Shadowing Practice: Tell Me About Yourself | Easy English Conversation Practice for Beginners - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hello everyone and welcome back to Emily English daily.
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Hello everyone and welcome back to Emily English daily.
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I'm Emily. Hey Emily. Hey everyone. It's great to be here. Hi Tom. How are you today?
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I'm doing great. Thanks. And you? You look very happy today. I am happy. I'm excited for our topic today. Oh, yes.
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It's a good one. Very important, you know. Yes, exactly.
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But first, everyone, please subscribe to our channel. Yes, and click the like button. Share with your friends. It really helps us. It does.
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Okay, Tom. Are you ready? I am ready.
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So, what's our topic today? Today we talk about tell me about yourself. Ah.
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A very common question. People ask this all the time. They do. In a new class, at a new job, when you meet new people.
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It's true. And well, sometimes it's hard to know what to say. Yes. So, today we will make it easy and fun. That sounds perfect. So, who starts? You or me? How about you start, Tom? Tell me about yourself. Okay. Okay. My turn first.
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Where do I start? Let's start easy. What is your name? Well, my name is Tom. T O M. Nice to meet you, Tom. My name is Emily. Nice to meet you, too, Emily.
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So, next question. Where are you from?
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Ooh, good one.
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I am from Canada. Canada. Wow. I am from the United States. The United States.
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Very cool. Do you live in a big city?
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Yes, I live in a big city. It's busy, noisy, but I love it. Hmm. I live in a small town. I like it. It's quiet, you know. That's nice. A small town and a big city. Very different. Yes. And do you live in a house or an apartment? I live in an apartment. Is it big? No, it's small, but it's nice. I like it.
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Good. Good. I live in a house. Small house with a garden. A garden? I love gardens.
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Okay, so we have name, where you're from, where you live. What's next? How about how old are you, Tom? If you want to say.
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Of course. I am 28 years old. 28? Okay.
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And you, Emily? How old are you? I am 25 years old. 25. A good age. Thank you. I think so, too. Okay. Now, a big question. I'm ready. What do you do, Emily? I am a student. A student? What do you study? I study art. I love to draw and paint. Wow. Art. That's so cool. Do you like it? Yes, I love it.
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It's fun and creative. I can see that.
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And me, I am a teacher. A teacher? Of course. You teach on Emily English daily. Yes, exactly. I'm an English teacher. I love my job. That's wonderful. It's a great job. Thank you.
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An art student and an English teacher. A perfect team for a podcast.
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Love it. Okay, what else? Let's talk about family.
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Family. Good topic. Do you have brothers or sisters? Yes, I have one brother. His name is Jack. Jack. Is he older or younger? He is older. He is 29.
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Oh, so he's 1 year older than me. Yes.
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What about you, Tom? Brothers or sisters? I have one sister. Her name is Sarah. Sarah.
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That's a beautiful name.
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Older or younger? She's younger. She's a student, like you. Oh, really? What does she study? She studies music. She plays the piano. Wow. A music student and an art student. Very creative. Yes, my family is creative. My mother is a writer. A writer? Amazing.
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And your father? My father is a doctor.
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A doctor? Wow. A nice family. Thank you.
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Emily, tell me about your parents. My mother is a teacher, too. She teaches little children. Oh, that's important work. Wonderful. Yes. And my father is a chef. He works in a restaurant. A chef?
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Does he cook at home? Yes. The food is always delicious.
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I'm jealous. That's so cool.
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Okay, we have family. How about pets?
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Pets. Yes, I love pets. Do you have a pet, Tom? Yes, I have a dog. A dog? I love dogs. What's his name? His name is Max. He's very friendly and funny. Oh, Max. What color is he? He's brown. A small, brown, happy dog. That sounds so cute. I want to meet Max.
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Maybe one day. Do you have a pet? Yes, I have a cat. A cat?
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See, we're different. Dog person and cat person. It's true. Her name is Luna.
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Luna. That's lovely. What does she look like? She's black and white. Very quiet.
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Very sleepy. A sleepy cat.
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That sounds normal. Yes, she sleeps all day. It's a good life.
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It is, for a cat.
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Okay, name, age, job, family, and pets.
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Now, let's talk about favorite things.
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Good idea. This is the fun part. Let's start with food. Okay, Tom. What is your favorite food? Hmm. Well, this is difficult. I like many foods. Just choose one. Okay. I think my favorite food is pizza. Pizza. Hmm, a great choice. I love pizza, too. What kind of pizza do you like? I like vegetable pizza. Tomatoes, peppers, onions. That sounds healthy and delicious.
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I like pepperoni pizza. A classic. Good choice. Is pizza your favorite, too?
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It's one of my favorites, but my number one is pasta. Ah, pasta's good, too.
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Very yummy. Yes, I love it. Okay, next favorite thing. What's your favorite color? My favorite color is blue, like the sky. Blue is nice. Very calm. I like it. Thank you. What's your favorite color? My favorite color is green.
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Green, like trees and grass in a garden.
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Exactly. I love the color of nature.
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That's beautiful. Blue sky and green grass. Perfect. To me, it is. Okay. What about favorite animal? Oh, easy for me.
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My favorite animal is a dog, of course.
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I know, because of Max. Yes. Dogs are loyal and friendly. I love them. What about you? Yes, I love cats. They're so elegant and independent. Elegant. That's a good word for cats. They are. Okay, let's talk about hobbies. Hobbies.
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Things we do for fun. Great topic. What are your hobbies, Emily? Well, I'm an art student, so my hobby is painting. Of course. Do you paint a lot? Yes, every weekend. It helps me relax. I also like to read books. Reading is a great hobby.
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What kind of books? I like story books.
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Adventure stories are my favorite.
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Adventure stories. How exciting. It is.
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What about you, Tom? What are your hobbies? Well, I have a few hobbies. I love listening to music. Music. What kind of music? I like rock music. Old rock music. Ah, very cool. And what else? I also play sports. I play soccer with friends on Saturdays. Soccer?
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You're very active.
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I try. It's fun to run and play with friends. That's great. Do you like to watch movies? Yes, I love movies, especially comedy movies. I love to laugh. Me, too. Laughing is the best. I like comedy and animated movies.
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Animated movies are great. So much imagination. Yes, they're beautiful to watch, too. This is great. We're learning so much about each other. I know. It's like we're answering, "Tell me about yourself." right now.
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Yes, we are. A very long answer. A very, very long answer. Let's think. What else? We can talk about things we don't like. Oh, that's interesting. Okay, what's a food you don't like, Tom? A food I don't like?
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Let me think.
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I don't like olives. Olives, really? I like olives.
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See, we're different again. I don't like the taste. What about you? I don't like spicy food, very hot food. Oh, I see.
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For me, a little spicy is okay, but very, very spicy? No, thank you.
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Exactly. Okay, what about an activity you don't like? An activity I don't like?
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Let me think. I don't like to wait in long lines.
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Does anyone like that? I don't think so.
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It's so boring. I agree. I don't like that, either. I also don't like to wake up very early. Are you not a morning person?
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No, not at all. I like my sleep. I understand. Sleeping is very important.
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So, this is a good way to describe yourself. Say what you like and what you don't like. Yes, that's a good point. It shows your personality. For example, hello, my name is Tom. I am a teacher. I like dogs and pizza, but I don't like olives. That's great. Hi, I'm Emily. I'm a student. I love cats and pasta, but I don't like to wake up early. Perfect.
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Simple, clear, and friendly. We covered a lot. Name, from, live, age, job, family, pets, hobbies, likes, and dislikes. Wow, a good list for "Tell me about yourself." But, you know, you don't need to say everything. That's a good tip. You can choose. Maybe say your name and your job. Yes, or your name and your hobby. It depends on the situation.
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If you're in a class, say your name and why you're learning English. Exactly. My name is Tom. I'm from the United States.
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I like to learn new things. And at a party, hi, I'm Emily. I love to paint and listen to music. That's a great way to start a conversation. It is. Then the person can ask, "Oh, what do you paint?" or "What music do you like?" And a new friendship begins. It all starts with "Tell me about yourself." It really does. It's not a scary question. It's an invitation. An invitation to share a little bit about you. That's a beautiful way to think about it. I think it's been very nice to learn more about you, Tom.
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Me, too, Emily. I learned you're an art student who loves pasta and blue, and you have a sleepy cat named Luna. And I learned you're a teacher who loves pizza and green, and you have a friendly dog named Max.
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It was a successful conversation. Yes, and I hope it was helpful for our listeners. I hope so, too. Remember, use these simple sentences to talk about yourself. Yes, don't be afraid. Keep it simple and be friendly. That's the most important part. Perfect advice, and a smile is important, too. Always. Well, our time is almost up. Wow, time goes fast when you're having fun.
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It really does. This was a great chat.
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It was. So, before we go, we want to ask our listeners for a little favor. That's right. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to English Emily Daily and give us a like. It helps people find our podcast. And please share it with anyone learning English. We want to help as many people as we can. And for our question of the day, we want you to practice. Yes, go to the comments and tell us about yourself. Write one or two sentences. My name is, I am from, I like, my favorite food is, anything you want. We'd love to read your comments and learn about you. Yes, it'll be so much fun. Thank you all for listening today. Thank you. Stay safe and keep practicing. We'll be back soon with another episode. Goodbye for now. Bye, everyone. Bye, Emily.

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video offers a valuable opportunity to practice English conversation skills, especially for beginners. "Tell me about yourself" is a common question that surfaces in various social and professional scenarios, such as starting a new class or job. Engaging with this content not only helps you formulate personal responses but also builds your confidence when speaking English. By listening and repeating phrases, you get to apply the shadowing technique, a method that enhances pronunciation and speech fluency. Using a shadowing app can also facilitate this practice by allowing you to listen closely, replicate intonation, and improve your conversational skills.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the dialogue, several essential phrases and grammatical constructions are showcased. These include:

  • "My name is..." - A straightforward way to introduce yourself.
  • "I am from..." - This phrase helps establish your background and can lead to further conversations about culture and geography.
  • "I live in..." - Detailing your living situation provides context about your lifestyle.
  • "What do you do?" - This professional inquiry is crucial for networking and understanding others' career paths, especially useful for IELTS speaking practice.
  • "My favorite [color/food/animal] is..." - Sharing your favorites creates a personal touch and helps establish rapport.

These structures not only prepare you for casual conversations but also enhance your overall grammatical competence in English.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice with this video, pay attention to some tricky words and phrases that might lead to common pronunciation errors:

  • "Canada" - Ensure to emphasize the second syllable: "CAn-ada."
  • "Delicious" - Pronounced as "dih-LIH-shus," this word is often mispronounced by beginners.
  • "Pepperoni" - Breaking it down into syllables: "pep-per-ONE-ee" can help avoid confusion.
  • "Creative" - Practice saying this word slowly: "cre-ATIVE" to get the rhythm right.

Taking the time to focus on these pronunciation points as you engage with the video will greatly enhance your speaking abilities. Remember to utilize the shadow speech technique for the best results!

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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