Shadowing Practice: Think Like a Native Speaker | Callan Lesson 27 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Lesson 27.
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Peace.
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What's this?
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It's a piece of paper.
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Are there any pieces of paper on the table?
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Yes, there are some pieces of paper on the table.
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About how many pieces of bread do you eat with your lunch?
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I eat about four pieces of bread with my lunch.
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A country.
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The country.
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Nation.
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Nationality.
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British.
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What's the difference between a country and the country?
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The difference between a country and the country is that a country is a nation, whereas the country is the opposite of the town.
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What's the name of your country?
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Italy, France, etc. is the name of my country.
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What's your nationality?
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My nationality is Italian, French, etc. What nationality is Mr Callan?
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Mr Callan is British.
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Live.
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Do you live in the country?
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No, I don't live in the country.
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I live in a town.
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Do most children live with their parents?
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Yes, most children live with their parents.
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Do you want to live for 100 years?
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Yes, I want to live for a hundred years.
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Pleasant?
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Unpleasant?
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Gas?
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Does gas smell pleasant?
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No, gas doesn't smell pleasant.
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It smells unpleasant.
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Do flowers smell unpleasant?
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No, flowers don't smell unpleasant.
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They smell pleasant.
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Do most people think work is a pleasant thing?
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No, most people don't think work is a pleasant thing.
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They think it's an unpleasant thing.
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Is Paris an unpleasant city?
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No, Paris isn't an unpleasant city.
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It's a pleasant city.
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Glass, cup.
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What do we drink wine from?
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We drink wine from a glass.
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Do we drink coffee from a glass?
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No, we don't drink coffee from a glass.
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We drink it from a cup.
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Longer than, shorter than.
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Is the table longer than the room?
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No, the table isn't longer than the room.
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It's shorter than the room.
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Higher than, lower than.
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Is the table higher than the door?
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No, the table isn't higher than the door.
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It's lower than the door.
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Larger than, smaller than.
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Is a village larger than a city?
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No, a village isn't larger than a city.
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It's smaller than a city.
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The longest.
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River.
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Nile.
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World.
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Which is the longest street in this town?
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Oxford Street is the longest street in this town.
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Which is the longest river in the world?
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The Nile is the longest river in the world.
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The highest Mountain Everest Mount Mount Which is the highest mountain in the world?
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Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
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The largest?
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Tokyo.
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Which is the largest city in Japan?
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Tokyo is the largest city in Japan.
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Date.
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What's the date today?
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The date today is the 20th of January 2012.
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What was the date yesterday?
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The date yesterday was the 19th of January 2012.
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What will the date tomorrow be?
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The date tomorrow will be the 21st of January 2012.
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Light?
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Heavy?
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Is the table light?
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No, the table isn't light.
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It's heavy.
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Is this piece of paper heavier than the table?
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No, this piece of paper isn't heavier than the table.
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It's lighter than the table.
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Who's the lightest person in your family?
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My mother is the lightest person in my family.
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Who's the heaviest person in your family?
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My brother's the heaviest person in my family.
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Shop.
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Which is the largest shop in this town?
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Harrods is the largest shop in this town.
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Are there any shops in the street where you live?
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Yes, there are some shops in the street where I live.
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Ball.
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What do we play football with?
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We play football with a ball.
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Can we play tennis without a ball?
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No, we can't play tennis without a ball.
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We must have a ball to play tennis.
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Bedroom.
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Get up.
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Sleep.
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What time do you go to bed at night?
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I go to bed at 11 o'clock What time do you get up in the morning?
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I get up at 6 o'clock in the morning.
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How long do you sleep at night?
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I sleep about 7 hours at night.
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What colour are the walls of your bedroom?
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The walls of my bedroom are white.
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Are you the first to get up in your family?
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No, I'm not the first to get up in my family.
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Do you sleep a lot?
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No, I don't sleep a lot.
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I sleep little.
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Do you sleep longer than your parents?
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No, I don't sleep longer than my parents.
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I sleep less than my parents.

Why practice speaking with this video?

Practicing speaking through the context provided in this video can significantly enhance your English fluency. The Callan Lesson 27 video focuses on practical vocabulary and sentence structures, such as asking about nationality and describing pleasant versus unpleasant experiences. By engaging with the material, you can experience the flow and rhythm of natural English conversations, which are essential for effective English speaking practice.

Additionally, this lesson emphasizes everyday situations, making it relatable and easier to incorporate into daily life. As you shadow the speaker, you not only learn the words but also how to deliver them confidently, mirroring a native speaker's intonation. This technique, often referred to as shadowspeak, helps reinforce your memory and understanding of key phrases used in real conversations.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

  • Simple Present Tense: The video employs the simple present to discuss habitual actions, such as "I eat about four pieces of bread with my lunch." This structure is vital for describing routines and everyday activities.
  • Adjective Comparison: Phrases like "pleasant" and "unpleasant" illustrate the use of adjectives to express opinions. Understanding how to use these adjectives enhances your ability to convey feelings and attitudes.
  • Questions and Answers: The format of asking questions, such as "What's the name of your country?" and responding with "My nationality is Italian," demonstrates the conversational structure essential for engaging discussions.

By practicing these expressions, you can effectively communicate with a variety of speakers and situations, making your interactions more dynamic and meaningful.

Common Pronunciation Traps

In this lesson, certain words may pose challenges in pronunciation. For instance, the term "pleasant" tends to be mispronounced as "pleasent." Pay close attention to the soft 'a' sound in "pleasant" and practice it repeatedly. Additionally, the words "gas" and "glass" can be easily confused due to their similar sounds. Ensure you differentiate clearly between these two to avoid misunderstandings.

Also, when practicing shadow speech, focus on the intonation, especially in sentences with contrasting ideas, like "pleasant versus unpleasant." By replicating these nuances, you'll improve your ability to convey meaning and emotion in your speech.

Engaging with this video not only builds vocabulary but also fortifies pronunciation skills essential for fluent conversation. Utilize this video on a reliable shadowing site to enhance your English speaking practice effectively.

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.