Shadowing Practice: Why You Understand English But Can't Speak | Easy English Conversation for Beginners - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
B1
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Enjoy English Talks,
384 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Enjoy English Talks,
2
where every conversation helps you learn.
3
I'm Judy.
4
Hello, Judy.
5
Hello, everyone.
6
I'm Jake.
7
How are you today, Judy?
8
I am very good, thank you.
9
I watched a really nice movie last night, a comedy.
10
I laughed a lot.
11
And you, Jake?
12
I am okay.
13
But I want to tell you something, Judy.
14
Something that happened to me yesterday.
15
Oh?
16
Tell me.
17
I was at a bookstore.
18
A foreign tourist asked me,
19
excuse me, do you know where the subway station is?
20
And I understood every word.
21
Every single word.
22
That is great.
23
But then I opened my mouth and nothing came out.
24
Nothing?
25
Nothing.
26
My brain knew the answer.
27
Turn left, walk two blocks,
28
the station is on the right.
29
I knew all of that,
30
but my mouth could not say it.
31
I just stood there.
32
like a statue.
33
Oh, Jake.
34
What happened next?
35
I pointed.
36
I just pointed with my finger and said, that way.
37
Well, pointing works, too.
38
Yes, but I felt so bad.
39
I understand English.
40
I really do.
41
But when I need to speak, the words disappear.
42
Jake, you are not alone.
43
This is one of the biggest problems for English learners.
44
You can listen, you can read, you can understand but when it is your turn to speak,
45
the words get stuck.
46
Yes, the words get stuck.
47
That is exactly how it feels.
48
Like the words are in my brain,
49
but the door to my mouth is locked.
50
That is a beautiful way to say it.
51
And that is our topic today.
52
Really?
53
Yes.
54
Today we're going to talk about why you understand English but cannot speak,
55
and more importantly, how to fix it.
56
Oh, I need this.
57
I really, really need this.
58
There are four main reasons.
59
Four reasons why the words get stuck.
60
And for each reason, I will give you a solution.
61
A way to unlock that door.
62
Four reasons.
63
Four solutions.
64
Let's go.
65
But first, we have a small request.
66
Yes.
67
If you like our podcast,
68
please click the like button.
69
Please subscribe to enjoy English Talks.
70
And share this episode with your friends and family.
71
Thank you.
72
It helps us so much.
73
We love our listeners.
74
Okay, now let's start.
75
Reason number one.
76
I call it the translation trap.
77
The translation trap?
78
What is that?
79
Let me ask you something, Jake.
80
When someone speaks to you in English,
81
what happens in your brain?
82
Um, well, I hear the English words,
83
then I translate them to my language,
84
then I understand, then I think of my answer in my language,
85
then I try to translate it back to English,
86
English, then I try to say it.
87
How many steps is that?
88
One, two, three, four, five.
89
Five steps?
90
Five steps.
91
Every time you want to say one sentence.
92
That is the translation trap.
93
You are not speaking English, you are translating English.
94
And translating takes time.
95
A lot of time.
96
That is why I'm so slow.
97
By the time I finish translating,
98
the other person is already talking about something else.
99
Exactly.
100
The conversation moves on, and you are still stuck on the last sentence.
101
So what is the solution?
102
Stop translating words.
103
Start thinking in pictures.
104
Pictures?
105
Yes.
106
Let me show you.
107
When I say apple, what do you see in your brain?
108
I see the word in my language,
109
and then I see a red fruit.
110
Okay.
111
From now on, skip the first step.
112
When you hear apple, go straight to the picture.
113
The red fruit.
114
No translation.
115
Just the picture.
116
Just the picture.
117
Apple, red fruit, no words in between.
118
Yes.
119
Now try this.
120
You want to say, I am hungry.
121
Do not think in your language first.
122
Think of the feeling.
123
Your stomach is empty.
124
You want food.
125
Then say, I am hungry.
126
So feel it, then say it,
127
not translate it, then say it.
128
Exactly.
129
Feel it, see it, then say it.
130
This is how you escape the translation trap.
131
Let me try.
132
I want to say, I went to the park this morning.
133
Okay, I'm seeing the park,
134
green trees, the path, my shoes on the ground.
135
I went to the park this morning.
136
Did you translate?
137
No, I just saw the picture and the words came out.
138
See?
139
It works.
140
That was faster, much faster.
141
It takes practice, but every day it gets a little easier.
142
Reason number three.
143
I call it the input-output gap.
144
Input and output?
145
I have heard those words before.
146
Input is everything that goes in.
147
Listening, reading, watching videos.
148
Output is everything that comes out.
149
Speaking, writing.
150
Okay.
151
So what is the gap?
152
Most English learners have a lot of input.
153
They listen to podcasts, they watch movies,
154
they read books, but they have very little output.
155
They almost never speak.
156
That sounds like me.
157
I listen to English every day,
158
but I almost never open my mouth.
159
And that is the problem.
160
Your ears are very strong.
161
Your mouth is very weak.
162
It is like going to the gym and only training your arms,
163
but never your legs.
164
One day, you try to run, and you fall down.
165
Oh, because my legs are not trained.
166
Exactly.
167
Your mouth needs training, too.
168
Listening is not enough.
169
You must practice speaking.
170
But Judy, who do I speak to?
171
I do not have English-speaking friends near me.
172
You do not need another person.
173
The best practice is talking to yourself.
174
Talking to myself?
175
People will think I am crazy.
176
Maybe.
177
But your English will be amazing.
178
Here's what I suggest.
179
Every day, pick one moment from your day and describe it in English.
180
out loud not in your head out loud one moment from
181
my day like what i ate for breakfast yes try it
182
now okay this morning i woke up late i made coffee
183
i burned my toast i ate the toast anyway it was not good perfect
184
that was five sentences and you did not translate you just talked i
185
just talked about my burnt toast
186
that is output practice you can do it in the shower on your walk
187
while you cook anytime you are alone talk to myself one
188
moment every day every day even two minutes is enough the
189
key is your mouth must move your voice must come out that is how you close the input-output gap.
190
Ears strong, mouth strong, both sides trained.
191
Exactly.
192
Reason number three.
193
I call it the fear filter.
194
The fear filter.
195
That sounds serious.
196
It is very common.
197
Let me ask you something.
198
Have you ever known the answer in English,
199
but you did not say it because you were afraid?
200
Yes, many times.
201
I think, what if my grammar is wrong?
202
What if people laugh at me?
203
What if I sound stupid?
204
So I stay quiet.
205
That is the fear filter.
206
Your brain has the words, but fear stops them.
207
Fear says,
208
do not speak you will make a mistake people will judge you fear is like a wall between my brain
209
and my mouth yes
210
and here's the truth jake mistakes are normal every person who
211
speaks english well they all made hundreds of mistakes first thousands of mistakes really really children make mistakes every day
212
when they learn to talk do we laugh at them no we think it is cute exactly
213
and when you make a mistake in English,
214
most people do not laugh.
215
They understand, they know you are learning,
216
and they respect you for trying.
217
So, it's okay to make mistakes?
218
It's more than okay.
219
Mistakes are how you learn.
220
Think about it this way.
221
Which is better, messy English or no English?
222
Messy English.
223
Exactly.
224
Messy English is beautiful.
225
Messy English means you are trying.
226
Messy English means you are grave.
227
No English means the fear won.
228
Messy English is better than no English.
229
I like that.
230
Say it again.
231
Messy English is better than no English.
232
Remember that.
233
Write it down.
234
Put it on your wall.
235
The next time fear says do not speak,
236
you say messy English is better than no English and you open your mouth.
237
I will.
238
I promise.
239
Good.
240
Because the world wants to hear your English,
241
Jake, even if it's messy.
242
Thank you, Judy.
243
That means a lot.
244
Reason number four, the last one.
245
I call it words without sentences.
246
Words without sentences.
247
What does that mean?
248
Let me ask you, how do you study English vocabulary?
249
I learn words one by one.
250
Apple, A-P-P-L-E, apple.
251
Dog, D-O-G, dog.
252
I write them in my notebook.
253
And when someone talks to you,
254
can you use those words in a sentence?
255
Um, sometimes, but it's hard.
256
I know the word delicious,
257
but when I eat good food,
258
I cannot quickly say, this is delicious.
259
The word is in my notebook,
260
but not in my mouth.
261
That is the problem.
262
You are learning single words.
263
But in real life, we do not speak in single words.
264
We speak in sentences, in phrases, in chunks.
265
Chunks?
266
Chunks are groups of words that go together, like ready-made sentences.
267
You do not build them word by word.
268
You learn them as one piece.
269
And when you need them, they come out fast.
270
Like a fast food meal.
271
Already made.
272
Just pick it up and eat.
273
I love that example.
274
Yes, chunks are like fast food for your mouth.
275
Already prepared, ready to use.
276
Can you give me some examples?
277
Of course.
278
Instead of learning the word sorry,
279
learn the chunk I'm sorry about that.
280
Instead of learning the word help,
281
learn can you help me with this?
282
Instead of learning the word think,
283
learn I think so too.
284
Oh, I already know those chunks.
285
I'm sorry about that.
286
Can you help me with this?
287
I think so too.
288
They come out easily because I have heard them many times.
289
Exactly.
290
You have heard them.
291
Now start collecting them.
292
When you listen to a podcast or watch a movie,
293
do not write down single words.
294
Write down the whole sentence, the whole chunk.
295
The whole chunk, not just the word.
296
Yes, and then say the chunk out loud,
297
five times, ten times, until it lives in your mouth,
298
not just in your notebook.
299
So, my notebook should have sentences, not just words.
300
Yes, your notebook is a chunk collection.
301
How was your day?
302
I had a great time.
303
What do you mean?
304
That makes sense.
305
No worries.
306
These are all chunks.
307
Learn them as one piece,
308
and they will come out fast when you need them.
309
I am going to change my notebook today.
310
No more single words, only chunks.
311
That is the best thing you can do.
312
Okay, Jake, let me tell you a short story.
313
I have a friend named Lily.
314
Lily studied English for 10 years.
315
She could read English novels.
316
She could watch English movies without subtitles,
317
without the words on the screen.
318
but when she traveled to London,
319
she could not order coffee.
320
Ten years of English and she could not order coffee?
321
She knew all the words,
322
coffee, large, please, milk, but in the moment, her brain was translating.
323
She was afraid of the waiter,
324
and she never practiced saying the whole sentence together.
325
Can I have a large coffee with milk, please?
326
The translation trap, the fear filter, and words without sentences.
327
All three reasons.
328
Yes.
329
But then Lily started talking to herself every day.
330
She practiced chunks, she stopped being afraid of mistakes,
331
and three months later, she ordered coffee in London,
332
in English, with a smile.
333
Three months?
334
That's fast.
335
Because she fixed the four reasons.
336
She stopped translating, she started speaking out loud,
337
she stopped being afraid, and she learned chunks, not just words.
338
If Lily can do it,
339
we can do it too.
340
Right, everyone?
341
Absolutely.
342
You can do it.
343
We believe in you.
344
Okay, let's review.
345
Yes, let's see what we learned.
346
Today, we talked about why you understand English but cannot speak.
347
Yes.
348
Reason one is the translation trap.
349
We translate in our heads.
350
The solution is to think in pictures, not words.
351
Good.
352
And reason two is the input-output gap.
353
We listen a lot but speak very little.
354
The solution is to talk to yourself every day.
355
Reason three is the fear filter.
356
We are afraid of making mistakes.
357
The solution is to remember messy English is better than no English.
358
And reason four is words without sentences.
359
We learn single words but not chunks.
360
The solution is to learn ready-made sentences.
361
The translation trap, the input-output gap,
362
the fear filter, words without sentences, four reasons, four solutions.
363
Perfect.
364
You remembered everything.
365
I learned a lot today.
366
Me too.
367
Well, that's all the time we have for today.
368
Thank you so much for listening to Enjoy English Talks.
369
Yes, thank you, everyone.
370
It was fun.
371
Please subscribe to Enjoy English Talks.
372
Give this episode a like.
373
And share it with a friend.
374
Now, we have a question for you today.
375
Yes.
376
Please leave a comment below.
377
Tell us which reason is your biggest problem.
378
The translation trap, the input-output gap,
379
the fear filter, or words without sentences.
380
Pick one and tell us in English.
381
We would love to read your answers.
382
See you next time.
383
Bye, everyone.
384
Keep practicing your English.
Download App
AI scoring for every sentence you speak
TRENDING
Popular
Why Practice Speaking with This Video?
In the video "Why You Understand English But Can't Speak," we delve into a common experience among English learners: the disconnect between comprehension and verbal expression. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you perfectly understood what was being said but struggled to respond? This dilemma is a part of the learning curve and highlights the importance of engaging with practical conversation. Practicing speaking using this video allows you to enhance your English speaking practice. By listening to conversations and imitating them, you can break through the barriers that keep your words locked away.
Utilizing the shadowing technique can be especially beneficial. As you listen to Judy and Jake's exchange, try to repeat their speech immediately after hearing it. This not only improves your pronunciation but also helps your brain form connections between words and sounds, making it easier to speak spontaneously in real-life situations.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
The video features various language structures that are essential for casual conversation. Here are three notable examples:
- “Do you know where…?” - This expression is a polite way to ask for information. Using this structure in your conversations can help you sound more natural and friendly.
- “I understood every word.” - This statement illustrates the difference between comprehension and speaking. Acknowledging your understanding can help the other person gauge your language skills.
- “But I want to tell you something…” - This phrase transitions the conversation smoothly and encourages interaction. Practicing similar transitions can make your English less choppy and more fluid.
Engaging with these expressions in context will also help you internalize their meanings and uses, leading to easier and more confident communication.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While practicing your speaking skills, be aware of common pronunciation traps that can occur during casual conversations. Words like "subway," "excuse," and "statue" might pose challenges due to their unique rhythms and syllable stress. The phrase "that way" can also be tricky, as it's often quickly pronounced in everyday speech, which may lead to miscommunication.
Additionally, regional accents can alter how words are pronounced. As you practice with this video, focus on mimicking the intonation and rhythm of the speakers. Aim for fluency by using the shadowspeak method; this technique will allow you to speak with greater authenticity and improve your overall communication skills significantly.
Remember, the key to overcoming speaking difficulties lies in consistent practice and using techniques like shadowing. So, listen actively, repeat confidently, and watch your speaking skills flourish!
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.
☕ Buy us a coffee
ShadowingEnglish remains 100% free thanks to your support. Server and AI costs are high — your coffee keeps us going! 🙏