Shadowing Practice: English Listening Practice | Grocery Shopping at the Supermarket in Australia - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

Medium
Shadowing Controls
0% completed (0/112 sentences)
Hi there. Today I need to go to the chemist and the supermarket to pick up some groceries.
⏸ Paused
Speed:
Repeat Count:
Wait Mode:
Sub Sync:0ms
All Sentences
112 sentences
1
Hi there. Today I need to go to the chemist and the supermarket to pick up some groceries.
0:00.83 – 0:07.54 (6.7s)
2
I'm not visiting a garden today, but I hope that you'll learn some new English vocabulary that you can use in everyday life.
0:07.54 – 0:15.25 (7.7s)
3
if you're new to learning English and want to see more about life in Australia, maybe you're planning to travel here, are studying here, or are moving here for work, this video series will help you understand everyday English while exploring real places around Melbourne and Australia.
0:16.42 – 0:36.38 (20.0s)
4
In this series, I've used the 3000 most common English words to help you learn quickly through comprehensible input.
0:36.38 – 0:44.50 (8.1s)
5
You can speak along with me and use this video for shadowing practice.
0:44.50 – 0:49.42 (4.9s)
6
Or you can relax and listen along.
0:49.42 – 0:52.92 (3.5s)
7
Okay, let's go for a walk.
0:52.92 – 0:54.88 (2.0s)
8
Let's walk into the chemist.
0:55.46 – 0:58.00 (2.5s)
9
This chemist sells many different bathroom products, medicines and toiletries.
0:58.00 – 1:05.04 (7.0s)
10
This aisle is full of different kind of makeup and cosmetics.
1:05.04 – 1:10.46 (5.4s)
11
These eyeliner pencils come in blue, black, purple and white.
1:10.46 – 1:18.21 (7.8s)
12
Towards the back of the store, I can find the first item that I need.
1:18.21 – 1:23.21 (5.0s)
13
I'm looking for some moisturiser.
1:23.21 – 1:26.25 (3.0s)
14
The moisturiser is on this shelf in a white container.
1:26.25 – 1:30.79 (4.5s)
15
The larger container is on sale, which means it's cheaper to buy the bigger size.
1:30.79 – 1:36.50 (5.7s)
16
It's better value so I’ll buy that one.
1:36.50 – 1:39.33 (2.8s)
17
Because it is spring, there is a lot of pollen in the air and the weather has been very windy.
1:39.33 – 1:46.58 (7.3s)
18
This can cause allergies called “hayfever” where your eyes get itchy and you sneeze.
1:46.58 – 1:53.92 (7.3s)
19
I'm going to buy a packet of allergy tablets to prevent hayfever.
1:53.92 – 1:59.00 (5.1s)
20
Down this aisle is toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other things you use to look after your teeth like floss and mouthwash.
1:59.00 – 2:09.00 (10.0s)
21
I've bought my allergy tablets and moisturiser, and now we can head to the supermarket to buy a few groceries for dinner tonight.
2:09.00 – 2:17.54 (8.5s)
22
The walkway between the chemist and the supermarket is undercover and has fairy lights hanging along the sides At night, the restaurants here are open and you can sit at these tables to eat.
2:17.54 – 2:31.29 (13.8s)
23
Out the other side, next to a car park, is the supermarket.
2:31.29 – 2:37.29 (6.0s)
24
Before you go inside, you can take a trolley to put your items in.
2:37.29 – 2:42.13 (4.8s)
25
A trolley is a shopping cart with wheels that you push around the store.
2:42.13 – 2:47.42 (5.3s)
26
These trolleys are linked together, so you need to put a coin in here to unlock one.
2:47.42 – 2:54.58 (7.2s)
27
We're only buying a few items today, so I'll take a basket instead.
2:54.58 – 2:59.83 (5.3s)
28
In we go. The first section is the fresh produce section, where they sell fresh fruits and vegetables.
2:59.83 – 3:07.58 (7.8s)
29
Mangoes are in season, which means that they are growing right now and taste their best.
3:07.58 – 3:13.04 (5.5s)
30
so we'll definitely get one.
3:13.04 – 3:14.96 (1.9s)
31
Behind the mangoes is a set of scales.
3:14.96 – 3:18.38 (3.4s)
32
Scales measure the weight of the produce so you know how much you're buying.
3:18.38 – 3:23.88 (5.5s)
33
A lot of fresh produce is charged by weight, so this can be helpful.
3:23.88 – 3:29.75 (5.9s)
34
Next we need some spinach.
3:29.75 – 3:32.67 (2.9s)
35
I eat a lot of spinach, so I usually get this big bag.
3:32.67 – 3:37.63 (5.0s)
36
I also want some blueberries for my breakfast.
3:37.63 – 3:42.46 (4.8s)
37
I'll check the bottom of the container to make sure that none of them are squished.
3:42.46 – 3:47.21 (4.8s)
38
I'm looking for a green chili.
3:47.21 – 3:50.33 (3.1s)
39
The red chilies on the left are smaller than the long green chilies on the right.
3:50.33 – 3:56.83 (6.5s)
40
I'll take this one.
3:56.83 – 3:59.42 (2.6s)
41
Now I'm looking for a red onion.
3:59.42 – 4:03.21 (3.8s)
42
These onions here have papery layers on the outside, but this one looks smooth.
4:03.21 – 4:10.25 (7.0s)
43
I'll put it in the basket.
4:10.25 – 4:13.50 (3.3s)
44
Over here is the deli.
4:13.50 – 4:15.54 (2.0s)
45
A deli in a supermarket is where they sell cold meats like ham or sliced chicken.
4:15.54 – 4:22.83 (7.3s)
46
I'm a vegetarian, which means I don't eat meat, so I don't usually visit the deli.
4:22.83 – 4:29.08 (6.3s)
47
But they also have olives, sun dried tomatoes, and different kinds of cheese.
4:29.08 – 4:37.04 (8.0s)
48
They also sell fresh fish here.
4:37.04 – 4:40.75 (3.7s)
49
Behind the deli there are loaves of bread.
4:40.75 – 4:44.79 (4.0s)
50
This one has black sesame seeds on top.
4:44.79 – 4:48.25 (3.5s)
51
Right over here in the back corner, there are little containers you can store your meals in.
4:49.46 – 4:56.17 (6.7s)
52
This one is quite small.
4:56.17 – 5:00.29 (4.1s)
53
This is the refrigerated section, meaning the temperature of these shelves is kept cold so the food stays fresh.
5:00.29 – 5:09.00 (8.7s)
54
Here you can find more cheese, tofu and dips.
5:09.00 – 5:14.00 (5.0s)
55
These are foods that need to be stored in a cold place.
5:14.00 – 5:18.33 (4.3s)
56
Now we're in the snack aisle.
5:18.33 – 5:21.21 (2.9s)
57
There are lots of varieties of biscuits.
5:21.21 – 5:24.88 (3.7s)
58
There are chocolate chip cookies and Tim Tams and there are also bags of lollies or candy.
5:24.88 – 5:32.96 (8.1s)
59
My partner likes this KitKat flavor, so we'll buy that today.
5:32.96 – 5:38.79 (5.8s)
60
It's also half price!
5:38.79 – 5:41.21 (2.4s)
61
Into the basket.
5:41.21 – 5:43.67 (2.5s)
62
In the next aisle, they have tea, coffee and alternative milk or non-dairy milk.
5:43.67 – 5:52.71 (9.0s)
63
We'll get some oat milk to put in smoothies.
5:52.71 – 5:56.63 (3.9s)
64
There's also a lot of bottled water on sale.
5:56.63 – 6:00.08 (3.5s)
65
The tap water in Victoria is some of the best and cleanest in the world, so you don't really need to buy a plastic bottles of water here.
6:00.08 – 6:09.00 (8.9s)
66
There's a list at the end of the aisle on a red chain.
6:09.00 – 6:13.17 (4.2s)
67
The list shows the most common items in the store and where you can find them.
6:13.17 – 6:18.79 (5.6s)
68
Back in the refrigerated section, there are plenty of bottles of milk.
6:18.79 – 6:23.42 (4.6s)
69
This is dairy milk from cows, so it needs to be kept cold too.
6:23.42 – 6:30.50 (7.1s)
70
Now we’re in the pharmacy aisle, similar to the chemist.
6:30.50 – 6:34.92 (4.4s)
71
This is where you can find bandaids, shampoo, and other personal items like deodorant or soap.
6:34.92 – 6:43.33 (8.4s)
72
But we already bought what we needed earlier at the chemist.
6:43.33 – 6:46.88 (3.5s)
73
This is the cleaning aisle.
6:46.88 – 6:49.88 (3.0s)
74
These cleaning products come in spray bottles where you pull the trigger, and the product sprays out of the nozzle at the front.
6:49.88 – 6:58.33 (8.5s)
75
On the shelf below, the cleaning product is in tubs.
6:58.33 – 7:03.42 (5.1s)
76
Bottles are on the bottom shelf.
7:03.42 – 7:07.79 (4.4s)
77
The scrubbing brushes are up high.
7:07.79 – 7:10.33 (2.5s)
78
These are for washing your dishes.
7:10.33 – 7:12.17 (1.8s)
79
At the end of the aisle is some stationery, like scissors and notebooks, candles and balloons for a party.
7:12.17 – 7:21.75 (9.6s)
80
This pack of markers has every color of the rainbow, and if you need glue, it's just underneath.
7:21.75 – 7:30.71 (9.0s)
81
I also need some batteries for a microphone I own.
7:30.71 – 7:35.33 (4.6s)
82
I'll take this large pack so I don't run out for a while.
7:35.33 – 7:39.38 (4.0s)
83
Christmas is next month, so there are Christmas themed items here too.
7:39.38 – 7:44.75 (5.4s)
84
This toy is very squishy and cute.
7:44.75 – 7:50.00 (5.3s)
85
We'll go through the self-checkout today because we only have a few items.
7:50.00 – 7:55.21 (5.2s)
86
We'll put our basket on the side and scan each item at the checkout.
7:55.21 – 8:01.63 (6.4s)
87
Scanning is when you hold the barcode underneath the light so the machine can read it.
8:01.63 – 8:08.29 (6.7s)
88
At this self-checkout, you place each scanned item in the bagging area so the machine can check the weight.
8:08.29 – 8:17.29 (9.0s)
89
For fresh produce, you put the item on the scale and tap the screen to select what it is like the red onion or these bananas.
8:17.29 – 8:28.13 (10.8s)
90
The mangoes aren't purchased by weight, so we'll type “1” on the screen.
8:28.13 – 8:34.54 (6.4s)
91
We have a rewards card that we can scan, and then we'll choose to pay by card, which we can do on our phone.
8:36.58 – 8:47.00 (10.4s)
92
Time for my partner to pack the bag.
8:47.00 – 8:49.83 (2.8s)
93
He does it very carefully and fits everything in neatly.
8:49.83 – 8:54.38 (4.5s)
94
All right, we've done our grocery shopping.
8:54.38 – 8:57.29 (2.9s)
95
Let's head back to the car, and unpack everything at home.
8:57.29 – 9:01.33 (4.0s)
96
Time to put our shopping away.
9:02.21 – 9:04.50 (2.3s)
97
We've got a big bag of spinach that can go in our refrigerator.
9:04.50 – 9:09.38 (4.9s)
98
The bananas are quite big and will fit perfectly in the fruit basket under the bench.
9:09.38 – 9:16.58 (7.2s)
99
The mango can go there too.
9:17.88 – 9:21.42 (3.5s)
100
Next bag. Our oat milk and soy milk go next to the coffee machine.
9:21.42 – 9:30.04 (8.6s)
101
And I’ll put the reusable bags away for next time.
9:30.04 – 9:34.67 (4.6s)
102
Thanks for coming grocery shopping with me today.
9:34.67 – 9:37.58 (2.9s)
103
If your eyes feel itchy and you sneeze a lot.
9:39.88 – 9:43.00 (3.1s)
104
What might you have?
9:43.00 – 9:46.00 (3.0s)
105
Hay fever or allergies?
9:48.33 – 9:51.33 (3.0s)
106
What do we call an area that's kept cold so food can stay fresh?
9:52.00 – 9:57.96 (6.0s)
107
for another walk around Melbourne.
10:06.02 – 10:08.52 (2.5s)
108
Where would you like to go next?
10:08.52 – 10:10.89 (2.4s)
109
Or, which everyday English topics would you like to learn about?
10:10.89 – 10:14.31 (3.4s)
110
Please let me know in the comments below.
10:14.31 – 10:17.27 (3.0s)
111
If you enjoyed this video, please give it a like and subscribe for more simple Australian English practice.
10:17.27 – 10:24.06 (6.8s)
112
See you next time.
10:24.06 – 10:26.31 (2.3s)

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you'll practice understanding conversational English in a real-life context, specifically focusing on a grocery shopping experience in Australia. You'll gain exposure to various everyday vocabulary related to shopping, such as items found in a chemist and a supermarket. This lesson is perfect for learners who wish to enhance their listening skills while exploring practical language used in daily life, making it an excellent choice for those planning to travel or move to Australia.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Chemist: A shop that sells medicines, toiletries, and beauty products.
  • Moisturiser: A lotion or cream used to hydrate the skin.
  • Trolley: A shopping cart with wheels used for carrying groceries.
  • Fresh produce: Fruits and vegetables that are freshly picked and sold.
  • Deli: A section of the supermarket where cold cuts, cheeses, and prepared foods are sold.
  • In season: A term indicating that a fruit or vegetable is currently being harvested and is at its best quality.
  • Squished: A term used to describe fruit or vegetables that are damaged or overly pressed.

Practice Tips

To maximize your learning experience with this video, consider using shadow speaking techniques. Shadowing involves listening to the speaker and simultaneously repeating what they say to improve your English pronunciation and fluency. Since the video provides clear and conversational speech, it's a great tool for both english speaking practice and pronunciation enhancement.

Here are a few specific tips for shadow speech:

  • Start by listening to each segment without speaking. This allows you to understand the context and vocabulary.
  • Focus on individual phrases as they are spoken. Use a shadowing app if needed, to replay sections easily.
  • Pay attention to the speaker's intonation and rhythm, mimicking these features to sound more natural.
  • If the pace is too fast, practice with a slower playback speed, and gradually increase it as you become more comfortable.
  • Repeat each phrase multiple times before moving on to the next, ensuring you have grasped both the words and their pronunciation.

Incorporating these tips into your practice will help you improve your English pronunciation and listening skills effectively while preparing you for real-world 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.

How to Practice Effectively on ShadowingEnglish

  1. Choose your video: Pick a YouTube video with clear, natural English speech. TED Talks, BBC News, movie scenes, podcasts, or IELTS sample answers all work great. Paste the URL into the search bar. Start with shorter videos (under 5 minutes) and content you find genuinely interesting — motivation matters.
  2. Listen first, understand the context: On your first pass, keep the speed at 1x and just listen. Don't try to repeat yet. Focus on understanding the meaning, picking up new vocabulary, and noticing how the speaker stresses words, links sounds, and uses pauses.
  3. Set up Shadowing mode:
    • Wait Mode: Choose +3s or +5s — after each sentence plays, the video pauses automatically so you have time to repeat it out loud. Choose Manual if you want full control and press Next yourself after each repetition.
    • Sub Sync: YouTube subtitles sometimes appear slightly ahead or behind the audio. Use ±100ms to align them perfectly so you can follow along accurately.
  4. Shadow out loud (the core practice): This is where the real work happens. As soon as a sentence plays — or during the pause — repeat it out loud, clearly and confidently. Don't just mouth the words: mirror the speaker's exact rhythm, stress, pitch, and connected speech. Aim to sound like a shadow of the speaker, not just a word-by-word recitation. Use the Repeat feature to drill the same sentence multiple times until it feels natural.
  5. Scale up the challenge: Once a passage feels comfortable, push your limits. Increase speed to <code>1.25x</code> or even <code>1.5x</code> to train high-speed language reflexes. Or set Wait Mode to <code>Off</code> for continuous shadowing — the most advanced and rewarding mode. Consistent daily practice of 15–30 minutes will produce noticeable results within weeks.

☕ Buy us a coffee

Donate via PayPal