Shadowing Practice: What If You Could Fly? | Daily English Conversation for A2–B1 Learners - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hi everyone!
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Welcome back to Everyday English Talk,
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the podcast where we practice simple English for real daily life.
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I'm Anna.
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And I'm Ben.
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Thanks for joining us today.
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We're happy you're here, wherever you are.
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Today's topic is a very fun one.
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It's a dream topic.
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We are going to talk about, if you could fly.
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That's right, this is a what-if question.
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It's not possible, of course,
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but it's fun to use our imagination.
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What would we do?
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In this episode, we'll talk about where we would go,
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what we would do, and how we would feel if we had this amazing superpower.
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So sit back, relax, and let's dream a little bit together.
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And remember, you can download the free PDF transcript with today's vocabulary and exercises.
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The link is in the description.
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Okay, Ben.
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Let's start with the big question.
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If I could fly.
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Wow.
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It's hard to know where to begin.
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It's a big idea.
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I think I know my answer.
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I would travel the world.
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Oh, definitely.
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That's the best answer.
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Think about it.
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No more plane tickets?
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Exactly.
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Plane tickets are so expensive.
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And airports are terrible.
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I agree.
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You have to wait in long lines for security,
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wait at the gate, sit on a crowded plane.
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But if I could fly, I would just go.
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I would just float out my window and go.
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Where would you go first, Ben?
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Right now, if you could fly.
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Hmm, my first trip.
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I think I would fly to New Zealand.
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I've always wanted to see the beautiful mountains there.
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That's a great choice, I think.
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I think I would fly to Egypt.
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I want to see the pyramids.
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That would be amazing.
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You could just fly right up to them.
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You wouldn't need a tour bus or anything.
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I would love to see them from above.
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Just float in the air and look down on all the history.
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I like that idea.
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See everything from above.
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I would do that over the Grand Canyon in America.
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Just fly from one side to the other.
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That would be much better than just standing at the edge.
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I think I would prefer to fly in nature.
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I would fly to the top of a huge mountain.
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A place that is very, very difficult to climb.
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Why?
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Because it's so quiet there.
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So peaceful.
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You would be so high up,
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maybe even above the clouds.
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Just me and the sky.
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That sounds very peaceful.
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I would also like to fly over the city where I live.
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Really?
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Why your own city?
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You see it every day.
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But I see it from the ground.
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I want to see what it looks like from the sky.
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I think at night it would be beautiful.
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Oh, you're right.
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Flying over the city at night,
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seeing all the streetlights and the cars.
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Yes, they would look like little moving stars.
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I think it would be magical.
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What about the ocean?
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Would you fly over the ocean?
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That seems a little scary.
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It's so big.
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I would.
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I would fly to the beach.
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I would fly low just three or four meters over the water.
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That sounds fun.
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I'd try to race the dolphins.
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Or I would fly high up and look for whales.
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You could see them so clearly from above.
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That's true.
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The possibilities are endless.
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If it was winter here and it was cold and gray.
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I would just fly to Australia where it's summer.
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I could go anywhere warm.
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You could chase the summer all year long.
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You would never be cold again.
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What about visiting family?
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My parents live in a different country.
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Oh, that's a great point.
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You wouldn't have to wait for holidays or save money for a ticket.
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I could just fly there for the weekend.
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Or even just for dinner.
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Now that is the best idea.
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Just flying to see the people you love anytime you want.
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It's the perfect freedom.
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You would feel so free.
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Let's go over some useful phrases.
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Sure.
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First, if I could fly.
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We use this phrase to start our dream.
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Example, if I could fly,
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I would be so happy.
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Second, travel the world.
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This means to go to many different countries.
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Example, I want to save money so I can travel the world.
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Third, go anywhere.
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This means you have no limits.
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You can go to any place.
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Example, with a boat, you can go anywhere on the river.
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Fourth, fly over the city.
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This means to fly in the sky above a place.
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Example, to look down on something from a high place.
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Example, from the airplane you can see the houses from above.
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So listeners, if I could fly,
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where would you go anywhere first?
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Share your answer with us in the comments.
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Okay, so traveling the world is the big dream.
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We would all do that.
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But what about daily life?
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How would you use flying in your everyday, normal routine?
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Oh, that's an even better question.
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I know my answer right away.
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What is it?
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I would fly to work.
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Every single day.
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Of course.
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That's a perfect answer.
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My commute is so bad.
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It takes one hour.
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I get stuck in traffic every morning.
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The bus moves so slowly,
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or sometimes it doesn't come.
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That sounds very stressful.
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It is.
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I am always worried about being late.
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But if I could fly,
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I would just fly over all the cars.
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While they are all stuck in traffic,
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you would just fly right over them, waving.
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Exactly.
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I would never be late for work again.
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I would save so much time.
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I could sleep for an extra 45 minutes.
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I would do the same.
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And I would fly to the grocery store.
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The grocery store?
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Why?
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Is it far?
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No, it's not far, but I hate finding a parking spot.
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The parking lot is always full.
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Oh, that's true.
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I would just fly there,
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get my milk and my bread, and fly home.
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I would save time on all my small, boring tasks.
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That's a very practical idea.
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If I forgot to buy sugar,
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I could just fly back to the store in one minute.
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I think I would also use flying to help people.
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Help people?
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How, like a superhero?
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Maybe a small neighborhood superhero.
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For example, my neighbor's cat is always stuck in a tree.
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Oh yes, I always see posters for lost cats.
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And firefighters are busy, they can't always come to help a cat.
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But I could just fly up,
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get the cat, and bring it down.
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That's a very kind idea.
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You could be the official cat rescuer for your neighborhood.
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I would like that job.
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What else?
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Oh, if I saw someone drop their wallet from a high window?
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You could fly up and catch it.
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See?
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It's very useful.
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But I think the best daily use is visiting friends.
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Tell me more about that.
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Well, my best friend lives in another city.
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It takes three hours to drive there.
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So you probably don't see him very often.
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No, maybe only a few times a year.
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It's a whole day trip.
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But if I could fly,
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I could fly to his house for lunch.
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Just for lunch?
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Yes.
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I would fly there, we could eat and talk for an hour.
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And then I would fly home in time for dinner.
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That would be amazing.
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It would be so easy to stay in touch with everyone.
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It would change all your relationships.
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You would never feel far away from anyone.
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That's a really wonderful thought.
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It's not just about saving time on traffic.
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No, it's about being more connected.
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So, flying would make life easier, but also more fun.
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No more stuck in traffic.
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Just helping cats and having lunch with friends.
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It sounds like a perfect life.
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Let's go over some useful phrases.
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Sure.
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First, get stuck in traffic.
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This means your car or bus is stopped or moving very slowly because there are too many cars.
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Example, I was late because I got stuck in traffic.
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Second, save time.
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This means to do something more quickly.
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Example.
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I take the train to save time,
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the car is too slow.
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Third, visit friends.
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This means to go to your friend's house to see them.
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Example.
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I am going to visit my friends this weekend.
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Fourth, help people.
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This is a simple phrase for doing kind actions.
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Example.
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It is important to help people who are in need.
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And fifth, stuck in a tree.
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This is a common problem for cats, kites, or drones.
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Example, my kite is stuck in that tall tree.
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What about you?
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How would you use flying to save time in your daily life?
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Let us know in the comments.
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So we know where we would go,
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we would travel the world.
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And we know what we would do.
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We would fly to work and visit friends.
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But Ben, how do you think it would feel?
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What is the sensation of flying?
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Ooh, that's a good question.
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I think it would feel exciting.
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Exciting?
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Yes.
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To just jump and go up.
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To leave the ground.
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That first moment would be so amazing.
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A big rush.
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I agree, it would be exciting.
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But I think it would feel scary at first, too.
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Really?
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You think so?
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Yes.
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Think about it.
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You would be so high up.
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That's true.
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When I look down from a very tall building, my legs feel weak.
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Imagine being so high up, with nothing under you.
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Just air.
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That's a good point.
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Maybe the first time would be a little scary.
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You would be afraid of falling.
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But I think after a few minutes,
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after you learn to trust it, it would feel amazing.
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How so?
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I think it would feel peaceful.
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Peaceful?
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More than exciting?
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Yes.
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After you get used to it.
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Imagine just floating, so high up where everything is quiet.
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No noise from cars, no people talking,
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just you and the sky.
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That sounds very peaceful.
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I imagine it would feel like a bird.
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What do you mean, like a bird?
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When you watch a bird,
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it doesn't look like it is working hard.
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It just floats.
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It rides the wind.
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I think flying would feel like that.
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Easy, natural.
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To just ride the wind.
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I like that.
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You would really feel the wind.
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Yes, you would feel the wind in your hair and on your face.
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It would be different in different seasons.
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On a hot summer day,
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it would feel so cool and nice to fly high up.
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But in the winter, it would be very, very cold.
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You would have a very warm jacket, hat, and gloves.
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That's true.
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It would be a new way to experience the weather.
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What do you think it would feel like to fly through a cloud?
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Oh, wow, I didn't think of that.
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I guess it would just feel like flying through fog.
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It would be wet and cool.
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This is such a fun idea.
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It would be the best superpower.
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What is a superpower?
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A superpower is a special,
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magical ability that a person has.
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Like Superman.
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He can fly, and he is super strong.
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Those are his superpowers.
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Ah, I see.
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Yes, flying would definitely be my favorite superpower.
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Would it be tiring?
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Do you think your arms would get tired from flapping?
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In my dream, no. It's not tiring at all.
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It's easy, like walking or breathing.
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You just think up and you go up.
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I hope so.
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I would want to fly for hours and hours.
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It's not possible, of course.
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It's just imagination.
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But it's a wonderful dream to think about.
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People have always wanted to fly.
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It's the ultimate freedom.
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Let's go over some useful phrases.
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Sure.
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First, feel exciting.
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This means to feel very happy and enthusiastic.
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Example.
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The roller coaster was fast and felt very exciting.
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Second, feel scary.
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This means to feel afraid.
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Example.
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Watching that horror movie felt scary.
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Third, like a bird.
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We use this to compare flying to an animal that can fly.
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Example, I wish I could fly, just like a bird.
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Fourth, high up.
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This means to be far above the ground.
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Example, the view from the top of the mountain is beautiful because you are so high up.
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And fifth, feel the wind.
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This is the sensation of the air moving past you.
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Example, I love riding my bicycle and feeling the wind in my hair.
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So listeners, how do you think flying would feel?
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Exciting or scary?
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Let us know in the comments.
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Now it's your turn.
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Let's practice what you learned today.
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This is your chance to use these new phrases.
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First, listening practice.
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Listen to this episode again from the beginning.
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Try to find all the useful phrases we talked about.
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Listen for when I said I would travel the world.
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Or when I said I would get stuck in traffic if I didn't fly.
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Try to say three to five phrases,
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like go anywhere, help people, or like a bird.
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Second, speaking practice.
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Try to say three short sentences out loud.
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Tell us your flying dream.
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For example, you can say,
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if I could fly, I would go to the beach.
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I would fly high up.
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It would feel exciting.
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Or, I would fly to work.
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I can save time.
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I will not get stuck in traffic.
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Third, writing practice.
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Write a short paragraph in your notebook or in the comments.
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You can start with, If I could fly for one day I would.
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Tell us your plan.
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Remember, small practice every day helps you improve.
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That's right.
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Just one step at a time.
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Let's quickly review what we learned today, Anna.
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Yes, it was so much fun to use our imagination.
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We talked about what we would do if I could fly.
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First, we talked about where we would go.
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We would travel the world and go anywhere because we don't need plane tickets.
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We would visit mountains and fly over the city.
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We would see everything from above and even visit family for dinner.
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Second, we talked about what we would do in daily life.
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We would fly to work to save time and never get stuck in traffic
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We would also visit friends and help people Maybe even a cat stuck in a tree And finally,
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we talked about how it would feel It would be exciting
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and maybe a little scary at first Because we are
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so high up But then it would be peaceful We would feel the wind and feel free like a bird
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It's a fun dream, even if it's not possible.
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Using your imagination is always a good time.
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Thanks for listening to Everyday English Talk.
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We hope you enjoyed today's episode and had fun dreaming with us.
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Don't forget to download the free PDF transcript and vocabulary exercises from the link in the description.
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It's a great way to review.
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And we'd love to hear from you.
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Tell us in the comments.
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If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?
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We'll see you next time.
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Until then, keep practicing.
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Bye for now.
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Context & Background
In this engaging episode of Everyday English Talk, hosts Anna and Ben explore the whimsical idea of what life would be like if we could fly. This fun and imaginative what-if scenario allows listeners to not only enjoy dreaming about far-off destinations but also practice essential English conversation skills. The dialogue covers everything from dream destinations, like New Zealand and Egypt, to practical advantages of flying without the inconveniences of air travel. Through this light-hearted discussion, English learners can immerse themselves in casual conversation while expanding their vocabulary and enhancing their speaking fluency.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- If I could fly - A phrase for discussing hypothetical situations.
- That's a great choice - Useful when agreeing with someone's opinion or decision.
- Think about it - A phrase to prompt others to consider a viewpoint.
- Right now, if you could fly - A way to pose a question that encourages imagination.
- No more plane tickets - A practical expression when discussing travel savings.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively improve your English speaking skills using this video, follow this step-by-step shadowing technique:
- Watch and Listen: Start by watching the video once without pausing. Pay close attention to Anna and Ben's tone and rhythm as they speak.
- Read and Comprehend: Download the free PDF transcript, as mentioned in the video, and read through it. Highlight any phrases that stand out or feel new to you.
- Pause and Repeat: Go back to the start of the episode and play a few seconds at a time. Repeat after each line to match pronunciation and intonation. Focus on phrases like "If I could fly" to improve your English pronunciation.
- Practice Aloud: After you've shadowed the audio a few times, try to summarize the discussion points in your own words. Use the key phrases in your summaries, enhancing your ability to communicate comfortably.
- Record Yourself: Make a recording of yourself discussing where you would fly if you had the ability. Listen to your recording and analyze your progress, noting areas where you can improve.
By engaging in these activities, you're not only enriching your vocabulary but also practice essential speaking and listening skills, allowing you to learn English with YouTube more effectively. Remember, the aim is to make English conversation as fluid and enjoyable as possible. Happy shadowing!
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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