Shadowing Practice: Think You Can Speak REAL English? Try This Advanced Challenge! - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.

345 sentences

If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.

Today we have a great video.

You're gonna learn some English today and

if you don't learn English well at least you're gonna practice

English either way you're gonna learn you're gonna practice it's a win-win.

You gotta watch this video to the end.

You will not be sorry I promise you that.

I wanted to do a speaking practice video a speaking exercise video.

By the way I'm in Mexico.

I'm back in Hispanic America baby.

I was in Asia for eight months.

I'm back.

I'm back and I'm better than ever.

I'm excited.

That's just a little update for my friends, my fans, you know, people who care where I am and what I'm doing.

But let's get back to the English learning.

All right.

So I did my research.

I watched one other video on YouTube about speaking exercise, speaking practice.

That was a joke, by the way.

Surprise, surprise.

I didn't like that video.

I thought it was horrible.

So I'm going to do my own version.

But this is how we're going to do it.

I'm not going to pause the video so that you can speak.

That's boring.

You have the responsibility of pausing the video.

That's your job.

Okay.

That's not my job.

This video is going to be flowing.

It's going to be flowing.

It's going to keep going.

It's not going to stop for you.

So you have to stop it.

You have to pause the video.

You need to imitate me.

You need to copy me.

This is how it's going to work.

I have some common phrases or sentences or things that we might say, us native speakers from the United States,

typically people between the ages of 20 and 40.

This isn't like super slang.

This is just how we talk.

This is everyday English for us.

This is normal English.

With each phrase, I'm going to be creating, imagining a scene.

I'm going to be doing a little acting where I'm pretending that I'm talking.

I'm talking to someone and I'm using this phrase and other phrases.

And you might not know all of these.

So you can learn English and you can practice speaking by pausing the video and copying me.

And you might have to go back and repeat, okay?

Okay, I'm going to take off my jacket thing because it's getting hot in here.

All right, so let's just get right into it.

Let's go.

Oh, it's 10 a.m and Lao is still sleeping.

Yeah, it sounds about right.

Yeah, that checks out.

That checks out.

Yeah, she usually sleeps this long.

Oh, it's 11.

She's still sleeping.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

Hey, what you been up to?

What you doing?

What you been up to?

What you been doing?

Not much.

Just, you know, working.

Not much.

Just doing, I don't know.

Just not much.

Just trying to survive.

Same.

Same here.

Yeah, it's so cold.

It's freezing.

I'm going to take a hot shower.

I'm going to put the water on scalding hot, and I'm just going to stand under the shower for 30 minutes because it's so cold.

I just want to take a 30-minute shower.

Yeah, same.

Same.

Same here.

Yeah, it's freezing.

Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing.

I just had the same idea.

Great minds think alike.

We're on the same page.

Yeah, we were just having the same thought.

Whoa, that's crazy.

That's wild.

That's crazy.

That's insane.

That's ridiculous.

Wait, seriously?

Wait, seriously? For real?

100

No, like, you're being serious?

101

Like, really? no but like yeah but like really yeah I feel you yeah I feel you Yeah, I feel that.

102

Yeah, I know what you're talking about.

103

I know what that's like.

104

I feel you.

105

I feel you.

106

That makes sense.

107

Yeah, that makes sense.

108

Yeah, I should probably do that, but I don't want to.

109

Yeah, I should probably do laundry, but I just really don't want to right now.

110

I just, like, I just want to lay here.

111

I just want to lay here and do nothing.

112

I don't want to do it.

113

I need like three more hours of sleep.

114

I need like nine.

115

I only got like six.

116

I just keep sleep depriving myself.

117

I have chronic sleep deprivation.

118

It's a problem.

119

No, it's like really, like it's ruining my life.

120

Like I need help.

121

I'm hungry, but I don't want to cook.

122

We should just order something.

123

You want to just order food?

124

You want to just order food?

125

Yeah, I don't want to cook.

126

I cooked yesterday.

127

Yeah, I cooked yesterday.

128

I don't want to cook today.

129

Like why do I have to cook every single day?

130

Like what why is life like that?

131

Is it really necessary?

132

Like you have to cook every day Why can't we just go out?

133

Let's just get some food.

134

Come on.

135

There's a place right up the street.

136

We can go Yeah, they're pretty good.

137

I think they're open till 10.

138

Yeah, they're still open Hi, I just want to let you know that i'm running late.

139

I woke up late.

140

My alarm didn't go off I don't know what happened.

141

I I swear I said it.

142

I always set my alarm I don't know how I didn't set it.

143

I forgot to set it and it didn't go off I didn't hear it.

144

Maybe I slept through it.

145

I don't know.

146

It didn't go off.

147

I don't know what happened I slept through my alarm.

148

Uh, I woke up an hour late Um, i'm on the way there now, but I i'm gonna be late So just tell them i'm gonna be late and i'm sorry,

149

but it was out of my control It was an accident.

150

I I messed up.

151

Okay shit happens.

152

I'm never late Okay, but today today i'm running late.

153

Yeah, i'm sorry And then like there's traffic too on top of it.

154

I woke up late and and there's traffic.

155

So i'm i'm gonna be late Yeah, can you can you just let them know I'm gonna be late?

156

Okay.

157

Thank you.

158

Thank you.

159

I appreciate it.

160

Appreciate you Yeah, I don't know what's up with my alarm.

161

Maybe I just slept so hard.

162

Maybe I was just so tired I just slept through it.

163

I didn't even hear it.

164

It went off.

165

Maybe I don't know.

166

I didn't hear it It was great to see you.

167

We should definitely hang out soon.

168

Like we should hang out again pretty soon Um, not tomorrow because i'm busy

169

and then this weekend I also have something I have to do

170

and then on saturday and then sunday is like my relaxed day I don't know.

171

I'll get back to you on that.

172

I'll have to let you know.

173

I'll text you.

174

I'll let you know because I'm not sure because like honestly, I'm so busy.

175

I've been so busy lately.

176

I'm like kind of drowning in stuff to do.

177

I just keep piling stuff on top of me.

178

I want to see you soon, but I need to figure it out because I'm like, oh my God, I have no free time.

179

I've just been super busy lately.

180

All my clothes are dirty and I didn't do laundry and I have nothing to wear.

181

I literally, I can't deal with this.

182

I can't deal with this today.

183

I'm already in a bad mood.

184

I already don't feel good today.

185

And on top of this, I need to go grocery shopping and I need to do laundry.

186

And there's too much.

187

I can't deal with this today.

188

I can't deal with it.

189

I'm not dealing with it.

190

If I could just make it through this day, I'll be okay.

191

I got to go home.

192

I got to go to bed early tonight because I did not get enough sleep last night.

193

I got to go to bed early tonight.

194

So then I can be better tomorrow.

195

Cause today I'm like, oh, I am tired.

196

I am exhausted.

197

This weekend was fun, but I did not get enough sleep last night.

198

I went to bed way too late.

199

It's like 11 PM.

200

You're like, oh, I'll just watch a little bit of the show.

201

And then before you know it, it's three in the morning.

202

Hours go by.

203

I don't even know.

204

I prefer working at home.

205

Like I don't want to have to come in here because the commute is crazy.

206

It's just, it wastes time.

207

And I just want to like be in my pajamas.

208

I just want to be like at home, relax.

209

Like I don't want to have to come in here.

210

I feel like it's just a waste of time.

211

You know, we just had a meeting that could have been an email.

212

It didn't, We didn't need to have a meeting.

213

We did.

214

It could have been an email.

215

We didn't need to talk about it.

216

It's like, I'm so behind on this stuff.

217

Like, I don't have time for it.

218

Yeah, I've been procrastinating a little bit, but I'm I'm going to I'm going to take care of it.

219

I'm going to do it.

220

Hey, you still want to hang out?

221

You still want to do something tonight?

222

Yeah, I was thinking maybe we should just stay in.

223

Like, maybe you could just come over and we could just like watch a movie or something.

224

I have some snacks.

225

We can order some food.

226

I don't really want to go out.

227

Like, I just changed into my comfy clothes.

228

I'm just like curled up on the couch.

229

But if you want to come over, we can just chill.

230

Because I don't want to do all that.

231

I don't want to go out.

232

I don't really want to have to go anywhere.

233

So I just want to stay in.

234

Can you just come over and we can just chill?

235

Yeah, I'm just not really in the mood.

236

Yeah, not really in the mood for all that.

237

Yeah, we can watch whatever you want.

238

Yeah, I don't care.

239

I don't care.

240

As long as I'm just on my couch, I'm happy.

241

Yeah, because last time we went to that place, it was so packed.

242

You have to make a reservation.

243

You can't just show up there.

244

It's like, there's too many people, especially on a Friday night, it's going to be packed.

245

No, you're not, we're not going to find a table.

246

We're not even going to find parking.

247

It's going to be a whole thing just to find parking.

248

It's going to be a whole ordeal just to find parking.

249

And then we have to get a table.

250

It's probably going to be a 45 minute wait.

251

I can't, I can't do that.

252

I don't want to do it.

253

Yeah, honestly, it was really disappointing.

254

I was really disappointed because I had my hopes up.

255

I imagined that it would be so great

256

and I thought it could work and I thought that we could be good together.

257

And I'm always like imagining, like fantasizing about it being a certain way.

258

But then the reality is that we're not compatible and it's not going to work.

259

It's not meant to be.

260

It's not meant to be.

261

I have to accept that.

262

So yeah, I just have to move on.

263

I'm over it now.

264

I've processed it a lot and I've gone through the feelings a lot and felt it and cried a lot.

265

And I had a therapy session all day on Sunday.

266

Yeah, I'm feeling more optimistic now.

267

I was feeling really kind of pessimistic, just kind of down about my life.

268

But now I'm feeling better.

269

I'm feeling hopeful.

270

Yeah, whatever is meant to be is going to be.

271

And one day it's all going to be worth it.

272

And, you know, it's sometimes you got to go through the storm and you to get to the sunshine.

273

I don't know.

274

I just made that up.

275

But to get to the good side, I don't know.

276

Sometimes sometimes you got to go through the crap and you got to go through it.

277

You got to go through the shit.

278

And then and then it gets better every time I learn a lot.

279

So that's great.

280

I'm always learning and feel like I'm getting closer to what I want, even if it hasn't worked out.

281

I feel like I'm getting a better idea of what it is

282

that I want and I'm getting more specific on that

283

and I am probably going to waste less time on things that I don't want.

284

So, yeah, I'll just looking on the bright side.

285

I'm trying to look on the bright side and, but I'm not going to lie.

286

I'm not going to sugarcoat it.

287

I'm not going to sugarcoat it.

288

I'm not going to act like I didn't cry a lot about it because I did.

289

I did cry a lot, but I feel good now.

290

Yeah.

291

I feel like I can say I'm over it because I'm no longer, I no longer feel sad about it.

292

I no longer feel like, like I really wish that it would happen or it could be

293

or you know I wish

294

that it was meant to be it's like I let it go accepted it I let it go

295

and I'm looking forward to when it is meant to be

296

because then I know I know it's gonna be even better

297

because it's gonna be what is meant to be and

298

so I don't know everything happens for a reason that's how I feel like

299

when I look back on my life things make sense even

300

if they didn't in the moment even

301

if they didn't make sense in the moment they make sense now like

302

when I look back in retrospect my life overall seems like

303

it makes sense like everything happened the way it was supposed to

304

and it all really was necessary for my journey my self-discovery

305

and journey and

306

and yeah I don't know maybe this is just all what

307

we tell ourselves to make ourselves feel better about it all

308

the truth is we have no idea what's going on and life can be very hard.

309

At least I have some good friends to talk to.

310

Yeah, I have a lot of things to be grateful for.

311

And at the end of the day, it is what it is.

312

It is what it is, baby.

313

There ain't nothing you can do about it.

314

There ain't nothing you can do about it.

315

All right, so that's all I have for you today.

316

But I could make more videos like this, like speaking, practice, exercise stuff, where I'm, you know, using different phrases and talking about different things

317

and this is just normal english this is just normal everyday real life conversations there were definitely times

318

when i feel like i was mumbling i was talking kind of fast under my breath we say

319

and not enunciating very well but that's how real life english is

320

when i'm making these videos like right now i'm like doing my conclusions

321

and in the introduction

322

and conclusion i'm often talking directly to the camera i'm talking to you guys i'm in my like youtube presenter persona voice.

323

I'm enunciating more.

324

I'm speaking more clearly.

325

I'm even speaking more into the microphone.

326

But when I'm like in a real life situation, you know, the voice is lower.

327

There's less enunciation.

328

It's less clear.

329

You have these very quick off the cuff, you know, phrases, sentences.

330

Don't be discouraged if some of the things you didn't catch just off listening, you had to read the subtitles.

331

Like that's totally normal.

332

That's totally fine.

333

The subtitles are there because you need to use them to study.

334

They are good for learning English.

335

So yeah, I hope you got something out of this video

336

and let me know in the comments what you think and what your ideas are for a future video.

337

I feel like I have a very good idea of what the most common everyday English is.

338

Every time I think about a word or a phrase, I'm always thinking about how often,

339

like how many times do I actually hear this or say this or,

340

you know, how many times have I been exposed to this and I'm always measuring everything in English based on frequency,

341

based on how often I have experienced this phrase or, you know, heard this, seen this, whatever.

342

So I definitely can make a lot of videos like this if you like them.

343

I guess that's it.

344

Hope you have a great day.

345

Bye-bye.

Download App

Everything you need to speak fluently

AI PronunciationScore every sentence

IPA PracticeMaster every sound

VocabularyBuild your word bank

Vocab GameLearn while playing

Scan QR

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Same Channel

FOR YOU

Recommend Video

420 sentences

Speak With Me: Realistic English Speaking Practice

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

228 sentences

Effortless English Rule 7 Powerful English Speaking Stories

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

188 sentences

Speak Smooth and Confident English SHADOWING Repeat-After-Me

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

352 sentences

Speak English With Me – Stop Translating & Speak Instantly | Day 3 | English Speaking Practice

Interview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

55 sentences

Hear it & Say it - Repeat-After-Me Listening & Speaking Practice

Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students

127 sentences

Why you can understand English but can't speak.

Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students

357 sentences

Your English Is Advanced If You Sound Like This

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

149 sentences

Listen and Repeat: SPEAK with me in English

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

14 sentences

Can't Understand Natives? Do This | English Reading and Listening Practice #englishforbeginners

TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students

79 sentences

Speaking Practice For B1 (intermediate) | English Imitation Lessons

Interview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

360 sentences

Speak English Without Fearing Mistakes | Easy English Listening Practice

Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students

423 sentences

Real English Conversation Practice: Shadow This with Only 210 Words

Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students

Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

Wondering how to level up your English speaking beyond textbook phrases? This video is your secret weapon. Unlike boring drills, it dives into real everyday conversations—think how 20-40 year old Americans actually talk. No stiff grammar lessons here; it’s all about natural flow. The best part? It uses the shadowing technique (or "shadowspeaks" as some call it), where you pause, copy the speaker, and mimic their tone. This isn’t just practice—it’s training your brain to think and speak like a native. Perfect for anyone ready to move from "I can speak" to "I sound fluent."

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Let’s break down the gold in the dialogue. First, "You gotta watch this video to the end" uses "gotta"—a casual contraction of "got to" that’s everywhere in daily chat. It’s not "correct" in formal writing, but it’s essential for sounding natural. Next, "That was a joke, by the way" adds "by the way" to shift topics smoothly—something native speakers do without thinking. Then there’s "I’m back and I’m better than ever"—a confident, conversational structure that uses repetition for emphasis. Finally, "You have the responsibility of pausing" shows how "have the responsibility of" replaces stiff phrases like "must" in real talk. These aren’t just words—they’re tools to make your speech pop.

Common Pronunciation Traps

Even simple words can trip you up. Let’s tackle "Hispanic America"—the speaker pronounces "Hispanic" with a soft "s" (not a "z") and stresses the second syllable: "hi-SPAN-ic." Then there’s "imitate"—many learners say "im-i-TATE," but natives often shorten it to "im-i-tate" with a lighter "t" sound. And don’t forget "win-win"—it’s pronounced with a quick, repeated "win" (not "ween-ween"). The shadow speak method here is key: pause, listen closely, and repeat until it feels natural. For extra practice, try a shadowing site to refine your skills—but this video is a great start. Master these, and you’ll avoid common accent pitfalls that make you sound "foreign."

Ready to stop "practicing" and start speaking? Hit play, pause, and shadow your way to fluency. Your new English voice is waiting.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	be packed · is meant · was meant
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've been · I've just been · I've processed
Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea	should probably do · should just order · should definitely hang
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	was just thinking · were just having · was thinking

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: Think You Can Speak REAL English? Try This Advanced Challenge! - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Download App

A fun video we made in Ecuador in 2022 (in English)

30 Minute American English Speaking Lesson About Real Life

It's rude AND strange in English

Speak With Me: 30 Minute REAL LIFE English Practice

Which American Accent Is Better?

17 Phrasal Verbs I Heard in Conversation Today

A Day in My Life in Vietnam (English Listening Practice)

REAL English Speaking Lesson About Personal Life Problems

What's REALLY Your English Level? (Not What You Think)

45 Minute American English Speaking Practice

The Best TV Show to Learn American English

AVOID THIS If You're Learning English 🚫

Listen to How Native Speakers REALLY Talk

9 English Learning Lies You Probably Believe

STOP Making These CRINGE English Mistakes

Repeat-After-Me + Shadowing Practice (REAL American English)

The #1 English Mistake That Drives Me CRAZY

Speak With Me: 30 Minute English Speaking Practice

REAL American English Conversation With Native Speakers

7 Ways You're Overcomplicating English Learning

Speak With Me: Realistic English Speaking Practice

Effortless English Rule 7 Powerful English Speaking Stories

Speak Smooth and Confident English SHADOWING Repeat-After-Me

Speak English With Me – Stop Translating & Speak Instantly | Day 3 | English Speaking Practice

Hear it & Say it - Repeat-After-Me Listening & Speaking Practice

Why you can understand English but can't speak.

Your English Is Advanced If You Sound Like This

Listen and Repeat: SPEAK with me in English

Can't Understand Natives? Do This | English Reading and Listening Practice #englishforbeginners

Speaking Practice For B1 (intermediate) | English Imitation Lessons

Speak English Without Fearing Mistakes | Easy English Listening Practice

Real English Conversation Practice: Shadow This with Only 210 Words

Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Common Pronunciation Traps

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?