Shadowing-Übung: Using public transport in Australia (trains and trams) | Real life English practice - Englisch Sprechen Lernen mit Video

Hi there!

Today we're going to practice taking public transport in Melbourne.

We'll ride on trains and trams, walk through the stations, ask for directions and listen to announcements.

I'll also give you some sentences to use when you're using public transport too.

You can speak along with me and use this video for shadowing practice or you can relax and listen along.

If you're new to learning English and want to see more about life in Australia, maybe you're planning to travel here,

are studying here, or will move here for work,

this video series will help you understand everyday English quickly through comprehensible input while exploring real places around Melbourne and Australia.

PDF scripts are available to download for members of my channel

and I upload bonus videos each month that are filled with extra questions

and moments for you to practice speaking English out loud.

I make new videos every week so please subscribe to see them every Sunday.

Okay let's go for a walk.

I have a few different things to do today, so I need to stop at different train stations and tram stops around Melbourne.

This is a local train station.

The platforms are at the top of the stairs.

Most local train stations in Melbourne aren't inside large buildings.

They're usually outdoors.

Many local train stations only have one train line running through them, so there's no need for a large building.

Now I've arrived at the station.

To take the train, I need to touch on with my MyKey card.

A MyKey is the travel card we use for public transport in Melbourne.

Before you travel, you need to top up your MyKey card.

To top up means to add money onto your card before you travel.

Both of these machines help you top up your Mikey.

The machine on the right has a large screen where I can add money or check my balance.

Your balance is the amount of money you still have left on your card.

I'll place my card onto the reader.

Then I can use my bank card, cash or coins to add more money.

The machine on the left is newer and quicker to use.

I just tap my Mikey on the machine and it immediately shows my balance.

Then I tap my bank card to add money.

Now that I've topped up my Mikey, I can head onto the platform.

This green machine is where I touch on.

To touch on means to tap your travel card before you begin your trip.

Now, I'm waiting on the platform for my train to arrive.

Let's see how long I need to wait.

Services departing Balaclava platform 1 are the 1147 Flinders Street stopping all stations to Flinders Street departing in 13 minutes.

1202 Flinders Street, stopping all stations to Flinders Street, departing in 27 minutes.

There's usually an electronic sign above the platform that tells you which train is coming and how many minutes away it is.

I still have a little while to wait.

At local stations like this, trains usually come roughly every 15 minutes.

During peak hour they arrive more often.

Peak hour is the busiest time of the day for public transport.

Usually it's early in the morning and late in the afternoon when people are travelling to and from work.

Near the edge of the platform there's a yellow line.

You need to stand behind the line

while you wait for the train for safety and so nothing accidentally falls onto the tracks.

The tracks are the metal rails that the train travels on.

On the opposite side of the tracks is platform 2.

I'm on platform 1 right now.

The train arriving at platform 2 travels away from the city.

The train arriving at platform 1 travels into the city centre.

Here comes the train now.

I'll get on the train and find a place to sit.

The train isn't too crowded today.

There are only a few commuters sitting nearby.

A commuter is someone who regularly travels on the train.

These people are commuting to the city.

This train is stopping all stations to Flinders Street.

It's not an express train.

An express train will skip some stations to travel faster.

Another commuter has just stepped onto the train.

I gave my seat to a lady who needed to sit down, so now I'm standing.

I'll hold onto the handles for balance while the train moves.

Now I can look out the window and see the view.

Do you usually look outside the window when you travel on public transport?

Or do you look at your phone?

The train has arrived at Flinders Street Station.

I'll get off the train and walk along the platform.

I need to catch a connecting train to the State Library.

This colourful map shows all the train lines around Melbourne's City Loop.

It helps passengers understand which trains travel to different stations in the city centre.

Melbourne has recently had some new train stations open in the CBD, so even locals are still figuring out where to go.

Many people call Melbourne's city centre the CBD.

CBD stands for Central Business District.

This is the main area of Flinders Street Station that connects all the platforms together.

There are 13 platforms here.

It's one of the busiest stations in Melbourne for locals.

During peak hour, this area becomes very crowded.

Crowded is when there are lots of people in one space.

I thought the yellow train line would take me to the State Library station, but I'm not completely sure.

I'll ask a station attendant for help.

Okay, thank you.

It turns out that I need to leave Flinders Street Station

and take my next train from the new station across the road.

Near the entrance to Flinders Street Station is the customer service desk.

This is where you can buy a Mikey card if you don't already have one.

You can also buy them at some convenience stores like 7-Eleven.

If you need to buy a card, when you approach the person working at the service desk, you can say, Hi, I'd like to buy a MyKey card, please.

They'll probably ask you, Do you need adult or concession?

A concession card gives cheaper travel to some students, seniors and other eligible passengers.

Most people just have an adult ticket.

Then they'll probably ask, how much would you like to top up?

Which just means, how much money would you like to add onto your card?

For unlimited travel on a weekday, adults need about $11.40 and concession price is about $5.70.

On weekends, adults need $8 and it's $4 for concession.

You can always just say, I'm staying in Melbourne for five days.

How much money should I put on my Mikey?

100

Or how much do you recommend I add?

101

The staff member will help you choose the right amount.

102

This is Flinders Street Station.

103

The station attendant told me that I need to walk from Flinders Street to the new Town Hall station.

104

It certainly looks much newer than Flinders Street Station already.

105

It's underground so I need to take the escalator downstairs to reach the platform.

106

This month in Victoria, public transport is free to use.

107

Usually, you need to touch on your Mikey when you walk through these gates.

108

Because it's free this month, I can just walk through.

109

Public transport is never free in Victoria, so it's been pretty exciting.

110

The new station is very clean and industrial looking.

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Industrial means that it has a practical design with lots of metal and concrete.

112

The lighting is bright and clear but not too harsh.

113

Australians are pretty friendly so if you ever feel confused about where to catch your train

114

you can always ask someone for help you can ask excuse me does this train go to

115

and ask for your station excuse me does this train go to the state library

116

or you can ask which platform do i need to get to and ask for your station

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which platform do i need to get to flinders street station They might suggest that you transfer.

118

That just means that when you arrive at that station, you need to change trains.

119

The next train is arriving now.

120

I'll wait for passengers to get off before I step inside.

121

This train is a little busy, but luckily I found a seat.

122

I need to pull the seat down before I sit on it.

123

There are handles above the seats for people who are standing.

124

A lot of people are getting off at this station.

125

Did you hear that announcement?

126

I also need to head towards exit one.

127

I'll follow the signs overhead.

128

This station feels much more spacious than Flinders Street.

129

Flinders Street has more platforms, but this station has long underground walkways and tall escalators.

130

I'll head up the escalator and walk through the gates.

131

This is where passengers usually touch off their Mikey.

132

To touch off means to tap your card when you finish your trip.

133

Now I'm back outside on the street.

134

I'll head to my meeting and later I'll catch the tram home.

135

It's time for me to take the tram.

136

A tram is a type of public transport that runs on tracks along the road.

137

There are trams all across the city.

138

I'm waiting at the tram stop for my tram to arrive.

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They're not called tram stations, they're just called tram stops.

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I'll wait for everyone to get off before I board the tram.

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On each tram there's a place for you to tap on your Mikey.

142

On Melbourne trams you usually only tap on.

143

You don't need to tap off afterwards.

144

This tram doesn't have any free seats, so I have to stand.

145

That's okay because I need to transfer to another tram at the next stop.

146

At every tram stop there's a sign showing the tram routes.

147

A route is the path or a direction that a tram travels along.

148

The sign also shows the stop number.

149

Inside the tram you'll hear announcements telling you which stop is next.

150

That helps people know when to get off.

151

Let's check when the next tram is arriving.

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Route 1 to South Melbourne Beach is due in two minutes.

153

Route 3 to East Malvern is due in nine minutes.

154

Route 5 to Malvern is due in eight minutes.

155

This service will be a low floor tram.

156

A low floor tram is easier for passengers using wheelchairs or prams because there are no steps to climb.

157

These metal rails in the road are the tram tracks.

158

The tram travels along these tracks.

159

Some tram stops also have machines where you can top up your Mikey.

160

Here come two trams now.

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The second tram is mine.

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The tram stopped right in front of me.

163

It's so satisfying when that happens.

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I'll hop on.

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On the tram you can find these green in seat-like things.

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They help people who are standing to stay upright while the tram moves.

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There are also orange coloured priority seats.

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These seats are on trains and trams and are meant for elderly passengers,

169

pregnant passengers or people with injuries or disabilities.

170

If someone needs the seat more than you do, you should offer it to them.

171

The trams all run above ground so so you can always see the city through the windows.

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Sometimes trams travel in their own lane, separate from cars.

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Other times they travel alongside normal traffic.

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Some tram stops are very small.

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If you're distracted or not paying attention, it's easy to miss your stop.

176

I definitely have before.

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When my stop is getting close, I'll pull the cord above me.

178

Some trams have a button to push instead.

179

This tells the driver that I'd like to get off at the next stop.

180

Thanks for taking the train and the tram with me today.

181

What phrase means to add money to your transport card?

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Top up.

183

What do you call the busiest travel times in the morning and the afternoon?

184

Peak hour Which verb means to change from one train or tram to another?

185

To transfer What is the word to describe the path that a tram or train follows?

186

The route What do you call the metal rails that trains and trams travel on?

187

Tracks Thanks so much for joining me today and thank you so much to the members of my channel.

188

If you'd like a little extra support learning English,

189

members of my channel can download a PDF script and get bonus listening and speaking practice videos every month.

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Where would you like to go next?

191

And which everyday English topics would you like to practice more?

192

Let me know in the comments.

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If this video helped you, please subscribe for more simple Australian English practice.

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See you next time!

Was ist die Shadowing-Technik?

Shadowing ist eine wissenschaftlich fundierte Sprachlerntechnik, die ursprünglich für die professionelle Dolmetscherausbildung entwickelt und durch den Polyglotten Dr. Alexander Arguelles populär gemacht wurde. Die Methode ist einfach aber wirkungsvoll: Du hörst englisches Audio von Muttersprachlern und wiederholst es sofort laut — wie ein Schatten, der dem Sprecher mit nur 1–2 Sekunden Verzögerung folgt. Anders als passives Hören oder Grammatikübungen zwingt Shadowing dein Gehirn und deine Mundmuskulatur, gleichzeitig echte Sprachmuster zu verarbeiten und zu reproduzieren. Studien zeigen, dass es Aussprachegenauigkeit, Intonation, Rhythmus, verbundene Sprache, Hörverständnis und Sprechflüssigkeit signifikant verbessert — was es zu einer der effektivsten Methoden für die IELTS Speaking-Vorbereitung und reale englische Kommunikation macht.

Shadowing-Übung: Using public transport in Australia (trains and trams) | Real life English practice - Englisch Sprechen Lernen mit Video

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