Shadowing Practice: THINK in ENGLISH! Powerful Flashcard Lesson for THINKING in ENGLISH | Rachel’s English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Today we're going to work on your skill of thinking in English while training your vocabulary.
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Today we're going to work on your skill of thinking in English while training your vocabulary.
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Thinking in English.
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Why?
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Because if you don't have to translate in your head anymore,
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you'll be able to join into the conversation faster and speak more naturally.
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And today we're going to train with visual flashcards.
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I recently made a video on thinking in English,
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and we had different steps that we could take.
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So today we're going to take one of those steps,
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and we're going to go deep on it.
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We're going to train your mind on that one step,
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visual flashcards, naming objects, to train your mind to think in English,
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and probably you'll come across a word or two that you don't know,
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so we'll also work on building your vocabulary as we go.
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Now, if you like this video,
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or you learned something new,
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please do subscribe and like it, it really helps.
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.
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The strategy we're going to use today is naming objects in English,
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and we're going to use our visual flashcards.
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This is the first step in training your mind to think in English.
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We're going to take a picture,
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and you'll be prompted to name different things within that picture.
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You won't see the word written,
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you won't hear it in your own language,
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you'll just have the picture and your mind will recall the word in English.
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We're going to strengthen that ability to think in English by concentrating on it with simple objects.
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If you see an object and you're not sure of the word for it,
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don't worry, at the end we're going to go over each word
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so that you can learn the vocabulary that you don't already know.
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We're going to build your vocabulary too.
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And because you learned it with a picture,
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you'll have a visual for it,
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and that's going to help you remember the word.
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If you already know all the words, great!
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Then this is just a practice in seeing something and recalling the word in English,
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training your mind.
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Later in this series, we're going to train you on sentences and engaging in conversation.
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Let's practice.
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Remember, you're going to see something and you should name it in English in your head.
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You don't have to say it out loud, Just think the word.
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Ask your mind to get into English mode and to let go of your native language.
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A lot of these will be words that you know,
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so you can see it, think it.
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See it, think it.
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Build that connection to thinking in English.
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What was that like for you?
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Was it easy?
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If so, that's great.
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That means you're already well on your way to having the habit of thinking in English.
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I'm going to see if I can stump you with some vocabulary later in this video.
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If that was hard for you, don't worry.
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Wherever you are, your starting point is okay,
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and the training starts now.
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Doing this, doing the training,
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is how you will get better.
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Let's review the words now.
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I'll say it out loud in case you don't know the word,
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you can hear a native speaker saying it.
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See the object, hear the word,
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repeat the word in your head, think it.
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Fox.
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Paw.
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Snow.
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Okay, so this is how it's going to go.
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We're going to train your mind to think in English.
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Let's go to the next picture.
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Were there any words there you didn't know?
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Don't worry, in the second half of this video,
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we're going to go over all the words.
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But for now, we're just going to go through a bunch of scenes in a row with objects for you to name.
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Some will be pretty easy,
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and some words might be harder,
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a little bit less common.
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Don't get frustrated if you can't do all of these.
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That is your starting point,
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and by investing the time here now,
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you're taking your first step to improving.
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Alright, let's do it.
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Thank you.
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How are you doing?
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I'm checking in on you.
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Are you doing okay?
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We're halfway through.
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Let's keep it up.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Are you still thinking in English?
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Great.
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Okay, let's review.
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There might have been some words in there that you don't know.
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Umbrella.
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Awning.
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That one's less common.
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Ivy.
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Did you know that plant?
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Chair, bicycles, or maybe you just said the singular, bicycle.
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Sunglasses, arena, or maybe you said stadium.
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Court, or basketball court.
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Jumbotron, or maybe you just said screen.
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Crowd, or you could have said fans, or maybe just people.
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astronaut, earth, pitcher, wine glass,
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teacup, lamp, neck, backpack, sky,
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or maybe you said clouds,
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huddle, or maybe you said team.
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Huddle is the word we use when you put your arms around each other like this and gather in a circle.
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Ponytail, pizza, slice, olive, crust, rosemary.
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Did you know this herb?
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Beer, or maybe you said mug,
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garlic, mushroom, tomato, pepper, bouquet,
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bride, or maybe you said woman,
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groom, or maybe you said man.
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It's their wedding day, so they'll often be referred to as bride and groom.
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Kilt, smile, or maybe you said teeth.
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Fingernails, or maybe you said nail polish.
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Lemon, this is also called a lemon wedge.
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Phone, or maybe you said picture.
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Pillow, ring, sparkler, dog, tail,
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leash, purse, jean jacket, classic.
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Pants, shorts, path or walking path.
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Grass.
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Shoe.
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Shoelace.
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Or maybe you said, bow.
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Rock or stone.
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Soul.
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This part of the shoe is the soul,
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and it's a homophone with the word S O U L.
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They sound exactly the same.
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Okay, did you learn some new words?
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Were you able to keep your mind going in English?
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If this was easy for you, great!
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That means you're well on your way to having the habit of thinking in English,
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you're comfortable with it, and maybe your English vocabulary is quite large.
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In the next videos in this series,
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we're going to have you responding in full sentences,
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describing in as little or as much detail as you can what you see,
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and then later, you'll also have to respond to conversational prompts right away,
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thinking in English as much as you can.
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If this was hard for you,
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don't worry, you can build the skill by doing it.
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Walk into a room, look at the objects, name them in English.
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If you don't know them,
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look them up, learn the definition.
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And then remember the picture you saw,
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where you were looking, when you first saw that word,
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to help you remember it.
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If you don't already know,
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I run an online school called Rachel's English Academy.
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We focus on accent reduction and listening comprehension,
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and just basically boosting your confidence in speaking English and joining conversation.
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Check it out at rachelsenglishacademy.com if you haven't already.
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I'd love to have you there.
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I make new videos on the English language every Tuesday.
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Please subscribe with notifications if you haven't already,
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and come back on Tuesday.
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We have fun here.
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The next video you should watch is this one which YouTube has handpicked just for you.
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They went through all my videos,
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they picked the one they thought you would like the most,
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so please click it now to keep watching, to keep learning.
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That's it, and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.
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Context & Background
In the video titled "THINK in ENGLISH! Powerful Flashcard Lesson for THINKING in ENGLISH," the speaker discusses the importance of training your mind to think directly in English. By eliminating the need to translate from your native language, you can enhance your conversational fluency and speak more naturally. The core method presented involves using visual flashcards to name objects, which aids in building vocabulary and reinforces the habit of thinking in English. This approach emphasizes that effective English speaking practice involves a shift in mindset and method.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- Think in English: This phrase encourages learners to engage their cognitive processes directly in the English language, avoiding translation.
- Name objects: A practical strategy for enhancing vocabulary by identifying and recalling words for everyday items.
- Visual flashcards: An effective tool for learning, enabling learners to associate words with images and reinforce understanding.
- Get into English mode: A mental state where learners focus entirely on English and resist using their native language.
- Building vocabulary: An ongoing process that all learners should embrace to enhance their language skills and comprehension.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To get the most out of this particular video and enhance your English speaking practice, follow this step-by-step guide:
- Prepare Yourself: Before beginning, set an intention to think exclusively in English. This mental shift is crucial for effective learning.
- Use Visual Flashcards: As you watch the video, focus on the visual flashcards shown. Observe them without looking for translations; instead, allow your mind to recall the English words.
- Name the Objects: When you see an object, think the name in English. Try not to say it out loud; just engage your thoughts. This resonates with the shadowing technique, as it emphasizes internalization.
- Encourage Vocabulary Building: If you encounter words that are unfamiliar, take note of them. Afterward, review the words at the end of the lesson to solidify your understanding and boost your vocabulary.
- Practice Regularly: Make it a habit to engage in this practice often. Consider repeating the process with different video sessions to reinforce and push your limits in english speaking practice.
Using these strategies within the context of a shadowing site or video platform can significantly accelerate your learning journey, making the process both enjoyable and effective. Commit to "thinking in English" as a regular practice, and watch as your fluency and confidence grow!
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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