Shadowing Practice: Talk About Your Future Like a Native ✨ | English Conversation Practice! - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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This is Max and Mia Podcast.
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This is Max and Mia Podcast.
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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Max and Mia Podcast.
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We're really happy to have you here with us today.
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Yes, and before we begin,
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we just want to say thank you for all your support.
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Your comments, likes, and shares really help us keep growing and creating more episodes for you.
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That's right.
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And if this is your first time listening,
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don't forget to subscribe to the channel,
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give this video a like,
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and of course, share it with a friend who also wants to improve their English.
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And don't forget to hit the notification bell so you never miss a new episode of Max and Mia podcast.
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Now, let's talk about today's topic.
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We're going to explore how to talk about future plans in English.
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Exactly.
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From your plans for tomorrow or next week to your biggest dreams for the future.
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We'll cover it all today.
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So stay with us, practice along,
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and by the end of this episode,
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you'll feel more confident talking about your own future plans in English.
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That sounds amazing.
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Let's get started.
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So let's start with something very common.
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people often ask, what are you going to do this weekend?
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It sounds easy, right?
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Yes, but many English learners make mistakes when answering,
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and we're going to look at some of those mistakes today.
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Exactly.
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But first, let's share our own weekend plans.
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Max, what are you going to do this weekend?
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Well, this weekend I'm going to visit my grandparents on Saturday.
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On Sunday, I'm going to study a little and maybe watch a new series.
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Sounds nice.
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In my case, I'm going to meet a friend for lunch on Saturday,
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and on Sunday I'm going to clean my apartment and read a book.
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Notice how we both used I'm going to plus the base verb.
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That's the standard way to answer this question.
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Now, let's talk about the mistakes learners usually make.
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One common mistake is to forget the verb to be.
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For example, students say, I going to visit my friend.
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That's wrong.
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Yes, you need the verb am, is, or are.
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So the correct sentence is,
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I'm going to visit my friend.
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Another mistake is to mix up the tense.
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Many students say, I will visit my friend this weekend.
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Grammatically it's correct, but it sounds less natural if you already have a plan.
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Right.
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Will is usually for spontaneous decisions.
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But if you already have a plan,
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you should use going to.
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Another problem is word order.
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For example, I'm going to this weekend study English.
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That's not correct.
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The right order is, I'm going to study English this weekend.
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First the verb, then the time expression.
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So a good answer should look like this.
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I'm going to study English this weekend.
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Clear, simple, and natural.
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Exactly.
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Let's give a few more examples.
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I'm going to play soccer with my friends.
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I'm going to visit my cousin on Sunday.
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I'm going to cook something special.
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Now it's your turn.
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Think for a moment.
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What are you going to do this weekend?
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Try to answer in your head or even say it out loud.
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Great.
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And remember, use am, is, or are.
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plus going to plus verb to keep your answer correct and natural.
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Okay.
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Now that you know how to answer correctly,
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let's move on to a little activity with listening.
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Yeah, good idea.
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So, in a moment you're going to hear a short audio of two friends talking about their weekend plans.
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Right.
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But before you listen, let's go over three key words that will appear in the audio.
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That way, it'll be easier to follow the conversation.
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Exactly.
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So, the first word is schedule.
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A schedule is basically a plan of activities with times or dates.
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For example, my schedule is full this weekend with work and family plans.
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Yeah, and the second word is arrangement.
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An arrangement is like an agreement or a plan that you have already organized with someone.
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For example, I already have an arrangement to meet my cousin on Saturday.
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That's a good one.
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And the third word is postpone.
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To postpone means to delay something or move it to a later time.
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For example, we had to postpone our soccer game because of the rain.
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Great.
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So we've got schedule, arrangement, and postpone.
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Keep them in mind while you listen.
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Yeah, because here comes the interesting part.
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In the audio you'll hear a natural conversation,
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but there will also be some grammar mistakes.
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Exactly.
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And your job is to listen carefully.
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Try to catch those mistakes and think about how you would correct them.
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Don't worry if you don't catch them all.
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Yeah, because after the audio,
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we'll go through the text together,
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explain the errors, and show you the correct version.
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Alright then, let's get ready to listen.
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Hey Sophie, what's up?
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How's everything going?
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Oh, hey Alex.
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I'm good.
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Just a bit tired, you know.
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My week has been really long.
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Yeah, I know that feeling.
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Same here.
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So listen, I was thinking,
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what are you going to do this weekend?
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Do you already have some plans?
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Well, yeah, actually I have.
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On Saturday, I'm going to meet my cousin
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because she just moved into a new apartment and she invited me to see it.
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Wait, you going to?
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Don't you mean you're going to?
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Yes, you're right.
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I always forget the am.
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Anyway, I'm going to visit her and then maybe we'll go shopping together.
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Sounds nice.
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What about Sunday?
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On Sunday, hmm, I don't know.
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Maybe I will just stay at home and rest.
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Or I will watch a movie.
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Nothing really special.
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Yeah, I get it.
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Sometimes it's good to have a lazy day.
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For me, I'm going to play soccer with some friends on Saturday morning.
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and then in the evening I'll probably cook dinner with my sister.
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Oh, that's cool.
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You like cooking, right?
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Yeah, kind of.
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I'm not amazing, but I enjoy it.
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Nice.
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And tell me, do you have any plans for the next month?
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Like, not just the weekend, but something bigger?
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Oh, yeah, actually I do.
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Next month I'm gonna take an English course at the community center.
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It's three times a week,
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and I really want to improve my speaking.
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That's awesome!
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I also was thinking to join a course,
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but I'm not sure yet because my schedule is so full.
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You was thinking to join?
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Careful there.
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It should be, I was thinking of joining.
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Oh, right.
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Thanks for correcting me.
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See, that's why I need the course too.
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Don't worry, we all make mistakes.
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But seriously, if you have time,
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it would be fun to study together.
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True.
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I'll check my timetable and maybe I join you.
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Again, Sophie, maybe I join you?
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It's better to say maybe I'll join you.
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Yes, I keep mixing that.
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Okay, maybe I'll join you.
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Much better.
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So what about long term?
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Like, do you already know what you want to do in the future,
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like your career or life goals?
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Well, to be honest, I'm still figuring it out.
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I want to work in design,
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maybe graphic design because I really enjoy creating things.
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But sometimes I'm not sure if I good enough.
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If I good enough?
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Careful, it should be if I'm good enough.
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Right again.
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See, I told you, my grammar is crazy sometimes.
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But yeah, design is something I really want to do.
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And maybe in five years,
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I'm going to start my own studio.
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That sounds like a great plan.
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You're creative, so I think you'll do well.
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Thanks.
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And what about you, Alex?
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What's your big future plan?
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Well, I've been thinking a lot lately.
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Actually, I want to move abroad at some point,
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maybe to Canada or the UK.
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Really?
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That's exciting.
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Why Canada?
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Because I think the job prospects are better there.
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And also my cousin lives in Toronto.
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She says life there is good even if the weather is cold.
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Yeah, I've heard that.
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Do you already have an arrangement to move or it's just an idea for now?
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At the moment, it's just an idea,
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but I'm going to start saving money seriously next year.
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That's smart.
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Moving abroad needs a lot of preparation.
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Totally.
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And speaking to preparation, do you have any New Year's resolutions?
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Hmm.
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Good question.
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Let me think.
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Yeah.
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I want to read more books in English.
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At least one every two months.
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And I also going to practice speaking more often,
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maybe with a language partner online.
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Careful again.
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I also going to practice.
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It should be I'm also going to practice.
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Ah, yes, I knew it sounded strange.
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I'm also going to practice speaking more often.
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Thanks.
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No problem.
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That's the idea.
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We learn together.
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Exactly.
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Oh, and another plan I have is to travel.
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I would love to visit Spain next summer.
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Spain!
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That's cool.
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What would you like to see there?
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Definitely Barcelona.
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I've seen pictures of the Sagrada Familia and Parc Gull.
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They look amazing.
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Yeah, I've heard Barcelona is beautiful and the food is great too.
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For sure.
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I also want to practice Spanish while I'm there.
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It would be fun.
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That's a great plan.
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For me, in the future,
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I think I'll probably study something related to technology, maybe computer science.
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Oh, really?
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That's interesting.
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Technology is everywhere now.
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Yeah, exactly.
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And the job outlook is very good.
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So even though I'm not sure yet,
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I think it's a good option.
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Makes sense.
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You know, it's funny because when we talk about the future,
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sometimes we say I'm going to and sometimes I'll.
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It's easy to mix them.
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True.
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But here's the trick.
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I'm going to is for plans already decided,
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like I'm going to study English.
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And I'll is for decisions you make in the moment or predictions,
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like I'll probably study computer science.
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Yeah, that helps.
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Okay, last question.
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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Hmm, 10 years.
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Well, I'll be in my mid-30s.
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Hopefully I'll have a stable job,
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maybe a family, and if things go well, I'll be living abroad.
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That's a nice vision.
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For me, in 10 years,
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I hope I'll have my design studio,
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maybe travel a lot, and of course, speak English perfectly.
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Yes, fluent English for both of us.
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Exactly.
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Okay, so let's see if our plans really happen.
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Time will tell.
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Alright, let's talk about the mistakes we heard in that conversation.
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Did you notice some of them?
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Yeah, there were several grammar issues,
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the kind that many learners at a B1 or B2 level usually make.
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Let's go through them one by one.
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First, one of the friends said,
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I going to meet my cousin.
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The mistake here is forgetting the verb to be.
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It should be, I'm going to meet my cousin.
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Exactly.
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And this mistake happens because in some languages,
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like Spanish, you don't need the verb to be before the future construction.
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So learners sometimes translate directly.
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The tip here is, every time you use going to,
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remember it always needs am,
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is or are in front.
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Another mistake was, I was thinking to join a course.
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That's not correct.
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The verb thinking is normally followed by of or about plus an e-ing form.
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So the correct way is,
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I was thinking of joining a course.
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That's a really common mistake because learners confuse to as part of the infinitive.
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But after thinking, you never use the infinitive.
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You always say thinking of plus a verb with ing.
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Then there was this sentence.
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Maybe I join you.
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Now that's not right.
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In English, when you talk about the future in this way,
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you can't just use the present form of the verb,
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it should be, maybe I'll join you.
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Yes, and this is interesting.
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Many students avoid will and try to use the present tense because in their language the future might be formed differently.
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The tip is, when you talk about something possible or not 100% decided,
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will is the natural choice.
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Another mistake was, sometimes I'm not sure if I'm good enough.
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Here, the verb to be is missing again.
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The correct version is, I'm not sure if I'm good enough.
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And notice, this isn't just a small grammar slip.
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Missing am changes the sentence completely, and it sounds unnatural.
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So the advice here is,
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always check your sentence for the verb to be, especially after if.
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Finally, there was, I also going to practice speaking more often.
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Again, missing the verb to be.
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The correct form is, I'm also going to practice speaking more often.
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And what I want to highlight is that these mistakes are not about vocabulary.
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They're about structure.
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Learners know the words, but the challenge is putting them together in the right order.
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And that's something worth remembering.
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At B1 to B2 level,
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it's not usually about learning new words,
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but about making your sentences sound natural and grammatically solid.
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So, to recap, the most important tips are very simple.
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Always use am, is, or are before going to.
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After thinking, use of or about with a verb in ing,
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never to with an infinitive.
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For possibilities, use will instead of the present tense.
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And always check that the verb to be is there,
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For example, in a sentence like, if I'm good enough.
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Great.
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And remember, making mistakes is part of the process.
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The goal is to notice them,
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understand why they happen, and then practice the correct form until it feels natural.
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Exactly.
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That's why exercises like this are so useful.
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You practice listening, you identify errors,
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and you learn how to avoid them in your own speaking.
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So, before we finish, let's take a quick look at some expressions from today
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that are super useful when you talk about the future.
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Yeah, because if you only say,
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I'm going to, all the time your English sounds a bit basic.
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At B1 or B2 level,
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you can use richer phrases.
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For example, one really good one is, I'm planning to.
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This is great when you already have an idea and you are organizing it.
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For example, I'm planning to start a photography course next month.
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Right.
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And another one is, I'm considering.
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This shows that you're not 100% sure,
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but you are thinking about it.
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For example, you can say,
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I'm considering moving to another city for work.
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I like that one.
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And then we had, I hope to.
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This is perfect for talking about your goals or dreams.
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For example, I hope to travel abroad next year.
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Exactly.
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And here's another really natural one.
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I was thinking of.
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It makes you sound more fluent when you talk about ideas for the future.
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For example, I was thinking of joining a gym.
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And don't forget I'd like to.
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It's softer and more polite than I want to.
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For example, I'd like to improve my English this year.
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So, to recap.
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I'm planning to.
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I'm considering.
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I hope to, I was thinking of, and I'd like to.
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These are really useful tools if you want your English to sound more natural and less repetitive.
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Exactly.
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If you start using these expressions,
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you'll notice that your English conversations about the future become richer,
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more flexible, and more interesting.
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Alright, we've reached the end of today's episode.
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We really hope this lesson helps you feel more confident talking about your future plans in English.
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And if you made it all the way here,
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thank you so much for staying with us.
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Don't forget to leave a like.
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It really supports the channel.
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Yes.
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And tell us in the comments what topics you'd like us to cover in the future.
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We'd love to hear your ideas.
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Also, if you haven't done it yet,
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make sure to subscribe so you don't miss our next episodes.
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Thank you again for listening and practicing with us today.
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This was Max.
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And Mia.
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And this is Max and Mia Podcast.
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See you next time.
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Why Practice Speaking with This Video?
Engaging with this video is an excellent opportunity for learners to enhance their speaking abilities in English. By exploring the topic of future plans, you can relate it to your own life experiences, making your practice more meaningful. This type of conversation is common in everyday interactions, making it essential for achieving fluency. Practicing with this video allows you to apply what you learn in real contexts. As you listen to the dialogue between Max and Mia, utilize the shadowing technique to mimic their intonation and rhythm, thereby improving your pronunciation and confidence. Engaging with native speakers or realistic situations is crucial in becoming adept at English conversations, particularly in scenarios like discussing future plans. Don't forget, incorporating this practice into your routine will significantly polish your IELTS speaking practice skills.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
The dialogue from the podcast provides various crucial expressions and grammatical structures to articulate future plans. Here are a few key structures to focus on:
- I'm going to + base verb: This is a straightforward way to convey your future intentions. For example, “I’m going to visit my grandparents.”
- Will + base verb: While grammatically correct, this structure is typically used for spontaneous decisions rather than planned actions. For example, saying “I will visit my friend this weekend” may sound awkward if you already have made the plan.
- What are you going to do this weekend? This common question helps initiate conversations regarding future activities. It encourages learners to think about their plans and articulate them clearly.
Using these structures will help you sound more natural when discussing future events, making your speech more fluent and engaging. When combined with the shadow speech technique, you'll solidify your understanding and usage of these expressions.
Common Pronunciation Traps
When practicing your speaking skills, there are certain pronunciation traps you should be aware of. The dialogue features a few words that might be tricky:
- Weekend: Ensure you emphasize the second syllable—week-END—to maintain the word's natural flow.
- Visit: Pay attention to the 'v' sound; it should be voiced clearly as you pronounce it. This can be especially challenging for learners unfamiliar with such consonant sounds.
- Plans: The 'a' in the word is often mistakenly pronounced. Make sure to pronounce it as close to the 'æ' sound in 'cat'.
To refine your pronunciation, you can utilize resources like shadowspeaks where you listen and repeat after native speakers. This will reinforce your muscle memory for correct pronunciation, along with the structures learned from this engaging dialogue. Practice consistently, and you'll see remarkable progress in your English language skills!
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.
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