Shadowing Practice: Talk about what you did last weekend: Easy English Conversations πŸ’¬ Episode 13 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Easy English Conversations What did you do at the weekend?
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Easy English Conversations What did you do at the weekend?
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Hi Billy!
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Hi Tim!
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Where are you?
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I'm at work.
0:14.92 – 0:16.56 (1.6s)
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What did you do at the weekend?
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Ah, the weekend… I went hiking.
0:20.02 – 0:24.32 (4.3s)
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Do you usually go hiking?
0:26.80 – 0:28.94 (2.1s)
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Yes, I often go hiking.
0:29.80 – 0:32.18 (2.4s)
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What else did you do?
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I ate dinner with my friends.
0:34.76 – 0:37.34 (2.6s)
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What did you eat?
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We ate pasta.
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I also watched a film at home.
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What film did you watch?
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I watched a horror film.
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How was your weekend, Bully?
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It was great.
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Thanks.
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What did you do?
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I went to the beach.
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Do you usually go to the beach?
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No, it's usually too cold.
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What did you do at the beach?
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I had an ice cream.
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Ooh, what flavour ice cream did you have?
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I had a strawberry ice cream.
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Sean, are you there?
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Yes, I am.
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How was your weekend?
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It was fun, thanks.
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What did you do?
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I made a cake.
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What kind of cake did you make?
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I made a chocolate cake.
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Sounds delicious!
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Can I have some?
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Sorry Tim, my family ate it all.
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What else did you do?
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I went to the park and played frisbee.
1:51.21 – 1:54.69 (3.5s)
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Hello!
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Hi Georgie!
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What did you do at the weekend?
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I went swimming.
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Where did you go swimming?
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I went swimming at the swimming pool.
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What else did you do?
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I read a book.
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What book did you read?
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I read a detective story.
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Click on the link to download a free worksheet.
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Now, back to the lesson.
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How was your weekend?
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What did you do?
2:28.03 – 2:29.67 (1.6s)
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I went to the cinema.
2:37.11 – 2:38.95 (1.8s)
56
What else did you do?
2:40.01 – 2:41.79 (1.8s)
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I had lunch with my friends.
2:48.17 – 2:50.53 (2.4s)
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What did you eat?
2:51.81 – 2:54.37 (2.6s)
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We ate pasta.
2:59.71 – 3:01.63 (1.9s)
60
What else did you do?
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I made a cake.
3:11.79 – 3:13.25 (1.5s)
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How is Georgie feeling?
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Find out in the next episode.
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Now back to the lesson.
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What did Tim do at the weekend?
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He went hiking.
3:44.38 – 3:45.96 (1.6s)
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That's right.
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What did Sian do at the weekend?
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She made a chocolate cake.
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70
Correct.
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What did Bully do at the weekend?
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72
What did Bully do at the weekend?
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He went to the beach.
4:12.02 – 4:13.68 (1.7s)
74
That's right.
4:15.34 – 4:16.34 (1.0s)
75
What did Georgie do at the weekend?
4:16.72 – 4:19.34 (2.6s)
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She read a book.
4:25.86 – 4:27.38 (1.5s)
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Correct!
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78
What did you do at the weekend?
4:31.02 – 4:33.28 (2.3s)
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Let us know in the comments!
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80
Click here to find out what we do every day.
4:35.98 – 4:40.16 (4.2s)
81
And click here to subscribe to our channel.
4:40.30 – 4:43.38 (3.1s)
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See you in the next video!
4:43.36 – 4:45.28 (1.9s)
83
Bye!
4:46.80 – 4:47.70 (0.9s)

Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging in conversations about everyday activities is essential for developing fluency in English. This video titled "Talk about what you did last weekend" showcases natural dialogues that mirror real-life situations, making it perfect for practicing your speaking skills. By mimicking the dialogues, you not only improve your vocabulary but also gain confidence in speaking. Utilizing a shadowing app can enhance your learning experience as you can listen and repeat the phrases in real-time, allowing for immediate feedback on your pronunciation and intonation.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

This video incorporates several useful grammatical structures and expressions:

  • What did you do at the weekend? – A common way to ask about weekend activities, perfect for IELTS speaking practice.
  • I went hiking. – Using the past simple tense to describe completed actions is crucial for clear communication.
  • Do you usually go hiking? – This structure uses the present simple tense to discuss habits, thus enhancing clarity in conversations.
  • I watched a horror film. – Practice past tense verbs to narrate experiences, helping you articulate your stories effectively.
  • What flavour ice cream did you have? – This question showcases the use of object and complement, valuable for constructing questions about preferences.

Practicing these structures through the shadowing technique can solidify your understanding and improve fluidity in conversations.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While watching the video, pay close attention to the following pronunciation challenges:

  • The word hiking – Ensure you emphasize the 'h' sound and the long 'i' vowel sound.
  • The phrase ice cream – Often pronounced quickly in conversation, so practice saying it clearly and distinctly.
  • The word delicious – A common adjective that can be tricky. Make sure to practice the 'sh' sound and the soft 'c'.

By practicing these tricky words with a shadow speak approach, you can significantly improve your English pronunciation and sound more natural in your conversations.

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 β€” 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 β€” making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

How to Practice Effectively on ShadowingEnglish

  1. Choose your video: Pick a YouTube video with clear, natural English speech. TED Talks, BBC News, movie scenes, podcasts, or IELTS sample answers all work great. Paste the URL into the search bar. Start with shorter videos (under 5 minutes) and content you find genuinely interesting β€” motivation matters.
  2. Listen first, understand the context: On your first pass, keep the speed at 1x and just listen. Don't try to repeat yet. Focus on understanding the meaning, picking up new vocabulary, and noticing how the speaker stresses words, links sounds, and uses pauses.
  3. Set up Shadowing mode:
    • Wait Mode: Choose +3s or +5s β€” after each sentence plays, the video pauses automatically so you have time to repeat it out loud. Choose Manual if you want full control and press Next yourself after each repetition.
    • Sub Sync: YouTube subtitles sometimes appear slightly ahead or behind the audio. Use Β±100ms to align them perfectly so you can follow along accurately.
  4. Shadow out loud (the core practice): This is where the real work happens. As soon as a sentence plays β€” or during the pause β€” repeat it out loud, clearly and confidently. Don't just mouth the words: mirror the speaker's exact rhythm, stress, pitch, and connected speech. Aim to sound like a shadow of the speaker, not just a word-by-word recitation. Use the Repeat feature to drill the same sentence multiple times until it feels natural.
  5. Scale up the challenge: Once a passage feels comfortable, push your limits. Increase speed to <code>1.25x</code> or even <code>1.5x</code> to train high-speed language reflexes. Or set Wait Mode to <code>Off</code> for continuous shadowing β€” the most advanced and rewarding mode. Consistent daily practice of 15–30 minutes will produce noticeable results within weeks.

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