Shadowing Practice: 🇬🇧 Giving Directions - English B1 lesson 31, Intermediate - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Hello and welcome to this B1 Intermediate Lesson 31 with me Kate.
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Today we will be looking at giving directions.
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Okay, here on the screen I have 10 different phrases that are used for giving directions.
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We have go down to the end of the road, go past the cinema, it's on the corner,
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go straight at the lights, take the next right, it's the second right,
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turn left at the traffic lights, cross the road, it's on your left,
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it's on the other side of the road.
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And here I have 10 different images.
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I want you to match these phrases with the images.
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If you need to pause the video, do that now.
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Okay, let's see how you got on.
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First one, what phrase goes with this picture?
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Turn left at the traffic lights.
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Turn left at the traffic lights.
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So, turn left is showing movement.
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Next one.
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Go down to the end of the road.
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Go down to the end of the road.
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It's important to note that go down to doesn't mean there is a hill.
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Just means you go to the end of the road.
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Next one.
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It's on the corner.
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It's on the corner.
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Go past the cinema.
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Past here is a preposition of movement.
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You are moving past the cinema.
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It's on your left.
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It's on your left.
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It's important to note the difference between on your left which is showing position and turn left which is showing movement.
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This one.
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Cross the road.
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Cross the road.
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Here we are showing movement.
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Go straight on at the lights.
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Go straight on at the lights.
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Here the word lights means traffic lights.
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It's very often shortened.
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It's on the other side of the road.
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It's on the other side of the road.
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Again, it's important to note the difference between it's on the other side of the road
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which is showing position and cross the road which is showing movement.
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What about this one?
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Take the next right.
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Take the next right. And this one.
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It's the second right.
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It's the second right.
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So, the second right describes the second opportunity to turn right.
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Okay, we're going to have a little practice.
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I want you to imagine that this stickman here that's just appeared outside the station has asked for directions.
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I will give him directions.
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On the map, I want you to follow those directions.
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Where is the final destination?
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We're going to do this three times.
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So, let's start.
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The first one is the more simple.
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So, number one.
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Go down to the end of the road.
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Turn left.
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It's on your left.
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What's the final destination?
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It's the bank.
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So we go down to the end of the road, turn left and it's on your left.
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Okay, let's try another one, a little bit more difficult, number two.
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So, turn right and go down to the end of the road.
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Turn left at the traffic lights.
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Go down to the end of the road, past the cinema on your right.
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Follow the road around to the right and take the next left.
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It's on the corner opposite the car park.
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What's the final destination?
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It's the bookshop.
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Let's follow those instructions.
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So we start here.
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We turn right and we go down to the end of the road.
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We turn left at the traffic lights and again we go down to the end of the road, past the cinema which is on our right here.
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And we follow the road round to the right and take the next left, it's on the corner opposite the car park, it's the bookshop.
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Okay, we're going to do this one more time.
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Here we go, here he is.
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So, go down to the end of the road,
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turn left, take the next right and go past the park which will be on your right.
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Take the next right, keep going until you see it on your left before the traffic lights.
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What's my final destination?
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It's the supermarket it.
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Let's follow those directions together.
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So here we are, we go down to the end of the road,
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we turn left, we take the next right and go past the park which is on our right,
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we take the next right and we keep going until we see it on our left just before the traffic lights.
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Well done.
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That's it for today.
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I have two questions for you.
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Here are two phrases that we have looked at today.
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Each one has a word missing.
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Can you complete the phrases?
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The first one, it's the corner and the second one, left at the traffic lights.
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Please leave your answers in the comments below.
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Don't forget to subscribe and show your support and coming next in lesson 32 we will be looking at giving written directions.
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Thanks very much for watching, have a great day, goodbye.

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Why This Video Is Perfect for Speaking Practice

This clip stands out as excellent material for IELTS speaking practice and everyday communication because it focuses on high-frequency phrases used in real-life situations. Giving directions is a universal skill, and the video breaks down practical, natural language—no overly complex sentences. The clear visuals and slow, enunciated explanations make it easy to follow, while the mix of movement and position phrases (like "turn left" vs. "on your left") helps learners distinguish between similar but distinct terms. This balance of simplicity and specificity makes it ideal for building confidence in spoken English.

Breaking Down Natural Phrases

Let’s look at a few key phrases that sound natural in everyday speech. First, "Go down to the end of the road" uses "go down" not to describe a hill, but as a casual way to say "proceed to," which is how native speakers often talk. Next, "Take the next right" is a concise, common instruction—"take" here feels more natural than "make" in this context, as it’s the standard verb for directions. Finally, "It's on the other side of the road" clearly signals position, and the phrase "the other side" is a simple, idiomatic way to avoid longer descriptions. These phrases work because they’re short, specific, and mirror how people actually give directions.

A Simple Shadow Speech Routine for This Video

To master these phrases, try a shadow speak exercise. Start by watching the video once to understand the context. Then, play a short segment (5-10 seconds), pause, and repeat the phrase aloud, mimicking the tone, pace, and stress. For example, when Kate says "Turn left at the traffic lights," focus on the rising intonation at the end (common in instructions) and the clear "t" sound in "turn." Record yourself, then compare it to the video—note if your pace matches and if you’re stressing the right words (like "left" or "traffic lights"). Repeat this loop for each phrase, then practice combining them into full directions. This shadowspeak method helps train your mouth to form natural sounds and builds muscle memory for fluent speech, making it a great tool for IELTS speaking practice and real-world interactions.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thingleft which is · road which is · cinema which is
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowhas asked · have looked
Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around nowis showing · are moving · are showing
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or predictionwill be · will give

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →