Shadowing Practice: Train Your Brain to Speak English Naturally - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hello, hello, hello.
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Welcome back to Daily English Talk.
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I'm Lily.
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And I'm Tom.
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And if you are new here, welcome.
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We upload every single day, so come back tomorrow.
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And the day after.
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And the day after that.
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We will always be here, always.
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Like that neighbor who never leaves.
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Tom, today we have a really, really important topic, something that every English learner asks about.
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Ooh, is it grammar?
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No. Vocabulary?
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No. Is it how to sound like me?
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No, Tom.
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Today we are talking about how to train your brain to think in English.
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Oh, that is important!
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when you think in English, speaking becomes so much easier.
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You stop translating in your head, and the words just come out.
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Just come out, like a sneeze.
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A little bit like a sneeze, yes.
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Okay, before we start, I have a question for you.
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Ooh, a question!
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Tom had a very embarrassing moment because he was still translating in his head.
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He was at a coffee shop and he wanted to say something simple, but his brain was too slow.
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It was not my best moment.
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So here is the question: What did Tom try to say at the coffee shop?
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Was it something about the coffee, the price, or something completely different?
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I will say nothing.
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You have to watch.
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Write your guess in the comments.
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We will answer at the end of the video.
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Okay, let's go.
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Good morning, Tom.
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You look strange today.
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Are you okay?
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I am okay, but something happened to me yesterday.
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Something embarrassing.
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Oh no, what happened?
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I was at a coffee shop.
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I ordered my coffee.
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Everything was fine.
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Then the worker asked me, Would you like anything else?
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Simple question, right?
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Yes, very simple.
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But my brain stopped.
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I started translating in my head.
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I was trying to say, "No, thank you, that's all." But the words, They did not come out right.
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Ow!
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What did you say?
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Something came out, but it was not good.
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Tom, what did you say?
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You have to wait.
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Remember the question?
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That is right.
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We told you at the beginning, right?
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We will answer at the end.
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But the important thing is, Tom could not speak because he was translating in his head.
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Yes, my brain was too slow, the words got confused, and the worker looked at me like I was from another planet.
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This happens to everyone, even me!
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When I first started speaking English, my brain was always translating, always one step behind.
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Really?
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You too? Of course!
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But I have good news.
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You can train your brain to stop translating, and today, that's exactly what we are going to teach you.
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Yes, and it works.
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I know it works.
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Because now, I do not freeze anymore.
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Well, mostly.
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Mostly.
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Okay, so Tom is learning to think in English.
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Let's talk about why this is so important.
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Yes, why is it hard to think in English?
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Because when we learn a new language, our brain has a habit.
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It goes, first, think in my language, then translate into English.
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Exactly what I do.
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I think in my language, I translate, and then too slow.
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Exactly.
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The sentence is gone, the moment is gone, and you feel frustrated. So frustrated.
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But, good news, you can train your brain, like a muscle.
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The more you practice thinking in English, the faster and more natural it becomes.
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Like going to the gym, but for your brain.
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Exactly.
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English gym.
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And today, we have exercises for you.
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I am ready.
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My brain is ready.
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Perfect.
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Let's start.
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Exercise number one: talk to yourself in English.
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Talk to myself?
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Like, out loud?
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Yes.
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When you are alone, at home, in the shower, on the bus, talk in English.
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Describe what you see.
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Describe what you are doing.
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Like what?
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Like this.
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You wake up.
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You say, "I am waking up.
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I am very tired.
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I need coffee.
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Where is the coffee?" This sounds like my real morning.
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Because it is.
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Use real situations, real words.
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Don't say big, fancy sentences.
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Just simple, natural English.
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I actually did this.
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Yesterday, I was washing dishes, and I said, "I am washing the dishes.
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I hate this.
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Why do I have so many dishes?" Tom, that is perfect!
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I know.
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I have too many dishes.
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The point is, you were thinking and speaking in English at the same time.
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No translating.
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That is the goal.
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And the dishes are still there, but my English is better.
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Exercise number two, label your world.
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Label?
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Like a sticker?
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Exactly like a sticker.
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Take small pieces of paper, write the English word, put it on the object.
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Every time you see the object, say the word out loud.
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Oh, I did something like this when I was a child, learning words in school.
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Yes, and it works for adults too.
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Your kitchen becomes your classroom.
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Your bathroom becomes your classroom.
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My bathroom is my classroom.
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Interesting.
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I put sticky notes all over my apartment one time.
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Window, door, lamp, chair.
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Did it work?
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Yes, but my friend came to visit and she thought I was going crazy.
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She walked in and everything had a label?
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Everything.
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Even the coffee machine.
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She said, Lily, are you okay?
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That is amazing!
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But the important thing is, it worked!
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Now I do not need the labels.
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The words are just inside my head.
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Okay, I am putting labels everywhere tomorrow.
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Exercise number three: When you learn a new word, see the picture.
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Don't see the translation.
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What do you mean?
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Okay, I say the word "apple." What do you see?
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I see.. a red apple round, maybe shiny.
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You did not think of the translation first.
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You saw the apple.
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Oh, you are right!
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That is the goal for every word.
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See the thing.
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Don't think of the translation.
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The word dog, see a dog.
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The word run, see someone running.
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So my brain connects English directly to the picture, no translation in the middle.
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Exactly!
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This is called direct association and it is very powerful.
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Okay, let me try.
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The word "chair." What do you see?
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I see my chair.
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The one at home.
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The one with the broken leg that I never fixed.
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Perfect example, Tom.
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Ah, I really should fix that chair.
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Exercise #4: Every morning, before you start your day, spend two minutes thinking about your day in English.
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Like, planning in English?
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Yes!
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Say to yourself, "Today I will go to work.
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I will have lunch at 12.
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After work, I will go to the supermarket." Simple sentences.
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Present tense, future tense.
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Just your day.
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Oh, this sounds easy.
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It is easy.
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That is the point.
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Start easy.
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Small sentences.
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Short words.
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Build confidence.
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I tried this one time, but I got carried away.
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What happened?
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I started planning my whole week, then the whole month.
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Then I was like, in five years I will be fluent in English and I will live near the beach.
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Tom!
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I was very motivated at 7 in the morning.
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That is great motivation.
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But yes, keep it simple.
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Two minutes, just today.
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Two minutes.
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I can do two minutes.
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Imagine you were in a cafe.
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Tom, you are the customer.
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I love this.
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I am ready.
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I'm in character.
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I am the cafe worker.
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Ready?
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Ready.
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Hi.
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What would you like?
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Hello, I would like one coffee please, a big one.
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Sure.
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Anything else?
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Um, do you have cake?
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Yes, we do.
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Oh, great.
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One cake, please.
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Thank you very much.
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Perfect.
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See?
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No translating, just natural conversation.
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I did it and I did not freeze.
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You were great!
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And remember, that dialogue used very simple words: I would like, do you have, Thank you.
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That is all you need to start.
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Simple is good, simple works.
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Okay, let's do a quick review.
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Ready?
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Ready.
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Exercise 1.
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Talk to yourself in English, at home, in the shower, anywhere.
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Exercise 2.
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Label your world.
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Sticky notes everywhere.
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Your home is your classroom.
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Exercise 3.
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Think in pictures.
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See the word, not the translation.
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And exercise 4.
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Plan your day in English.
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Two minutes every morning.
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Amazing!
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Tom, you remembered everything.
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I know!
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I am very proud of myself right now.
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And remember, you do not need to be perfect.
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You just need to practice.
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Every day, a little bit.
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Your brain is learning.
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Your brain is growing.
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English gym every day.
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Every day?
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Now, I have a question for you.
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Do you already think in English sometimes?
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Even a little bit?
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Even one word?
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Tell us in the comments.
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Just type, English.
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Or, not yet, but I will try, if you want to start today.
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We read every comment.
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Every single one.
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Right, Lily?
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Every single one.
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Okay, do you remember the question from the beginning?
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Oh, no. My embarrassing story.
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What did Tom try to say at the coffee shop?
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Was it something about the coffee, the price, or something completely different?
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Okay, I will tell you.
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I was at the coffee shop.
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The worker asked, "Would you like anything else?" In my head, I was translating so fast, I wanted to say, "No,
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thank you, that's all." And what happened?
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I said, "No, thank you, that is all the thank." Tom!
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I know, I know.
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The worker looked at me like I was from another planet.
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What did you do?
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like a robot.
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But that was before I started thinking in English.
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Now?
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No thank you, that's all.
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Easy.
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Done.
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No problem.
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That is the power of practice.
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Everyone starts somewhere.
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Even Tom.
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Even me.
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The robot coffee man.
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Thank you so much for watching today!
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English Gym, every day.
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Let's go!
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We will see you tomorrow.
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Bye!
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Bye -bye!
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Context & Background
In the video titled "Train Your Brain to Speak English Naturally," Lily and Tom discuss a crucial topic for English learners: thinking in English. Tom shares a personal experience illustrating the challenges of translating thoughts in real time. He recounts an incident in a coffee shop where he struggled to respond quickly because he was mentally translating from his native language to English. This moment underscores the importance of training your brain to think directly in English, which can streamline communication and reduce hesitation while speaking.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- No, thank you, that's all. - A common phrase used in situations where you've made a request or an order and need to decline further offers.
- Would you like anything else? - A polite inquiry often posed by service staff, crucial for anyone interacting in English-speaking environments.
- Can I help you? - A helpful phrase for initiating interaction, whether you're offering assistance or working at a service counter.
- How can I assist you today? - A more formal version of offering help, useful in professional settings or customer service.
- That's a good choice. - A positive affirmation that can be used to encourage and approve someone's decision.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively use the shadowing technique demonstrated in this video, follow these steps:
- Listen Carefully: Start by watching the video without subtitles. Pay close attention to how Lily and Tom converse. Notice their tone, pronunciation, and rhythm.
- Repeat Phrases: Play sections of the video again, imitating their speech immediately after hearing it. This is where shadow speech comes into play. Focus on mimicking their intonation and pace.
- Practice in Different Contexts: Take the phrases you learned and try to incorporate them into daily conversations. Use them in simulated environments, such as ordering coffee with friends.
- Record Yourself: Use your phone or computer to record your practice sessions. Listen to yourself speak to identify areas for improvement, particularly emphasizing the flow and naturalness of your speech.
- Reflect and Adjust: Regularly review your recordings to track progress. Adjust your techniques based on what aspects of your delivery need more focus. This will also be beneficial for anyone preparing for IELTS speaking practice.
By actively engaging with the shadowspeaks method and consistently practicing through shadowing, you can enhance your fluency and confidence in speaking English. Remember, the key is to think in English rather than translating from your native language, which will ultimately make communication feel more natural.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was still translating · was trying · was translating |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | stop translating · started translating · started speaking |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will always be · will say · will answer |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | are talking · is learning · are doing |
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.