Shadowing Practice: Upper-Intermediate (B2) Phrases to Supercharge Your Vocabulary 💪 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Let's learn some incredibly useful B2 phrases, which it's more upper intermediate.

And I say these phrases are incredibly useful because they're very common.

Now, some of these phrases, it's possible that you've been using them all along, but I promise that you will learn something new.

So let's begin with a phrase that I just mentioned all along.

This means from the very beginning.

And it's a great phrase because you can use it in a variety of situations.

And really, it's interchangeable with the meaning from the very beginning.

So when you use this phrase, it just allows you to be more concise and use fewer words.

I could say, I knew all along that their relationship had problems.

Or maybe that was the plan all along.

So instead of saying from the very beginning, I can just simplify it and say all along.

When pronouncing this phrase, linking may occur.

And this is extremely common in spoken English.

This is when you link the final consonant sound of one word with the beginning vowel sound of the next word.

So we can link that final consonant sound in all with the beginning vowel sound in along.

And it's almost like we're just moving that consonant sound over to the next word or syllable.

All along.

I want you to listen for it.

You were right all along, Frank.

You had them all along.

I've known it all along.

It's been there all along.

Now, ever since you started learning English, perhaps you have enjoyed building your vocabulary all along.

And if you really do enjoy building your vocabulary, please subscribe, turn on notifications.

That way I can become your teacher.

My name is Wes.

The channel is Interactive English.

It's all about trying to help you reach your fluency goals.

So the next phrase that I have for you, I really want you to keep this in mind

because I use it all the time and I'm talking about the phrase keep in mind.

You can use one of two verbs.

The verb keep, keep in mind, or the verb bear, bear in mind.

They both have the same meaning which is to remember a piece of information

when making a decision or just considering a matter.

And this is a phrase that as a teacher I use all the time.

I'm constantly telling learners, hey, keep in mind, and then I tell them the information I want them to remember as a way of emphasizing it.

So generally you're going to use this phrase at the beginning of a statement.

Now to be perfectly honest, I think that I use the phrase keep in mind more often than I use bear in mind,

and I think others do as well.

You can see this using ngram viewer, which allows us to to compare the frequency of different words and phrases.

So it's a bit more common for people to say, keep in mind.

And I want you to keep in mind that throughout the lesson, I am going to teach you the meaning of these different phrases,

talk a little bit about how they're used in context, and bear in mind, I'm going to tell you how to pronounce them just like me.

So when pronouncing this phrase, more linking may occur.

I told you it's very common in spoken English

and we can link that final consonant sound in keep with the beginning vowel sound in in Keep in keep in mind.

You can do the same with bear bear in mind

Keep in mind bear in mind.

Now here's something I want you to keep in mind if you want to improve your overall fluency

It's important that you develop your pronunciation for clear communication communication.

And that's why I want to talk to you about the sponsor of today's lesson, which is ELSA Speak.

This is a great app to help you fine-tune your pronunciation.

And if you're unfamiliar with it, let me show you how it works.

You just download the app, create an account, and there's so much that you can do.

Practice daily lessons, improve pronunciation, study by topic.

Let's say you're going to take an exam, like the IELTS, and you've been studying all along, but you want more practice.

Well, ELSA has these great study sets to help you with that.

So we can practice, well,

daily routines and start saying some of these very common collocations. Do exercise.

Daily routine. Have breakfast.

But I think one of the coolest features is being able to practice words and phrases that you want to learn.

So, maybe we want to practice the phrase, keep in mind.

And I can say, keep in mind, this will help you fine-tune your pronunciation.

And then we can listen to it.

Keep in mind, this will help you fine-tune your pronunciation.

And practice saying it.

Keep in mind, this will help you fine-tune your pronunciation.

Now let me show you what it looks like if I make a mistake and I mispronounce some of those vowel sounds.

Kep on min, this will help you fun-tun your pronunciation.

As you can see, you get instant feedback which then allows you to try and make adjustments.

And right now, when you click on the link below and download the ELSA Speak app,

you can get seven days of the Pro membership for free.

Or you can use my discount to get 85% off a lifetime membership or 40% off a one-year membership.

So check out the links and discounts down below in the description

if you would like to learn your mistakes and improve your pronunciation.

And before you know it, you'll sound just like a native speaker.

Now let's get back to our B2 phrases.

And the next one that I have for you is at your convenience.

This just means when you want.

And I could say, I would like to schedule a meeting at your convenience.

And there's also a great collocation with this phrase.

These are words that are frequently used together and that collocation is at your earliest convenience.

So really I'm just emphasizing that this needs to happen soon.

I would like to schedule a meeting at your earliest convenience.

When you pronounce this phrase, assimilation may occur.

This is part of connected speech.

It's when two sounds, they blend together to create a new sound.

So in this case, it's like the T and Y blend together and you get this CH sound.

And we can place that slight CH between the words at and your, at your convenience.

Now this is not something that's always going to happen.

You may hear someone say, at your convenience, but keep in mind, assimilation may occur and you'll hear that slight ch sound at your convenience.

Once again, just listen for it.

You may transport aboard at your convenience.

Please call me back at your earliest convenience.

Willing to meet you at your earliest convenience.

Then we have the phrase to keep someone company.

This just means to stay with someone so that they're not alone.

And really this phrase is used in a positive way because if you tell someone to keep this person company, it shows that you care.

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You want to help this person.

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You don't want them to be alone.

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And I really appreciate you keeping me company as I teach these phrases.

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I don't want you to leave because then I'll be alone and I'll just be talking to myself.

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So if you are happy to keep me company, you can let me know by hitting that like button.

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When pronouncing this phrase, elision may occur and this is

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when sounds or syllables get removed

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so it may occur with the first letter of the possessive pronoun him

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or her it's like the H just gets muted

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and then we can link the consonant sound with the vowel sound

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so instead of keep her it's gonna sound like keeper keeper company keeper company keeper company instead of keep him

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that H gets muted it's gonna sound like keep him, keep him company.

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Keep him company.

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I volunteer to keep him company.

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Sheldon, why don't you keep him company?

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I really like this next phrase because it's something that I try to do and that is set an example.

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This means to behave in a way that other people should copy.

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So I try to set a good example for my daughter.

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I think that's something that parents do.

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Teachers should try to set a good example.

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Bosses and managers should also try to set a good example.

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And I keep saying the word good because this is a common collocation with this phrase, to set a good example,

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and you could also say to set a bad example.

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But it's more commonly used with the adjective good.

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And I think this is one of the few times in

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which a positive phrase is more often used than a negative phrase, to set a good example.

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But to help you better understand how this phrase is used in context, I have some news headlines for you.

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China can set an example for the ASEAN No Nuke Treaty.

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Company SAC's top performer to set an example for the ASEAN no-nuke treaty.

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Company sacks top performer to set an example for others.

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And to sack someone, this is an informal way of saying that someone got fired.

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Subsidized train tickets, Germany and Spain, set an example.

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For pronunciation, there's two things that I want to talk about.

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The first one is that the final T in set.

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I am going to pronounce this as a flap T.

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This is very common with the American accent.

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When the T comes between two vowel sounds, I'm gonna pronounce it as a flap T.

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It's gonna sound more like a soft D.

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And then we can just link the entire phrase.

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Set an example.

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Set an example.

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Say it with me.

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Set an example.

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Excellent.

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Then we have the phrase to have an eye for something.

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This means to be good at noticing a particular type of thing.

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So maybe you have an eye for beauty, or perhaps you have an eye for fashion, or you have an eye for details,

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or you have an eye for a good bargain.

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Let's see, what else can you have an eye for?

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Quite an eye for pretty girls.

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You do have an eye for other people's mistakes.

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We have never built a pattern before or a print because you have to really have an eye for print.

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When pronouncing this phrase, we can link the three words have an eye.

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It's gonna sound like have an eye.

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And then the word for, in spoken English, it's common for it to get reduced.

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And it's a weak sound and that vowel changes.

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So instead of for, it's gonna sound more like for.

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To have an eye for something.

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To have an eye for something. At ease.

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I'm telling you this because it's our next phrase.

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And I also want you to relax.

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I want you to feel free from worry.

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So you may definitely hear this phrase being used in a military context.

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It would be used as a command.

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And in general, a person of a higher authority would say this to someone of a lower rank who is standing in position.

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And they'll say, at ease.

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And they're just telling this person to relax. At ease. At ease. At ease.

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There are also some great collocations with this phrase may look at ease or feel at ease or seem at ease.

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He really looked at ease during the job interview.

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You could also put someone at ease.

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When she texted me that she got home, it really put me at ease.

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Or you could also put someone's mind at ease.

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Planning for the wedding has been so stressful.

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I wish there were some way to put my mind at ease.

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Thanks.

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You should know we're a little concerned about this being used in weapons.

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Well, let me put your mind at ease.

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What we use it for is none of your business.

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For pronunciation, that final T in at, because it comes between two vowel sounds, once again, I am going to pronounce this as a flap T,

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and then we can link that flap T with the vowel sound in ease. At ease. At ease.

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Then we have the phrase in due course or in due time.

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You can use either noun.

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They have the same meaning, which is at a suitable time in the future.

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So typically, you're going to use this phrase either at the beginning or end of a statement.

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I could say, we will announce the grand opening in due course.

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Or in due time, we will announce the grand opening.

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As far as usage goes, both phrases are roughly equally used.

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Personally, I prefer to say in due time, but just looking at their usage over time, it's really fascinating how language changes.

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When pronouncing this phrase, it's pretty simple and straightforward.

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You're just going to say one word right after the other, in due time, in due course.

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And then there's the phrase, fair enough.

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I really like this one, probably because I use it quite often, and it's used to say that something is reasonable or acceptable.

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And typically, you're going to use this phrase in a back and forth conversation.

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Why you just said you didn't care about the push-ups?

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I changed my mind.

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Fair enough.

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You're wasting your time, old man.

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The last thing I need is another sensei.

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Fair enough.

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I don't think there's much I can teach you right now anyway.

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For pronunciation, there's more linking.

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We can link the final consonant sound in fair with the beginning vowel sound in enough.

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Fair enough, fair enough.

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And then we have to get on someone's nerves.

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It means to annoy someone a lot.

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This is an idiom that's used in casual conversation when something or someone is bothering you.

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Typically, people use this when talking about themselves and they'll use the possessive adjective, my.

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So instead of saying that someone is annoying me, I'll say that someone is getting on my nerves.

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Also, you're likely to use this in either the past, the present, or the present continuous.

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Wes got on my nerves at the party last night in the past, or sometimes Wes gets on my nerves,

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a general truth in the present, or Wes is getting on my nerves.

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It's happening right now, the present continuous.

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I really hope that I don't get on your nerves.

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I suppose if I do, you can hit the dislike button, but I'd much rather you hit the like button at your convenience, of course.

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When pronouncing this phrase, two things that I want to talk to you about, that final T in get,

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I'm going to pronounce this as a flap T, and then we can link that flap T with the vowel sound in on.

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Get on.

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To get on someone's nerves.

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Next is the phrase in that case, which I really like because you're gonna use this in a conversation.

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It means because of a mentioned situation.

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So it's a great phrase when you're having a conversation and you're referencing something that was mentioned and reacting to it.

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Let's say you tell me it's cold outside and I say in that case, I'm gonna wear a coat.

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Or maybe you tell me you don't have anyone to hang out with it's a little lonely.

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So I say, in that case, I'm going to keep you company.

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Here are some other examples. For pronunciation,

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there's some co-articulation going on.

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This is when you have overlapping sounds because the final consonant sound in in,

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your tongue is roughly in the same position when you're pronouncing that voice TH in that.

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So it just allows us to smoothly move from one word to the next in that, in that case.

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Otherwise it's pretty simple and straightforward but I keep talking to you about pronunciation

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because this is something you really need to practice

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and then practice some more and do it all over again

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which is the next phrase that I want to teach you all over again.

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This means to start again from the very beginning.

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And it's a great way to add emphasis instead of just saying again.

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And there are also some useful collocations with this phrase.

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You could do something all over again.

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There was a mistake with the design, so we had to do it all over again.

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You could also start something all over again.

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People showed up late and interrupted my presentation so I had to start all over again from the very beginning.

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For pronunciation we can link the entire phrase,

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link those final consonant sounds with the beginning vowel sounds all over again, all over again.

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So I really want to stress just how common linking is

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because as you can see with many of these phrases it's likely to occur.

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And now for a little review because Because as a teacher, I want to set a good example.

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Because review is just going to help you remember these phrases.

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And I want you to keep in mind that as you review and practice these phrases,

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in due time, they'll become a part of your active memory.

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And in that case, you'll be able to easily use them whenever you're having a conversation.

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So I really appreciate you keeping me company throughout the lesson, and I would encourage you to watch another video lesson

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and you can even choose because I know that you have an eye for finding the right lesson for yourself.

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And you know, if you don't want to watch one right now, I understand you can watch one at your earliest convenience.

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Fair enough?

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So I'm going to wrap things up before I start to get on your nerves,

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but I really hope you enjoyed the lesson and learn something new.

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If you did, you can let me know down in the comments.

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Thank you so much for watching and I will see you next time. So long.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “Upper-Intermediate (B2) Phrases to Supercharge Your Vocabulary 💪”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: phrase, sound, ease, example, pronunciation. This video has 256 sentences and 3077 words to shadow. The speech runs for 18:36. The speaker talks at a natural 165 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
phrase noun	/ˈfɹeɪ̯z/	A short written or spoken expression.
ease verb	/iz/	To free (something) from pain, worry, agitation, etc.
pronunciation noun	/pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/	The formal or informal way in which a word is made to sound when spoken.
pronounce verb	/pɹəˈnaʊns/	To declare formally, officially or ceremoniously.
convenience noun	/kənˈvinjəns/	The quality of being convenient.
nerve noun	/nɝv/	A bundle of neurons with their connective tissue sheaths, blood vessels and lymphatics.
lesson noun	/ˈlɛs.ən/	A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided.
occur verb	/əˈkɜː/	To happen or take place.
tune noun	/tjuːn/	A melody.
keeper noun	/ˈkiː.pɚ/	One who keeps (retains) something.
membership noun		The state of being a member of a group or organization.
verb noun	/vɝb/	A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being.
incredibly adverb	/ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/	In an incredible manner; not to be believed.
routine noun	/ɹuˈtin/	A course of action to be followed regularly; a standard procedure.
roughly adverb	/ˈɹʌf.li/	In a rough manner; without kindness, softness, or gentleness.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
check out verb	To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
get back to verb	Return to (an activity)
get off verb	To move from being on top of (something) to not being on top of it.
show up verb	To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

I've known it all along.
You don't want them to be alone.
Sheldon, why don't you keep him company?
Let's see, what else can you have an eye for?
Why you just said you didn't care about the push-ups?

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	you've been using · you've been studying
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've known · It's been · have enjoyed
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	meaning which is · lesson, which is · meaning, which is
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	is set · was mentioned

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 58 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, I'm, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: bother /ˈbɑðɚ/, smoothly /ˈsmuːðli/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, presentation /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/
Long words — get the stress right: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/, continuous /kənˈtɪn.juː.əs/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, acceptable /əkˈsɛp.tə.bəl/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like phrase, ease, pronunciation.

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: Upper-Intermediate (B2) Phrases to Supercharge Your Vocabulary 💪 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?