Shadowing Practice: Talk About Holidays & Traditions in English (B1-B2) | Cultural Differences, Sequence & Comparison - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hi everyone!
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Do you sometimes want to tell people about a special holiday in your country?
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Maybe you want to describe a tradition, but you're not sure how to find the right words?
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You are not alone.
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Many English learners feel this way.
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It can be tricky to explain important cultural events.
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Exactly.
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And sometimes it's hard to ask about other people's traditions too.
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But don't worry.
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Because today we are going to make it much easier.
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Welcome to the English Speaking School podcast.
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I'm Emma.
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And I'm John.
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And today we are talking all about different holidays and traditions from around the world.
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We'll learn how to describe them clearly.
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Yes, we'll give you useful words and phrases to talk about cultural differences.
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We'll also practice using words like first, then, and after that to explain the order of events in a celebration.
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And we'll show you how to compare holidays, like saying, in my country, it's similar to, or it's very different from.
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So get ready to share your culture and learn about others.
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Before we dive into describing holidays, a quick note.
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If you're finding these tips helpful for discussing traditions, make sure you subscribe to our podcast.
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That way, you won't miss any future episodes with solutions to your English problems.
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For instance, we'll often show you phrases like, It's quite similar to, or It's totally different from, when you want to compare your celebrations with others.
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Exactly.
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Subscribing means you'll keep getting practical phrases to help you explain those cultural differences clearly.
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It's like learning new building blocks for your English.
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So, hit that subscribe button on your podcast app now, and let's get into our first tradition.
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So, why exactly is it tough for many learners to talk about holidays and traditions in English?
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Good question.
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Often, it's not just about knowing general vocabulary.
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We might know words for food or family, but struggle with very specific cultural items,
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like a special type of decoration or a unique ritual.
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That's right.
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And explaining the order of events can be a big challenge.
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How do you clearly say what happens at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of a celebration?
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Exactly.
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In our native language, we implicitly understand the sequence.
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But in English, you really need those sequence adverbs to guide your listener.
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For instance, first we prepare the special food.
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Then the family gathers to eat it.
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Without them, it can sound a bit messy.
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So how do we make it less messy and clearer for our listeners?
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What's the first step we can take?
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Our first solution is to focus on simplifying your explanation.
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Don't try to say everything at once.
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Instead, think of your holiday as a story, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
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That's a great mindset shift.
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Break it down.
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Think about what happens first, next, and finally.
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This immediately helps structure your thoughts.
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Exactly.
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When you explain a tradition, tell it like a simple story.
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For instance, instead of just saying, we have a big meal and dance, try, first we decorate the house, then my family comes over and we eat a special meal together.
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After that, we put on music and dance all night.
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That's much clearer.
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Using those sequence adverbs like first, then, and after that is key.
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It helps your listener follow the actions easily, even if the culture is new to them.
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Exactly.
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So let's try a real example.
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Imagine I'm telling you about New Year's Eve and my family.
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I wouldn't just say, we watch fireworks and eat.
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That's okay, but it's not very detailed.
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Right.
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How would you make it clear using our new strategy?
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Okay, I'd say, first, my family gathers at my aunt's house in the early evening.
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Then, we cook a big dinner together, often with special traditional dishes.
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After that, we all go outside to watch the fireworks display at midnight.
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Finally, we make a toast and wish each other a Happy New Year.
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See?
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Much easier to follow.
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That's a perfect example, Emma.
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Notice how Emma used first, then, after that, and finally.
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These aren't just for holidays.
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You can use them to describe any process or sequence of events in English, like giving directions or explaining how to make a recipe.
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Okay, that first solution really helps with clarity and structure.
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Now for our second solution, let's think about it from another angle, bridging the gap for your listener.
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Ah, yes.
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Sometimes even with perfect sequence, a tradition might be completely new to someone.
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Our second solution is to use comparisons to help your listener understand by relating it to something they already know.
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Exactly.
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Don't just explain your holiday.
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Help your listener connect it to their own experiences.
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This is where phrases like, it's similar to, or it's quite different from, become incredibly useful.
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For example, if you're talking about a traditional festival that involves costumes and street parades,
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you could say, It's a bit like Halloween in the U .S., but people wear traditional clothes and dance in the streets.
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You're giving them a reference point.
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That's brilliant.
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It immediately paints a clearer picture.
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Or if it's a family gathering focused on food, you might say, Today, it's similar to Thanksgiving, but we eat specific sweets instead of turkey.
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These comparison phrases are powerful because they help your listener quickly grasp the essence of your tradition, even if the details are new.
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It makes the foreign familiar.
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Okay, that's really helpful.
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So Emma, can you give us another clear example of using comparisons?
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Let's pick a holiday that might be less known to some listeners.
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Absolutely.
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Let's talk about Dia de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, which is celebrated in Mexico.
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Many people might think it's like Halloween, but it's actually quite different.
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How would you explain that difference using our comparison strategy?
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I'd say, while both Halloween and Dia de Muertos happen around the same time and involve costumes,
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Dia de Muertos is very different from Halloween in its purpose.
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It's not about being scary or ghosts.
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Instead, it's a celebration to remember and honor deceased loved ones.
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You see, I'm clarifying the core difference right away.
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That's a great distinction.
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And how would you make it relatable for someone who has no idea about it?
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I'd add, you could say it's similar to a big family reunion, but with people who have passed away.
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Families gather, share special foods, and tell stories about their ancestors.
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It's like celebrating their lives.
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Using similar to and it's like really helps build that bridge.
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Fantastic.
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Those phrases like it's very different from and it's similar to a big family reunion are incredibly powerful for explaining cultural nuances.
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They give your listener immediate context, even for something completely new.
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Now, for a quick tip, a two -minute trick you can use right away.
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When you want to explain any holiday or event, think of just three main actions.
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Only three?
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That sounds very manageable.
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Exactly!
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Identify one key thing that happens first, one that happens next, and one that happens finally.
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Then put them into simple sentences.
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For example, first we prepare the food.
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Next, the family arrives.
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Finally, we give gifts.
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And to make it even clearer, add a quick comparison.
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So, first we prepare the food.
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Next, the family arrives.
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Finally, we give gifts.
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It's similar to Christmas, but without Santa.
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That instant mental checklist really structures your thoughts.
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All right.
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So to sum up everything we've covered today, we tackle the challenge of explaining holidays and traditions by focusing on three key strategies.
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That's right.
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Our first big takeaway was the power of sequence adverbs.
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Words like first, then, after that, and finally, are your best friends for telling a clear step -by -step story about any event.
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Exactly.
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They provide a roadmap for your listener.
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Our second crucial strategy was using comparisons.
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Phrases like, it's similar to, or it's very different from, or even it's like.
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Help bridge the understanding gap by relating your tradition to something familiar.
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And finally, we gave you the two -minute trick.
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Simplify by focusing on just three main actions first, next, finally, to describe any event concisely.
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This helps you structure your thoughts quickly.
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These tools empower you to clearly explain your unique cultural experiences and understand others better.
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Now for your quick challenge today, pick one simple thing you plan to do later, maybe making dinner, going for a walk, or even just checking your email.
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Describe it to yourself or a friend using at least one sequence adverb and one comparison phrase.
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For example, first I'll go to the grocery store.
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Then, I'll cook dinner.
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It's similar to yesterday's meal, but with a different side dish.
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Just a quick mental exercise will make these phrases stick.
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You now have practical ways to make your stories about holidays and traditions clearer and more engaging.
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Keep practicing these phrases, and you'll soon be discussing cultural differences with confidence.
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Thank you for joining us today on the English Speaking School podcast.
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We hope these tips help you connect and share your world.
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I'm John And I'm Emma Until next time
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Talk About Holidays & Traditions in English”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: tradition, holiday, listener, phrase, similar. This video has 153 sentences and 1538 words to shadow. The speech runs for 10:37. The speaker talks at a steady 145 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 84% 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
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| listener noun | /ˈlɪs(ə)nɚ/ | Someone who listens, especially to a speech or a broadcast. |
| podcast noun | /ˈpɑdˌkæst/ | A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on… |
| subscribe verb | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name). |
| firework noun | /ˈfaɪɚˌwɚk/ | A device using gunpowder and other chemicals which, when lit, emits a combination of coloured flames, sparks, whistles or bangs, and sometimes made to rocket… |
| learner noun | /ˈlɜɹnəɹ/ | One who is learning; one receiving instruction. |
| simplify verb | /ˈsɪmplɪfaɪ/ | To make simpler, either by reducing in complexity, reducing to component parts, or making easier to understand. |
| messy adjective | /ˈmɛsi/ | In a disorderly state; chaotic; disorderly. |
| reunion noun | /ɹiːˈjuːnjən/ | The process or act of reuniting. |
| costume noun | /ˈkɑsˌt(j)um/ | A style of dress, including garments, accessories and hairstyle, especially as characteristic of a particular country, period or people. |
| ancestor noun | /ˈæn.sɛs.tɚ/ | One from whom a person is descended, whether on the father's or mother's side, at any distance of time; a progenitor; a forefather; a forebear. |
| checklist noun | /ˈt͡ʃɛklɪst/ | A list of tasks to be completed, names to be consulted, conditions to be verified and similar. |
| concisely adverb | In a concise manner, briefly, without excessive length. | |
| decorate verb | /ˈdɛkəɹeɪt/ | To furnish with decorations. |
| implicitly adverb | In an implicit or implied manner. | |
| manageable adjective | /ˈmænəd͡ʒəb(ə)l/ | Capable of being managed or controlled. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come over verb | To affect in a sudden, unprecedented or surprising manner; to overwhelm a person's ordinarily contrary impulse. |
| pass away verb | To die. |
| sum up verb | To produce a total by adding. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- We'll learn how to describe them clearly.
- What's the first step we can take?
- I wouldn't just say, we watch fireworks and eat.
- How would you make it clear using our new strategy?
- Don't just explain your holiday.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | Dead, which is · someone who has · people who have |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have passed · we've covered |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 29 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, we'll, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: decoration /ˌdɛkəˈɹeɪʃən/, distinction /dɪˈstɪŋkʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: manageable /ˈmænəd͡ʒəb(ə)l/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, decoration /ˌdɛkəˈɹeɪʃən/
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 listener, podcast, subscribe.
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.