Shadowing Practice: What can we learn from toddlers? ⏲️ 6 Minute English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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I'm Neil.
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And I'm Beth.
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You may have one, or know someone who does, and at one time you've been one yourself.
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I'm talking about toddlers.
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A toddler is a young child, usually between between two and four years old who is learning to walk or toddling.
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It's an important stage in a child's development as they learn to move and understand the world around them.
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It's also known as the terrible twos.
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When toddlers can't do the things they want to, they experience frustration, which often leads to tantrums – a sudden and noisy outburst of anger.
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We've probably all seen the tears and screams when a young child can't have what they want.
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Yes, the famous temper tantrums.
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But being a toddler is also an exciting time as a child's personality starts to develop.
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So what can we adults learn from toddlers?
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That's what we'll be finding out in this programme along with some useful new vocabulary.
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But first, I have a question for you, Beth.
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Being a toddler is certainly an important stage in a child's growth.
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But which of the following statements is true?
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a toddlers are attracted to shapes that resemble the human body, b toddlers are more active than at any other time in their lives, or c toddlers can grow up to 3 centimetres during sleep time.
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I think toddlers can grow up to 3 centimetres while they sleep.
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OK Beth, we'll find out if that's the correct answer later in the programme.
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At two or three years old, there's not much toddlers can do for themselves.
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They depend on mum or dad to feed, clothe and care for them, so it's strange to think there's anything adults could learn.
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But not according to Dr Hassan Murali, author of a new book, Sleep Well, Take Risks, Squish the Peas, and father to his own toddler, who spoke with BBC Radio 4 programme Woman's Hour.
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When I see the toddlers by themselves, they're doing a lot of things out loud.
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Little Julie's putting on her mitts and saying, Julie can do it.
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And Colton's over on the side and he's looking down at his boots and they're on the wrong way.
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And so he says, oh, Colton did this wrong.
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And this idea of self-talk is really a way to decrease stress in anxiety-provoking situations.
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Dr Morali observed toddlers talking to themselves out loud.
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When you talk out loud, you speak so that other people can hear you.
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But it's what the toddlers were saying that's really interesting.
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When a little girl called Julie learned how to put on her gloves, she told herself, Julie can do it.
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This is a special kind of talking out loud, known as self-talk.
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Self-talk means the messages that you tell yourself and the way in which you tell them.
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It's your inner voice and in toddlers it's usually positive and encouraging.
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Unfortunately, as we grow up, our self-talk often becomes less encouraging and more critical.
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Instead of a positive, loving inner voice, as adults we tend to tell ourselves, you can't do it or you're no good.
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Here's Dr Murali again, explaining more to BBC Radio 4 programme Woman's Hour.
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We often get into the cycle of negative self-talk and I think one of the best strategies that we can do is give ourselves more positive self-talk.
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So an easy way to do it is when you're down on yourself and angry with yourself, think about talking to yourself as a good friend instead of actually you.
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And you'll notice that difference in how you talk to yourself.
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As an adult, you might be down on yourself.
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If you're down on yourself, you feel disappointed and self-critical about yourself.
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When this happens, your self-talk gets very negative.
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For example, telling yourself you're no good.
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And this can lead to a negative cycle, a pattern of repeating the same negative thoughts over and over again.
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This can be a problem, but not for toddlers who are naturally good at talking kindly to themselves and celebrating the little things, like learning to get dressed.
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The solution for over-critical grown-ups?
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According to Dr Morali, pretend you're talking to a good friend instead of to yourself, just like toddlers do.
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It seems us adults can learn something from young children after all – being kind to ourselves.
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When they're not having tantrums, toddlers really are wonderful little creatures.
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Which reminds me of your question, Neil.
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Right, I asked you which statement about toddlers was true.
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And I said it was that toddlers can grow up to three centimetres while they sleep.
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Was I right?
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I think you know that you're not right, Beth.
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That was the wrong answer.
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It's true that toddlers do grow when sleeping, but not as much as three centimetres.
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In fact, the correct answer was that being a toddler is the most active period of your whole life, which isn't hard to believe if you live with one.
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OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned in this programme about toddlers, young children who are toddling or learning to walk.
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A tantrum is a noisy, uncontrolled outburst of anger, usually from a young child.
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If you say something out loud, you say it in a way that other people can hear.
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Self-talk refers to the messages that you tell yourself and the way in which you tell them.
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It's your inner voice.
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The phrase to be down on yourself means to feel disappointed and self-critical about yourself.
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And finally, a negative cycle is a pattern of repeating the same negative thoughts over and over again – something a toddler would never do.
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Once again, our six minutes are up.
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But remember to join us again next time for more trending topics and useful vocabulary here at 6 Minute English.
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Goodbye for now!
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Goodbye!
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from bbclearningenglish.com.
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Why practice speaking with this video?

This engaging video titled "What can we learn from toddlers?" offers enriching content for English language learners interested in enhancing their speaking skills. By exploring how toddlers communicate and express themselves, viewers will find valuable lessons in positivity and self-affirmation. Practicing speaking with this video provides a unique opportunity to develop shadow speech techniques, allowing learners to mimic the natural rhythms and expressions used by the speakers. Engaging with the content helps you not only improve your pronunciation but also enhances your IELTS speaking practice through authentic examples of everyday dialogue.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the video, certain key structures stand out that are essential for learners to grasp:

  • Present Simple Tense: Phrases like "toddlers are attracted" and "adults can learn" illustrate how to express general truths. Understanding this tense helps you make clear statements about habitual actions or characteristics.
  • Self-talk Phrases: The expression "Julie can do it" exemplifies how toddlers encourage themselves. Utilizing similar phrases in your daily practice can foster a positive mindset while speaking.
  • Negative Adjectives: The use of terms such as "negative" and "critical" provides insights into expressing emotions and attitudes. Learning to use and contrast these adjectives can enhance your descriptive vocabulary.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice speaking along with the video, be mindful of tricky words and accents that may pose challenges:

  • Toddlers: Pay attention to the pronunciation of this term, particularly the 't' sound. Many learners may unintentionally soften it, leading to unclear communication.
  • Self-talk: This compound word often trips up non-native speakers. Practice breaking it down into its parts: "self" and "talk", emphasizing the 'l' to pronounce it clearly.
  • Encouraging: When mimicking the speakers, focus on the intonation and rhythm of the word. The positive context in which it is used can help you convey encouragement effectively.

Utilizing the content in this video while practicing shadow speak techniques can significantly enhance your fluency and build confidence in your English speaking abilities. Whether you are preparing for an exam like the IELTS or simply aiming to improve your conversational skills, integrating these elements will lead to meaningful progress.

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.

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