Shadowing Practice: Small Talk & Spoken English: Talking about the News! - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Hello, hello, Hi Love listeners.

Today we're going to help you talk about the news in English.

And this is a great video for improving your pronunciation by shadowing with us during the video.

Yes, exactly.

So whether you've read an article, you've seen something online, or you've heard a story from someone else, these conversations will help you talk about those stories more naturally.

Absolutely.

And we will share some small talk conversations with very useful American and British English phrases.

Now we've kept the topics nice and general, so you can use them to talk about your own news titles, articles, or interesting stories.

Yes, and remember for more everyday speaking practice, you can check out our Active Speaking Small Talk Conversations ebook in the link in the description below.

All right, let's start with conversation number one.

Now both me and Mark are making coffee in the office before work.

Hey, did you hear about that story everyone was talking about yesterday?

Oh yeah, I read an article about it this morning.

Yeah, it keeps popping up on my phone, but I haven't looked into the details yet.

Same.

I've only seen the headlines so far.

So let's go through that conversation one more time.

We'll practice the most useful phrases together.

Again, it's a great time to practice shadowing so repeating with us

and that helps your pronunciation too hey do you hear about

that story everyone was talking about yesterday hey do you hear about

that story everyone was talking about yesterday now at the very beginning i said hey

which is totally fine to say to a co-worker especially before

work making coffee do you hear about did you hear about kind of becomes do you hear about?

Do you hear about that story everyone was talking about yesterday?

Yeah, I've read an article about it this morning.

So we're talking about news, an article that is a written news story.

Even if you read it on your phone or in a physical newspaper, it's an article.

So yeah, I read an article about it this morning.

This morning was before, so I read, I read an article.

Yeah, I read an article about it this morning.

It keeps popping up on my phone, but I haven't looked into the details yet.

It keeps popping up on my phone.

It keeps popping up on my phone, But I haven't looked into the details yet.

I haven't looked into the details yet.

It's kind of hard.

I haven't looked into the details yet.

It keeps popping up on my phone, but I haven't looked into the details yet.

Same.

I've only seen the headlines so far.

Same.

I've only seen the headlines so far.

Same.

That's another way to say me too, especially if I'm not sure or I don't know.

Like, you don't know, and I don't know.

Same.

I've only seen the headlines so far.

The headlines are the main, it's the main title of a news story.

The thing that grabs your attention, usually a very short thing.

I've only seen the headlines so far.

All right.

So let's listen to that conversation altogether once more.

Hey, did you hear about the story everyone was talking about yesterday?

Yeah, I read an article about it this morning.

It keeps popping up on my phone, but I haven't looked into the details yet.

Same.

I've only seen the headlines so far.

So this is our second conversation about news and current events.

This is a conversation in a cafe or a coffee shop between a customer and the worker.

Have you seen what's been all over the news today?

I only heard a little bit about it on the radio.

Apparently it's been developing all morning.

Oh really?

I'll have to look it up later.

Let's go back through that conversation.

I asked, have you seen what's been all over the news today?

Have you seen what's been all over the news today?

Have you seen is a great way to start a question about current events because it's until now or during today.

Have you seen the news?

Have you seen the headlines?

Have you seen the TV?

Have you seen what she said?

Even if it's just audio, it's still seen.

Have you seen What's been all over the news?

All over the news?

Meaning in every different newspaper, on every different news channel, on every news website, they're all showing the same story.

It's been all over the news.

I only heard a little bit about it on the radio.

Now, this is one of the biggest differences between American English and British English.

I tend to use more of the past and Mark tends to use more of the present perfect.

So I could have said, I've only heard a little bit.

I've only heard a little bit.

And that's perfectly fine to say too.

Americans tend to, however, say, I only heard.

I only heard.

So we don't always need the I've.

It's not necessary in this sentence.

I only heard a little bit about it on the radio.

My favorite phrase right here, a little bit about it, a little bit about it.

We don't need to say a little bit about it.

That actually sounds so British to say all of those T's.

So in American English, a little bit about it.

We're going to take that T sound and make it more of a D sound.

A little bit about it, a little bit about it on the radio?

Apparently, it's been developing all morning.

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Apparently, it's been developing all morning.

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Apparently, it's a really good way to share news, even share like gossip, like apparently.

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This means that you are relaying what you've heard or what you've been told.

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So when I heard it on the radio and now I'm sharing it with you.

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Apparently it's been developing.

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Developing is a word we use for news stories.

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When they change, we get new information, new answers from the police or from politicians.

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The story is developing.

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So the story is not finished until it's all over.

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At the moment, when we're still learning about it and still hearing and understanding what's going on, it's been developing all morning.

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So through the morning, new information's been coming out.

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Really?

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I'll have to look it up later.

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Really?

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I'll have to look it up later.

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So this is a surprise to me.

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Really?

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Really?

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Really?

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You can kind of say it in a different voice to say, really?

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Like, yes, really? Or really? Or really?

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You can, again, it kind of the same meaning i'm surprised to hear

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that right i'll have to look it up later i'll have to look it up later

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that means i must i must research it that's kind of what

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that means in more formal english so i'll have to have to make sure

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when you have have to that means must i'll have to Make sure that is very light.

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Have to look it up.

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Look it up.

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So that's going to be that phrasal verb together.

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Look it up later.

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I'll have to look it up later.

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And here's that conversation one more time.

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Have you seen what's been all over the news today?

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I only heard a little bit about it on the radio.

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Apparently it's been developing all morning.

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Really?

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I'll have to look it up later.

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Okay, our next conversation is going to be talking to a neighbor.

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Okay, so I'm running to my neighbor, maybe collecting the mail or picking up my mail outside in the mailbox.

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I saw online they're closing the main road this weekend.

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Oh, really?

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I didn't hear anything about that.

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Yeah, it came up in my local news feed this morning.

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Oh, thanks for the heads up.

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I'll check it out later.

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We'll go through it one more time.

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I said, I saw online. So, I saw online.

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You can almost treat online like an adverb.

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I saw quickly.

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I saw earlier.

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I saw online that they're closing the main road this weekend.

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They are closing the main road.

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So it is happening.

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Even though this is in the future, they are doing it, whether you like it or not.

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They are doing it, they're closing it, and we have to deal with it.

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So I saw online that they're closing the main road this weekend.

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Oh, really?

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I didn't hear anything about that.

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Here's that word really again.

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Oh, really?

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I didn't hear anything about that.

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Now, I am a little shocked because normally I'm in the know, right?

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Normally I hear things and I know that what's happening around in the neighborhood, but I didn't hear anything about that.

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Here's another good example of you could say I haven't heard anything about that.

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That is perfectly acceptable and practical grammar, but Americans tend to use more of the past tense.

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I didn't hear anything about that.

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Yeah, it came up in my local news feed this morning.

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Yeah, it came up in my local news feed this morning. So, it came up.

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When you have a verb and then a preposition, they often connect to each other.

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So, came up.

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M-U-P.

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They came up.

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Yeah, it came up in my local news feed.

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Your feed are the stories and things you see when you scroll on your phone, online or on social media.

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So my local news feed is all the posts, stories about my local area.

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It came up.

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So I didn't search for it.

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I just opened my phone and, oh, what's this?

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Oh, they're closing the main road?

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It came up in my local news feed this morning.

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Thanks for the heads up.

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I'll check it out later.

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Oh, thanks for the heads up.

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I'll check it out later.

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Thanks for the heads up.

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Thanks for the heads up.

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So thanks for, instead of F-O-R sounding like for, which is more commonly the number for,

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thanks for, thanks for, thanks for the heads up.

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The heads up meaning you told me information to let me know, to give me some information, right?

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Oh, that was just a heads up, just a little information, just something that will help you, right?

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Thanks for the heads up, the warning.

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It's almost like a warning as well.

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A heads up is like a light warning.

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I'll check it out later.

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All, all, instead of I'll, I'll, that's a little too much emphasis, right?

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All, I'll check it out.

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Remember, if we have a verb and we have the next word has a vowel.

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Check it out.

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Check it out.

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I'll check it out later.

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I'll check it out later.

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Thanks for the heads up.

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I'll check it out later.

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So one more time all the way through.

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I saw online that they're closing the main road this weekend.

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Oh, really?

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I didn't hear anything about that.

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Yeah, came up in my local news feed this morning.

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Thanks for the heads up.

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I'll check it out later.

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OK, so the last conversation we have is between two friends in a pub after work.

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Hey, did you catch the news earlier?

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No. What happened?

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They're saying train fares might go up again.

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Oh, you're joking.

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Well, I'll believe it when I see it.

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Okay, so let's go back through that.

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My first line, did you catch the news earlier?

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This is another example of how did you becomes kind of a do.

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Do you catch the news earlier?

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Do you catch the news earlier?

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When you catch something, you saw it.

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You watched it.

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Maybe you were walking around the house and you just, oh, oh, I just caught the news.

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Oh, it turns on.

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Oh, I'm surprised by this.

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So you kind of watch it with a bit of surprise.

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Do you catch the news earlier?

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No. What happened?

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No. What happened?

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It's a good example, especially in British English, of what.

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The T at the end disappears.

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We stop it in our throat.

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What.

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What happened?

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That's a good one.

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What happened?

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It almost, I start the H on what happened very early.

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What.

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What happened?

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What happened?

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It's a great question if someone's talking to you about what happened.

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Yeah, if someone comes to you with a news story and you have no idea, what happened?

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They're saying train fares might go up again.

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They're saying train fares might go up again.

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Okay, so we have they are saying.

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Now, I really like this as the beginning of news, because you can say the news is saying, the radio is saying, people are saying.

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It's what people are talking about right now.

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They're saying.

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They're saying.

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They're saying train fares might go up again.

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Go up.

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Go up again.

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So you have the O and the U together.

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Go up again.

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They're saying train fares might go up again.

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You're joking.

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Well, I'll believe it when I see it.

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You're joking.

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I'll believe it when I see it.

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So this is bad news.

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Train fares are the tickets, the prices of fares.

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And if you've been to the UK, you already know that they're very expensive.

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So you're joking.

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If I'm disappointed or annoyed by the news, I don't believe it.

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You're joking.

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I'll believe it when I see it.

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So maybe I don't believe the news because there's often stories that are not true.

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Sometimes it's just rumors and it turns out to be wrong.

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I'll believe it when I see it.

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So until it really happens, I won't believe the news.

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I won't listen to what they're saying.

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I'll believe it when I see it.

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So if you're a little bit skeptical or cynical about the news, this is a good response.

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Oh, yeah, really?

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Okay.

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I'll believe it when I see it.

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All right.

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So all the way through once more.

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Hey, did you catch the news earlier?

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No. What happened?

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They're saying train fares might go up again.

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oh you're joking i'll believe it when i see it okay

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so thanks for joining us today high level listeners for more

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real life speaking practice check out our active english speaking small

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talk conversations ebook we have tons of small talk conversations we've got over 10 different topics

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that we add to every month with new videos new materials

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so you can follow along line by line and really practice shadowing

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and your pronunciation skills as well yeah let us know in the comments where do you usually get your news?

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Is it online, on the radio, still on TV, newspapers?

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We read and reply to every single comment we get here on YouTube.

291

So get in touch.

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Thank you so much for listening.

293

We'll see you for our next episode.

294

Bye, everybody.

295

Bye-bye.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 295 sentences and 2538 words to shadow. The speech runs for 16:32. The speaker talks at a natural 154 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

headline /ˈhɛd.laɪn/ (noun) — The heading or title of a magazine or newspaper article.
fare /ˈfɛə/ (noun) — Money paid for a transport ticket.
joking /ˈd͡ʒoʊkɪŋ/ (verb) — Kidding, trying to fool.
shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/ (noun) — A dark image projected onto a surface where light (or other radiation) is blocked by the shade of an object.
phrase /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ (noun) — A short written or spoken expression.
verb /vɝb/ (noun) — A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being.
pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/ (noun) — The formal or informal way in which a word is made to sound when spoken.
topic /ˈtɑpɪk/ (noun) — A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest.
worker /ˈwɝ.kɚ/ (noun) — One who works: a person who performs labor for a living; traditionally, especially, manual labor.
neighbour /ˈneɪbɚ/ (noun) — A person living on adjacent or nearby land; a person situated adjacently or nearby; anything (of the same type of thing as the subject) in an adjacent or…
listener /ˈlɪs(ə)nɚ/ (noun) — Someone who listens, especially to a speech or a broadcast.
naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/ (adverb) — In a natural manner.
practical /ˈpɹæk.tɪ.kəl/ (adjective) — Relating to, or based on, practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis.
audio /ˈɔ.di.oʊ/ (adjective) — Focused on audible sound, as opposed to sight.
everyday /ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/ (adjective) — Appropriate for ordinary use, rather than for special occasions.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

talk about (verb) — Used to draw attention to the speaker's characterization of someone or something.
go up (verb) — To move upwards.
look into (verb) — To investigate, explore, or consider.
come up (verb) — To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly.
check out (verb) — To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
go back (verb) — To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time.
go through (verb) — To travel from one end of something to the other.
come out /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ (verb) — To be discovered; to be revealed.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 110 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'll, they're, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: throat /ˈθɹoʊt/, altogether /ɔl.tuˈɡɛð.ɚ/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, shock /ʃɔk/, politician /ˌpɑ.ləˈtɪʃ.ən/, preposition /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, disappointed /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/, acceptable /əkˈsɛp.tə.bəl/, politician /ˌpɑ.ləˈtɪʃ.ən/

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 headline, fare, joking.

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	it's been developing · information's been coming
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	you've read · we've kept · haven't looked
Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form	keeps popping · practice shadowing
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	was talking · were walking

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: Small Talk & Spoken English: Talking about the News! - 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

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?