Shadowing Practice: Shadow Me & Learn Phrasal Verbs for Shopping! - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hey there!
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I'm Emma from mmmEnglish.
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This is an imitation lesson.
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You'll practise speaking with me about a common everyday topic, shopping.
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And you'll also get to practise using five really useful common phrasal verbs naturally in conversation just as a native speaker would.
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Okay, here's how we'll practise together using the imitation technique.
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You'll hear my story three times in three different ways.
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First, you'll listen.
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You're just listening to get the sound of the story into your ears and ready for your lips.
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Secondly, you'll repeat after me.
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You'll hear the same story except there'll be a pause where you can repeat back what you heard out loud.
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Copying my pronunciation, my intonation.
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Third, shadow me.
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Now this is the tricky one where you speak along with me at exactly the same time.
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Just like we're singing the same song together.
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As we go, listen out for these five phrasal verbs.
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To splash out, to try something on,
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to set someone back, to sell out and to take something back.
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In step one, just listen, listen for new words, listen to the tone of my voice.
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I've got my cousin's wedding next month and since it's a special occasion, I thought I'd splash out a bit.
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It's been a while since I bought something new And I found this gorgeous green dress.
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The second I tried it on, I just knew.
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The only problem, it was going to set me back four hundred dollars.
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Four hundred.
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I stood there having this whole conversation with myself in the fitting room.
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Do I need it?
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No. Do I want it?
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Absolutely.
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I've never felt so good in a dress before.
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The shop assistant told me that if I took that dress, they'd be completely sold out of the style.
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So I did it.
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I bought it.
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But honestly, by the time I got home, I felt sick.
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I couldn't believe I'd spent that much on a dress.
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I think I'm going to take it back.
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I don't need to drop that kind of money on an outfit for a wedding, honestly.
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Now in step two, repeat after me.
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You'll hear me say the line and then there'll be a pause after so you can copy me exactly as you hear.
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On the screen, you can see some words are in bold text.
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These are the words that are stressed in the sentence so they are spoken a little louder and clearer than the others.
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There is a letter underlined in some words.
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This is the stressed syllable if the word has more than one syllable.
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I've got my cousin's wedding next month And since it's a special occasion,
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I thought I'd splash out a bit.
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It's been a while since I bought something new And I found this gorgeous green dress.
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The second I tried it on, I just knew.
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the only problem it was going to set me back four hundred dollars four hundred
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I stood there having this whole conversation with myself in the fitting room. Do I need it?
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No. Do I want it?
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Absolutely.
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I've never felt so good in a dress before.
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The shop assistant told me that if I took that dress,
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They'd be completely sold out of the style. So I did it.
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I bought it.
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But honestly, by the time I got home, I felt sick.
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I couldn't believe I'd spent that much on a dress.
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I think I'm going to take it back.
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I don't need to drop that kind of money on an outfit for a wedding.
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Honestly.
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Now, try to shadow me, speak along with me, following the rhythm and the intonation of my voice.
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I've got my cousin's wedding next month and since it's a special occasion, I thought I'd splash out a bit.
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It's been a while since I bought something new and I found this gorgeous green dress.
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The second I tried it on, I just knew.
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The only problem, it was going to set me back four hundred dollars.
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Four hundred.
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I stood there having this whole conversation with myself in the fitting room.
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Do I need it?
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No. Do I want it?
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Absolutely.
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I've never felt so good in a dress before.
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The shop assistant told me that if I took that dress, they'd be completely sold out of the style.
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So I did it.
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I bought it.
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But honestly, by the time I got home, I felt sick.
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I couldn't believe I'd spent that much on a dress.
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I think I'm going to take it back.
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I don't need to drop that kind of money on an outfit for a wedding, honestly.
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So I splashed out on the dress of my dreams, it set me back a small fortune.
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The style sold out when I bought it
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and now I've got to take it back because I feel so guilty about my purchase.
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Have you ever had that happen?
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Do you think that I should have kept the dress?
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Let me know down in the comments.
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In fact, tell me if you have ever splashed out on something and if you did, how much did it set you back?
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Using these phrasal verbs yourself for your own stories is how you're going to lock them into your own memory.
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So make sure you share a comment down below using the phrasal verbs you learned and practised today.
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You can find me here every week with new stories and new ways to practise your English speaking skills.
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Make sure you come and say hi on Instagram, you subscribe here on YouTube,
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drop me a comment, say hello below and I will see you in the very next lesson.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 89 sentences and 954 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:58. The speaker talks slowly, about 106 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 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 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- splash /splæʃ/ (verb) — To hit or agitate liquid so that part of it separates from the principal liquid mass.
- verb /vɝb/ (noun) — A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being.
- occasion /əˈkeɪ̯ʒən/ (noun) — A favorable opportunity; a convenient or timely chance.
- gorgeous /ˈɡoɹd͡ʒəs/ (adjective) — Sumptuously dressed.
- outfit /ˈaʊtfɪt/ (noun) — A set of clothing (with accessories).
- lesson /ˈlɛs.ən/ (noun) — A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided.
- shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/ (noun) — A dark image projected onto a surface where light (or other radiation) is blocked by the shade of an object.
- pause /pɔːz/ (noun) — A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation.
- tone /ˈtəʊn/ (noun) — A specific pitch.
- topic /ˈtɑpɪk/ (noun) — A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest.
- naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/ (adverb) — In a natural manner.
- everyday /ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/ (adjective) — Appropriate for ordinary use, rather than for special occasions.
- technique /tɛkˈniːk/ (noun) — The practical aspects of a given art, occupation etc.; formal requirements.
- ear /ˈɪə̯/ (noun) — The organ of hearing, consisting of the pinna or auricle, auditory canal, eardrum, malleus, incus, stapes and cochlea.
- skill /skɪl/ (noun) — A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- hear out (verb) — To listen to someone until that person has finished speaking; to thoroughly consider all aspects of someone's argument.
- sell out (verb) — To sell all of a supply or stock of something.
- sold out (adjective) — Completely sold; of which no more is in stock.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 39 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, you'll, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: splash /splæʃ/, occasion /əˈkeɪ̯ʒən/, shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, imitation /ɪmɪˈteɪ̯ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, imitation /ɪmɪˈteɪ̯ʃən/, intonation /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like splash, verb, occasion.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if I took that dress, they'd be |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've never felt · have ever splashed |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | You'll practise · you'll also get · we'll practise |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | I'm going to take · you're going to lock |
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.