Shadowing Practice: Talking about exercise: πŸ’ͺβš½οΈπŸŠβ€β™‚οΈ Real Easy English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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72 sentences
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Hello and welcome to Real Easy English.
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I'm Georgie.
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And I'm Neil.
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In this podcast we have real conversations in easy English to help you improve your language skills.
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If you want to read along to the podcast, you can find a text version at bbclearningenglish.com.
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Hi Georgie, how are you doing?
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I'm doing OK, thanks Neil.
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How are you?
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I'm fine.
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What are we talking about this week, Neil?
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Today we're talking about hobbies.
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We'll talk about the sports we play in our spare time.
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OK, great.
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Can you explain what you mean by spare time?
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Well, spare time means the time when we're not working and we don't have anything that we need to do.
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Yes, and we can also use the phrase free time, which means the same thing.
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OK, so Neil, do you play any sports in your free time?
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Well, I do exercise, so I go running.
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That's not really a sport.
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I help my son training when he plays cricket.
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So that's kind of playing sports.
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Very good.
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And how about you, Georgie?
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Do you play sports?
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I also don't play a sport but I do like running and I also do yoga as well.
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Ah, yoga!
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When do you do yoga?
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I usually do it during the week but last weekend I did yoga as well.
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I like doing yoga at the end of a stressful week because I feel it makes me relaxed.
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So Neil, you said you like running.
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When do you like to go running?
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I go running at lunchtime when I'm working from home.
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So it's nice to do some exercise in the middle of the day and go for a run and then feel alive again in the afternoon.
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else do you like running?
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Actually, I don't like running.
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I don't like the actual running.
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But after I go running, I feel great always and I think, ah, I should go running more, but I never want to.
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Yes, I understand that feeling as well.
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When did you last go for a run, Georgie?
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Actually, I went running last weekend.
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It was a really sunny day and it felt great.
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So, Georgie, do you have any plans to go for a run or maybe do yoga this weekend?
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Not this weekend, but next weekend I have plans to go running with my friends.
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Oh, wow.
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Do you talk and run at the same time?
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Absolutely not.
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Good, because that's like extra exercise.
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That is too difficult, Neil.
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I can't run and talk to my friends.
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OK, Neil, so we know that you go running and you like cricket, but are there any new sports that you'd like to try?
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Well, Georgie, you do yoga.
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I'd like to take up yoga.
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But I have tried it in the past and it was just too boring.
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Yoga is not boring, it's wonderful.
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Neil, could you explain the verb take up that you just used?
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Yeah, we take up something.
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It means that we try something for the first time, a new hobby or a new habit, I suppose.
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So you can take up a sport or take up learning a new instrument.
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I'd like to take up painting, I think.
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I think painting is a really nice way to boost your creativity.
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Let's recap the vocabulary we learned during the conversation.
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We had next to talk about a future plan, like next weekend.
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We used last to talk about a past plan, like last weekend, last month, last week.
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It's usually the most recent.
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And we had take up, which means start a new hobby.
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Yes, and I'm going to take up painting, which is exciting!
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Thanks for listening to Real Easy English.
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Visit our website for more activities and courses to help you with your English.
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bbclearningenglish.com Next time, we'll talk about social media.
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See you then.
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Goodbye.
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Bye.
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About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will focus on discussing exercise, hobbies, and sports. By listening to a lively conversation between Georgie and Neil, you will enhance your English speaking practice while learning how to express your thoughts on different activities you enjoy in your free time. This episode is perfect for those looking to improve English pronunciation and gain confidence in their spoken English through relatable topics.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Spare time - Time when you are not working or busy.
  • Free time - Another term for spare time, used interchangeably.
  • Exercise - Physical activity that helps improve fitness.
  • Running - A popular form of exercise that involves moving at a fast pace.
  • Yoga - A practice that combines physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation.
  • Training - Preparing for a sport or exercise through practice.
  • Sport - An activity involving physical exertion and skill.
  • Relaxed - A state of being free from tension and anxiety.

Practice Tips

To make the most out of this lesson, try the shadowing technique while listening to the podcast. Shadowing is an effective method for learning English with YouTube, as it allows you to mimic the native speakers' pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm. As you listen to Georgie and Neil discuss exercise and sports, play the video at a slower speed if necessary, to grasp every word clearly.

Start by repeating key phrases aloud after you hear them, which can significantly help in improving English pronunciation. Aim to practice speaking along with the dialogue multiple times. You can also use a shadowing app to record yourself, allowing you to listen back and evaluate your progress. Remember, the more you practice speaking, the more natural and confident you will become in using new vocabulary in real 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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