Shadowing Practice: English in Daily Life – Talk About Your Day | Podcast for Beginners - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hello everyone and welcome back to Mr. English Channel.
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Hello everyone and welcome back to Mr. English Channel.
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I'm Emily.
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And I'm Paul.
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So happy to be here with you all today.
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Yes, it's great to have you back with us.
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And today we have a super fun and helpful topic for all our English learners out there.
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We're going to talk about something we all do every single day, our daily routine.
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Oh, I love this topic.
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It's so practical and full of everyday English.
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Before we dive in, please,
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if you're enjoying our podcast,
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remember to subscribe to the channel,
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share this episode with your friends who are learning English,
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and give us a big thumbs up.
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It really helps us a lot.
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Absolutely.
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Your support means the world to us.
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So for today's episode, we have a special guest.
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Well, not a real guest,
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but we're going to listen to the story of someone named Sarah.
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She's going to tell us all about her daily routine.
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Ooh, I'm excited.
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We'll listen to Sarah's story,
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and then Emily and I will chat about it,
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breaking down some of the English she uses and giving you some extra tips.
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Exactly.
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It'll be a relaxed chat,
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almost like we're just talking about our day.
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So, without further ado, let's listen to Sarah's daily routine.
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Hi everyone, my name is Sarah,
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and I'm happy to share my daily routine with you.
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I usually get up at around 6 more in the morning.
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The first thing I do is turn off my alarm,
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and then I stretch in bed for a few minutes.
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After that, I get out of bed and go to the bathroom to have a shower.
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After my shower, I dry myself and get dressed.
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I usually choose comfortable clothes for the day.
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Then, I go downstairs to the kitchen and make breakfast.
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I usually have a bowl of oatmeal with fruit and a cup of tea.
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While I eat breakfast, I often read the news on my phone.
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After breakfast, I wash the dishes and tidy up the kitchen.
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Then, I brush my teeth and put on a little makeup.
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Around 7.30 a.m., I leave the house to go to work.
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I usually take the bus,
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which takes about 30 minutes.
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I arrive at work at 8 a.m and start working immediately.
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I usually work on my computer and attend meetings throughout the morning.
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Around 12 o'clock, I have lunch with my colleagues in the cafeteria.
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We usually chat and relax during our lunch break.
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After lunch, I go back to work and continue my tasks until 5 o'clock.
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When I finish work, I go back home by bus.
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Sometimes, if the weather is nice, I walk home.
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When I get home, I usually feel tired,
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so I relax on the sofa for a while.
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Sometimes, my friend comes over and we talk or watch a movie
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Other times I cook dinner for myself I like to eat dinner around 7.30pm After dinner,
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I usually wash the dishes again and then I might read a book or watch some TV Before bed,
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I always brush my teeth again and get ready for bed I usually go to bed around 10 or 10.30pm
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That's pretty much my daily routine.
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Wow, that was Sarah's day.
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What a routine.
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Yeah, that's a busy day.
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I liked how she started,
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Hi everyone, my name is Sarah,
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and I'm happy to share my daily routine with you.
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It's a nice simple way to introduce yourself and what you're going to talk about.
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Very clear.
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Absolutely.
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And then she immediately jumps into the morning,
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saying, I usually get up at around 6 in the morning.
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This phrase, get up, is super common for waking up and getting out of bed.
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We use it all the time.
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Right.
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And notice she says, at around six.
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That around is useful.
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It means not exactly six,
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maybe five minutes before or five minutes after.
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It's an approximation.
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Good word to know.
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Yes, and what's the very first thing she does?
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The first thing I do is turn off my alarm.
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Ah, the alarm clock.
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That's a universal experience, isn't it?
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Turn off means to make it stop,
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like turning off the light.
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Yep, that noisy alarm.
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And then she says, and then I stretch in bed for a few minutes.
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Oh, I love that.
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Stretching is great.
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Stretch means to extend your body, make it long.
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It feels good.
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Mmm, yes, it does.
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And then, after that, I get out of bed.
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So, get up is waking up,
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and get out of bed is physically leaving the bed.
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Two different but related actions.
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Exactly.
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And she goes to the bathroom to have a shower.
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We say have a shower or take a shower.
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Both are correct and very common.
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Okay, so after her shower,
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Sarah says, I dry myself and get dressed.
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So dry myself means to use a towel, right?
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And get dressed is to put on clothes.
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Simple, but important actions.
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Yeah.
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And she says, I usually choose comfortable clothes for the day.
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Good choice, Sarah.
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Comfort is key.
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Choose means to pick, to select,
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and comfortable means feeling good, not tight, not itchy.
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Definitely.
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Then I go downstairs to the kitchen and make breakfast.
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Go downstairs means going to a lower floor in a house,
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and make breakfast is to prepare food for breakfast for breakfast.
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You can also say, cook breakfast or prepare breakfast.
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Oh, and her breakfast.
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I usually have a bowl of oatmeal with fruit and a cup of tea.
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Mmm, sounds healthy.
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Have here means to eat or drink.
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So you can have breakfast, have lunch, have dinner.
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And a bowl of oatmeal.
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Oatmeal is a type of hot cereal made from oats,
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Very common breakfast food.
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Yes, very common.
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And while I eat breakfast,
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I often read the news on my phone.
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While means at the same time.
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So eating and reading the news simultaneously.
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And on my phone.
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We often say on for electronic devices when we're using them for information.
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Like on the internet, on my computer.
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After breakfast, she says, I wash the dishes and tidy up the kitchen.
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Important chores.
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Wash the dishes is to clean the plates, cups, and forks.
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And tidy up means to make a place neat and organized,
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like putting things back in their place.
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Yes, tidy up is a great phrase.
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You can tidy up a room, tidy up your desk.
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Then I brush my teeth and put on a little makeup.
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Brush my teeth is for oral hygiene, very important.
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And put on makeup means to apply cosmetics to your face.
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Right.
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And then, around 7.30, I leave the house to go to work.
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So, leave the house is to exit your home.
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And to go to work is her destination.
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And how does she get there?
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I usually take the bus,
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which takes about 30 minutes.
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So, take the bus means to use the bus as transport.
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And, takes about 30 minutes tells us the duration of the trip.
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Takes here is about time.
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That's a good point, Paul.
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We often use take when talking about how long something lasts.
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For example, the movie takes two hours.
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So, Sarah arrives at work.
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I arrive at work at 8 and start working immediately.
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Arrive at means to reach a place.
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And start working immediately means she begins her tasks right away with no delay.
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Wow, she's very prompt.
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She is.
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And she says, I usually work on my computer and attend meetings throughout the morning.
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So work on my computer means she uses her computer for work tasks.
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And attend meetings means to go to and participate in meetings.
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Throughout the morning means all during the morning, from beginning to end.
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Good phrase, throughout.
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And then around 12, I have lunch with my colleagues in the cafeteria.
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Again, have lunch, meaning to eat lunch.
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And colleagues are people you work with, your co-workers.
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And a cafeteria is a place where you can buy and eat food.
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usually in a workplace or school.
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Yes.
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And what do they do during lunch?
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We usually chat and relax during our lunch break.
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Chat means to talk in a friendly, informal way.
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And relax means to rest and feel calm.
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A lunch break is a period of time during the workday when you stop working to eat lunch.
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After lunch, I go back to work and continue my tasks until 5.
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go back to work means she returns to her job
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and continue my tasks means she keeps doing her work responsibilities tasks are duties
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or pieces of work that need to be done and then
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when I finish work I go back home by bus finish work means to complete your work for the day
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and go back home is to return to your house.
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She still takes the bus.
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Yes, but then she says,
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Sometimes, if the weather is nice, I walk home.
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Ah, a little change of pace.
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If the weather is nice means if it's sunny and pleasant outside.
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And walk home means she goes home on foot, not by bus.
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That's a great option if the weather is good.
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I like that.
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So, when I get home,
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I usually feel tired, tired,
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so I relax on the sofa for a while.
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Ooh, I can relate to that.
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Get home means to arrive at her house.
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And feel tired is how she feels — sleepy, without energy.
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So she relax on the sofa,
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she rests on the couch.
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For a while means for a short period of time.
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Yep, that's me, after work.
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And then she has some social time.
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Sometimes my friend comes over and we talk or watch a movie.
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Comes over means a friend visits her at her house.
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And talk or watch a movie are common activities with friends.
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Yes, very nice.
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And other times, I cook dinner for myself.
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So, cook dinner means to prepare the evening meal.
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And for myself means she cooks only for her, no one else.
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She likes to eat dinner around 7.30.
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Again, around for an approximate time.
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After dinner, I usually wash the dishes again.
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Ah, yes, the dishes again.
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And then I might read a book or watch some TV.
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Might here means maybe.
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It's a possibility.
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So she might do one or the other or both.
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Yes, might is a good word for possibilities.
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And before bed, I always brush my teeth again and get ready for bed.
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So another brushing of the teeth.
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Good dental hygiene, Sarah.
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And get ready for bed means to prepare to go to sleep,
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like putting on pajamas.
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And finally, I usually go to bed around 10 or 10.30.
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Go to bed means to go to sleep.
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And she gives a range of times, 10 or 10.30.
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And then, that's pretty much my daily routine.
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Pretty much means almost, mostly.
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So that covers most of her typical day.
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What a great summary of a day.
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Sarah's routine is so clear,
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and she used so many common English phrases we use every single day.
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Agreed.
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It's fantastic for learners because it's a real-life example.
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We heard so many verbs related to actions.
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Get up, turn off, stretch,
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get out of bed, have a shower,
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dry myself, get dressed, go downstairs,
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make breakfast, wash the dishes,
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tidy up, brush my teeth,
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put on makeup,
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leave the house take the bus arrive at work start working
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attend meetings have lunch go back to work finish work get
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home relax comes over talk watch a movie cook dinner read a book get ready for bed go to bed
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whoo that's a lot phew that's a lot
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but that's how we talk about our days now let's listen to Sarah's routine one more time
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and this time try to really focus on the words and phrases we just discussed.
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See if you can catch them.
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Hi everyone.
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My name is Sarah and I'm happy to share my daily routine with you.
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I usually get up at around six more in the morning.
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The first thing I do is turn off my alarm and then I stretch in bed for a few minutes.
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After that, I get out of bed and go to the bathroom to have a shower.
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After my shower, I dry myself and get dressed.
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I usually choose comfortable clothes for the day.
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Then I go downstairs to the kitchen and make breakfast.
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I usually have a bowl of oatmeal with fruit and a cup of tea.
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While I eat breakfast, I often read the news on my phone.
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After breakfast, I wash the dishes and tidy up the kitchen.
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Then, I brush my teeth and put on a little makeup.
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Around 7.30 a.m., I leave the house to go to work.
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I usually take the bus,
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which takes about 30 minutes.
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I arrive at work at 8 a.m and start working immediately.
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I usually work on my computer and attend meetings throughout the morning.
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Around 12 o'clock, I have lunch with my colleagues in the cafeteria.
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We usually chat and relax during our lunch break.
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After lunch, I go back to work and continue my tasks until 5 o'clock.
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When I finish work, I go back home by bus.
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Sometimes, if the weather is nice, I walk home.
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When I get home, I usually feel tired,
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so I relax on the sofa for a while.
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Sometimes, my friend comes over and we talk or watch a movie.
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Other times I cook dinner for myself.
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I like to eat dinner around 7.30 p.m.
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After dinner, I usually wash the dishes again,
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and then I might read a book or watch some TV.
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Before bed, I always brush my teeth again and get ready for bed.
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I usually go to bed around 10 or 10.30 p.m.
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That's pretty much my daily routine.
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And that was Sarah's daily routine.
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We hope listening to it twice and hearing our explanation helped you understand it even better.
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Yes, daily routines are a fantastic way to practice your English because they involve so many common verbs and actions.
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Try talking about your own routine.
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Absolutely!
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We encourage you to try describing your own day, just like Sarah did.
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Use the words and phrases you learned today.
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And before we go, please remember to subscribe to Mr. English Channel,
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share this episode with anyone learning English and leave us a comment below.
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Tell us one thing you do every day that makes you happy.
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That's a great idea, Paul.
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We'd love to hear from you.
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Thank you so much for joining us today on Mr. English Channel.
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See you next time.
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Keep practicing your English.
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Bye-bye.
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Bye, everyone.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
Practicing your English speaking skills is essential, and this video makes it enjoyable and applicable to daily life. By listening to Sarah share her daily routine, you can engage in a real-world context that enhances your english speaking practice. This approach not only familiarizes you with common phrases and vocabulary but also allows you to mimic natural speech patterns. Such practice is particularly beneficial for those preparing for exams like IELTS, where clear communication and appropriate expressions are crucial. Furthermore, by shadowing the speaker, you align your pronunciation and rhythm with native speakers, significantly assisting in your overall fluency.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Throughout Sarah's narrative, several key grammatical structures and expressions exemplify everyday English usage:
- Present Simple Tense: “I usually get up at around 6 in the morning.” This structure is commonly used to describe habitual actions. Practicing this tense will help solidify your ability to talk about your routines.
- Sequence of Actions: “First I do this, then I do that.” This simple sequential structure is practical for describing an order of events. Incorporating this into your speaking can clarify your thoughts and improve coherence.
- Time Expressions: Phrases like “around 7:30 a.m.” or “after breakfast” are crucial for situating your actions in time. Learning these expressions can enhance your narrative skills, particularly in storytelling formats.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While practicing with the video, pay close attention to certain words and sounds that might be tricky:
- “Routine”: Many learners struggle with this word due to the “oo” sound. Ensure you practice the pronunciation to achieve clarity.
- “Breakfast”: The connection between the “break” and “fast” portions can be challenging. Focus on pronouncing them smoothly to sound more natural.
- “Tidy Up”: This phrase might be pronounced quickly in natural speech, so pay attention to how it's delivered. Shadowing can help you get the intonation right, making you sound more fluent.
By being aware of these pronunciation traps and actively practicing through shadowing, you can significantly improve english pronunciation. Engaging with this content not only prepares you for daily conversations but also creates a solid foundation for situations you may encounter in IELTS speaking practice. So listen, repeat, and enjoy the journey of learning English!
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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