Shadowing Practice: Think in English Challenge (A1 to C2) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
C2
Most students translate a lot when learning English instead of thinking in English.
208 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Most students translate a lot when learning English instead of thinking in English.
2
Today's challenge will help you change that habit.
3
Hello, it's Keith from the Keith Speaking Academy.
4
Today, I will show you how to start thinking in English.
5
From A1 level right up to C2 level.
6
Different strategies for different levels.
7
I challenge you to try this for the next few days and let me know how it goes.
8
Let's begin.
9
A1 beginner.
10
Hello.
11
How are you?
12
Now, look at something and say it in your head.
13
A cup.
14
a pen a phone
15
use adjectives a black pen a nice cup a blue phone
16
imagine you are a child Everything is amazing.
17
Wow, a beautiful cup.
18
Water, I'm thirsty.
19
Wow, delicious.
20
This is good at home,
21
alone, and when you are waiting and bored.
22
In the bank, in the shop, in the office.
23
Try it.
24
Next, A2 beginners.
25
Hi, are you good?
26
OK, you describe every action,
27
doing words, in your head.
28
I'm walking.
29
I'm stretching.
30
I'm rolling my shoulders I'm taking a cup I'm drinking I'm putting the cup down
31
Okay, imagine you are a YouTube influencer recording everything in your head
32
B1 students, intermediate.
33
Okay.
34
How's it going?
35
Great.
36
Now for you, in the morning,
37
describe in your head your day ahead,
38
what you're going to do.
39
Ask yourself, what am I going to do?
40
First thing in the morning,
41
in bed, in the shower, on the toilet.
42
Think, what am I going to do?
43
I'm going to work after breakfast.
44
I've got a meeting with Barry.
45
We might have lunch together.
46
Oh, I've got the dentist in the afternoon.
47
Okay.
48
In the evening, in bed,
49
in the shower, on the toilet,
50
describe in your head what you did.
51
I went to work in the morning.
52
I had a meeting with Barry.
53
We didn't go for lunch in the end.
54
And then, oh, I went to the dentist.
55
Got it.
56
That's it.
57
And here's a tip for you.
58
Try mumbling.
59
Mumbling is speaking quietly, very little.
60
A bit like this, you know,
61
when you're thinking, oh, what am I going to do today?
62
Yeah, I'll do that.
63
I'll go to the bed.
64
I'll do that.
65
Oh yeah, and then I'll add one.
66
So, as well as thinking, you can mumble.
67
Because mumbling activates your mouth muscles.
68
You'll notice your thinking voice is more fluent than your spoken voice.
69
Mumbling can help.
70
Let's move on.
71
Now, this video is a challenge to you to get thinking in English.
72
Remember, translating is useful sometimes, but not too much.
73
If you're always translating when you're speaking,
74
it affects your fluency and you're going to be making more mistakes, basically.
75
Thinking in English helps fluency, helps your overall English.
76
If you want to do the challenge and carry on practicing, download the PDF.
77
It gives you a summary of all of these tips by level and lots more tips to get you thinking in English.
78
Download that.
79
For the moment, though.
80
Oh, the link's in the description.
81
For the moment, let's get to the next level,
82
which I think is B2.
83
Right, B2.
84
Upper intermediate.
85
How are you doing?
86
So for you, I want you to do some silent reading.
87
A book, newspaper, blog post.
88
As you read, reflect.
89
Think about what you are reading.
90
And reflect in your head.
91
Reading is really good because it's passive.
92
So you're already in your head and you're having like a dialogue in your head with the author, right?
93
Who wrote it.
94
As you're reading, imagine it's a novel or a book, whatever.
95
You can think about your opinion.
96
If you agree or disagree, what would you do?
97
Anything.
98
And at the end, when you finish, summarize in your head.
99
Okay?
100
It might look like this.
101
Oh, that's interesting.
102
Oh yeah, that's true.
103
That happens to me too.
104
Oh no, don't.
105
Are you crazy?
106
Don't go down to the cellar.
107
So this guy gets home late.
108
It's dark.
109
He drops his key.
110
He hears a noise and he goes down to the cellar to investigate.
111
And there you have it.
112
Now, reading is great.
113
equally good is listening to a podcast
114
because again it's passive you're having this dialogue in your head
115
with the speaker in the podcast you can do the same
116
thing you can be giving your thinking of your opinion do you agree what would you do
117
and then at the end of the podcast summarize
118
so either silent reading or listening to a podcast that is your challenge to think in English
119
A quick word of warning and a tip.
120
Keep it as simple as possible, your thinking.
121
It's very easy to start thinking about,
122
oh, what does that word mean?
123
Vocabulary.
124
Oh, I'll just check.
125
Forget about vocabulary and grammar.
126
Focus on fluent thinking.
127
Just getting your ideas.
128
It's about thinking.
129
It's not about vocabulary.
130
So kind of avoid the dictionary for this activity.
131
Okay, that's it.
132
Right, C1, advanced learners.
133
Sup?
134
So your challenge is to do some dubbing.
135
I want you to dub a clip of a film or a TV series.
136
For some people watching may not know,
137
So dubbing is where you put another voice on top of a film clip.
138
For example, in Spain, you can watch an English film,
139
but they put a Spanish voice on top so people understand.
140
That's dubbing.
141
So you are going to be the dubbing artist.
142
You're going to watch something for a minute or two, mute it.
143
So it doesn't matter on the language because you're muting it.
144
But then you imagine in your head and you think and you make up the dialogue.
145
It can be quite fun and interesting.
146
You can say anything, but try and sync your voice with their voice.
147
Do it once for about a minute.
148
Then with the same program, do it again.
149
Do it several times and try and do it for a longer period each time.
150
All the time, not speaking,
151
just thinking the dialogue in your head.
152
Try it out.
153
It might look something like this.
154
There you go.
155
Try it out.
156
Let me know in the comments what film or TV series you used for your dubbing and how it went.
157
OK, finally, C2, we've arrived.
158
Proficient learners.
159
All right.
160
Good.
161
So, thank you for waiting to getting here.
162
Your challenge is this.
163
I want you to listen to some music without words or lyrics.
164
So it could be classical music,
165
meditation music, that kind of loathy style music.
166
OK, listen to the music and then one, think of a problem.
167
Two, think of how you feel about the problem.
168
Three, think of solutions to the problem.
169
OK, one problem, two, feeling, three, solution.
170
The key question for you is how can I handle this?
171
and that's what you're thinking.
172
Do it for two or three minutes and see how it goes.
173
It might look something like this.
174
The problem.
175
This morning I found an empty cigarette packet in the garden next to the neighbour's wall.
176
He smokes like a chimney.
177
Maybe he threw it into my garden.
178
The feeling, I feel a bit frustrated and annoyed about it.
179
He may have done it intentionally or maybe without thinking.
180
Solutions.
181
I could just pick it up and put it in the bin.
182
I could go round and ask him if it's his.
183
I could spy on him and check if it's the same brand.
184
or I could just throw it over the wall back into his garden.
185
I'll think more about it.
186
That's it for C2 learners.
187
Let me know in the comments what music you chose to do this and how it went.
188
That's it.
189
So are you going to take the Think in English challenge?
190
Here's what you need to do.
191
First, download the PDF.
192
There are actually three activities per level.
193
I've put in extra activities for you.
194
Okay, make it more interesting.
195
Second, decide your level and choose one activity.
196
Third, practice it just five to ten minutes a day over seven days and see how it goes.
197
Most importantly, let us know how it went.
198
You can post your feeling,
199
your results on hashtag ThinkInEnglishChallenge.
200
on Instagram or Facebook.
201
So, are you ready to take the challenge?
202
Whatever your level, have a go.
203
Thank you so much for watching today.
204
I hope this helps you on your journey to fluency and being a confident speaker of English.
205
I look forward to seeing you very, very soon.
206
Take care.
207
Bye-bye.
208
you
Download App
AI scoring for every sentence you speak
TRENDING
Popular
Context & Background
In a recent video titled "Think in English Challenge (A1 to C2)," Keith from the Keith Speaking Academy emphasizes the importance of thinking in English rather than translating thoughts from one’s native language. This challenge targets learners across various proficiency levels, from A1 (beginner) to C2 (proficient), providing practical strategies tailored to each level. By encouraging students to visualize their everyday surroundings and actions in English, Keith aims to cultivate a more immersive language learning experience. This approach not only enhances vocabulary but also aids in improving English pronunciation, which is vital for effective communication.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- Hello, how are you? – A simple greeting that can open conversations.
- I'm thirsty. – A common phrase useful in various social settings.
- I’m taking a cup. – Demonstrates familiarity with verbal actions.
- What am I going to do? – Encourages self-reflection and future planning in English.
- Wow, a beautiful cup! – Incorporates adjectives to express admiration.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively utilize the techniques shared in Keith's challenge, follow this step-by-step shadowing guide:
- Choose Your Level: Identify whether you are A1, A2, B1, or beyond. Each level has specific tasks designed to refine your thinking in English.
- Find Your Environment: Practice in solitude to minimize distractions. This could be in your home, office, or even while waiting in line.
- Visualize: As suggested for beginners, look at objects around you (e.g., a blue phone) and describe them using adjectives. For intermediates, start describing actions (e.g., "I’m walking") as you go about your tasks.
- Use a Shadowing App: To bolster your efforts, consider utilizing a shadowing app that aids in pronunciation and fluency. This tool can enhance your practice sessions, allowing for repetition of phrases and gradual improvement.
- Reflect: After a dedicated practice session, take a moment to reflect on what you did. What phrases did you struggle with? How can you further improve your English pronunciation?
Engaging in these exercises can greatly enhance your English skills, leading you toward higher proficiency levels. Regular practice will not only build your confidence but also prepare you for exams like IELTS speaking practice and everyday conversations. Challenge yourself and see the difference thinking in English makes in your communication skills!
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.
☕ Buy us a coffee
ShadowingEnglish remains 100% free thanks to your support. Server and AI costs are high — your coffee keeps us going! 🙏