Shadowing Practice: 28k - Learn English Speaking with Video

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My name is Mrs. Honey and I'm a fully qualified primary school teacher.
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The next set of sounds we'll be going through are called digraphs.
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And this is when there is two letters that make one sound.
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So for example, if you've got the letter C and the letter H and they are next to each other,
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they no longer make the sound and When they're right next to each other, they make a new sound.
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They're a new digraph and they make the sound Ch.
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I always tell my students that C and H, they're really good friends and when they come together
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they can do some magic and this is why they make a new magic sound, the sound "C" like him.
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Cheese Chh.
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Cheese.
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The next diagraph is S and H and when those two letters come together they make the sound Shh.
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Shh!
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Four.
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Ship.
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The next diagraph we'll be talking about is T and H.
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Now this diagraph actually has two versions of its new sound.
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So the first one is a soft sound and that sounds like this, Thank you.
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You put your tongue at the top of your teeth like this and blow out air.
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and this is the soft Ths.
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sound like in the number three three,
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And there is also another version of this digraph and that makes a harder sound like /z / For example,
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in the word, Brother.
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You've got the TH and it makes the TH sound.
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Brother.
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Our next diagraph is N and G and when they add together they make the sound NG.
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Thank you.
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Mmm.
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for strong So this diagraph,
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E and E, makes the sound 'ee' is just a long 'ee' sound.
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For example, in the word B.
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There is also another digraph that makes the sound 'e' and that is with the spelling 'ea'.
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That also has a long 'ee' sound, for example, in the word C So, The next diagraph makes the sound.
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A. And this can actually be spelt in two different ways.
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So we can have AI and we can have a Y.
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Both of these diagraphs make the sound A.
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So we've got...
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A as in Rain.
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And we've got A as in play Our next diagraph sound is the sound 'o'.
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as if you see something and you go, oh, And that can be spelled in two different ways again.
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So we've That makes the sound O.
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And we've also got O W.
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That also makes the sound 'o'.
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So 'oa' is for 'goat'.
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and 'OW' could be for snow.
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Both make the exact same sound.
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Our next diagraph is the OO sound and that makes two different sounds again.
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It could either make a short sound which is A?
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or it could make a longer sound which is 'oo' So you've got 'a', Hey.
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'A' could be for book.
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and 'oo' like in the word 'zoo'
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There will be a video where I'll be teaching you
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when this sound is a /ʌ / sound and when it's the /ʌ / sound.
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So keep looking out for that.
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Then we've got the digraph.
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Q and U make the sound Quoi ? as in quiz An ex -diagraph is A and R,
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they make the sound 'A' as in car
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Our next diagraph makes the sound or and that can be spelled in two different ways again,
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so it could be 'or' which makes the sound 'or' as in the word book or it could be spelt A -W,
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which makes the sound 'aw'. As in...
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- John. or Yawn.
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Thank you.
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The next digraph, which makes the sound
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'er' has actually got three different spellings and I will be making a video about this as well,
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just about this digraph because that is so tricky.
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So we've got the spelling I are, that makes the sound er, as in the word girl,
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or we can have it the spelling you are,
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as in the word surf or it can be spelled 'E -R', like in the word mixer.
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So these three different looking diagraphs actually all make the sound uh,
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The next dagraph is I and E.
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And when they come together they make the sound 'I' as in the word.
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Pie.
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The next diagraph sound is 'ow'.
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That can be spelled in two different ways again.
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So that could be 'ou' as in the word 'house'.
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'O' for house.
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or it could be 'OW'.
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as in the word Cow.
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So both those different spellings make the sound Ow.
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The next diagraph sound is the sound 'oi'.
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There is two spellings again.
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So we've got OI, that makes the sound oi, as in the word coin.
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or we can spell it O -Y, and that also makes the sound oi, like in the word boy.
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The next diagraph is U and E and that makes the sound U.
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as in a word barbecue.
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The next diagraph is PH.
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When they come together they make the sound you Sounds the same as the phoneme 'f' we learned earlier.
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That also makes the sound 'f'.
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Our last digraph is the digraph W and H.
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When they come together they make the sound - Ooh.
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as in the word whale A lot of people say 'w' Although actually,
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if you break down the word,
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It just makes the sound or All those digraphs I've just shown you are the main ones in the English language.
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I hope you found this video helpful.
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Make sure you subscribe to my channel because I'll be doing lots and lots more similar phonics videos.
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See you again soon!
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Bye.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Practicing speaking with this video is essential for English learners who want to enhance their communication skills. The speaker, Mrs. Honey, demonstrates how to articulate various digraph sounds—combinations of letters that produce unique sounds. This practical example serves as an excellent foundation for developing your pronunciation. By watching and imitating the sounds presented, you can effectively learn English with YouTube, engage with the material actively, and improve your overall speaking proficiency.

Utilizing the shadowing technique can further amplify your learning experience. This method involves repeating what the speaker says immediately after they say it, allowing you to practice intonation, pace, and articulation in a natural context. By repeating phrases like "Cheese" and "Ship," you not only train your mouth to form these sounds but also elevate your confidence in using them in conversation.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the video, several key phonetic structures are highlighted, which are crucial for English pronunciation:

  • Digraphs: The speaker introduces different digraphs like "ch," "sh," and "th," explaining their unique sounds. For example, the "ch" sound in "cheese" exemplifies how two letters can come together to create a single phoneme. Understanding such combinations can greatly enhance your phonetic awareness.
  • Sound Variation: The digraph "th" showcases two variations: a soft /θ/ sound (as in "three") and a hard /ð/ sound (as in "brother"). Knowing these distinctions can help you avoid common mistakes and improve your fluency.
  • Long and Short Vowels: The explanations of sounds like "oo" in "book" versus "zoo" illustrate the importance of vowel length. This knowledge will assist learners in articulating words correctly and recognizing different pronunciations when listening to native speakers.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice English pronunciation, be aware of certain tricky words and sounds mentioned in the video:

  • Th sounds: The two versions of the "th" sound can be challenging. Many non-native speakers often confuse the soft and hard sounds. Focusing on these variations will make your speech clearer and more comprehensible.
  • Long vs. Short Sounds: The difference between long sounds, like the one in "pane," and short sounds, as in "pan," may lead to miscommunication. Consistent practice through shadow speech will help solidify these sounds in your memory.
  • Digraphs: Words that contain digraphs can often lead to mispronunciation if not practiced. For instance, "cheese" and "ship" require specific mouth movements to pronounce correctly. Repeating these words can help you avoid pitfalls in everyday conversation.

Engaging with the material through repetition, as encouraged by Mrs. Honey, will empower you to improve English pronunciation effectively. Embrace the challenge and enjoy the journey of learning English through engaging content!

Grammar in this video

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

StructureIn the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itare called · can be spelled
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thingsound which is · digraph, which makes
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or predictionwe'll be · will be · I'll be

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 →