk about it

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when i have some spare time

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or in my free time i do yoga i'm interested in music

156

i've always enjoyed hiking very california activity a more informal way to say

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that is i'm really into jogging i'm really into hiking i'm a big fan of singing.

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So here's what you get.

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Now let me give you a template that you can memorize and use later on when you speak English.

160

Hi there, I'm Marina.

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I'm originally from Russia but I've been living in the US for the past nine years.

162

I work for myself.

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I have a degree in mathematics and economics.

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I'm really into making videos on YouTube.

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This is a very easy and informal way to introduce yourself.

166

I've given you the basics and you can add more details that would be relevant to the situation.

167

Here are a couple more introduction examples in different settings.

168

Informal introduction.

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Hello everyone, I'm thrilled to join this community.

170

My name is Luca and I'm a chef from Rome, Italy.

171

I've just moved to this neighborhood.

172

Looking forward to connecting with all of you.

173

The next introduction is going to be more formal.

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For example, if it's a job interview.

175

Good morning!

176

Thank you for considering me for this role.

177

I'm Camila, a graphic designer from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

178

My speciality is in creating visual stories that speak to a global audience.

179

I'd love to apply my creative skills to your company's innovative projects.

180

And let's do semi -formal, say new workplace.

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Hey team, I'm absolutely thrilled to start my journey with you as the new sales representative.

182

My name is Sofia, coming all the way from Madrid, Spain.

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With six years of experience across different european markets i'm eager to dive into our market

184

and contribute to our shared success excited to learn

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and grow with you all

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so let's summarize here are the steps to introduce yourself in

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english greet your audience begin your introduction with a smile on

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your face as it creates a positive impression number two share your name

189

and some general information talk about yourself name place interests and hobbies if necessary depending on the type of situation,

190

for example, interviews, meetings, seminars, etc. Share about your work, education, experience.

191

Number four, don't forget about your friendly tone and style of introduction.

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Introduce yourself in a way that is approachable.

193

Quick homework, write your introductions in the comments section below.

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This is a great task for you and also a great way for us to meet each other.

195

Thank you so much for watching this video up to the very end.

196

Please do not forget to subscribe to this channel and looking forward to seeing you in my next videos.

197

Bye!

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “SELF INTRODUCTION”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: formal, marina, informal, situation, introduction. This video has 197 sentences and 2298 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:37. The speaker talks fast, about 182 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
formal adjective	/ˈfɔɹməl/	In accordance with established forms.
marina noun	/məˈɹinə/	A harbour for small boats.
informal adjective	/ɪnˈfɔɹ.m(ə)l/	Not formal or ceremonious.
tense noun	/tɛns/	The property of indicating the point in time at which an action or state of being occurs or exists.
introduce verb	/ˌɪntɹəˈdus/	To cause (someone) to be acquainted (with someone else).
phrase noun	/ˈfɹeɪ̯z/	A short written or spoken expression.
creator noun	/kɹiːˈeɪ̯təː/	Something or someone which creates or makes something.
greeting noun	/ˈɡɹiːtɪŋ/	A conventional phrase used to start a letter or conversation or otherwise to acknowledge a person's arrival or presence.
greet verb	/ɡɹiːt/	To welcome in a friendly manner, either in person or through another means such as writing.
shake verb	/ˈʃeɪk/	To cause (something) to move rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly.
interact verb	/ɪn.təˈɹækt/	To engage in communication and other shared activities (with someone).
silicon noun	/ˈsɪləˌkɑn/	A nonmetallic element (symbol Si) with an atomic number of 14 and atomic weight of 28.0855.
hobby noun	/ˈhɑ.bi/	An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.
unemployed adjective	/ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪd/	Having no job despite being able and willing to work.
handbook noun	/ˈhændˌbʊk/	A topically organized book of reference on a certain field of knowledge, regardless of size, but archetypally one to be kept readily at hand.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
go through verb	To travel from one end of something to the other.
look forward to verb	To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to.
break down verb	To stop functioning.
come back from verb	To become successful, confident or effective again after an injury, setback, failure, embarrassment, etc.
come up with verb	To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it.
leave out verb	To omit, to not include, to neglect to mention.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

Today we're going to talk about introductions.
Where are you from?
Basically, you're chatting with your friend.
I have, what is it?
I've just moved to this neighborhood.

Grammar in this video

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

Structure	In the video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on	have been living · i've been living
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've realized · I've started · we've met
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	people who represent · people who i · Hills, which is
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	was born

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 84 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I've, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: thrill /θɹɪl/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, birthplace /ˈbɝθˌpleɪs/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shake /ˈʃeɪk/, specialty /ˈspɛʃ.əl.ti/, impression /ɪmˈpɹɛʃn̩/, casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, chef /ʃɛf/
Long words — get the stress right: economics /ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪks/, automatic /ˌɔː.təˈmæt.ɪk/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, innovative /ˈɪn.əˌveɪtɪv/, interactive /ˌɪn.tɚˈæk.tɪv/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like formal, marina, informal.

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 →

Shadowing Practice: SELF INTRODUCTION | How to introduce yourself in English (confidently) | Easy-to-use templates - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?