Shadowing Practice: 22.9 Traffic - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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1. Are you going to take the bus downtown, or are you going to take your bike?
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I think there's too much traffic on the road today to go by bike.
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It's not safe to ride in traffic.
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I guess there's so much traffic because of the big football game.
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Well, look, I'm driving downtown.
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Can I give you a ride?
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Hey, thanks.
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So, do you use your bike very often?
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Not during the week, but I ride it pretty often on the weekend.
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2. How are you going to get downtown?
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Are you going to drive?
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I don't think so.
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I just heard the traffic report on the radio.
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It seems there is a traffic jam on the freeway.
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They said a couple of buses have broken down.
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I guess it will be quicker to take the subway.
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Absolutely.
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3. Gosh, I wonder how much longer we'll have to wait for a bus.
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We've waited half an hour already.
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Do you think we should go back and get the car?
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Oh, no. I hate driving at night.
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Let's take a taxi.
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I don't want to be late for the movie.
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Good idea.
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I'll call for one on my cell phone.
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They usually come pretty quickly.
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Four.
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How are you going to get home from the restaurant on Sunday, Harry?
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Oh, I can just take a bus or a taxi.
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There are usually plenty of taxis around that area at night.
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Yes, but not on a Sunday night.
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You might wait for a long time.
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Why don't you ask Kevin to drive you home?
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He's having dinner with us, and he lives near you.
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That's right.
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I'll ask him.
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5. What's the traffic like downtown today?
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It's pretty bad.
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One of the traffic lights is broken, so all the traffic is backing up.
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Oh, how should I get to my doctor's appointment?
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Drive?
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Take a taxi?
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A taxi won't be any faster than driving.
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Well then, I'll probably take the subway to the station and then walk from there.
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Yeah, today I think that's the fastest way.
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Six.
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How do you plan to get to your friend's house?
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Do you need a ride?
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How's the weather?
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It's really nice out.
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Oh, thanks anyway, but I'll ride my bike.
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I was going to take the bus, but I need to get some exercise.
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All right, but be careful of the traffic.
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1. In my town, public transportation was never very good.
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You had to drive everywhere, so there was always traffic.
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The government wanted to make public transportation easier than driving cars.
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They bought some nice new buses, for example, and they added air conditioning to the ones we already had.
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They also began offering lower bus fares on the weekends, so more people would be encouraged to try the new buses They raised taxi fares,
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too I guess they figure that if taxis cost more,
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people might think about using buses more often Two Well,
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the problem was that thousands of people drove into the city centre every day
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And there weren't enough parking spaces So the government wanted to make parking easier But they didn't build more parking garages.
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Instead, they tried to keep cars out of the city centre.
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Recently, they started making people who drive their cars downtown pay a daily fee.
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You have to pay $10 if you want to drive your car into the centre between 8am and 6pm.
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At the same time, they have raised the parking lot rates, so people think twice before they drive their car into the city.
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3. Traffic was a real problem around here.
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It moved so slowly.
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Last year, the government turned a bunch of streets downtown into one -way streets.
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This helped the traffic move more quickly.
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Special lanes on roads just for buses were built at the same time.
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If you're caught driving your car in a bus lane, you have to pay a fine.
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And it's a really high fine.
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Also, they passed a law last year that says you can only drive your car downtown three days a week.
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You have to display a special pass in your car that says which days you're allowed to drive downtown.
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4. Air pollution in our city was a huge problem, and we really needed to lower it.
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I guess that's why the government started putting special bicycle lanes on the streets downtown.
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That way, people can ride their bikes to work instead of using their stinky cars they also made a rule
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that says there must be at least two people in your car if you want to drive downtown during the week
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they also ordered these amazing new pollution -free buses they use electricity so they don't put anything bad into the air
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Real-Life Traffic Talks: Practice English for Daily Commutes

Ever found yourself stuck in traffic, trying to explain why you’re late or deciding the best way to get downtown? The video’s dialogues capture these everyday moments—from choosing between a bike and a car to navigating traffic jams and last-minute taxi calls. These scenarios are perfect for learning how to communicate smoothly in real-world situations, whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone looking to boost their conversational skills.

Useful Chunks & Collocations to Master

  • "Too much traffic": A common phrase to describe busy roads—e.g., "I can’t bike today; there’s too much traffic."
  • "Traffic jam": For when cars are completely stopped—"The freeway has a traffic jam because of a broken-down bus."
  • "Backing up": To describe traffic building up—"The broken traffic light is making all the traffic back up."
  • "Give you a ride": A friendly way to offer transportation—"I’m driving downtown; can I give you a ride?"
  • "Traffic report": The update on road conditions—"I heard the traffic report; taking the subway is faster."

Memorizing these chunks will make your English sound more natural and help you respond quickly in conversations.

Your Shadowing Challenge: Speak Like a Local

Ready to practice? Try the shadowing technique with the video—this is where you repeat the dialogue out loud, mimicking the tone, speed, and intonation of the speakers. Here’s how: Play a short 5-second clip, pause, and repeat it immediately. Focus on matching the rhythm and stress (e.g., "I hate driving at night"—emphasize "hate"). Do this for 10 minutes a day, and you’ll notice your pronunciation and fluency improve fast! For extra practice, use a shadowing app or a shadowing site to record yourself and compare it to the original. Sites like shadowspeaks are great for finding more dialogues to practice. Remember, learning English with videos and shadowing isn’t just about memorizing—it’s about using the language like a native. So hit play, start shadowing, and watch your confidence grow!

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 →