Shadowing Practice: Talking About Spring 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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So, Mike, have you been feeling different this week?
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Different.
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How?
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Like good for no real reason.
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Actually, yes.
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Right?
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I woke up on Tuesday and I just felt awake.
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Actually awake.
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Not the fake awake where you're just moving around waiting for coffee to fix you.
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I went for a walk after work yesterday and I didn't even think about it.
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I just went.
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That is so unlike you.
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I know.
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I'm a little suspicious of myself, honestly.
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I think I know what's happening to us.
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What?
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Spring.
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Spring?
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Spring!
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The sun is staying longer,
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everything outside is changing, and suddenly we're both acting like completely different people.
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That is either beautiful or slightly worrying.
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Probably both.
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So, today we are talking about spring.
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The words, the feelings, the weather,
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everything you need to talk about this season in natural English.
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And I have a question for you right now before we even start.
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Are you a spring person?
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Do you love it when spring arrives?
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Tell us in the comments.
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We want to know.
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Yes.
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One sentence is enough.
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I love spring because… just try it.
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Okay, Mike, let's start with this feeling,
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this mysterious good mood, because I don't think it's just us.
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No, I really don't think it is.
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I think spring does something to people,
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like a switch turns on somewhere.
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Yes, and the funny thing is,
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nothing big has changed in my life.
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Same job, same apartment, same routine.
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But this week, I just feel lighter.
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Lighter is a perfect word for it.
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And actually, there is a real phrase for this feeling.
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It's called spring fever.
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Spring fever?
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That sounds like a sickness.
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It sounds like one, but it's actually a good thing.
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Spring fever is that restless,
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excited feeling you get when spring arrives.
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You suddenly want to do things, go places, change things.
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Oh, that is exactly what I have.
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I made a list of things I want to do this month.
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A long list.
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How long?
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Very long.
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Spring fever, classic.
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You can say, I have spring fever.
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I can't stop making plans.
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Or, every year when spring comes,
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I get spring fever and I want to change everything about my life.
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And then by June, you've done maybe two things on the list.
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Maybe two.
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But the feeling is real.
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And I think it's connected to something simple.
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The sun.
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Yes.
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The days are longer now.
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You finish work and it's still light outside.
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That changes everything.
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In winter, I come home and it's already dark,
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and I think, well, the day is over.
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But now you come home and there's still light,
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and you think, I could still do something.
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I could go for a walk.
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I could sit outside.
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I could be a real human being.
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Instead of just surviving until bedtime.
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Exactly.
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And speaking of going outside,
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the nature right now, have you noticed?
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Oh, completely.
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Everything is just green.
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Really deeply green.
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There's actually a great word for it.
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Lush.
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When we say something is lush,
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we mean it's very green and full of life.
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Thick and rich looking.
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Like the grass in the park right now.
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It looks almost too green.
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Like someone painted it.
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Yes.
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The garden looks so lush after all the spring rain.
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It's a lovely word.
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And the trees.
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They went from completely empty to suddenly full in what felt like one week.
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It really does happen fast.
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You stop noticing for a few days,
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and then you look outside and think,
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where did all of that come from?
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And the colors, not just green, pink, yellow, white.
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So vibrant.
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Vibrant.
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What does that mean exactly?
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Vibrant means bright, colorful, and full of energy.
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It's a great word for describing spring nature.
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The flowers are so vibrant right now.
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Or, the park looks so vibrant this time of year.
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I like that word.
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It sounds like the color itself is alive.
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That's exactly what it means.
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And being around all of that color and life,
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it genuinely changes your mood.
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It really does.
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Even just walking past a garden with flowers, you feel uplifted.
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Uplifting, yes.
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When something is uplifting, it makes you feel happier and more energetic.
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That walk was so uplifting.
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Or spring mornings are so uplifting.
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I used to think people were exaggerating when they talked about nature improving your mood,
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but I genuinely believe it now.
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It's not an exaggeration at all.
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There's a reason everyone seems happier in spring.
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Although, the weather doesn't always cooperate.
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Oh no, here we go.
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Because spring weather is tricky.
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Very tricky.
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And there's actually a perfect word for it.
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Deceiving.
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Deceiving?
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When something is deceiving, it looks one way but feels completely different.
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And spring weather is the most deceiving weather of the whole year.
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Yes.
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You look outside in the morning,
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blue sky, sun is out, you think, beautiful day.
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You leave the house in a light jacket.
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And then the wind hits you and you immediately regret every decision you made.
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Because it looks warm, but it is absolutely not warm.
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The weather in spring is so deceiving.
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It looked sunny, but it was freezing outside.
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Exactly.
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And the mornings especially.
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Spring mornings can be really brisk.
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Brisk.
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That's a nice word.
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What does it mean?
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Brisk means cool and fresh in a way that actually wakes you up.
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It's not unpleasant cold.
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It's that sharp, clean morning feeling.
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Oh, I know that feeling.
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You step outside and you take a breath and your whole body just wakes up.
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Exactly.
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I went for a brisk morning walk,
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and I felt amazing after.
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It has a positive energy to it.
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I like brisk.
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It sounds exactly like what it means.
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Right?
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And then, of course, there's the rain,
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because spring is beautiful, but also wet.
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Very wet.
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There's actually a classic English expression for this, April showers.
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April showers.
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So just rain in April?
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Yes.
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In English, we call spring rain April showers.
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And there's a longer saying that goes,
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April showers bring May flowers.
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Oh, so the rain in April is what makes everything beautiful in May.
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Exactly.
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The rain is actually the reason everything looks so lush and vibrant.
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So even when it's raining,
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you can think, April showers, good things are coming.
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That's a nice way to think about it.
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Instead of just being annoyed.
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Much more positive.
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Okay, so spring makes us feel good,
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nature looks vibrant, the weather is deceiving and sometimes rainy.
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What else happens in spring?
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The urge to change things.
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Oh, say more.
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You know that feeling where you look around your home and suddenly everything feels wrong?
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Too dark, too heavy, too full of stuff?
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Yes.
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I had that last weekend.
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I walked into my living room and I just thought,
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this room needs to change.
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That is such a spring feeling.
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Spring makes you want to revamp everything.
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Revamp?
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I like that word.
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To revamp something means to give it a fresh new look or feel.
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I revamped my whole bedroom.
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Or I want to revamp my morning routine this spring.
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It's stronger than just change, right?
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It sounds more exciting.
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Exactly.
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It has that sense of renewal.
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And I did this last week.
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I moved some furniture around,
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got some new cushions, opened all the windows.
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Did it work?
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It felt like a completely different apartment.
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I genuinely felt better just sitting in it.
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I believe that.
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And I think this is connected to something else.
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The need to get rid of things.
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Yes, all the odds and ends you've been collecting all winter.
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Odds and ends?
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What does that mean?
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Odds and ends are all those random,
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small things that have piled up with no real purpose.
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You don't know exactly why you have them, they're just there.
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Oh, I have so many odds and ends.
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Random cables, old magazines, things I bought and never used.
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We all have them.
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I spent Sunday getting rid of all the odds and ends I'd collected over winter.
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Or my kitchen drawer is full of odds and ends that I really need to sort out.
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That drawer.
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Everyone has that drawer.
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The drawer where things go to disappear forever.
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Exactly.
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And listeners, do you get this urge in spring to revamp your space and get rid of all the odds and ends?
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Tell us in the comments.
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Or are you happy leaving everything exactly as it is?
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I want to know too,
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because I feel like this is very common,
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but nobody talks about it.
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It really is.
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And I think it's connected to something bigger.
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The way spring just makes you feel renewed.
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Yes.
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There's a word for that feeling, right?
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When you feel completely new again.
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Rejuvenate.
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When you feel rejuvenated, you feel completely renewed and full of fresh energy.
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Like everything got reset.
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That's exactly the feeling.
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After my first weekend outside in spring, I felt completely rejuvenated.
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Or there's something about spring that rejuvenates me every year, no matter what.
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And I think that's why spring feels more like a fresh start than January ever does.
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Oh, that is so true.
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Everyone talks about January as the new beginning.
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New year, new me.
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But January is cold and dark and honestly exhausting.
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January does not feel like a new beginning.
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January feels like a punishment.
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Exactly.
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But spring?
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Spring actually feels like something is starting.
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Because nature agrees with you.
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Everything around you is actually beginning again.
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It's not just a date on a calendar.
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The world looks different.
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You feel different.
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It makes sense to start something new.
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And I think that's why people make more real changes in spring than in January.
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Do you think that's true?
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I really do.
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In January, you're forcing yourself.
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In spring, you want to.
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That's spring fever again.
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Always spring fever.
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And you know what's interesting?
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Even people who say they don't care about seasons, spring gets them.
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It's almost impossible to resist.
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You step outside on a warm spring morning.
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The air smells different.
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Everything looks vibrant and lush.
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And suddenly you want to go for a walk,
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call a friend, start a new project.
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Become a completely different person by next Tuesday.
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Spring fever is powerful.
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Very powerful.
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Okay, let's do a quick review of everything we learned today,
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because we covered some really useful words.
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Yes, let's go through them.
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First one, spring fever.
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Spring fever is that restless,
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excited feeling when spring arrives and you suddenly want to do everything at once.
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I have spring fever.
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I can't stop making plans.
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Next, lush, when nature is very green and full of life.
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The park looks so lush right now.
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Vibrant, bright, colorful, and full of energy.
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The flowers are so vibrant this time of year.
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Uplifting, when something makes you feel happier and more energetic.
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That morning walk was so uplifting.
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Deceiving.
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When something looks one way but feels completely different.
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Spring weather is so deceiving.
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It looked warm, but it wasn't.
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Brisk.
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Cool and fresh in a way that wakes you up.
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I love a brisk morning walk in spring.
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April showers.
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The rain that typically comes in spring.
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April showers bring May flowers.
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Revamp.
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To give something a fresh new look or feel.
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I want to revamp my whole apartment this spring.
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Odds and ends.
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Random small things with no real purpose that have piled up.
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I need to get rid of all these odds and ends.
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And finally, rejuvenate.
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to feel completely renewed and full of fresh energy.
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Spring always rejuvenates me.
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Those are really useful words,
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not just for spring, for talking about change,
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nature, mood, and your home.
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And now our question for you.
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What is the first thing you do when spring arrives where you live?
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Do you go outside?
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Do you revamp your space?
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Do you make a very long list of plans like Mike?
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My list is very organized, thank you.
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Write it in the comments.
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One or two sentences in English.
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Even something simple like, When spring arrives,
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I always open all my windows, is perfect practice.
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We read every comment.
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Seriously, we love hearing about your lives from all over the world.
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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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It really helps us keep making these episodes for you.
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Share this with a friend who is learning English.
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Spring is the perfect time to start something new.
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Maybe that something is your English.
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We love that.
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Stay warm, stay curious, and enjoy the spring wherever you are.
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We will see you in the next episode.
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Bye everyone.
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Goodbye.
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Context & Background
In the latest episode of "Easy English Podcast," hosts Sarah and Mike dive into the vibrant and refreshing theme of spring. As the season transforms surroundings and spirits alike, they explore the nuances of how spring influences their moods and behaviors. This conversation not only highlights their personal feelings toward the season but also serves as a backdrop for learners to connect with real-life English dialogues. Understanding such contextual conversations can significantly enhance your english speaking practice and offer valuable insight into everyday language use.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "I just felt awake." - This phrase conveys a sense of alertness and vitality, perfect for discussing personal feelings.
- "Have you been feeling different this week?" - A great way to engage with friends about their emotional state or mood changes.
- "I think spring does something to people." - Useful for expressing opinions about seasonal changes impacting behavior.
- "I just feel lighter." - An excellent way to describe a positive mood shift, particularly during spring.
- "Are you a spring person?" - This phrase invites conversation about personal preferences related to seasons.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To make the most of the insights from this episode, follow this shadow speak technique to improve your English pronunciation and overall fluency:
- Listen Carefully: Start by listening to the episode attentively. Focus on the intonation and pronunciation of the words, especially the phrases highlighted above.
- Repeat Aloud: Play a segment and pause after each sentence; repeat what you hear. This practice mimics the natural speech patterns of the hosts.
- Record Yourself: After shadowing, record your own voice. Compare it to the original to identify areas for improvement.
- Practice in Context: Use the phrases in your conversations or write sentences about your own experiences with spring.
- Engage with Others: Share your thoughts about spring with friends or in online forums. This allows for practical IELTS speaking practice while discussing relatable topics.
Utilizing this structured approach will help strengthen your confidence in speaking and provide substantial benefits to your language journey. Whether you aim to excel in IELTS speaking practice or simply wish to enhance your overall communication skills, integrating shadowing techniques into your routine is invaluable.
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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