Shadowing Practice: English Listening Practice | Walk along St Kilda beach on a hot day in Melbourne, Australia - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hi there. Today we are walking along the beach on a hot, overcast day in St Kilda, which is in Melbourne, Australia.
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Hi there. Today we are walking along the beach on a hot, overcast day in St Kilda, which is in Melbourne, Australia.
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If you're new to learning English and want to see more about life in Australia, maybe you're planning to travel here.
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Are studying here, or are moving here for work.
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This video series will help you understand everyday English while exploring real places around Melbourne and Australia.
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In this series, I've used the 3000 most common English words to help you learn quickly through comprehensible input.
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You can speak along with me and use this video for shadowing practice, or you can relax and listen along.
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Okay, let's go for a walk.
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Today is the first really hot day after winter.
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It's 30 degrees today so we've decided to buy an ice cream.
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This ice cream store has a variety of flavours to to choose from.
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They all taste different.
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This store keeps its ice cream underneath these silver lids so the ice cream can stay cold and fresh.
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Do you usually order your ice cream in a cup or a cone?
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The person in the queue in front of us has ordered one scoop of chocolate ice cream in a cone.
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I'm about to order next.
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Me: “Hi. Could I grab a scoop - ah - could I grab one scoop of pistachio in a cone, please?” Server: “A cone?” Server: “Pistachio.” Me: “Thanks, and...” Partner: “And could I please grab a scoop of” Partner: “sherbet lemon in a cone.” Server: “Yeah. In a cone” Because the weather’s so hot, our ice creams started to melt before I could film them.
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Now we're walking through St Kilda to get to the pier and walk along the bay.
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To get there, we’ll walk past this amusement park.
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Can you see that roller coaster moving slowly?
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I'm not sure what this ride is called, but you sit in small chairs and it lifts you up high, then spins you around.
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If you're afraid of heights, maybe this one isn't for you.
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The crossing to get to the beach is pretty crowded today The man in front of us is pushing a pram or a stroller.
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Lots of people are wearing t-shirts and caps.
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Because it's the first hot day in a while, everyone has had the same idea to walk along the beach.
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On the other side of the road there are a few motorbikes parked.
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And now we've reached the beach.
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Plenty of people are sitting on their towels on the sand, and a few people have walked into the water.
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Even though today is very hot, the water in the bay will still be freezing.
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Look at this fluffy white dog on the boardwalk being pat.
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It looks very happy about that.
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If we turn around this corner to the left, we can walk down the pier.
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The pier seems quite busy too.
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Usually, you can see the sunset from here, but today it's overcast.
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The sky is covered in clouds, so unfortunately we won't be able to see the sun.
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On the right side of the pier, people are getting off of a small boat You can see the captain wearing a red t shirt.
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The boat has two bright orange life buoys at the back.
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Further up there are some men fishing.
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They have a few rods set up.
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He just threw a fish back into the water.
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There are fishing rod holders along the pier to make fishing easier.
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This is the handle that you turn to wind up the line.
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Even though today's cloudy, you can still see the city skyline from the pier.
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on the water in front of the skyline, there are many small boats scattered across the bay.
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A bay is part of the ocean that curves into the land like this, because it's surrounded by land on some sides.
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The water in the bay is usually calmer and has smaller waves in the ocean.
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The end of the pier is quite new and has become a popular place to hang out.
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It's pretty busy today.
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There's also an ice cream van at the end of the pier, and the long line of people waiting to buy one.
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Down here we can walk closer to where some of the boats are parked or “moored” which means they're tied up in the water.
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These boats have tall masts where the sails go.
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There's not much wind today, so the water looks very still and clear.
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There's a gate at the end that says no public access.
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So unless we own a boat, we can't go in.
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I don't own a boat, so let's keep walking.
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We'll follow these two people back down the pier.
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It looks like they're still building part of a cafe or a restaurant behind the old building here.
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On the right side, in the water there are a couple of people riding jet skis.
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They're making big splashes and because they know people are watching them from the pier, they're showing off a little.
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Closer to the shore, there's a line of rocks that stick out into the water.
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The rocks have a green algae around the water line, and a few people are sitting out there enjoying the view.
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Now we're back on land, and we'll walk along the edge of the bay until we reach a lookout point.
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In St Kilda, you can fin a lot of fun public art and statues from the 1990s.
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Here are two statues of people drinking coffee, but this one has a rabbit's head and the other has a dog's head On the left side of the path, there's a big grassy area where people are having picnics.
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And on the right side there's the beach.
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These two people are sitting on the edge of the boardwalk with their feet in the sand.
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They have two water bottles, a bag, and their shoes next to them.
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On this path, you must walk your dog on a leash and you're not allowed to drink alcohol outside in this area.
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Here's another statue.
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This one is a scale model of the sun.
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If you walk back the way we came, there's a walking trail of the solar system with all the planets along the way.
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Behind the statue of the sun is a skate park.
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Someone's riding their bike up and down around the ramps and curves.
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Did you see them jump?
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Next to the skate park is the Marina.
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Another place where people can store their small boats or yachts.
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The water looks glassy and blue.
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There are also some jet skis and up the back is an undercover shelter.
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We'll keep following this couple in front of us, dressed in black and white.
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When you look out to the bay.
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It's hard to see the horizon.
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Because the sky and the water are almost the same color.
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The horizon is where the water and the sky meet.
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Just here. Here the path splits into a bike path for cyclists, and a walking path.
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I'll take the walking path on the right.
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There's someone sitting off the path, hidden behind the bushes, on the rocks.
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It's getting darker and now.
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It's close to sunset, even though you can’t see the sun.
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The street lights have turned on because it's become darker.
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There's a thin bridge ahead.
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The path over the bridge is very narrow.
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We're almost at the lookout.
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The clouds in the sky look very dramatic.
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There are some flies buzzing around because of the heat.
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This lady is swatting them away with a branch.
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We've made it to Point Ormond.
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This is a local spot where people gather to watch the sunset.
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Though today it's just a nice place to hang out.
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At the end of the path on the top of the hill, there's a white structure.
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I think it was once used to help sailors navigate to the shore.
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But today there's a DJ playing music underneath it.
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This family in front of me is laying down a picnic blanket.
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Their small dog is so excited.
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It's jumping around and pulling on the leash.
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They've taken off their shoes and have sat on the rug together.
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One of them is taking a nap.
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These two friends are kicking a football back and forth to each other.
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Her kick went too high and the other girl couldn't catch it.
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Now their hand-balling instead.
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Thanks for joining me on my walk along the bay from St Kilda to Point Ormond in Melbourne.
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Even though we didn't see the sunset this time, there was still so much to see along the way.
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Thanks for joining me today for another walk around Melbourne.
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Where would you like to go next?
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Or which everyday English topics would you like to learn about?
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Please let me know in the comments below.
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If you enjoyed this video, please give it a like and subscribe for more simple Australian English practice.
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See you next time.
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About This Lesson

In this engaging listening practice session, you will virtually explore St Kilda beach in Melbourne on a hot day. This lesson is designed to enhance your listening skills while using real-life scenarios. By absorbing everyday English through the transcript, you will gain confidence in speaking and understanding conversational English. This is an excellent practice for those planning to travel, study, or work in Australia. With the help of the 3000 most common English words, you will learn essential phrases and vocabulary that will come in handy in everyday situations.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Ice cream: A popular cold dessert, especially enjoyed on hot days.
  • Scoop: A serving of ice cream taken with a scoop.
  • Cones: A type of edible container for ice cream.
  • Amusement park: A venue featuring rides and games for entertainment.
  • Stroller: A wheeled chair for babies or toddlers used for walking.
  • Fishing rod: A tool used to catch fish.
  • Bay: A body of water partially surrounded by land.
  • Moored: Referring to boats that are tied securely in the water.

Practice Tips

To get the most out of this listening practice, consider using shadow speech techniques. Shadowing, or shadow speak, involves listening to the audio and speaking simultaneously or just after hearing it. This method helps improve your pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation. Since the video has a natural, conversational pace, it is perfect for beginners and intermediate learners. Start by watching without speaking, focusing on comprehending the material. Then, replay segments and practice repeating the phrases. This will improve your fluency and help you sound more like a native speaker.

Additionally, try to mimic the speaker's tone and emotion, which is crucial to mastering spoken English. If you're using a shadowspeaks site or method, utilize its features to record your voice and compare it with the original, allowing you to identify areas for improvement. Happy practicing!

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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