Shadowing Practice: Stop Saying "I'm Fine!" - Speak English Like a Native - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B1
Hello everyone!
⏸ Paused
98 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Hello everyone!
2
Welcome to the very first official episode of the Jay and Mae English Podcast.
3
I'm Mr. Jay.
4
And I'm Mae.
5
We are so excited to finally start this journey with all of you.
6
Our goal is simple, to help you speak English naturally and confidently.
7
That's right, Mae.
8
And for our first episode,
9
we wanted to talk about the very first thing you do when you meet someone.
10
Greetings.
11
Oh, this is a big one, Mr. J.
12
When I first started learning English,
13
the only thing I knew was, hello, how are you?
14
I'm fine, thank you.
15
And you?
16
It felt like a robot talking.
17
Exactly.
18
And that's the problem with textbook English.
19
It's grammatically correct, but in real life,
20
native speakers rarely use that exact script.
21
It can sound a bit too formal or even a little stiff.
22
So what should we say instead?
23
If I'm meeting a friend,
24
how are you feels a bit too serious sometimes.
25
You're right.
26
If you're seeing a friend or a colleague you know well,
27
we use casual greetings.
28
One of the most common ones is, how's it going?
29
How's it going?
30
I hear that in movies all the time,
31
but how do I answer that?
32
Do I say I am going well?
33
Good question.
34
No, you wouldn't say I am going well.
35
You can just say good,
36
pretty good, or not bad.
37
It's just a way of saying you're doing okay.
38
Pretty good.
39
I like that.
40
It sounds much more relaxed.
41
What about what's up?
42
I'm always afraid to use that one because I never know the right answer.
43
What's up is very common among younger people or close friends.
44
It basically means what is happening in your life right now.
45
So the most common answer is actually not much or nothing much.
46
Wait, so if someone asks what's up I should say not much,
47
even if I'm busy?
48
Usually, yes.
49
It's just a greeting.
50
You say, not much, and then you can start a real conversation.
51
It's like saying hi back to them.
52
That makes sense.
53
OK, so we have, how's it going,
54
and what's up for friends.
55
But what if I'm at the office or meeting a boss?
56
I probably shouldn't say what's up to my manager, right?
57
Probably not, unless you have a very casual boss.
58
For a professional setting, you can use how are you doing?
59
Notice the doing at the end.
60
It's slightly more formal than how's it going,
61
but friendlier than a simple how are you.
62
How are you doing?
63
Okay, I'll remember that.
64
And Mr. J, what about when we haven't seen someone for a long time?
65
Ah, for that, we use long time no see or it's been a while.
66
And a great follow-up question is how have you been?
67
How have you been?
68
That's perfect.
69
It shows that I care about what happened since the last time we met.
70
Precisely.
71
Now, Mae, let's talk about the mistake many learners make when replying.
72
Most people just say, fine.
73
Is fine bad?
74
It's not bad, but sometimes fine can sound like you are unhappy or even a bit annoyed.
75
If you want to sound positive,
76
try saying, I'm doing great or things are going well.
77
Oh, I see.
78
Tone of voice matters too.
79
If I say I'm fine with a flat voice,
80
people might think I'm having a bad day.
81
Exactly.
82
English is a very expressive language.
83
Your energy tells as much of the story as your words do.
84
This is so helpful, Mr. J.
85
So to recap for our listeners,
86
use how's it going or what's up for friends,
87
how are you doing for work,
88
and how have you been for people you haven't seen in a while.
89
Perfect summary, Mae.
90
And remember, the goal isn't to be perfect, it's to be natural.
91
Don't be afraid to try these out next time you meet someone.
92
Thank you so much for listening to our first episode.
93
We would love to hear from you.
94
Which of these greetings is your favorite?
95
Leave a comment below if you're watching on YouTube and don't forget to subscribe.
96
We have a lot of great topics coming up.
97
See you in the next episode.
98
Goodbye everyone.

Download App

AI scoring for every sentence you speak

Scan To Download
Scan To Download
Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play
TRENDING

Popular

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video presents an excellent opportunity to practice speaking English with real-life contexts. When engaging with greetings in English, you will realize that native speakers often opt for casual expressions rather than formal, textbook phrases. For instance, phrases like "How's it going?" and "What's up?" convey friendliness and ease, allowing for a smoother conversation flow. Practicing these informal greetings can drastically improve your confidence when interacting with others, whether in social settings or professional environments. Using a shadow speech technique with this video can help you mimic the natural intonation and rhythm of native speakers, making your IELTS speaking practice more effective.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The speakers in the video use several key structures that highlight natural conversation flow:

  • How's it going? - This casual greeting is widely used among friends and is less formal than the standard "How are you?"
  • Not much - A typical response to "What's up?" indicates that nothing significant is happening, making conversations more relaxed.
  • I’m fine, thank you - While grammatically correct, this phrase often sounds robotic; opting for something like "Pretty good!" sounds more natural.
  • What’s up? - This expression invites dialogue and is commonly used among close friends or younger people.

Practicing these expressions in a shadowing app can enhance your ability to respond naturally in conversations, aligning your skills with those of proficient speakers.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While the content is rich in useful expressions, English learners often encounter pronunciation challenges. Here are a few tips:

  • How's it going? - Pay attention to the contraction; it often sounds like "Howzit going?" when spoken quickly.
  • What's up? - Native speakers might blend the words together, making it sound like "Whassup?" Watch how the intonation rises at the end, which makes it sound more like a casual inquiry.
  • Pretty good - This phrase may be pronounced quickly, leading new learners to misunderstand the rhythm; practice saying it smoothly for better clarity.

By focusing on these elements during your practice, you'll develop a more native-like speaking style. Utilize the shadow speak method to replicate the sounds and structures from the video, and watch your confidence in everyday conversations improve. Good luck with your English learning journey!

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.

☕ Buy us a coffee