Shadowing Practice: Buying a Second-Hand Bike - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Hello! I've come about the bike you're selling online.
2
Ah, you must be Hannah. Come in, it's just here.
3
Thanks. Oh, it looks even nicer than in the photos.
4
It's in good condition. I've looked after it carefully.
5
How long have you had it?
6
About five years, but I haven't used it much recently.
7
Why are you selling it, if you don't mind me asking?
8
My knees aren't what they used to be, I'm afraid.
9
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
10
Has it ever had any problems?
11
Only a flat tyre once, and I fixed it straight away.
12
Would you mind if I took it for a quick ride?
13
Not at all. Go up to the end of the road and back.
14
The brakes feel good, and the gears are smooth.
15
I had it serviced last spring, so it should be fine.
16
You're asking a hundred and twenty pounds, aren't you?
17
That's right. It cost over four hundred when it was new.
18
Would you accept a hundred? That's what I've got with me.
19
Hmm. Let's meet in the middle and say a hundred and ten.
20
That sounds fair. It's a deal!
21
Here, take the lock as well. I don't need it any more.
22
That's really kind of you. Thank you.
23
Enjoy it, and be careful on the roads.
24
I will. I'm going to cycle to work from now on.
📺 Same Channel
A21,146
Taking the Bus to the City Centre
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A1752
Fruit at the Market
American AccentKidsDaily Conversation
B21,028
My First Month Living Abroad
American AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A2417
A Rainy Night at the Corner Shop
American AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A2543
Finding Things at the Supermarket
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A2151
What's Your Phone Number? Meeting a New Classmate
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
A2220
Buying a Phone Charger
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B2360
Weekly Team Meeting: Project Status Update
American AccentBusiness EnglishWorking Adults
B1129
Buying Train Tickets at the Station: Single or Return?
American AccentBritish AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A1226
Breakfast Time
American AccentKidsDaily Conversation
C1251
IELTS Speaking Part 2: A Place That Changed My Perspective
American AccentBritish AccentIELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
A213
What's in Your School Bag?
American AccentBritish AccentKidsTeensDaily Conversation
A2115
How Much Is This Bag?
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1128
First Day at a New Job
British AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B134
Calling In Sick: I Can't Come to Work Today
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A2129
Meeting My New Neighbour
British AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1105
Talking to a Neighbour About the Noise
British AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1161
Buying a Train Ticket to Bath
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A151
At the Aquarium: One, Two, Many
American AccentKidsDaily Conversation
B1189
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Hometown, Studies and Free Time
American AccentBritish AccentIELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
✨ Recommend Video
B11
152 sentences
How to Sell Things Online in English | Buying and Selling Secondhand
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
A22
17 sentences
Riding a Bike to Work #shorts #slowenglish #Eco-friendly #dailyenglish #englishbeginners #imbrian
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B15
154 sentences
Real British English conversation: renting a flat in the UK
British AccentBusiness EnglishTravel EnglishDaily Conversation
B117
27 sentences
English Conversation Between Girl and Traffic Police | Learn English Through Real-Life Conversation
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B18
208 sentences
How to Talk About Transport and Driving in English - Spoken English Lesson
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B128 sentences
وقع بفخهم .. | Small Time 2014
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B210
635 sentences
9 Conversations That Will Make You Sound 100% British · Intermediate level
British AccentCambridge Exam PrepDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B12
108 sentences
21 Lessons I Learned on My First Bike Tour - Cycling Tour Tips
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B19
24 sentences
June 24, 2026
Business EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
46 sentences
Speak Out B1+, 3-rd ed unit 5, Street Interview
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 24 sentences and 229 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:24. The speaker talks at a natural 164 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 86% 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
12 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| carefully adverb | /ˈkɛɹf(ə)li/ | With care; attentively, circumspectly. |
| gear noun | /ɡɪɚ/ | Equipment or paraphernalia, especially that used for an athletic endeavor. |
| smooth adjective | /smuːð/ | Having a texture that lacks friction. Not rough. |
| knee noun | /ni/ | In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank. |
| pound noun | /ˈpaʊ̯nd/ | A unit of weight in various measurement systems. |
| brake noun | /bɹeɪk/ | A device used to slow or stop the motion of a wheel, or of a vehicle, usually by friction (although other resistive forces, such as electromagnetic fields or… |
| tyre noun | /taɪə(ɹ)/ | The ring-shaped protective covering around a wheel which is usually made of rubber or plastic composite and is either pneumatic or solid. |
| twenty noun | /ˈtwɛnti/ [-ɛɾ̃i] | The numbers twenty (20) to twenty-nine (29). |
| cycle noun | /ˈsaɪ.kəl/ | An interval of space or time in which one set of events or phenomena is completed. |
| careful adjective | /ˈkɛɹfəl/ | Taking care; attentive to potential danger, error or harm; cautious. |
| bike noun | /baɪk/ | Any vehicle sharing some characteristics with a bicycle or motorbike, such as pedal power, a handlebar, or a saddle. |
| lock noun | /lɑk/ | Something used for fastening, which can only be opened with a key or combination. |
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 | I've come · I've looked · have you had |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | you're selling · are you selling · You're asking |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 13 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I've, aren't. 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.
- 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 carefully, gear, smooth.
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.