Shadowing Practice: What is Afternoon Tea / British Tradition - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hello and a warm welcome to Cup of Culture.
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Hello and a warm welcome to Cup of Culture.
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My name is Serena and today I'm going to be talking about one of the most beautiful and delicious British traditions,
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the afternoon tea.
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Afternoon tea is a tea-related ritual,
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hence the name, and it's a light meal composed of three courses.
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So we have these sandwiches and dainty savouries,
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scones with clotted cream and jam and we have some small pastries and cakes.
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So it basically is a selection of dainty and exquisite small courses
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and if you combine all these three layers together you will get an indulgent experience.
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Afternoon tea is around 4 p.m and it all started in Britain in the 1840s
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when Anna the 7th Duchess of Bedford had a sinking feeling in the late afternoon
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which is why she started to order some bread and butter
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and tea over to her room which became a habit of hers
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and then it started to result in a social gathering when she invited friends over.
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So basically wealthier families squeezed in some tea
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and cake in the late afternoon if they had a little bit of a lull.
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Afternoon tea is also called low tea as back in the
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day they were sitting on low tables with comfortable chairs
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and sofas in the drawing room and it should not be confused with high tea which is actually something completely different.
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Workers would come back home after a long day at work
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and would have some tea at around 5 and 6 p.m including a heavy meal like fish,
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meat and something else.
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So it's something different.
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So afternoon tea is not reserved for the upper class anymore and you can basically find it anywhere you like.
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However it is usually enjoyed on an occasional indulgence.
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So you can either go to a real-life old-school England atmosphere like I'm in right now
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or you can go to a tea salon with a grand atmosphere which you will definitely find in London for example.
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So again what is afternoon tea?
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It is a selection as I already told you of sandwiches,
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scones and pastries
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but before we start first things first here we have a napkin and you should fold it in two just like that.
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Put it on your lap like this with a full towards you and now we can begin.
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Usually you would drink tea from fine bone china just like this
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and you should always use loose tea leaf which is why you would need a tea strainer.
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So mine already has one inside so I don't need an additional one.
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So the range of teas being offered depending on the tea house can vary between just the essential
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and most popular ones to an extensive tea menu including some
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very rare ones however teas you'll most probably find in most
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places are black teas such as an earl grey green teas are also most commonly offered
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and also herbal and fruit teas grow in popularity but the differences between those teas would be another story.
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So now going on to one of the most essential questions of this video.
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Do you put the milk or tea in first?
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So actually you would pour in the tea in first and this has something to do with aristocracy.
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So thinking of houses like Downton Abbey,
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you would pour in the tea in first
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because they were drinking out of fine bone china as previously mentioned and the lower class the downstairs,
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they were drinking out of clay mugs and pottery
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so to prevent it from cracking they were pouring in the milk in first.
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Stirring the tea, the posh way is to go back
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and forth in a 6 and 12 motion rather than going round and round and round creating a loud noise.
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If you had had any sugar cubes it would not help them dissolve.
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They would just sit at the bottom or go round
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and round with a spoon
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and will simply just sweeten up the very last sip of your tea
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but you don't want that which is why you just go back
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and forth in a six and twelve motion
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so afterwards you can just put the spoon on the saucer behind your cup
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so how to haunt your cup of tea so meet your index
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and thumb in the middle and let it all rest on your fingers
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but you should not do the pinkie up actually we used to think that this was the posh way
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but actually it was already thrown upon back in the days
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So do you pick up the cup and the saucer or do you pick up the cup alone?
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Well the answer to this one depends on where you are sitting
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If you are sitting at a low table then you could pick up the saucer
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and the cup But sitting at a high table like this,
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picking up the cup is just fine But what you should never do is slurping
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So we've finally reached the stage where we can actually eat something and we're going to work ourselves from the bottom up.
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So starting with our finger sandwiches cut delicately into small pieces.
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So you should always eat your sandwiches with your fingers and not cut it with a fork and knife.
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Here we have a combination of smoked salmon and cream cheese and also egg mayonnaise and cress.
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So now coming to my favorite part of the afternoon tea
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and this is eating scones with clotted cream and jam and even some lemon curd.
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Well what is clotted cream?
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It basically is a hundred percent heavy cream but it is just heavenly delicious.
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Scones were not part of the traditional afternoon tea but I mean you can't imagine an afternoon tea without scones anymore.
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so I'm just going to have to get one of these beautiful
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and delicious scones so scones are neither completely savory nor completely sweet
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but you add a little bit of sugar to take them off savory
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and also here I have some raisins inside
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so mine are rather sweet to be honest
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so there is an ongoing debate over how to best eat them and pronounce them.
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Is it either scones or is it scones?
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But there is one thing for sure and that is that you should not use a knife to cut your scones,
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you should use your hands to break them and I'm going to show you.
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Just like this.
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Now we need to decide how we're going to lay our scones.
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So here we have some homemade strawberry jam,
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clotted cream and lemon curd.
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If there are any convenient dishes what you shouldn't do is get them and put it directly onto your scone.
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What you should do is get your knife and put a little bit on your plate and put it back.
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The same goes for the for the jam and obviously also for the lemon curd
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when it comes to layering your scone you have two options
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so if you're from Devonshire you would put the clotted cream on first followed by a scoop of jam
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but if you're from Cornwall you would do the reverse and put the gem on first followed by some clotted creams.
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Well personally I would have to go with the Devonians on this one
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because I just love it when my clotted cream goes on first.
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But whatever you do
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when it all comes together in your mouth you will just forget about anything else in the first place
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so it doesn't matter does it?
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However there's one thing that you actually shouldn't do and
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that is to make a sandwich or burger out of it
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and eat as a whole if you don't want to get disapproving looks.
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And excuse me, Now I'm just going to have to get a bite.
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If your sweet tooth hasn't been satisfied yet,
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we can move on to our final course, the sweets and pastries.
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So here we have a beautiful selection of lemon tartlets,
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carrot cake and a raspberry cake.
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So usually when you eat pastries and cakes,
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you will get a small fork like this
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and you should hold it in your right hand upturned and then just simply enjoy your cakes and pastries.
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So now that we've had a taste of all of the three small
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but delicious and delicate courses we can now come to an end.
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So in the future I hope
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that you're also going to indulge yourself with this heavenly collection of small delicacies
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and who knows maybe you're also going to host an afternoon
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tea yourself well my name is Serena I had lots of fun filming this video
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and I hope to see you soon bye

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will explore the delightful British tradition of afternoon tea, a cultural experience that combines social interaction with a unique culinary selection. Through the transcript, you will practice listening comprehension and speaking skills, focusing on the pronunciation and intonation of key phrases related to this tradition. By engaging with the content, you will not only expand your vocabulary but also learn to articulate your thoughts around this iconic British practice. This is an excellent opportunity for IELTS speaking practice as you can use the terminology and context to enhance your conversational skills.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Afternoon tea - A light meal typically enjoyed in the late afternoon, consisting of various small courses.
  • Sandwiches - A popular component of afternoon tea, usually made with delicate fillings.
  • Scones - A type of baked good often served with clotted cream and jam.
  • Clotted cream - A thick cream that pairs beautifully with scones.
  • Tea strainer - A device used to separate tea leaves from brewed tea.
  • Bone china - A type of porcelain known for its strength and translucence, typically used for serving tea.
  • Stirring tea - The proper technique involves a back-and-forth motion instead of circular stirring.
  • Low tea - Referring to afternoon tea served at low tables, contrasting with the heavier high tea.

Practice Tips

To get the most out of this lesson, consider using the shadowing technique. Start by listening carefully to the transcript at a comfortable speed, mimicking the speaker's tone and rhythm. Since Serena's delivery in the video is calm and detailed, try repeating phrases in sync with her. Focus on how she emphasizes important words and her fluid speech patterns. This will not only improve your pronunciation but also enhance your ability to articulate thoughts clearly during your own conversations.

For an effective practice session, repeat phrases multiple times until they feel natural. Consider timing your practice to match the pacing of the transcript, allowing you to gradually build confidence in your speaking abilities. This shadowspeak approach, especially with themed content like afternoon tea, can enrich your vocabulary and prepare you for settings like the IELTS exam. By incorporating these cultural elements into your practice, you make your learning experience enjoyable and relatable.

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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