Shadowing Practice: Everyday English: Travelling - Learn English Speaking with Video
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106 sentences
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1
Hey, nice shirt, Jack.
2
And a suitcase?
3
Are you going somewhere?
4
Well, Sarah, I've been bitten by the travel bug, so I'm going to go to the beach for a holiday.
5
Well, it sounds nice, but can you not go just yet?
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Jack has just said he's been bitten by the travel bug.
7
Now, that might sound strange, but it's actually an idiom.
8
An idiom is a commonly used phrase that has a different meaning to its literal definition.
9
Bitten by the travel bug means that you have a strong desire to travel.
10
Here are some other travel idioms.
11
To put your feet up means to relax.
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It's been really stressful at work.
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I can't wait to get to the beach and put my feet up.
14
To hit the road means to begin a journey.
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I'm all packed.
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Everything's ready to go.
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I'm going to hit the road.
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To be on the move means to be travelling from one place to another.
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You might not be able to call me while I'm gone because I'm going to be on the move.
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Speaking of which, I'm off.
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Bye, Jack. That means he's leaving.
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See you, Jack.
23
Well, now that it's just me, let's take a look at the different types of travelling options in Australia.
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You can fly to a destination by taking an aeroplane, which we usually shorten to plane.
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You can also drive.
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Sometimes we call a driving holiday a road trip.
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You can also take a train or a bus, or you can go on a cruise on a ship.
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When you arrive at your destination, there are a few different accommodation options, which means places you can stay.
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You can stay in a hotel or a motel.
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Motels are usually designed for people travelling by car.
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Resorts often have more facilities, like for example pools or restaurants or tennis courts.
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You can go camping, which is when you stay in a tent or maybe a caravan or camper trailer.
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You can camp in a camping ground or sometimes in the bush, which means in nature.
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You might want to stay in a B &B, which stands for bed and breakfast.
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A B &B is private accommodation where you can book a room overnight.
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Backpacker is a word we use to describe someone who travels with their belongings in a big backpack or rucksack.
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A backpacker's hostel is a cheap accommodation option where travellers often stay in shared rooms.
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Now, let's see how Jack's going.
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Hey, Sarah.
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Hey, Doug.
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How's the holiday going?
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I've just arrived.
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I'm sitting on the beach now.
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Wow, that was quick.
45
Yeah, I decided to fly.
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It's much quicker than driving.
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Smart move.
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So, are you looking forward to putting your feet up?
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I'm already putting my feet up, but I'll be on the move again pretty soon.
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I might go camping, but I'll have to buy a tent first.
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That'll be only for one night though.
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The rest of the time I'm going to stay at a B &B.
53
So you're not staying in a backpackers then?
54
No, I have met a couple of backpackers.
55
There's some backpackers' hostels around, that's probably why.
56
Anyway, while I'm here I'm going to read a book or two.
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I might go shopping.
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I'm not going to do any work though.
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Well, I'm very jealous.
60
Have a great holiday.
61
I'll talk to you again later.
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Bye.
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See ya.
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Now, when Jack told me about his plans for his holiday, he used the future tense.
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For example, he said, I'll be on the move again pretty soon.
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I'll is the contracted form of I will, which we use to talk about a definite future action.
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When we use going to followed by a verb, it shows that we're planning something in the future.
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For example, Jack said, I'm going to stay in a B &B.
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I'm going to read a book or two.
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Jack also said that he might go shopping.
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Now, might indicates a possibility in the future.
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You can also use may.
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For example, I might get a tan or I may go swimming.
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If you want to make those negative, you add not.
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So, I might not get a tan.
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I will not go swimming.
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I may not rent a car.
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I'm back.
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That was quick.
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How was your holiday?
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It was fantastic.
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The weather was great.
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I went camping and fishing.
84
I rented a place near the beach.
85
Oh, and I got you this souvenir.
86
Thanks.
87
Thanks.
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Well, now you're back.
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It's a good time to talk about the past tense.
90
Okay, well let's start with was because my holiday was fantastic.
91
Was is the past tense of to be.
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If my holiday hadn't gone so well, I could have said it wasn't great, which is the contracted form of it was not great.
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I also said I went fishing.
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Went is the past tense form of to go.
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And if I wanted to make that negative, I'd say I did not or I didn't go fishing.
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Let's look at some rules for forming past tense.
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If a verb ends with a consonant, like walk, you add ed.
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So walk plus ed becomes walked.
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Rent plus ed becomes rented.
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If the verb ends in e, then you sometimes just add d like hike becomes hiked.
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There are plenty of exceptions and these are called irregular verbs.
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For example, by becomes bought, bring becomes brought, and ride becomes road.
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There are lots more of those tricky verbs, but the good news is you can practice them by describing something fun.
104
Well, happy travelling and don't forget to share your stories with us.
105
Bye.
106
Bye.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Everyday English: Travelling”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: holiday, Jack, becomes, travel, verb. This video has 106 sentences and 950 words to shadow. The speech runs for 5:49. The speaker talks at a natural 163 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tense noun | /tɛns/ | The property of indicating the point in time at which an action or state of being occurs or exists. |
| verb noun | /vɝb/ | A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being. |
| bite verb | /baɪt/ | To cut into something by clamping the teeth. |
| accommodation noun | /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/ | Lodging in a dwelling or similar living quarters afforded to travellers in hotels or on cruise ships, or students, etc. |
| arrive verb | /əˈɹaɪv/ | To reach; to get to a certain place. |
| destination noun | /dɛstɪˈneɪʃən/ | The place set for the end of a journey or to which something is sent; place or point aimed at. |
| swim verb | /swɪm/ | To move through the water, without touching the bottom; to propel oneself in water by natural means. |
| tent noun | /tɛnt/ | A pavilion or portable lodge consisting of skins, canvas, or some strong cloth, stretched and sustained by poles, used for sheltering people from the weather. |
| hike noun | /haɪk/ | A long walk, usually for pleasure or exercise. |
| motel noun | /moʊˈtɛl/ | A type of hotel or lodging establishment, often located near a major highway, which typically features a series of rooms whose entrances are immediately… |
| commonly adverb | /ˈkɑmənli/ | As a rule; frequently; usually. |
| resort noun | /ɹɪˈzɔɹt/ | A place where people go for recreation, especially one with facilities such as lodgings, entertainment, and a relaxing environment. |
| exception noun | /əkˈsɛpʃən/ | The act of excepting or excluding; exclusion; restriction by taking out something which would otherwise be included, as in a class, statement, rule. |
| indicate verb | /ˈɪndɪˌkeɪt/ | To point out; to discover; to direct to a knowledge of; to show; to make known. |
| tennis noun | /ˈtɛnɪs/ | A sport played by two players (or four in doubles), who alternately strike the ball over a net using racquets. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Are you going somewhere?
- I'm going to hit the road.
- Speaking of which, I'm off.
- I'm sitting on the beach now.
- So you're not staying in a backpackers then?
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 been bitten · has just said · It's been |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | options, which means · camping, which is · bush, which means |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | I've been bitten · been bitten · are usually designed |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might sound · might not be · might want |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 33 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I'll, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: accommodation /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/, destination /dɛstɪˈneɪʃən/, exception /əkˈsɛpʃən/, shorten /ˈʃɔɹtn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: accommodation /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/, destination /dɛstɪˈneɪʃən/, irregular /ɪˈɹɛɡ.jə.lɚ/
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 tense, verb, bite.
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.