Shadowing Practice: Think In English With Me | Episode 2: “Relationships“ - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
463 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
You know English, you've studied for years.
2
So why, when someone asks about your family, your best friend, the person you're dating, do you freeze?
3
And out comes, they're nice, we're close, flat, small, nothing like the real you.
4
It's not your English.
5
Nobody ever showed you how native speakers actually think through these answers.
6
So today we fixed that.
7
not going to translate.
8
We're going to think in English together.
9
Are you ready?
10
Well then let's jump right in section number one, the gap you can hear.
11
We're going to look at three real life situations, each shown two different ways.
12
How an English learner would handle it and how a native English speaker would handle it.
13
No teaching yet.
14
No breakdown, no analysis.
15
I just want you to listen to the differences.
16
The gap between the two versions is the whole point.
17
Once you hear it clearly, you can't unhear it.
18
Let's start with situation number one, the friend catching up.
19
Here's the learner version.
20
Person a, how was your new boyfriend?
21
Person B.
22
He's good.
23
We're happy.
24
Person a, that's nice.
25
How did you meet?
26
Person B at a party.
27
My friend introduced us.
28
That was good.
29
Very simple, but it was the learner version.
30
Now listen to the native English speaker version.
31
Person A.
32
Okay.
33
So how's it going with Danny?
34
You've been kind of quiet about him.
35
Person B.
36
I know I've been holding back.
37
It's going really well, actually like suspiciously well.
38
I keep waiting for the thing, you know, the red flag.
39
It just hasn't shown up yet.
40
Person A, maybe there isn't one.
41
Person B, that's what he says.
42
He's very, why are you looking for problems? Which, fair.
43
And honestly, even the way we met was ridiculous.
44
Kara sat us next to each other at her birthday and then wouldn't own up to it.
45
Very different conversations, both grammatically having no issues, but one is the learner version and one is the native speaker version.
46
What about this situation?
47
The manager.
48
Here's the learner version.
49
Person A.
50
How is the project with Mark?
51
Person B.
52
It is difficult.
53
He does not answer any emails.
54
Person A, I see that's a problem.
55
Person B, yes, I don't know what to do.
56
Again, good conversation, very simple, to the point, but still a learner version.
57
Now listen closely to the native English speaker version.
58
Person A, how's the handoff with Mark going?
59
I know that's been a little bumpy.
60
person B honestly it's been slow I'll send something over
61
and then hear nothing for three four days person A is it everything
62
or specific things person B mostly anything
63
that needs a decision from him quick questions he'll answer same day
64
so I don't read it as personal I think he's stretched thin.
65
He picked up two extra accounts last month and I'd rather not escalate over a bandwidth issue,
66
but I do need a decision by Thursday to protect the timeline.
67
Notice the difference again, the learner version and the native English speaker version.
68
What about this situation?
69
The siblings again, remember we are on section number one,
70
the gap you can hear just listening for the gaps between the learner version and the native English speaker version.
71
Now with this situation, we have two siblings.
72
Here's the learner version.
73
Person A, do you still talk to Nadia?
74
Person B, no, not really.
75
We stopped talking.
76
Person B, What happened?
77
Person B Nothing, we just became different.
78
That's the learner version.
79
Here's the native English speaker version.
80
Person A Hey, do you ever hear from Nadia anymore?
81
Person B Not in like two years.
82
It's weird because nothing happened.
83
There was no fight.
84
We just drifted apart and I don't think either of us noticed until it was already done.
85
Person A Do you miss her?
86
Person B.
87
Sometimes, mostly I miss who I was around her.
88
I was funnier back then, I think.
89
Two different versions.
90
The learner version and the native English speaker version.
91
You just listened to hear the gap.
92
Now we move to section number two.
93
The word you don't have yet.
94
You see, inside each native English speaker dialogue is a word or phrase that an English learner wouldn't think to use.
95
Not because it's complicated, but because nobody ever taught it as active vocabulary.
96
So we're going to pull one term out of each dialogue.
97
Three terms total.
98
These are real words used in real life by native English speakers.
99
The kind that shift how you sound the moment they enter your speech.
100
These terms will make you sound more like a native.
101
So section two, the word you don't have yet.
102
Let's look at situation number one, situation number one.
103
We had a dialogue.
104
The term from that dialogue we're going to look at is holding back, holding back.
105
Now, where does this live in the dialogue?
106
The dialogue between the two individuals in the dialogue?
107
This is how it was used.
108
I've been holding back again.
109
I've been holding back.
110
So what does it mean in real use?
111
It means deliberately keeping something to yourself like news and opinion of feeling usually out of hesitation or self-protection.
112
This is the meaning of this term holding back.
113
Now, why would you as an English learner not have this expression, this term?
114
You see in a situation, you'd probably say, I didn't say anything or I kept it secret.
115
Neither of these phrases though carries the sense of a choice made while being unsure.
116
Holding back, however, contains the hesitation itself.
117
When I, as a native English speaker say I was holding back, I'm letting the person listening to me know,
118
ah, there was a measure of hesitation along with me not saying something.
119
So here's how you can use it, right?
120
I could tell she was holding back during the interview or don't hold back.
121
I want the real feedback or he held back on announcing it until the contract was signed.
122
This is how you can use it.
123
These are examples of how you can use this term.
124
What about situation number two?
125
In situation number two, we had a new term, a new expression.
126
Stretched thin.
127
Stretched thin.
128
So how was it used in the dialogue?
129
This expression was used like this.
130
I think he's stretched thin.
131
I think he's stretched thin.
132
Now, what does this mean in real use?
133
What's the definition?
134
You see, it means to be pulled in too many directions at once with not enough of you to go around.
135
You can't spread yourself around.
136
It's professional while still being warm.
137
It explains someone's failure without blaming them.
138
Ah, he's just stretched thin.
139
He's not able to do everything, but it's very kind still.
140
Now, why would you as an English learner not have this?
141
You see, instead of saying stretched thin, you'd probably say he is very busy or he has too much work.
142
These are accurate statements, but they're a little flat.
143
Stretched thin, on the other hand, carries the sympathy built in,
144
which is what makes it safe to say about a colleague in front of a manager.
145
Hey, he's a bit stretched thin because it shows you care about the person.
146
Now here's the portability check, right?
147
How you can use this in many different ways.
148
It's portable.
149
It's a phrase that can be used in many different ways.
150
The first way I'm stretched thin until Friday.
151
Can this wait?
152
Next, the support team's been stretched thin since the launch.
153
And finally, she looked stretched thin.
154
So I took two things off her plate.
155
Again, stretched thin, a natural expression phrase that we as native English speakers use.
156
What about situation three?
157
Again, the dialogue between two native speakers in that dialogue, we had the expression drifted apart.
158
Again, drifted apart.
159
Now, where does this live in the dialogue?
160
How was it used?
161
It was used like this.
162
We just drifted apart again.
163
We just drifted apart.
164
Now, what does this mean in real life?
165
In real use to people slowly becoming distant with no single cause and no decision.
166
The key ideas are gradual and unintentional.
167
There was no fight.
168
There was no argument.
169
There was no disagreement.
170
It just was a gradual separating gradual and unintentional.
171
Now, why would you as an English learner probably not have this?
172
Because you would probably just say we stopped talking, which sounds like somebody chose to stop talking.
173
On the other hand, drifted apart is precisely the wording, the phrase we need for when nobody chose anything, it just happened.
174
You see why listening to real conversations helps you start thinking like a native English speaker
175
because there are lots of meanings behind what we say as native speakers.
176
So how can you use this in many different ways?
177
Drifted apart.
178
Here's the portability.
179
How portable is it?
180
First, my college roommate and I drifted apart after graduation.
181
Next, the two departments have drifted apart since the reorg.
182
And finally, we drifted apart for a few years and then found our way back.
183
Again, drifted apart.
184
So section number two, the second part is all about finding the words you didn't have by looking at the dialogues,
185
the conversations between native English speakers, which now leads us to section number three, how they build their sentences,
186
how native English speakers build sentences.
187
Now we have the same three dialogues, but now we look underneath.
188
You see native speakers, native English speakers don't just use better words.
189
We build our answers on hidden patterns, three patterns to recognize answering with details,
190
defending an opinion with reasons, and walking someone through a personal experience.
191
These are things that we build upon again, details, opinions, and personal experiences.
192
Now, once you as an English learner see these patterns, you'll start hearing them everywhere.
193
These are patterns that native speakers learn.
194
I learned these patterns all throughout my schooling.
195
So let's see what these patterns are.
196
Situation.
197
Number one, the structure was details.
198
Listen, a learner would say he is good.
199
We are happy, but that has zero detail.
200
Remember the first dialogue he's good.
201
We are happy, but there's no detail in this.
202
The listener learns nothing about him, her, or them just knows the detail.
203
No detail actually.
204
However, what the native speaker does is stacks specific concrete details.
205
So again, the learner just says, we're happy.
206
We're good.
207
No specific details, but the native speaker gives concrete and specific details.
208
For example, what was the feeling?
209
Suspiciously well in the dialogue.
210
He said, suspiciously well, what's the thing being waited for the red flag.
211
What were his actual words?
212
Remember she was talking about her boyfriend, his actual words.
213
Why are you looking for problems?
214
And then the meeting she explained, Kara sat us next to each other at her birthday.
215
So what's the pattern that you should notice?
216
Native English speakers answer how questions with things that you can picture, things that you can visualize,
217
not abstractions, not we are happy.
218
We give native speakers give specific images, specific.
219
Woo.
220
That was a tongue twister.
221
Specific.
222
That's staying in there.
223
Specific quotes and specific scenes.
224
We give details.
225
In our first dialogue, we saw the female giving details about her boyfriend and their relationship.
226
Then in situation number two, the structure was opinion plus reasons.
227
Opinion plus reasons.
228
Now, what does the learner do?
229
When we looked at the dialogue for situation two, the learner just said, he does not answer my emails.
230
I don't know what to do.
231
This states the problem, but it gives no read on it.
232
You don't know what's going on.
233
You don't have an opinion and it hands the thinking to someone else.
234
A learner is just stating, Hey, this is the problem, but I don't know what to do.
235
However, what does a native speaker do?
236
A native speaker on the other hand, lays out evidence, then stakes a position, gives the evidence and then gives a position.
237
Listen from the dialogue for situation number two, here's the first evidence.
238
I'll send something over and then hear nothing for three or four days.
239
They gave evidence.
240
Evidence number two, quick questions.
241
He'll answer the same day.
242
Remember this was said during the conversation.
243
The conclusion is then drawn.
244
So I don't read it as personal.
245
I think he's stretched thin giving an opinion position.
246
I'd rather not escalate over a bandwidth issue, but I do need a decision by Thursday.
247
You see the difference.
248
The learner said he doesn't answer my emails.
249
I don't know what to do.
250
Whereas the native speaker gives evidences and then says, Hey, this is what I'm thinking.
251
And this is my position.
252
Here's the pattern I want you to notice when it comes to the structure of opinion plus reasons,
253
the opinion arrives after the evidence, not before.
254
So you're giving the evidence and then you're giving your opinion, right?
255
The order is what makes it sound like analysis.
256
Instead of complaining, the person's not complaining.
257
They're just analyzing the evidence.
258
And in a professional setting, that difference is everything.
259
This makes a difference.
260
So what about situation number three, situation number three, the structure is personal experience.
261
You see these different structures, right?
262
The first one was details.
263
Then we had opinion plus reasons.
264
Now we have personal experience.
265
So what did the learner do in the dialogue?
266
The learner said, we stopped talking.
267
We just became different.
268
That was the whole thing.
269
It confirms the fact and then closes the door.
270
What's the fact?
271
We stopped talking.
272
We just became different.
273
Door closed.
274
No more conversation.
275
However, a native speaker does something different.
276
A native speaker walks the listener through an actual experience.
277
Listen closely to how the individual walked us through their experience.
278
What was the timeframe?
279
They said not in like two years, the obvious explanation removed.
280
There was no fight.
281
The real process named.
282
We just drifted apart.
283
The self knowledge.
284
I don't think either of us noticed until it was already done.
285
And finally the layer underneath.
286
Mostly I miss who I was around her.
287
So what's the pattern here? here, the pattern you should notice native English speakers don't summarize their experiences.
288
It's not about memorization.
289
Instead, they place the listener inside of the personal experience and then go one layer deeper than the question actually asked for.
290
Take a person deeper.
291
Again, section number three is all about how native speakers build their sentences by taking someone deeper,
292
using details, using opinions and reasons, and using personal experiences.
293
Now we move to section number four, how to sound exactly like the native English speaker.
294
Here's where the two layers come together.
295
The structure from section three plus the term from section two, working in one response.
296
This is what it actually sounds like
297
when a native speaker handles the situation at what it could sound like
298
and what it could sound like coming out of your mouth.
299
So let's start with situation number one.
300
We learned that the structure is based on details and the term was holding back.
301
So details plus holding back.
302
So here's the learner response one more time, just for contrast.
303
The learner response was, he is good.
304
We are happy.
305
Now here's the fully emulated native English speaker response using details and holding back.
306
Honestly, it's going really well.
307
I've been holding back on saying anything because I kept waiting for some red flag to show up and it just hasn't.
308
Even the way we met was ridiculous.
309
Kara sat us next to each other at her birthday and then acted like it was a coincidence.
310
This is the entire native English response, English speaker, details, plus the term holding back.
311
What do you notice?
312
The structure supplies the images, the red flag, the birthday, the take or fake coincidence that Kara set up.
313
However, the term supplies the reason those images went unmentioned until now.
314
Details without the term sound like a story without a narrator.
315
The term holding back without details sounds like a confession with nothing or nothing behind it.
316
So again, these two together are important details plus holding back.
317
What about situation number two?
318
It's about to get interesting.
319
Situation number two is opinion plus reasons plus the term stretched thin.
320
Again, opinion plus reasons and then the term stretched thin.
321
Now, here's what the learner response was one more time just for comparison.
322
It is difficult.
323
He does not answer my emails.
324
The grammar is perfect, but that was a learner response.
325
It is difficult.
326
He does not answer my emails.
327
Now we have the fully emulated native English response with the opinion, the reasons, and the expression stretched thin.
328
Listen closely.
329
It's been slow.
330
Anything that needs a decision from him sits for three or four days.
331
Quick questions he answers same day though, so I don't read it as personal.
332
I think he's just stretched thin since he picked up those extra accounts.
333
I'd rather not escalate over a bandwidth issue, but I do need a decision by Thursday to protect the timeline.
334
This is the full response, opinion plus reasons plus stretched thin.
335
So what you need to notice is this, the structure earns the conclusion by laying out the evidence first.
336
The term delivers that conclusion generously instead of accusingly.
337
Without it though, the sentence becomes, he has too much work.
338
Same idea, but it sounds like a learner and slightly more like blame.
339
This is why using the term stretched thin is so important
340
and makes this sound more like a native English speaker said it.
341
Now we look at situation number three.
342
Personal experience is a structure and our term is drifted apart.
343
Again, personal experience and drifted apart.
344
So here's the learner response one more time for situation three.
345
No, not really.
346
We stopped talking again.
347
No, not really.
348
We stopped talking.
349
That was the learner response.
350
However, when we look at the fully emulated native English speaker response, we see the personal experience plus the term drifted apart.
351
Listen closely, not in about two years years and the strange part is there was no fight.
352
We just drifted apart and I don't think either of us noticed until it was already done.
353
What I miss isn't even the conversations, it's who I was around her.
354
So what I need you to notice, the experience structure, time frame, no fight, the real process,
355
the layer underneath, it carries the whole answer.
356
Now drifted apart the term is the term that explains an ending without assigning any blame to anyone,
357
which is the only reason the sentence can turn inward instead of turning into an accusation because of this term,
358
this natural term drifted apart.
359
This now leads us to section number five.
360
It's your turn to think in English.
361
Now we have fresh questions, not dialogues, the kind of discussion questions that you could be asked in a real conversation tomorrow.
362
Yep.
363
Tomorrow.
364
Each one comes with the flat learner response and then three native responses.
365
One built on each pattern.
366
Remember the patterns, details, opinions, plus reasons, and personal experience.
367
The point isn't to memorize any of them.
368
The point is to notice what changes when you,
369
my friend, stop answering like a learner and start thinking like a native speaker.
370
So let's dive deeper into these examples.
371
Here's the question.
372
Question number one.
373
Are you close with your family?
374
Again, are you close with your family?
375
Now, a learner response would be, yes, we are close.
376
We talk sometimes.
377
Perfect grammar.
378
No issue, but it's a learner response.
379
Now let's check out three different native English speaker responses to the question.
380
Are you close with your family?
381
First native response based on the detailed structure.
382
Pretty close.
383
Yeah.
384
My sister and I text constantly, mostly nonsense, screenshots, stuff we saw.
385
And my mom calls every Sunday around noon, whether I pick up or not.
386
The structure, giving details.
387
Here's the second native response again to the question, are you close with your family?
388
But this time using opinion plus reasons.
389
Answer, closer than we used to be, honestly.
390
We all live in different cities now and I think the distance made us more intentional about it.
391
When you have to schedule a call, you actually show up for it.
392
The structure, opinion plus reason.
393
And finally, the third native response.
394
Personal experience answering the question, are you close with your family?
395
Here's the response.
396
We weren't for a long time.
397
Then my dad got sick a few years ago and everybody sort of collapsed back toward each other.
398
It's better now, but it took something serious to get us there.
399
So again, you see the three native responses based on the three structures.
400
What about this question?
401
Question number two, what makes someone a good friend?
402
What makes someone a good friend?
403
Now here's the learner response, a very simple response that a learner would give.
404
A good friend is kind and helps you.
405
That's good.
406
The grammar is great, but it's not a native English speaker response.
407
So now to the same question, we're going to look at three native responses based on the three structures, details, opinions, plus reasons and personal experience.
408
So again, the question, what makes someone a good friend?
409
And native response number one, based on details.
410
Someone who remembers the small stuff.
411
They'll text you the morning of your job interview unprompted, or they'll bring up something you mentioned once four months ago.
412
That's the whole thing, really.
413
That's details.
414
Native response number two, opinion plus reasons.
415
Consistency more than anything.
416
Plenty of people are wonderful when things are exciting.
417
The ones worth keeping are the ones still around during the boring stretches
418
when there's nothing to celebrate and nothing to show up for.
419
And finally, the third native response based on the structure of personal experience.
420
The question again, what makes someone a good friend?
421
I found out when I moved and was completely miserable for about six months.
422
One person kept checking in even when I was terrible company.
423
I didn't really understand what friendship was until then.
424
So question two, what makes a good friend?
425
We have three natural responses.
426
Why?
427
Because of the structures.
428
And what about question number three?
429
Do you find it easy to make new friends as an adult?
430
Here's the learner response.
431
No, it is difficult.
432
I don't have time.
433
Again, do you find it easy to make new friends as an adult?
434
The learner response, it answers the question, but there's no structure.
435
So it's a learner response.
436
Now look at these three native responses.
437
Response number one, based on the detailed structure.
438
Not really.
439
It's the repetition you lose in school.
440
You saw the same people every day at the same time.
441
Now you schedule a coffee three weeks out and one of you cancels.
442
Here's the second native response based on the structure of opinion plus reasons.
443
Again, the question, do you find it easy to make new friends as an adult?
444
Harder, but I don't think it's about time.
445
I think adults are afraid to look like they need people.
446
Nobody wants to be the one who follows up twice.
447
So everybody waits and nothing happens.
448
And finally, response number three, the native response based on our structure of personal experience.
449
Same question.
450
Do you find it easy to make new friends as an adult?
451
Here's the response.
452
It took me two years to make one real friend after I moved.
453
We ended up in the same running group and just kept showing up on the same mornings.
454
Proximity did what effort couldn't.
455
This is how you start thinking in English.
456
Section five is your turn to think in English, but look at the sections we went through.
457
We started by listening to real English conversations, and finally we were led to the structures that native speakers use.
458
I hope you enjoyed this lesson.
459
And if you want to continue learning how to think in English and speaking like a native, you can join our family.
460
All you have to do is go to www.speakenglishwithtiffany.com forward slash native N-A-T-I-V-E
461
and continue learning each month how to think in English and how to speak like a native speaker.
462
I'll talk to you in the next lesson.
463
Thank you.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
![THINK & SPEAK IN ENGLISH | About Relationships [Episode 2]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/I6fyzO2qfDw/mqdefault.jpg)
B21
THINK & SPEAK IN ENGLISH | About Relationships [Episode 2]
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B25
STOP Saying "My Name Is…" When Someone Asks About You in English
American AccentInterview EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B24
What Do You Do When Your Mind Goes Blank? (The Five-Step Method)
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B18
Getting Fluent In English By Yourself - Where To Actually Start
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B23
ENGLISH SLANG FOR DAILY CONVERSATIONS
American AccentDaily Conversation
B22
Nothing Comes Out When You Try To Speak English - The Real Cause
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B211
The Real Reason You Freeze In English - And It’s Fixable
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
REAL LIFE ENGLISH | Speak English Like A Native Speaker Episode 1
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
REAL LIFE ENGLISH | Speak English Like A Native Speaker Episode 7
American AccentDaily Conversation
B27
"How Was Your Day?" Is a Test. Are You Passing?
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
From Basic to Fluent: Transform Your English Fluency with These 5 Elements
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
A27
Welcome to the Course | Full English Lessons
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B112
HOW TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF IN ENGLISH | 3 SIMPLE STEPS FOR SELF INTRODUCTION IN ENGLISH
American AccentBusiness EnglishInterview EnglishUniversity Students
B13
Sound More Like A Native English Speaker Episode 1
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B21
The Best Way to Learn English ALONE — The Full System
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
![THINK & SPEAK IN ENGLISH | About Your Skills And Abilities [Episode 1]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/RLhtFBzxcS4/mqdefault.jpg)
B114
THINK & SPEAK IN ENGLISH | About Your Skills And Abilities [Episode 1]
American AccentInterview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B13
ENGLISH STUDY PLAN | Boost Your English Skills With This Morning Study Routine
American AccentBusiness EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B18
You Understand English But Can't Speak — The Real Reason Nobody Explains
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B15
The Trick To Sounding Fluent? Always Explain Why
American AccentBusiness EnglishInterview EnglishDaily Conversation
C112
HOW TO LEARN ENGLISH 4X FASTER BY FINDING YOUR LEARNING STYLE
American AccentBusiness EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B218
395 sentences
Think In English With Me | Episode 1: Motivation
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B23
51 sentences
Your English Is EXCELLENT If You Can Understand These!
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B212
348 sentences
Real English Conversation: Advanced English Lesson
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B23
331 sentences
English Podcast for Easy English Learning | Daily Life Conversation Practice B1- B2 | Education Talk
Business EnglishInterview EnglishDaily Conversation
B2110
127 sentences
Let's Practice English Speaking With Shadowing! (B2 Level)
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B220
312 sentences
Intermediate English Conversations! | Daily English Podcast for Learners!
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B112
137 sentences
No Partner? No Problem! (3 Ways to Practice Speaking Alone)
American AccentBusiness EnglishInterview EnglishDaily Conversation
B219
142 sentences
English Listening Practice | Build a Relationship with English | B1-B2
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B13
337 sentences
How to Think in English — Stop Translating in Your Head | Learning English Podcast 🎧
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B24
214 sentences
B1 B2 English Listening Practice Podcast ｜The Big Mistakes that Stop You from Learning English
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B16
420 sentences
Speak With Me: Realistic English Speaking Practice
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Think In English With Me”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: native, speaker, English, learner, response. This video has 463 sentences and 4108 words to shadow. The speech runs for 29:49. The speaker talks at a steady 138 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| learner noun | /ˈlɜɹnəɹ/ | One who is learning; one receiving instruction. |
| drift noun | /dɹɪft/ | Anything driven at random. |
| emulate verb | /ˈɛm.jʊ.leɪt/ | To copy or imitate, especially a person. |
| escalate verb | /ˈɛs.kə.leɪt/ | To increase (something) in extent or intensity; to intensify or step up. |
| suspiciously adverb | In a way suggesting suspicion. | |
| listener noun | /ˈlɪs(ə)nɚ/ | Someone who listens, especially to a speech or a broadcast. |
| hesitation noun | /ˌhɛzɪˈteɪʃən/ | An act of hesitating |
| bandwidth noun | /ˈbændwɪdθ/ | The width, usually measured in hertz, of a frequency band. |
| gradual adjective | /ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuəl/ | Proceeding or advancing by small, slow, regular steps or degrees |
| underneath adverb | /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/ | Below; in a place beneath. |
| grammar noun | /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/ | A system of rules and principles for the structure of a language, or of languages in general. |
| portability noun | The ability of a program (or software system) to execute properly on multiple hardware platforms. | |
| unintentional adjective | /ˌʌnɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/ | Not intended or deliberate; inadvertent; unwitting. |
| sibling noun | /ˈsɪb.lɪŋ/ | A person who shares a parent; one's brother or sister who one shares a parent with. |
| coincidence noun | /kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns/ | The property of being coincident, occurring at the same time or place. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| drift apart verb | To lose contact, to lose one's friendship or closeness. | |
| hold back verb | To act with reserve; to contain one's full measure or power. | |
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. | |
| hold back on verb | To wait for a period of time before proceeding. | |
| lay out verb | /ˌleɪ ˈaʊt/ | To expend or contribute money to an expense or purchase. |
| show up verb | To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically. | |
| bring up verb | To mention. | |
| catch up verb | To pick up suddenly. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Once you hear it clearly, you can't unhear it.
- Person a, how was your new boyfriend?
- He's very, why are you looking for problems?
- Why are you looking for problems?
- Are you close with your family?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been holding |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was used · was signed · be pulled |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've studied · You've been · hasn't shown |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | Someone who remembers · one who follows |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 71 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, we're, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: bandwidth /ˈbændwɪdθ/, underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/, sympathy /ˈsɪm.pəθ.i/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: hesitation /ˌhɛzɪˈteɪʃən/, unintentional /ˌʌnɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/, abstraction /æbˈstɹæk.ʃn̩/, memorization /ˈmem(ə)ɹaɪˌzeɪʃn̩/, repetition /ˌɹɛp.əˈtɪʃ.ən/
- Long words — get the stress right: hesitation /ˌhɛzɪˈteɪʃən/, unintentional /ˌʌnɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/, coincidence /kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns/, accusingly /əˈkju.zɪŋ.li/, memorization /ˈmem(ə)ɹaɪˌzeɪʃn̩/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like learner, drift, emulate.
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.