Shadowing Practice: Talking about food πŸ”πŸ₯’πŸ« Real Easy English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

Easy
Shadowing Controls
0% completed (0/92 sentences)
Welcome to Real Easy English from BBC Learning English.
⏸ Paused
Speed:
Repeat Count:
Wait Mode:
Sub Sync:0ms
All Sentences
92 sentences
1
Welcome to Real Easy English from BBC Learning English.
0:00.50 – 0:04.72 (4.2s)
2
I'm Beth.
0:04.72 – 0:05.52 (0.8s)
3
And I'm Neil.
0:05.10 – 0:06.54 (1.4s)
4
In this podcast we have a real conversation in easy English.
0:06.54 – 0:11.76 (5.2s)
5
If you want to read along, you can visit our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
0:11.50 – 0:17.82 (6.3s)
6
Hi Neil.
0:23.68 – 0:24.42 (0.7s)
7
Hi Beth.
0:23.90 – 0:25.04 (1.1s)
8
How are you?
0:25.04 – 0:25.88 (0.8s)
9
I'm very good, thank you.
0:25.50 – 0:27.50 (2.0s)
10
How are you?
0:27.50 – 0:28.04 (0.5s)
11
I'm pretty good, yes.
0:28.28 – 0:29.30 (1.0s)
12
Good, good.
0:29.24 – 0:29.90 (0.7s)
13
What are we talking about today?
0:29.90 – 0:31.38 (1.5s)
14
Well, today we are talking about food.
0:30.94 – 0:34.50 (3.6s)
15
In particular, we'll talk about our favourite foods and how often we eat them.
0:34.50 – 0:40.68 (6.2s)
16
What an amazing topic.
0:40.22 – 0:42.68 (2.5s)
17
I have so much to say about food.
0:42.68 – 0:44.36 (1.7s)
18
You said how often.
0:45.46 – 0:47.04 (1.6s)
19
What do we mean by how often we eat something?
0:47.04 – 0:50.46 (3.4s)
20
Good question.
0:51.00 – 0:51.76 (0.8s)
21
How often means how many times we eat our favourite food.
0:51.76 – 0:56.94 (5.2s)
22
food.
0:57.48 – 0:57.58 (0.1s)
23
So we might eat them every week, every day, or if we really like a food, we might eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, every meal.
0:57.50 – 1:09.12 (11.6s)
24
So, Neil, what is your favourite food?
1:09.78 – 1:12.60 (2.8s)
25
Well, that's a really difficult question, but I really like fish.
1:13.38 – 1:20.50 (7.1s)
26
Ah, me too.
1:20.60 – 1:21.92 (1.3s)
27
I was going to say that, but actually I really love seafood.
1:21.92 – 1:27.55 (5.6s)
28
So I think I'd say any kind of dish with seafood in it, I absolutely love.
1:27.55 – 1:33.93 (6.4s)
29
So how often do you eat seafood, Beth?
1:34.03 – 1:36.75 (2.7s)
30
Well, not very often, actually.
1:36.73 – 1:38.91 (2.2s)
31
I have it when I go on holiday and I have it in restaurants sometimes, but I don't really cook seafood at home.
1:38.91 – 1:45.93 (7.0s)
32
What about you?
1:46.85 – 1:47.53 (0.7s)
33
How often do you have fish?
1:47.53 – 1:49.23 (1.7s)
34
Oh, probably a few times a week.
1:49.67 – 1:52.95 (3.3s)
35
Really?
1:53.17 – 1:53.59 (0.4s)
36
Maybe, yeah.
1:53.75 – 1:54.59 (0.8s)
37
We eat a lot of fish.
1:54.59 – 1:56.65 (2.1s)
38
We sometimes have fish at home.
1:56.87 – 1:58.61 (1.7s)
39
I normally have it once or twice a week.
1:58.61 – 2:01.29 (2.7s)
40
Right.
2:01.79 – 2:02.13 (0.3s)
41
But I never have seafood at home, actually.
2:01.85 – 2:05.05 (3.2s)
42
Yeah, OK.
2:05.35 – 2:06.33 (1.0s)
43
So, what is your least favourite food?
2:06.33 – 2:09.15 (2.8s)
44
Oh, I absolutely hate baked beans.
2:09.41 – 2:13.55 (4.1s)
45
You hate baked beans?
2:13.89 – 2:15.03 (1.1s)
46
I think they're disgusting.
2:14.55 – 2:16.81 (2.3s)
47
I can't even...
2:16.81 – 2:18.11 (1.3s)
48
And the smell of them even makes me feel a bit sick.
2:18.57 – 2:21.93 (3.4s)
49
Oh, OK.
2:21.95 – 2:23.03 (1.1s)
50
So, we've talked about the foods that we really like and the foods that we don't like.
2:24.07 – 2:29.29 (5.2s)
51
But in a general week, what do you normally cook?
2:29.29 – 2:33.17 (3.9s)
52
Often, we'll eat Indian curries, but also Italian pasta dishes or Spanish dishes.
2:34.17 – 2:42.65 (8.5s)
53
then sometimes more traditional British roast dinner kind of thing.
2:43.17 – 2:49.21 (6.0s)
54
Yeah.
2:48.95 – 2:49.75 (0.8s)
55
I think generally we have the same at home.
2:49.79 – 2:53.49 (3.7s)
56
Like, we eat a lot of food from different countries.
2:53.11 – 2:56.89 (3.8s)
57
But I have to say, I usually cook quite a lot of pasta and quite a lot of rice at home in general, just because they cook really quickly.
2:56.31 – 3:06.71 (10.4s)
58
So Beth, you generally eat rice and pasta dishes.
3:07.15 – 3:12.43 (5.3s)
59
What does that mean, generally?
3:11.97 – 3:14.15 (2.2s)
60
Well, we use generally and usually and normally for habits or things that we do a lot.
3:14.67 – 3:22.61 (7.9s)
61
So, for example, if I generally cook pasta or rice, that means maybe five times out of the seven in a week, I would say.
3:22.23 – 3:32.21 (10.0s)
62
OK, so that's most of the time.
3:32.67 – 3:34.83 (2.2s)
63
If we use sometimes, we mean that we do it less than generally.
3:34.83 – 3:41.23 (6.4s)
64
Yeah, sometimes might be two or three times a week.
3:41.91 – 3:45.49 (3.6s)
65
I guess it depends on what you're talking about.
3:45.49 – 3:48.29 (2.8s)
66
But for example, with me, I sometimes cook fish.
3:48.29 – 3:52.33 (4.0s)
67
Like I said, I have it maybe twice a week.
3:52.33 – 3:54.59 (2.3s)
68
So I would say that's sometimes.
3:54.59 – 3:57.23 (2.6s)
69
Beth, you said that you hate baked beans.
3:57.35 – 4:01.49 (4.1s)
70
So do you ever eat baked beans?
4:01.49 – 4:04.83 (3.3s)
71
Never.
4:05.39 – 4:05.91 (0.5s)
72
No, I can't stand them.
4:05.91 – 4:08.71 (2.8s)
73
So I never, ever have baked beans.
4:08.71 – 4:10.91 (2.2s)
74
Well, never is something that we don't do.
4:11.67 – 4:14.77 (3.1s)
75
We just don't ever do it.
4:14.92 – 4:17.46 (2.5s)
76
I can't believe you don't like baked beans.
4:22.90 – 4:25.38 (2.5s)
77
Beans on toast is a classic.
4:25.38 – 4:27.62 (2.2s)
78
It is, but no, not for me.
4:27.86 – 4:29.94 (2.1s)
79
Let's quickly recap the vocabulary we learnt during the conversation.
4:29.94 – 4:34.88 (4.9s)
80
We learnt often, which means we do something a lot, and we learnt how often, which we use to ask someone how many times they do something.
4:35.22 – 4:45.12 (9.9s)
81
Usually, normally and generally, which are all ways to talk about things we do a lot.
4:45.72 – 4:53.36 (7.6s)
82
Sometimes, which we can use to talk about things we do, but not always or often.
4:53.66 – 4:59.68 (6.0s)
83
And never, to talk about things we don't do, like eat beans, Beth.
4:59.92 – 5:05.36 (5.4s)
84
Yes, just like I never eat baked beans.
5:04.98 – 5:08.46 (3.5s)
85
Horrible!
5:08.46 – 5:09.48 (1.0s)
86
Thanks for listening to Real Easy English.
5:12.46 – 5:15.04 (2.6s)
87
Visit our website for more activities and courses to help you with your English – bbclearningenglish.com.
5:15.04 – 5:23.92 (8.9s)
88
Next week we'll talk about our friends.
5:24.26 – 5:26.14 (1.9s)
89
See you then.
5:26.98 – 5:27.44 (0.5s)
90
Goodbye.
5:27.44 – 5:28.16 (0.7s)
91
Bye.
5:28.20 – 5:28.40 (0.2s)
92
Thank you.
5:41.36 – 5:41.78 (0.4s)

About This Lesson

In this lesson, we delve into a lively conversation about food, featuring hosts Beth and Neil from BBC Learning English. This engaging dialogue focuses on discussing favorite and least favorite foods, alongside the frequency with which we consume them. As a learner, you will practice essential vocabulary related to food and gain insights into speaking about personal preferences and habits. The lesson emphasizes the importance of understanding how often we eat certain foods, enhancing your conversational skills in everyday contexts. By the end of this session, you’ll feel more confident discussing food topics, which is particularly useful for IELTS speaking practice and developing your overall English fluency.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • How often - A phrase used to inquire about the frequency of an action, such as eating certain foods.
  • Favorite food - A term to describe a person's most liked dish or meal.
  • Seafood - A category of food that includes fish and other marine creatures.
  • Disgusting - An adjective used to express strong dislike or aversion to something, often related to taste or smell.
  • Baked beans - A type of food that is often referenced as a least favorite due to its strong flavor and smell.
  • Culinary preferences - A phrase that refers to individual likes and dislikes in terms of food.

Practice Tips for This Video

To maximize your learning experience while shadowing this video, here are some specific tips:

  • Start Slow: Begin by watching the video at a slower playback speed. This will help you catch every word and phrase, enhancing your pronunciation practice.
  • Mimic the Accent: Pay attention to the distinct accents of Beth and Neil. Imitating their pronunciation will improve your own English speaking skills.
  • Focus on Conversational Phrasing: Note how they casually transition between topics. This is essential for IELTS speaking preparation, where natural flow is crucial.
  • Use Repetition: Repeat segments of the video multiple times. This will aid in retaining vocabulary and improving your overall speaking fluency.
  • Engage with Questions: After listening, try to talk about your own favorite foods or culinary dislikes. This will build confidence in speaking about personal topics in English.

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.

β˜• Buy us a coffee

Donate via PayPal