Shadowing Practice: Are We There Yet? Small Talk on a Long Drive - Learn English Speaking with Video
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33 sentences
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1
Okay, seatbelt on, snacks ready. Let's go!
2
Five hours to the lake. Are you sure you're ready?
3
Totally. I've got chips, cookies and way too much candy.
4
Wait, did you bring any real food?
5
Um... there's an apple somewhere in the bag.
6
Alright, who's in charge of the music?
7
Me, obviously. I made a road trip playlist last night.
8
Please tell me it's not all eighties pop again.
9
Oh, come on, you love those songs!
10
Fine. But I get to skip three songs.
11
Ooh, let's play a game! I'm thinking of an animal.
12
Hmm, does it live near water?
13
Yes, it does!
14
Is it a duck? It's always a duck with you.
15
Seriously? How did you guess that?
16
Oh no. Look at all those brake lights.
17
Ugh, we haven't moved for ten minutes!
18
The map says there's an accident up ahead.
19
Oh... so we'll miss the sunset.
20
Don't worry. We'll get there before dark.
21
Okay... my eyes are getting really tired.
22
Want me to drive the rest of the way?
23
Would you? That'd be amazing.
24
Sure, but you have to stay awake and talk to me.
25
Deal. I'll even eat your apple.
26
Hey, slow down a little. The road gets narrow here.
27
I'm only going thirty! Relax.
28
Sorry, sorry. I'm a terrible passenger.
29
Wait, is that the lake through the trees?
30
Yes! We're almost there!
31
Wow, look at that sunset over the water!
32
Worth five hours in the car, right?
33
Definitely. But next time, you're bringing the real food.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Are We There Yet? Small Talk on a Long Drive”. This video has 33 sentences and 249 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:46. The speaker talks at a steady 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 11 of its 33 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 12 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| duck noun | /dʌk/ | Any of certain aquatic birds of the family Anatidae, having a flat bill and webbed feet, distinguished from swans and geese by generally being smaller and… |
| sunset noun | /ˈsʌnˌsɛt/ | The moment each evening when the sun disappears below the western horizon. |
| narrow adjective | /ˈnæɹəʊ/ | Having a small width; not wide; having opposite edges or sides that are close, especially by comparison to length or depth. |
| passenger noun | /ˈpæs.ɪn.d͡ʒɚ/ | One who rides or travels in a vehicle, but who does not operate it and is not a member of the crew. |
| thirty noun | /ˈθɝti/ | A commercial lasting 30 seconds. |
| chip noun | /t͡ʃɪp/ | A small piece broken from a larger piece of solid material. |
| candy noun | /ˈkæn.di/ | Crystallized sugar formed by boiling down sugar syrup. |
| skip verb | /skɪp/ | To move by hopping on alternate feet. |
| awake verb | /əˈweɪk/ | To become conscious after having slept. |
| cookie noun | /ˈkʊki/ | A small, flat, baked good which is either crisp or soft but firm. |
| snack noun | /snæk/ | A light meal. |
| playlist noun | /ˈpleɪˌlɪst/ | A list of recorded songs scheduled to be played on a radio station. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| slow down verb | To decelerate. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Are you sure you're ready?
- I've got chips, cookies and way too much candy.
- Wait, did you bring any real food?
- How did you guess that?
- Want me to drive the rest of the way?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | I'm thinking · are getting · I'm only going |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | we'll miss · We'll get · I'll even eat |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 13 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, we'll, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like duck, sunset, narrow.
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.