Shadowing Practice: Hibernating in My NYC Loft - Learn English Speaking with Video
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50 sentences
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1
and It is so cold here in New York.
2
We got like over a foot of snow
3
Maybe five days ago and I've just been waiting for it to melt
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and it is taking forever six months ago I was trying to fix one of my curtains
5
So I stepped on the middle part of the window
6
and I think that I might have actually broke it a little bit
7
Like I pushed it out of place and ever since then there's just been a little bit of air
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That's able to get through into my room
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and right now it's super cold in New York like I said so it's a big issue.
10
It's totally throwing off the entire heating environment.
11
Most of my days involve at least a little bit of cooking.
12
Today I'm making a Chinese dish called Hong Shao Re.
13
I used to never cook but that changed when I had a little health issue a few years ago.
14
Back in COVID times near the end of 2020, I was almost done editing a video when I felt a sharp pain in my lower abdomen.
15
My dad drove me to the emergency room and they found that I had a tumor in my colon.
16
I had broken some bones in the past.
17
I had cut open my leg once or twice, but I never thought I would be diagnosed with something like this.
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And at the time I was only 19, so I didn't expect it at all.
19
But then a tumor board looked at my case
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and they thought the best approach would be to remove a third of my colon to clear out the tumor completely.
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So I had the surgery done and I've been cancer -free ever since.
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You know, everything's been going good, but even all these years later,
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I still feel a mild pain in the part of my abdomen where they rejoined my colon.
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I still eat ice cream and cookies and by no means living a particularly healthy lifestyle,
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but I do try to cook as much as I can
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because then I have a better idea of what is actually in my food.
27
Nothing like a bowl of rice on a cold day.
28
I'm excited to dive into this.
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I head up into the loft, put on my sleeping mask, and I just try to doze off for maybe like eight to 20 minutes not
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that long if I fall asleep for longer than
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that it makes me feel like I'm actually gonna go to sleep sleep
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I feel like I've been inside all day like I've been hibernating so I'm gonna go out and try to do something.
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I'm going to meet up with my friend Shane.
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Shane Boyer, some of you guys might have seen him in my videos maybe.
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He's been in a couple of the older ones.
36
Yeah, we're going to try to do some skating, so I'm excited.
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I haven't been on my board in a minute, so let's do it.
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No son of a death
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The ice guys so so so
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Fuck good to get out, stretch the legs.
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We can still ollie, so we're going to put the ramps away and get out of here.
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I'm frozen.
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He's frozen.
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And I'm stuck in a tunnel.
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I'm not having a good time.
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What?
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I'm just kidding.
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Nah, he's in his natural element.
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He's meant to be underground or on the roof.
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I'm sorry.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Hibernating in My NYC Loft”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: colon, tumor, cold. This video has 50 sentences and 578 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:13. The speaker talks slowly, about 80 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 80% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| tumor noun | /tuː.məɹ/ | An abnormal growth; differential diagnosis includes abscess, metaplasia, and neoplasia. |
| colon noun | /ˈkoʊ.lən/ | The punctuation mark ⟨:⟩. |
| freeze verb | /ˈfɹiːz/ | Especially of a liquid, to become solid due to low temperature. |
| abdomen noun | /ˈæb.də.mən/ | The belly, or that part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis, not including the back; or in some lower vertebrates, the portion between the cardiac… |
| sharp adjective | /ʃɑɹp/ | Terminating in a point or edge, especially one that can cut or pierce easily; not dull, obtuse, or rounded. |
| bone noun | /boʊn/ | A composite material consisting largely of calcium phosphate and collagen and making up the skeleton of most vertebrates. |
| element noun | /ˈɛləmənt/ | One of the simplest or essential parts or principles of which anything consists, or upon which the constitution or fundamental powers of anything are based. |
| asleep adjective | /əˈsliːp/ | In a state of sleep; also, broadly, resting. |
| stretch verb | /stɹɛt͡ʃ/ | To lengthen by pulling. |
| underground adjective | /ˌʌn.dəɹˈɡɹaʊnd/ | Below the ground; below the surface of the Earth. |
| mask noun | /mæsk/ | A cover, or partial cover, for the face, used for disguise or protection. |
| edit verb | /ˈɛdɪt/ | To change a text, or a document. |
| lifestyle noun | /ˈlaɪfˌstaɪl/ | A style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group. |
| involve verb | /ɪnˈvɑlv/ | To have (something) as a component or a related part; to comprise, to include. |
| tunnel noun | /ˈtʌn(ə)l/ | An underground or underwater passage. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| clear out verb | To completely empty. |
| get out verb | To leave or escape. |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. |
| throw off verb | To confuse; especially, to lose a pursuer. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've just been waiting · everything's been going · I've been hibernating |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | there's just been · I've been · He's been |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might have |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | gonna go · I'm going to meet · we're going to try |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 21 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I've, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: sharp /ʃɑɹp/, dish /dɪʃ/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like tumor, colon, freeze.
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.