Shadowing Practice: Can You Keep Up With Fast British English? | Guided Listening - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
107 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Okay, our goal today is to try and understand as much as possible when a native English speaker is talking fast.
2
And today he does speak fast.
3
Before I play the first audio clip, take a look at this question.
4
Why does he, the person speaking, want the other person to use their phone?
5
Okay, take a listen.
6
Can you get your phone out and open Google Maps instead, please?
7
The car is telling me to join the motorway, but I know that's not right.
8
Okay, I told you he was fast.
9
Now, firstly, there's lots of connected speech here.
10
Can you get your phone out?
11
Can you get your phone out?
12
There's a lot of it.
13
So if you want to go back and listen again, please use the chapters.
14
But this is what he said.
15
Can you get your phone out and open Google Maps instead, please?
16
So that's already kind of the answer to the first question he wants them to open Google Maps.
17
Do we understand why?
18
He says the car is telling me to join the motorway.
19
By the way, motorway is how we say the highway or the freeway in the UK.
20
We always say motorway, but I know that's not right.
21
Okay, so he's talking about the car like it's a person, and when he says the car, he means the sat nav, the satellite navigation that's built into the car.
22
He's saying the sat-nav from the car is telling him to go one way, but he knows it's not right.
23
So he's basically saying, I need you to check the directions on their phone.
24
So that's answering the first question.
25
Now that we know the setting, we know that they're in the car, we know it's about directions, it should really help us grasp the next part.
26
So in the second part of the clip, can we answer this?
27
Is this the first time the sat nav has caused problems?
28
Okay, let's keep going.
29
9 times out of 10 it gets it wrong.
30
Hold on, it's changing its mind.
31
Now it's telling me to do a U-turn like it was my fault.
32
Seriously, I've had enough.
33
You can't rely on this thing at all.
34
Okay, so he said 9 times out of 10.
35
This is a useful phrase when you want to just say most of the time.
36
You could mix it up and say 99 times out of 100,
37
but this is by far the most common way of using numbers or fractions to say most of the time.
38
Nine times out of ten it gets it wrong.
39
It meaning the sat-nav from the car.
40
Hold on, it's changing its mind.
41
Now it's telling me to do a U-turn.
42
A U-turn is a turn in the road, like 180 degrees completely back the other way.
43
In the UK we also say to do a U-ey, to do a U-turn.
44
So it's telling him to go back the other way.
45
like it was my fault.
46
It makes sense it's saying my fault because if you're going back the other way then you've gone wrong.
47
He's saying the satnav is trying to tell me I've gone wrong.
48
It's my fault even though he knows it's not.
49
Seriously, I've had enough.
50
You can't rely on this thing at all.
51
I can't remember if he said can't or can't.
52
I always switch which one I say.
53
Sorry if you're looking for can't with the British English today.
54
So we've got the answer kind of twice.
55
Is it the first time?
56
Well, he said nine times out of 10 it gets it
57
wrong straight away we've got the answer no it's not the first time
58
but we also get extra clues at the end you can't rely on this thing at all
59
if you can't rely on it then he wouldn't really say
60
that if it was the first time he's done it
61
so we've got a few clues here to answer question two
62
so question three did they leave on time let's keep going please get your phone
63
and you better call your mum while you're at it because we're already running late as it is.
64
You know the restaurant name right?
65
Just make sure it's the one in Bristol.
66
Okay so what have we got here?
67
Please get your phone.
68
So he's just saying it again.
69
He already said get your phone out.
70
He's getting frustrated.
71
He's a please get your phone and you'd better call your mum while you're at it.
72
While you're doing that thing at the same time.
73
Cause he didn't say because, because we're already running late as it is.
74
As it is is like saying anyway, like we're already running late as it is.
75
He says already so you don't really need to have as it is but
76
before all of this problem happened with the sat nav they were already running late.
77
So that answers the question, did they leave on time?
78
No, they were already running late.
79
You know the restaurant name, right?
80
Just make sure it's the one in Bristol.
81
Bristol is the name of the city, so I'm guessing that this restaurant that they're going to is a chain.
82
They've got lots of different locations, so he's just saying to her, make sure that it's the one in this city and that you're not go into a different chain.
83
Okay, fast native speaker.
84
Now let's listen to it again from start to finish
85
and hopefully it's going to be a little bit more familiar with you now.
86
Feel free to look at the words on the screen or look away if you want that extra practice.
87
Take a listen again.
88
Can you get your phone out and open Google Maps instead please?
89
The car is telling me to join the motorway but I know that's not right.
90
Nine times out of ten it gets it wrong.
91
Hold on, it's changing its mind.
92
Now it's telling me to do a U-turn like it was my fault.
93
Seriously, I've had enough.
94
You can't rely on this thing at all.
95
Please get your phone.
96
And you'd better call your mum while you're at it, because we're already running late as it is.
97
You know the restaurant name, right?
98
Just make sure it's the one in Bristol.
99
Oh, I really understand his frustration.
100
Let me know in the comments if you've also had problems with your sat nav.
101
And if you'd like to keep your studying going, I've made a playlist.
102
If you're interested in British English listening in particular.
103
Thank you for watching.
104
Thank you for watching.
105
I'm not good at finishing videos.
106
Cut it there.
107
See you later.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B11
194 sentences
Caught in Traffic | English Listening & Speaking Practice
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B123
189 sentences
Learn Real British English in a British Town
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B13,358
19 sentences
Why You Cannot Understand Native Speakers Even When You Know The Words
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B13
395 sentences
Walk With Me and Practice Natural English
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
152 sentences
Improve Your English Speaking Skills | Shadowing English Practice (Everyday Situations)
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B19
208 sentences
How to Talk About Transport and Driving in English - Spoken English Lesson
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B115
36 sentences
English Listening Quiz - But, Bought, Boat?
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B13
175 sentences
How to Speak English Without Fear | B1 English Listening Practice
Interview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B12
293 sentences
Easy English Podcast for English Conversations | Asking for Directions
Travel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
B12
326 sentences
【地道英式Podcast】提升英語最快的方法：打造你的英文腦，擺脫翻譯思維|學習必聽攻略！|聽懂英語、敢說出口，一次解決學習痛點｜B1聽力Podcast|Mind the Gap系列
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
33 sentences
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐DO YOU MAKE THESE MISTAKES? IN?ON? AT? FOR? | Learn English for 30 days | Lesson 7 |
British AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B22
851 sentences
Day 5: American English vs British English — Key Differences | English Listening Practice (B1–B2)
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Can You Keep Up With Fast British English?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: telling, nav, sat, answer, running. This video has 107 sentences and 1121 words to shadow. The speech runs for 6:17. The speaker talks at a natural 178 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 91% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| motorway noun | /ˈməʊtəweɪ/ | A highway with grade-separated crossings (rather than level crossings) and designed (and only permitted) for high-speed motor-traffic (in Europe motor vehicles… |
| rely verb | /ɹɪˈlaɪ/ | To trust; to have confidence in; to depend. |
| clue noun | /kluː/ | Information which may lead one to a certain point or conclusion. |
| clip noun | /klɪp/ | Something which clips or grasps; a device for attaching one object to another. |
| frustrate verb | /ˈfɹʌsˌtɹeɪt/ | To disappoint or defeat; to vex by depriving of something expected or desired. |
| satnav noun | /ˈsæt.næv/ | A satellite navigation system. |
| playlist noun | /ˈpleɪˌlɪst/ | A list of recorded songs scheduled to be played on a radio station. |
| freeway noun | /ˈfɹiː.weɪ/ | A highway with grade-separated crossings (rather than level crossings) and designed (and only permitted) for high-speed motor-traffic running in two directions… |
| firstly adverb | /ˈfɜɹstli/ | In the first place; before anything else; first. |
| fraction noun | /ˈfɹæk.ʃən/ | A part of a whole, especially a comparatively small part. |
| grasp verb | /ɡɹæsp/ | To grip; to take hold, particularly with the hand. |
| frustration noun | /fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The feeling of annoyance at impossibility from resistance or inability to achieve something. |
| navigation noun | /nævɪˈɡeɪʃən/ | The theory, practice and technology of charting a course for a road vehicle, ship, aircraft, or spaceship. |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| satellite noun | /ˈsætəlaɪ̯t/ | A moon or other smaller body orbiting a larger one. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go back verb | To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time. |
| look away verb | To ignore something; to pretend not to have seen or noticed something; to avoid dealing with something. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Can you get your phone out?
- Do we understand why?
- You can't rely on this thing at all.
- It's my fault even though he knows it's not.
- You know the restaurant name right?
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 | has caused · I've had · you've gone |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | were already running |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | is talking · is telling · you're going |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | they're going to is · it's going to be |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 42 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't, you're, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: fraction /ˈfɹæk.ʃən/, frustration /fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/, navigation /nævɪˈɡeɪʃən/
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 motorway, rely, clue.
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.