Shadowing Practice: Talking About Good Habits & Bad Habits in English | Easy English Podcast - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Everyday English Academy,
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Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Everyday English Academy,
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where we make English simple and enjoyable.
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I'm Sarah.
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And I'm Mike.
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Hello to all of our wonderful listeners wherever you are in the world right now.
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Sarah, are you okay?
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You look guilty.
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I am guilty, Mike.
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What happened?
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I just ate chocolate.
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Okay, and?
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It is nine in the morning, Mike.
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So?
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Chocolate is delicious at any time.
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No, you don't understand.
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I do this every day now.
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It started as just one time,
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and now, every morning, coffee and chocolate.
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That is my breakfast.
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That is actually a very good breakfast.
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It is not.
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And the worst part is,
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I don't even decide to do it anymore.
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My hand just goes to the chocolate.
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Automatically.
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Oh, I understand that feeling.
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I have the same problem with Netflix.
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I say just one episode,
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and then three hours later,
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I am still on the sofa.
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Yes.
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How does that happen?
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I don't know.
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It starts small, and then suddenly it is just what you do every day.
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And that is exactly what we are talking about today, everyone.
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Habits.
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Good habits, bad habits, and why they are so hard to change.
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This is going to be fun,
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and probably a little embarrassing for both of us.
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Definitely embarrassing.
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But before we start, if you enjoy learning English with us,
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please subscribe to Everyday English Academy and give this episode a like.
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It really helps us reach more learners like you.
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And today, we want to hear from you, too.
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But more about that later.
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Okay, Mike, let's start simple.
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What is a habit exactly?
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A habit is something you do regularly,
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usually without thinking about it too much,
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like brushing your teeth before bed.
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You don't sit there and think,
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should I brush my teeth?
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You just do it.
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Right.
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It is automatic.
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And habits can be good,
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like drinking water in the morning,
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or they can be bad,
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like eating chocolate at 9 a.m.
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Are you still thinking about that?
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I am always thinking about it.
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And here's the thing.
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I didn't plan to eat chocolate every morning.
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It just happened slowly.
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One day I tried it,
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the next day I tried it again,
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and then it became my thing.
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So you developed this habit without realizing it.
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When you develop a habit,
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it means it grows slowly over time.
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You don't wake up one day and say,
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this is my new habit.
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It just appears.
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Exactly.
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Nobody plans their bad habits.
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They just develop.
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I developed a habit of checking my phone before bed,
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and now I can't stop.
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And the funny thing is,
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some people are more likely to develop habits than others.
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Oh, you mean like a creature of habit?
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Yes.
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A creature of habit is a person who likes doing the same things in the same way every day.
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Same coffee, same routine, same seat on the bus.
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That is so you, Mike.
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What?
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No. Mike, you eat the same sandwich every Tuesday.
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It is a good sandwich.
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You are a total creature of habit.
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My dad is such a creature of habit.
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He has the same breakfast every morning for 20 years.
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Okay, fine.
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Maybe I am.
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But at least I am a happy creature of habit.
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Fair enough.
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Okay, listeners, what about you?
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Are you a creature of habit?
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Or do you change things all the time?
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Tell us in the comments.
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We are very curious.
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And now, let's get honest.
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Sarah, I think it is time we talk about our bad habits.
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Oh no, do we have to?
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Yes, I already told everyone about Netflix.
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Your turn.
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Okay, okay, so besides the chocolate,
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my biggest bad habit is staying up too late.
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How late?
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Sometimes midnight, sometimes 1 a.m.
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And I have nothing important to do.
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I am just on my phone,
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watching videos, reading random things.
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Ah, the classic just five more minutes that becomes two hours.
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Exactly.
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And then the next morning,
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I am tired, and I think,
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tonight I will sleep early.
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And do I?
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No?
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No!
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See, and this is the hard part.
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You know it is bad,
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but you still do it,
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because in that moment, staying up feels good.
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Yes, you are so tempted.
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Tempted means you want to do something,
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even though you know you probably shouldn't.
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Like when you walk past a cake shop and the smell hits you?
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You are tempted.
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I was tempted to skip the gym today because the sofa looked so comfortable.
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I feel that.
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And honestly, I'm always tempted to watch one more episode, always.
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The show ends on something exciting and my brain says, just one more.
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And your brain is a liar.
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A complete liar.
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What about you, listeners?
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What is your worst habit?
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the one you keep doing even though you know you shouldn't.
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Tell us in the comments.
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Be honest.
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We won't judge.
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We clearly have no right to judge anyone.
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Okay, but we are not only bad habits, right?
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We have good ones, too.
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We do.
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And actually, later, we will talk about why bad habits are so hard to stop.
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It is not what you think.
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But first, the good stuff.
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Yes.
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Mike, tell me one good habit you have.
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Okay.
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Every morning, I go for a short walk.
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Maybe 15 or 20 minutes.
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Nothing big.
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I just walk around my neighborhood.
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And how did that start?
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Honestly, it was an accident.
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One morning, I woke up early and I couldn't go back to sleep.
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So I just went outside.
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And I felt so good after.
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So the next day, I did it again.
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And again.
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and now it is just part of my morning.
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So it developed naturally.
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And now are you committed to it?
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I really am.
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Committed means you made a decision to keep doing something even when it is not easy.
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Right.
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When you are committed to something,
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you do it even on lazy days.
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Exactly.
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She is very committed to learning English.
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She practices every day.
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Even when she's tired, she does it.
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I love that.
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And what about your good habit, Sarah?
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Well, mine is writing a short plan every morning.
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Just three things I want to do that day.
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Only three?
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Only three.
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If I write ten things, I feel stressed.
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Three feels manageable.
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And does it help?
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So much.
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On days when I do it,
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I feel organized and calm.
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On days when I skip it, my brain is everywhere.
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And here is something interesting.
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When a good habit becomes really easy, it feels effortless.
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Effortless means something is so easy it feels like no work at all.
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Yes, like my morning plan.
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At the beginning, I had to remind myself every day.
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Now, I just do it.
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It is effortless.
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After a few months, waking up early became effortless for him.
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That is the goal, right?
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You want your good habits to feel effortless.
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But getting there, that is the hard part.
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Because changing habits is really difficult,
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and I think everyone knows this.
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They do, and here's why.
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When you try to change a habit,
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the first few days feel great.
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You feel motivated, excited, strong.
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Yes, like a superhero of good decisions.
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Exactly.
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And then day five happens.
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What happens on day five?
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You were tired, you had a long day,
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and your old habit is right there waiting for you,
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like an old friend.
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Come on, just this one time.
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And that's when you slip up.
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To slip up means to make a small mistake.
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You go back to the bad habit just for a moment.
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I was doing so well with my diet,
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but I slipped up and ate pizza at midnight.
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Midnight pizza is a classic slip-up.
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And slipping up is normal.
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Everyone does it.
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The problem is what happens next.
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Oh, this is so true.
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Because after you slip up,
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many people think, well, I already failed, so why try?
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Yes, and then they let it slide.
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To let it slide means you stop caring about something you were trying to maintain.
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Like one day you skip the gym,
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then two days, then a week,
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and suddenly you just let it slide.
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You stopped trying.
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He was eating healthy for a month,
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but then he let it slide and went back to fast food.
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And before you know it,
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you revert to your old habits.
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To revert to means to go back to a previous way of behaving.
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So you were doing well,
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making progress, and then you revert to exactly where you started.
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Every time I try to sleep early,
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I revert to staying up past midnight after a few weeks.
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That is literally my life.
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Mine too.
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And I think a lot of people listening right now are thinking,
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yes, that is exactly what happens to me.
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So have you ever tried to change a habit and failed?
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Comment below.
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You are not alone.
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Honestly, Mike and I fail all the time.
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All the time.
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But we keep trying, and that matters.
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Okay, so we know habits are hard to change,
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but is there anything that actually helps?
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I think so, and it is not complicated.
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Remember I told you about my morning walk?
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Yes.
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The reason it works is because I made it small.
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I did not say I will run 5 kilometers every morning.
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I said I will walk for 15 minutes.
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That's it.
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Oh, so start small.
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Yes.
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When a habit is small and easy,
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you are more likely to do it.
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And when you do it every day, it grows naturally.
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That is actually really smart.
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Don't try to change everything at once.
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Right.
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And here's another thing that helped me.
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I connected my new habit to something I already do.
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I wake up, I make coffee, and then I walk.
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The coffee is the signal.
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After coffee means walk time.
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Ooh, I like that.
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So you attach the new habit to an old one.
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Exactly.
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It makes it easier to remember.
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And I think the most important thing is,
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if you want to ditch a bad habit,
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you need to replace it with something.
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Ditch means to stop doing something completely, like throwing it away.
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Oh, that's a strong word.
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I finally ditched my habit of eating snacks late at night.
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Yes, but here's the key.
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I replaced the snacks with tea.
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So now when I feel hungry at night, I make tea instead.
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I didn't just remove something,
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I put something better in its place.
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That is such a good point.
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If you just ditch the bad habit and put nothing there,
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you feel empty and then you're tempted again.
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Exactly.
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And one more thing.
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Don't try to kick all your bad habits at the same time.
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To kick a habit means to successfully stop a bad habit.
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Right.
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It took her two years to kick her habit of biting her nails.
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Choose one habit.
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Just one.
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Work on that.
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And when it feels effortless,
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then move to the next one.
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I think that is really good advice.
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Small steps, one habit at a time.
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And be kind to yourself when you slip up.
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Because you will slip up.
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Everyone does.
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The difference is, do you let it slide completely?
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Or do you try again tomorrow?
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Trying again tomorrow is enough.
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That is progress.
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Okay, Mike.
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Let's do a quick review of the words we learned today.
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Let's do it.
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First, develop a habit.
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To slowly start a habit over time.
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She developed a habit of journaling every evening.
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Creature of habit.
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A person who likes doing the same things the same way.
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He is such a creature of habit.
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Tempted.
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Wanting to do something you probably shouldn't.
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I was tempted to skip class today.
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Kick a habit.
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To stop a bad habit.
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I am trying to kick my habit of eating late at night.
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Committed.
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Determined to keep doing something.
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She is committed to exercising three times a week.
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Effortless.
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So easy it feels like no work.
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Cooking became effortless after years of practice.
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Slip up.
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To make a small mistake or briefly return to a bad habit.
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I slipped up and checked my phone during dinner.
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Let it slide.
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To stop caring about something you were trying to maintain.
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He let his morning routine slide after vacation.
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Revert to.
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To go back to a previous way of behaving.
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I always revert to my old sleeping habits.
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And ditch, to completely stop doing something.
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I ditched sugary drinks, and I feel much better.
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Those are ten really useful words for talking about habits in English.
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And you can use them in your own life starting today.
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So, here is our question for you.
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In the comments, tell us two things.
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Number one, what is one bad habit you want to ditch?
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And number two, what is one good habit you are committed to?
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Write it in English.
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Even one sentence is great practice.
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For example, I want to ditch my habit of sleeping late.
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I am committed to reading before bed.
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We read every comment and we love hearing about your lives.
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And if you enjoyed this episode,
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please subscribe to Everyday English Academy and give us a like.
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Share it with a friend who needs a little habit help.
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Thank you so much for spending time with us today.
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Keep practicing, keep trying, and remember,
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even small habits can change your whole day.
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And when you slip up, just try again tomorrow.
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That is enough.
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stay positive stay curious and we will see you in the next episode bye everyone goodbye
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Why practice speaking with this video?
Improving your English speaking skills is essential for effective communication, and what better way to practice than with real-life conversations? In the video titled "Talking About Good Habits & Bad Habits in English," the hosts, Sarah and Mike, provide relatable scenarios that many learners face. This makes it a perfect opportunity to engage with the content and practice your speaking skills through shadowspeak. As you listen to the dialogue, you can mimic the phrases and intonations, helping to improve your English pronunciation and fluency.
Furthermore, by discussing topics like good and bad habits, you can learn vocabulary and expressions that are relevant to everyday life. Shadowing the speakers allows you to internalize the rhythm and patterns of spoken English, enhancing your ability to express ideas clearly. This engaging context not only keeps learning enjoyable but also prepares you for situations you may encounter on your IELTS speaking practice.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
The conversation in the video contains several useful grammar structures and expressions that can enhance your speaking abilities:
- “It started as just one time” - This construction is useful for discussing how habits develop over time. Using the past simple with "started" emphasizes when things began.
- “I don’t even decide to do it anymore” - Here, the use of the present simple communicates a routine or a habit that has become automatic. It’s a great way to express how habits can take control of our lives.
- “It is delicious at any time” - This phrase showcases how to express opinions about food or activities. Incorporating similar phrase structures in your conversations can provide variety and depth to your speaking.
- “How does that happen?” - A rhetorical question like this is common in conversations and encourages further discussion. It can be a useful technique to engage others in the topic you are discussing.
Common Pronunciation Traps
Listening to native speakers is a great way to improve your overall English pronunciation, but certain words and phrases can be tricky. Here are some pronunciation points to focus on while shadowing the video:
- “Automatically” - This word may be challenging due to its length and number of syllables. Practice breaking it down into parts: au-to-ma-ti-cal-ly.
- “Guilty” - Pay attention to the way the “g” is pronounced softly. It should sound more like “gil-tee” rather than “guil-tee.”
- “Episode” - The stress on the first syllable can be confusing. Make sure to pronounce it as “EP-i-sode” to sound more native-like.
By honing in on these tricky sounds and utilizing the shadowspeaks technique, you can significantly improve your English pronunciation. So, take some time to practice along with the video, repeating phrases and sentences until they feel natural. Happy learning!
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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