Shadowing Practice: 12 Things Every First Timer MUST DO When Visiting NYC ! - Learn English Speaking with Video

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What's up members of the Barrio it's John coming to you from New York

and whenever I visit a new city I always want to

know where are the most essential places you have to visit

so today to help you out I'm gonna be sharing with

you 12 things you have to do on your first trip

to New York City make sure to check out my other New York City playlists all linked down below in

Let's get to that list

If there's one thing New York City does better than anywhere in the world It's pizza

And you can't say you've been in New York Unless you've had at least one slice

But hopefully more Not only does New York have the best pizza in the world

But it also has the best variety

If you want classic Neapolitan no problem Get one of the three five dollar pies from Keste You want cheap,

go to one of the more than $50 slice joints in the city Like my favorite,

Percy's How this is only $1 still shocks me You honestly can't go wrong with any of the famous places

But I still stand by my favorite slice in New York

The Nana Maria from Bleecker Street Pizza I don't care where

you go though Just eat at least one slice of pizza And you can thank me later

Skyscrapers a fundamental part of the New York City experience And something

that I think you need to get a closer look at

One can only appreciate just how built up the Big Apple is from high above

And there's so many ways you can get this view

If you want the absolute best view in the city I recommend Top of the Rock I admit it's touristy

and tickets start at $40 Although you can find discount codes

if you google it But the views up there are simply breathtaking

And if you don't mind spending the money It's well worth it A runner up,

One World Trades Observatory at $35 This is the highest view in the United States

And you just feel like you own the city However, it's fully enclosed Which is why I put this as a runner up to Top of the Rock

If money is an issue, you've got a few options You could go to a rooftop bar

and order a beer or cocktail 235th has the best rooftop views for sure

And they allow children for Sunday brunch Dear Irving's not too shabby either

If you're on a budget

and want to get up there A cheap option is to

take the tram to Roosevelt Island from Manhattan Just swipe your MetroCard and Quite an impressive view, I must say

You're going to do a lot of walking in New York City

But this is one iconic walk

that everybody's got to try at least once I encourage you

to come early in the day to do this Unless you like huge crowds

But there's something special about walking slightly over one mile from Manhattan to Brooklyn The views are fantastic

and the photo opportunities endless And

when you get to the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn on the

other side There's plenty to do This is definitely not something to skip On your first trip

When you think of New York City Times Square literally may be the first image

that comes to mind Now as a resident I try to avoid the place at all costs

But if you've never visited before You've got to go at least once

And extra credit to do it at night

While most locals shudder at the thought of Times Square There's something surreal about the bright lights

and craziness of arguably New York City's most famous destination You've gotta knock this out at least once

And you should watch my tourist trap

and scams video before you do to avoid some common issues

If you're a night owl I recommend going right before midnight

to see the midnight moment The world's largest digital art display

Which most have never even heard of But just stop to take some photos

and soak in the vibe

And once you've done it You really don't need to come back Unless you're bringing some friends on your second trip

It's the most famous park in the world for a reason

And you could spend an entire day there We'll get started with

that You've seen it in movies Now it's time to experience

it in the flesh I did a whole video showing off many sites

So be sure to watch it later for even more ideas

But here's a few of my favorite things to do Fishing in Harlem Mere Total cost free

Or how about renting model sailboats Don't skip out on the conservatory garden

But from strawberry fields To having a picnic at Sheep's Meadow You could easily, I repeat I'll see you later.

I would easily dedicate an entire day to Central Park And it really wouldn't be such a bad thing It's crowded,

it's touristy

But on your first trip to New York City You've got

to visit You've probably heard of it by now A one

and a half mile elevated park Almost hidden from the rest of Manhattan

While it's crowded I have no problem Accompanying my friends who are visiting

Because it's just so cool

and the views are amazing You could combine this with hopping around Chelsea Art Galleries on a Thursday night

Or visit Chelsea Market nearby And eat some delicious tacos at Los Tacos No. 1

I may be a little bit biased since I lived there

But walking around Greenwich

and West Village in Manhattan to me is a requirement I just love this part of Manhattan

which doesn't give off that big city vibe at all You'll feel more like a local and there's

so many cute shops to pop into Try some coffee at Puerto Rico Importers Relax in Washington Square Park

and enjoy tons of live music

This area also has some of the highest concentration of pizza places in the world

If you like bookstores 3Lives & Co gives off a really cozy vibe But if you ask me,

just wandering the West Village is about as relaxing as it gets in Manhattan

Because there's more than enough hectic to go around

The Statue of Liberty may be the most famous icon of New York City

And there's a few ways

that you can see it I'm honestly not going to tell

you to spend your money to go on a crowded boat

Just to see the statue a little bit closer I always

tell people to take the free Staten Island Ferry Sit on the right side

and get a pretty decent view from afar But

if this is on your bucket list then you need to

do it right My friend Jacob Carlson did a whole video

on how to get inside the Statue of Liberty To go to the top of the crown

and I'm linking to it with the card above It costs just $21 .50

and you can only get it from the National Park Service website

But fair warning. this sells out months in advance As they

limit it to just 500 tickets per day This is definitely

one of the more unique things you could do in New York

And a photographer's dream come true In fact save a ticket for me because I've never even got inside

It's not very common to suggest visiting a transit hub

But Grand Central Terminal is more than just a place to catch a train

100

While nearly 1 million people walk through every day on their way to work It's also a popular attraction

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because of its architecture

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and history We can start with admiring the world's largest Tiffany clock on the exterior

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Or looking at the Zodiac mural up above One of the

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city's finest pieces of public art Here's a fun one Have a cocktail at the Speakeasy -esque Campbell Bar

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Which is straight out of the Gilded Age Talk to your friend on the other side at the Whispering Gallery

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And just wander around one of New York's most famous landmarks

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A little bonus tip The basement food court has some really great options Like Shake Shack and Magnolia Bakery

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New York has not only some of the most famous museums in the world

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But also some of the most diverse options of them as

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well You could dedicate entire days just to visiting museums in the Big Apple There's the really famous ones

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and you should hit up at least one MoMA The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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Or the Natural History Museum Of course

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if you want to go off the beaten path There's every type of museum imaginable From City Reliquary

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which houses all sorts of oddities in Brooklyn To my personal

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favorite The Transit Museum Where you can sit in old subway cars

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But whatever your taste is There's a museum for you in New York

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New York City has some of the best performers in the world living here

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And you owe it to yourself to go to at least one show I know tickets can be expensive

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But I really push any visitor to New York to try to go at least once

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If you want to save the most money, either visit one of the TKTS booths

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Or use the app on your phone to see what shows

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have the biggest discounts You could also buy directly from the app today Tix, which I highly recommend

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But the performers are absolutely world class And going to a Broadway show is one of the highlights

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Of many people's trips

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To honor the history of New York City This is one

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memorial I'm going to recommend you pay your respects to I admit visiting here is a sombering experience

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But honoring the many men, women, firefighters, first responders And police officers that gave their lives

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that day Is as far as I'm concerned a requirement for

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visiting New York City The memorial houses twin reflecting pools

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And is absolutely stunning As an optional addon you can visit

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the memorial museum located right next to the pools To learn more about the tragic history of

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that day Or visit the tribute museum located a few blocks away

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And take a guided tour with someone who actually lived through

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the experience I don't think a trip to New York is

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complete without including at least one of these In your itinerary

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Be sure to check out my other New York City content I'll link down below in the description Tons of ideas, tips and tricks for things to do on your first trip

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Or any trip to New York City Also tell me in the comments

138

if I missed anything Is there something that you really need to do On

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that first trip to New York City I'm curious Guys thank you so much for watching as always Until next time

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “12 Things Every First Timer MUST DO When Visiting NYC !”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: museum, trip, view, famous, visit. This video has 9 sentences and 1844 words to shadow. The speech runs for 11:29. The speaker talks at a natural 160 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
pizza noun	/ˈpi.tsə/	A baked Italian dish of a thinly rolled bread crust typically topped before baking with tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients such as meat or vegetables.
slice noun	/slaɪs/	That which is thin and broad.
memorial noun	/məˈmɔːɹi.əl/	Something, such as a monument, by which someone or something is remembered.
statue noun	/ˈstæt͡ʃu/	A three-dimensional work of art, usually representing a person or animal, usually created by sculpting, carving, molding, or casting.
vibe noun	/vaɪb/	An atmosphere or aura felt to belong to a person, place or thing.
discount noun	/ˈdɪskaʊnt/	A reduction in price.
midnight noun	/ˈmɪd(ˌ)naɪt/	The middle of the night: the sixth temporal hour, equidistant between sunset and sunrise.
ton noun	/tʌn/	The short ton of 2000 pounds (about 907 kg), 20 hundredweights of 100 pounds avoirdupois each.
requirement noun	/ɹɪˈkwaɪɹmənt/	A necessity or prerequisite; something required or obligatory. Its adpositions are generally of in relation to who or what has given it, on in relation to whom…
skip verb	/skɪp/	To move by hopping on alternate feet.
transit noun	/ˈtɹæn.zɪt/	The act of passing over, across, or through something.
runner noun	/ˈɹʌnɚ/	A person who moves, on foot, at a fast pace, especially an athlete.
locate verb	/ˈloʊˌkeɪt/	To place; to set in a particular spot or position.
cocktail noun	/ˈkɑk.teɪl/	A mixed alcoholic beverage.
performer noun	/pɚˈfɔɹmɚ/	One who performs for, or entertains, an audience.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
check out verb		To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
give off verb	/ɡɪv ɒf/	To emit; to produce and send forth; to come across in some manner.
build up verb		To erect; to construct.
come back verb		To return to a place.
get up verb		To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb.
go around verb		To move or spread from person to person.
go off verb		To explode.
live through verb		To survive a difficult period or event

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	you've been · you've never visited · have never even heard
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	enclosed Which is · friends who are · someone who actually

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 32 contractions and reduced forms, such as you've, I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: booth /buθ/, breathtaking /ˈbɹɛθˌteɪ.kɪŋ/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shock /ʃɔk/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/, concentration /ˌkɑn.sənˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/, destination /dɛstɪˈneɪʃən/, flesh /flɛʃ/
Long words — get the stress right: memorial /məˈmɔːɹi.əl/, architecture /ˈɑː.kɪˌtɛk.t͡ʃə/, fundamental /ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/, photographer /fəˈtɑ.ɡɹə.fɚ/, concentration /ˌkɑn.sənˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like pizza, slice, memorial.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: 12 Things Every First Timer MUST DO When Visiting NYC ! - Learn English Speaking with Video

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