Shadowing Practice: alone in new york (but not lonely) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Good morning, guys.
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217 sentences
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Good morning, guys.
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It's Sid.
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I was looking at my own YouTube channel last night,
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which sort of feels weird.
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I got really sad because I realized I haven't filmed an Alone But Not Lonely video in,
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I think, like four months.
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So obviously that's what we're doing today.
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I'm getting ready.
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We're gonna hang out together.
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I actually have literally nothing planned,
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but I thought that that would be more fun and more spontaneous to just frolic around New York together.
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so i ended up in the west village like i said
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i have no plan for today also i have a new
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camera do you guys like it can you tell canon sent
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me this camera guys like probably biggest moment of my career
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that is like crazy i've literally used canon since i started
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my youtube journey i'm walking nowhere oh i think this is
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the friend's apartment building i think right there right somewhere up
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there i used to live over here guys this was my first neighborhood
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that i moved to in new york
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and i would always go to the brandy cafe
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and it just reopened apparently yes brandy melville has a cafe
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if you didn't know kind of blew my mind
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when i you know discovered this i used to go all the time now
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that i'm here i feel like i need to go solely for nostalgic purposes so
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guys it feels so good to be back here they actually closed this cafe down for i think like six months.
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I don't know why.
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It looks the exact same now.
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If anyone knows, please tell me.
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I'm so glad that they're back.
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My prayers were answered.
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I actually can't believe how long I've lived in New York.
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I think it's been almost three years now.
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I was thinking when I used to live here,
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I would always come to this spot
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and it just made me reminisce about moving and like living in New York and how far I've come.
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I moved here.
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I literally had no friends.
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Guys, I'm not even and exaggerating.
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I knew zero people.
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And now I feel like I have such a community of friends.
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I feel so happy here now.
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Okay, not me getting sentimental on a Friday morning at 11 a.m.
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I'm just gonna hang out, people watch.
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That's my favorite thing to do ever, if you know me.
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And then I don't know what I'm gonna do, which I usually hate.
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I'm so type A, but I'm trying to just go with the flow.
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So I did stumble upon this.
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A rack full of city bikes.
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Something about me, I'm always gonna pick the electric bike.
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Would you guys believe me if I told you I was about to go golf right now?
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Because I am.
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Golf is the last thing I ever expected myself to enjoy.
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But my boyfriend loves to golf.
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And since we started dating a couple years ago,
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I have also learned to enjoy it with him.
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At first, I did hate it.
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But the more I did it,
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the more I understood the art of golf, how hard it is.
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And I've kind of come to appreciate it.
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I was biking right past the Chelsea Pier,
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which is where I come to the driving range sometimes.
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Forewarning, I'm not good, okay?
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I feel like I just hyped myself up.
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I'm actually pretty bad.
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But I do think it's fun.
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And I always come with someone, though.
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I've never come alone.
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So do people do this alone?
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i feel like yes i'm cutting the driving range for lefty
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all right i think i'm the only girl vlogging here right
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now it's just a bunch of middle-aged men i'm also a lefty
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which is really tough as a female to get lefty golf clubs they never have them anywhere
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but this place luckily has a spare for me don't know why i'm a lefty i'm writing and everything else.
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I'm yapping because I'm nervous about showing you guys my swing.
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We're getting closer on a deeper level.
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Oh God, oh God, oh God,
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oh God, that was so bad.
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I just like hit the tarp.
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guys, I'm sweating.
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I took off my coat.
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My biggest fear in golf is somehow letting go of my golf club
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when I'm swinging it and flinging it off into the distance.
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I don't know why, like,
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how this fear even started.
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I don't know if this is,
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like, a unique fear, but I just worry that I'm gonna,
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like, let go and hit someone.
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I don't know.
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I am done though.
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This was so fun and spontaneous.
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I maybe I should really be more spontaneous.
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My type A personality doesn't usually allot for this type of thing.
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Okay guys, fun and games are over.
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I'm so hungry.
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I need to find food right now.
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I'm waltzing around trying.
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Waltzing?
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Why did I say that?
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I'm walking around trying to find food.
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okay all that golf worked up an appetite I guess
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someone seriously fired me from this job of doing YouTube
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because I bought my food
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and I didn't even show it before I ate it I got my favorite bagel
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which is sesame seed bagel from Leon's with veggie cream cheese.
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I forgot.
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That was pending.
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This was the first thing I saw.
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It really didn't take much for me.
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Anything would have sounded appealing.
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I was so hungry.
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I love Leon's, but to be honest,
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pop-up bagels are always going to be number one for me.
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Nothing can come between me and pop-up bagels except for the fact that they were closed.
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It is so beautiful out and I kind of just wanted to sit.
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I'm sitting in Washington Square Park.
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I love this park.
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I love people watching.
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I love seeing everything that's going on.
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Unfortunately, the weather does determine my mood,
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so I'm taking it in.
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It hasn't been sunny the past few days.
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I'm enjoying it.
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I realized I was really close to one of my favorite vintage stores that I haven't been to in a while.
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This place is in Soho.
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They just always have the best pieces.
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I actually didn't get anything,
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which is probably for the best.
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I did consider this top for a second though as like a top dress that I could wear.
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Please don't say you like it that much because then I'm going to regret not having bought it.
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Okay guys, so we have some good news and some bad news.
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Good news is I'm about to go out with my friends.
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Bad news is we lost a ring.
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I lost my ring.
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I think I left my Ophelia ring at the driving range.
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I looked down and it's gone.
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So that's a shame.
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I mean, at least it's my own jewelry brand.
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I can easily get a new one.
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I wanted to do my little advice session.
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These I think are so fun.
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I hope you guys like these as much as I do.
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I get quite a few messages from you guys
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so I always try to pick something like a little bit different each video.
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As always it is completely anonymous.
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Hey Sydney I just wanted to let you know how much I love your videos.
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I'm from Hudson Wisconsin and it's really inspiring to see someone from a nearby area doing what they love.
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I've been thinking of starting my own channel and doing vlogs,
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but I'm having trouble getting started.
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Do you have any advice?
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Thanks so much, Natalie.
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I think a lot of people get in their own way when they're trying to start social media.
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Really, all it takes is a phone, a camera.
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It doesn't need to be the best camera in the world.
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And I think the best advice I have is to just start.
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If you try to be too perfect about it,
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it just, first of all,
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it won't come off as authentic.
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And secondly, you don't really learn until you do something.
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Just do it.
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Like wake up tomorrow and start.
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I feel like the first videos are probably the hardest.
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And I would also say,
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which is so much easier said than done,
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don't let what people think of you get in the way.
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I think for me, something I struggled with when I first started,
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when I was like 13,
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was people in school like making fun of my videos or seeing them.
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But if you let your fear of what people think of you stop you from making videos,
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to me, those people win.
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And that's like not fair for you.
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You deserve, if you want to make videos,
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to make them and post them.
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Everyone starts somewhere.
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Everyone starts at zero.
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So try to just remember why you're doing it.
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If you're doing it for the reason of loving videos and like loving what you're making,
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always make what you love because I think you can't really be successful
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if you don't like what you're making and just be yourself.
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So cliche, but so true.
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And I think people can just so read through that.
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I need to go like literally two minutes ago, I needed to leave.
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So I'm gonna go to my friends.
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Hey guys, it's girls night.
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I'm with Johnny and Liz.
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Hi.
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Look what Johnny put together for us.
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A little bored.
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We've been digging into the popcorn.
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The popcorn is the best.
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We've been yapping Friday night, crazy Friday night.
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Wild.
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Guys, we all went to the same college,
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but we didn't know each other.
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So crazy.
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I love that fun fact though.
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Yeah, fun fact.
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Shout out Justin.
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Shout out Justin!
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We love you!
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Big shout out to Justin!
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Cheers!
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I'm like, I'll want this.
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Shout out to Justin!
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Well guys, here we are again.
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Outro failed.
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Okay.
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Oh!
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My hand is orange.
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I'm filming this right now because I just got a DM saying you better remember to do an outro.
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One of you guys really held me accountable and I really respected it.
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But seriously, thank you guys so much for watching.
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I feel like I never just say how grateful I am for you guys.
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So just wanted to say that and that I love you if you have any videos you want to see from me,
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by the way Please let me know I read like all the comments
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and i'll do more of these alone But not lonely videos because I missed them so much Love you guys.
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Bye

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will engage with the vibrant experiences shared in the video "Alone in New York (But Not Lonely)" by Sid. You will practice your listening and speaking skills by focusing on spontaneous conversation, emotional expression, and personal storytelling. This exercise aims to enhance your English fluency through real-life context while utilizing the shadowing technique to mirror the natural flow of spoken English that is evident in the video. As you listen and repeat, you’ll develop a sense of rhythm and intonation, essential for effective communication.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • frolic around - to play and move about cheerfully and energetically
  • sentimental - expressing feelings of nostalgia or emotion
  • community - a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common
  • people watch - to observe people in public places
  • go with the flow - to accept things as they happen and not to be overly worried about plans
  • reminisce - to indulge in enjoyable recollection of past events
  • electric bike - a bicycle that is powered by an electric motor
  • nostalgic - characterized by or exhibiting feelings of nostalgia

Practice Tips

To effectively use the shadowing technique while watching this video, find a quiet space where you can focus. Start by listening to a segment of the video, paying close attention to Sid's tone and pace. As you begin to shadowspeak, repeat what you hear immediately after Sid speaks, mimicking his intonation and rhythm. You’ll notice that he speaks in a relaxed manner, which is typical of everyday conversations. The slower pace allows you to grasp pronunciation and phrasing better.

When practicing, consider the emotional context of Sid's words—his nostalgia and happiness are palpable. Attempt to convey these emotions in your own speech as you practice. You could even record yourself to compare your delivery with Sid's. This can be particularly useful for those preparing for IELTS speaking practice, as it helps in developing a natural speaking style.

Finally, remember that trying to go "off-script," much like Sid, can help you feel more comfortable speaking spontaneously. This will not only enhance your English speaking skills but will also prepare you for real-life conversations!

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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