Shadowing Practice: How Billionaires Vacation in the Maldives!! - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
408 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
In this video, I'm gonna show you how the ultra -rich vacation in the Maldives here at the Four Seasons.
2
Right now, I'm on a private island with about 100 villas for rent and it ain't cheap.
3
Here, overwater villas can cost over $10 ,000 a night.
4
Today, I want to show you what a day of eating like the super -rich feels like in the Maldives.
5
Okay, I can honestly say I was not expecting this.
6
You'll see an overwater villa tour.
7
Let's see what's in here.
8
I have no idea.
9
A sample of the room service menu.
10
They're so fancy.
11
This isn't even the food yet.
12
It's just like driftwood and flowers.
13
And the most expensive private dining available here.
14
This is a corn dog suited to Bill Gates or one of his friends like Epstein.
15
But first, let's take a look at how we got here.
16
it works.
17
Today we went to the normal Malay airport to check in and they brought us over here to the seaplane airport.
18
There are tons of different resorts working out of this resort
19
because there's one of two ways to get to the resort itself.
20
Either by boat or if the island is too far, we need to take a seaplane.
21
Cool.
22
A plane is taking off right now.
23
Very cool.
24
That is going to be us soon.
25
Oh, blue ass water.
26
Alright, here is our plane in all its polka dotted glory.
27
Right now I'm on the smallest plane I've ever been on in my life.
28
I am three feet away from actually flying the plane.
29
And this is the view.
30
We have two minutes until we reach dry land.
31
We have just arrived.
32
It is unbelievably gorgeous.
33
Blue as water!
34
Good morning and welcome to the breakfast restaurant.
35
One thing that's really special about the breakfast here is that everything is brought in from the outside.
36
And when I say outside, I don't mean mainland Maldives.
37
Because Malle, the most populated island in the Maldives, also is not growing anything.
38
And that is one of the reasons this place is so expensive.
39
And this is the cold room.
40
Beyond that, they also do have a fruit station.
41
Right here we have the hot counter.
42
This place is full of action.
43
First of all, you can make your own noodles here.
44
They have egg noodles here, and they have rice noodles on this side, and a broth here that is bubbling away.
45
Beyond that, they have the essential egg station.
46
And then right here, the flat top.
47
Yesterday they were making dosas.
48
Today it looks like they are making atapam.
49
This is a Indian breakfast food, but you could also get French toast, you could get crepes, you could get pancakes, or you could get waffles.
50
Made up by my man right here.
51
Hi, good morning!
52
From the hot counter, we are headed to the cold room.
53
First of all, they have the bakery section, including this French word.
54
I don't know how to say.
55
Here they have croissants.
56
Croissants.
57
Cheese smashed potatoes.
58
Huh.
59
I may have to try that.
60
Something I've not heard of before.
61
Here, for people watching their figure, they have yogurt.
62
This is the nut section.
63
On the first day, I thought this was free alcohol.
64
It turns out, it's just a bar full of vinegar. But why?
65
Salad bar, dry cereal, for if you're 10 years old.
66
Right here, the reason that they need to have a cold room in the first place, we have deli meat plus assorted cheeses.
67
More carbohydrates.
68
Right here, this island is my absolute favorite.
69
This is where we can find a ton of Chinese and Asian food, like shumai and other steamed dumplings.
70
They have fried bread, they have some kind of a fried paste on lemongrass.
71
And out of all the foods here, this is the only Maldivian dish I actually see.
72
This is a fish curry.
73
So that is the breakfast spread.
74
You may notice they have a lot of everything from every other country except for this one.
75
But today we changed that.
76
I've requested ahead of time that I get a full Maldivian breakfast.
77
What does that even look like?
78
I don't know.
79
I've never had food from the Maldives.
80
I'm about to find out.
81
Let's take a look.
82
Is this my breakfast?
83
Okay, I can honestly say I was not expecting this.
84
The time has come.
85
Please.
86
Take a look at that.
87
The light, the light.
88
Oh, there we go.
89
All right, folks.
90
Let's get into it.
91
It's Maldivian breakfast time and this looks incredible.
92
What a spread.
93
If I know anything about the Maldives, it's a bunch of small islands.
94
So there's certain foods you're gonna find and certain foods you're not gonna find.
95
First of all, you're not gonna find pork and that's because this is a Muslim country.
96
Second, you're not gonna find beef because where the heck would they raise them?
97
So what are you gonna find?
98
You're gonna find a lot of seafood and coconuts.
99
Here we can see that exemplified.
100
Let's start in the middle.
101
I'm told this is bread that is stuffed with tuna.
102
There it is.
103
Let's give it a shot.
104
Mmm, mmm, I like it.
105
You know what it is?
106
It's a fish sloppy joe.
107
It's not that tuna -y.
108
You taste some dry tuna flakes.
109
But mostly it's very flavorful, very well spiced.
110
Moving on to the next food.
111
Right here, tuna croquettes.
112
Croquette is just a fried ball with stuff inside.
113
And there is that stuff right there.
114
It looks like we have other vegetables, turmeric.
115
Let's give it a shot.
116
Mmm, potato too and also tuna.
117
Very nice.
118
There's hints of Indian influence, but it doesn't taste quite like Indian food.
119
Something different.
120
But speaking of Indian food, this one right here is kind of like an Indian chat.
121
So it's puffed rice mixed with, can you guess?
122
Tuna.
123
Let's give it a shot.
124
Hmm, very nice.
125
A ton of spices and spicy.
126
The puffed rice has become a bit soggy.
127
It's not so crunchy anymore.
128
There is tuna, but I gotta say nothing actually tastes very tuna -y so far because of all the spices inside.
129
It tastes also like some tomato.
130
Very nice.
131
I'm gonna try one more.
132
I want to end on a protein.
133
Right here.
134
Some octopus.
135
This is an octopus that looks absolutely caked in spices.
136
Mmm, soft, tender, the flavor is potent, but not overdone, not over seasoned.
137
It's very, very nice.
138
So that is breakfast here at the Four Seasons, but today is gonna be a jam -packed day.
139
From here, we're gonna be seeing what an overwater villa looks like.
140
From there, we're gonna be ordering one of the most expensive room service options they have here at this resort.
141
And trust me, when I say expensive, you can get here on this island and that will be at the end of the video.
142
But in the main time, we are headed to the villa.
143
When you're on an island like this and it's finally time to switch off, you may find out that turning down the noise isn't so easy.
144
Sometimes the problems you've been out running have been waiting for you
145
and the most important conversation you can have is with someone trained to listen.
146
BetterHelp is our paid partner
147
and they built the whole thing around the part most people get stuck on which is just getting started.
148
When you're at a point in life where money is getting tight, the worst part isn't the number in the account.
149
Part is the low -grade anxiety that follows you around from morning to night.
150
And the voice inside that convinces you that if you just worked a little bit harder, you'd finally be able to exhale.
151
Listen, therapy won't pay your bills, but it loosens the knot beneath them.
152
Which, when you're trying to build something, is the difference between running on fuel and running on fumes.
153
I thought being anxious about money was what made me work hard.
154
But it turns out, I was working hard in spite of it.
155
And that kind of realization is exactly the sort of thing a good therapist helps you get to faster.
156
So when I finally found this job where I could actually make money, it was difficult to not work myself nearly to death.
157
But through working with my therapist, I was finally able to find some balance.
158
Signing up to BetterHelp only takes a few minutes.
159
You answer some questions, they match you with a credentialed therapist, and it all happens online.
160
So you're not adding a commute to your week.
161
If the first match doesn't click, you switch at no charge.
162
Over 6 million people have used it, with a 4 .8 out of 5 on the App Store.
163
So get ahead of it.
164
Go to betterhelp .com /besteverfood for 10 % off your first month, or or click the link in the description.
165
Now, back to the show.
166
With breakfast complete, it is time to take a look at the overwater villas.
167
That is what separates the Maldives from any other resort around the world.
168
The overwater villa is quite simply a villa that's over water.
169
Along here you can find a variety of one bedroom, two bedroom, and three bedroom villas.
170
Today we're going to be showing you a two bedroom, and my gosh, this place is more beautiful than I ever imagined.
171
Before entering, take a look down at this.
172
Blue ass water.
173
At night sometimes you can You can even see sharks swimming around in there.
174
Very cool.
175
Let's go inside.
176
Whoosh.
177
Can I stop the whoosh?
178
So end the whoosh.
179
As you enter the villa, you head straight into this communal central space between the two bedrooms.
180
On this side, you have a large TV, right here a couch, and over here a desk overlooking the ocean.
181
First, I'm going to show you the secondary bedroom, and then I'm going to show you the bigger master bedroom.
182
Before we head into the second bedroom, Right here we have a bar.
183
There is a ton of booze right here.
184
Gin.
185
And then you can have stuff like this.
186
Woosh!
187
D -d -double wine fridge.
188
I can only drink those when my wife is sleeping or not watching.
189
Hmm.
190
Let's see what's in here.
191
I have no idea.
192
A tall refrigerator.
193
How many hotels and resorts do you go to when the refrigerator is built for my two -year -old?
194
Look at this thing.
195
Oh, ice cream.
196
There's ice cream?
197
Can I tell you something?
198
This is our first time going through this place.
199
And they have an alarm going off
200
because I've kept the fridge open too long right here It seems
201
that we have two different coffee makers
202
and then a load of coffee options here of course four different types of booze at your disposal Boom glassware silverware tea.
203
That's what I do.
204
I see bottles like this and I think I want tea Right here more glassware and snacks and finally nothing
205
From the bar room we are headed into the secondary bedroom right here.
206
We have a simple table right here
207
a crib and that is
208
if you have a baby like we do not mandatory here we have a big king bed
209
and then right here we have a closet here you can put your suitcase
210
and then right here we have the secondary bathroom
211
but it still has two sinks one on each side on
212
this side we have the toilet room on this side we have the shower
213
and of course in the middle a bathtub from the secondary
214
bedroom we are going past the bar once again past the living room
215
and into the primary residence right here this is also
216
Here there's a little bit more space and the bathroom is much much bigger.
217
Before we get to the bathroom We have this giant closet space here for two people.
218
Then this is the actual bathroom right here.
219
There's a toilet.
220
There's a bidet.
221
While you're on the throne, you can look down through this glass and see fishes below you.
222
Now right here you could shower inside which is cute, but you could also go here and shower outside.
223
Here you can really get down with nature, be nice exposure where the sun doesn't typically shine.
224
Talk about getting some vitamin D on your D.
225
Let's go back inside.
226
From the bathroom, we're gonna head outside into the patio.
227
And compared to what you just saw inside, this space is about twice as big.
228
Come take a look at this.
229
This is kind of a meeting, breakfast table.
230
Meanwhile, you're getting that epic ocean view.
231
Let's take a look down these stairs.
232
Right down here, there's an awesome net where you can get a great glimpse of the ocean as the sun goes down.
233
You go down.
234
We have a long pool.
235
This is a fun feature.
236
It's just a giant pillow that floats
237
on water cool in this space right here we have some
238
cover from the sun during midday here another long table where you could eat
239
or here we have kind of a lounging area with a giant swinging bed right here
240
And then there's this an outdoor loft.
241
Let's take a look.
242
What's up there?
243
Here's what I think happens here This is like a little
244
getaway an attic a hideaway a place where kids especially could feel like they have some privacy
245
and they can play their board games
246
or Look at questionable content online without anybody monitoring them finally
247
on this side of the dock We have two more sun beds.
248
We have this giant bed right here
249
and then a couple of showers lastly We have this a big comfortable net seating area.
250
You can look at the sharks beneath you
251
night they come out beware so
252
that is a two -bedroom overwater villa here in Four Seasons
253
but guys what is a villa except for a bunch of chairs
254
and some water when I travel I do it for the food
255
and here they have some world -class in room dining I'm about to order
256
that now for breakfast we already tried Maldivian food
257
but now for lunch I really want to test the kitchen
258
by ordering three different types of Asian noodles from all across Asia I want to see if their Let's find out.
259
- Hello, have you brought food?
260
Please come on in.
261
It's quite a balancing act.
262
They're so fancy.
263
This isn't even the food yet.
264
It's just like driftwood and flowers.
265
Very cool.
266
Alright folks, right here we have three different types of Asian noodles
267
and I'm gonna try them one by one and see how they compare to the real thing.
268
But before we get to the noodles, let's talk about the price.
269
First of all, here we have a Vietnamese beef pho, $44.
270
Here we have a Malaysian noodle, $48.
271
Here we have a Pad Thai, $44.
272
Which is good you got to take care of the staff, but then they have a GST or a tax of 17 %
273
That means everything on the menu multiply that by 27 % more
274
and that's actually what you're paying so for these noodles plus two Vietnamese coffees plus all the taxes $205
275
The first one we're gonna be trying today is a pad
276
thai right here It has kind of an egg skirt
277
and along with some shrimp along with some sides I'm gonna
278
hit it with a little bit of sugar some chili flakes some of these nuts And some lime.
279
Mmm.
280
Citrusy, salty, a little spicy, a little sweet.
281
It's got a little bit of everything.
282
Beyond that, the noodles are perfectly coated, absolutely packed with flavor.
283
And they're still elastic, stretchy, and absolutely delicious.
284
Considering we're on an island in the middle of nowhere, far from Thailand, that is pretty damn good.
285
I'm gonna give that a pass, just like my wife gave me after our first date.
286
to the country of Malaysia.
287
Right here they have some microgreens.
288
Again thick rice noodles.
289
All this has been wok tossed and then we have some giant prawns on the side.
290
Oh, I mean it looks greasy, heavy, dyed in brown goodness.
291
This is a much more greasy noodle.
292
It's got some of that wok hay, big plump shrimp. and all that flavor.
293
This is a pass.
294
Finally, we have our last dish right here all the way from Vietnam.
295
This is pho pho.
296
Now, if you look deep within the bowl, you will notice the broth is missing, and that's because the broth is in here.
297
Nice and hot.
298
Let's pour that delicious pho broth over those noodles.
299
Here, they have healthy big pieces of beef.
300
Beyond that, we have the broth, and we have the noodles.
301
Let's mix it all together and toss it back.
302
Mmm, super tasty.
303
The beef experience is so different because when you're eating it in Vietnam, it's like the beef is so thin.
304
But here, there's big meaty chunks.
305
It's quite thick.
306
And then there's the broth.
307
It tastes fatty, rich, concentrated.
308
It tastes like they've made a proper pho broth using pork bones.
309
That said, is it a pass or a fail?
310
I gotta say, it's a pass.
311
But this is just our in -room dining and we still have one more meal remaining.
312
The most expensive dining experience you can have on this island.
313
But we're not having any typical three course meal.
314
No today.
315
I am challenging the chefs with some unusual culinary requests I'm gonna be putting their culinary creativity to the test, but first we have to head to the ocean
316
So right now we're making our way to the meeting point and oh my gosh.
317
This looks good There it is right there and it's very small.
318
It's only about that big if you look closely They have a small boat over there, and I think that's what's gonna be escorting us to dining in the middle of the ocean Hello!
319
There's the one!
320
There's the one!
321
There's the one!
322
There's the one!
323
Now as we approach, I should mention that this is a very expensive dining option.
324
And I'm going to reveal the price by the end of the meal.
325
But first, let's just try to enjoy.
326
Not you.
327
Me.
328
The person spending all this money.
329
Oh, we arrived.
330
Wow.
331
We've got candles and the table itself.
332
provide fresh new food.
333
And that's one of the reasons this is so dang expensive.
334
Now today I've challenged the chefs with three different courses, each with their own unique limitations.
335
For course one, I've said all I want is a plate of corn, but make it fancy.
336
It is time to see what the chef has come up with.
337
Let's take a look.
338
So right here we have our first course.
339
Let's take a look at the description that they just sent me.
340
It says corn fritter, corn on the cob, garlic, shallots, chilies, lime leaves, rice flour, bread flour, chili sambal gel, lime mayo, baby corn butter.
341
So this is what a corn nacho?
342
It looks fantastic for a first course.
343
Oh, interesting.
344
Now that I'm holding it, it seems like more of a pancake than a tortilla.
345
Let's give it a shot.
346
Wow, the texture of the cake is like a thin doughy pancake with tons of flavors piled on top.
347
The corn, very present.
348
Would I call this a plate of corn?
349
Not exactly, but they have definitely utilized corn in a couple of different and creative ways.
350
We have the whole corn kernels this, the baby corn butter, something that I didn't even know existed and perhaps did not exist until just now.
351
So this is course one.
352
Let's see what they made for course two.
353
Right here we have course two.
354
Now for course two, my challenge to the chef was to make a corn dog without using a sausage
355
and to make french fries without using potatoes.
356
And that's what we have right here.
357
What is this exactly?
358
Well, these are fried and breaded asparagus.
359
They have made a beetroot ketchup.
360
It looks oddly pinkish purple.
361
Let's give it a shot.
362
Sweet, yet earthy.
363
I like it.
364
Meanwhile, here we have our corn dog.
365
This is very creative.
366
Here's how they describe it.
367
This is a breaded salmon cream cheese maki.
368
Then there's a garlic chili mayo that you see on the side, and on top of that, chopped up raw tuna.
369
Let's give it a shot.
370
As somebody from Minnesota, this is my kind of sushi.
371
But we still have one course remaining.
372
Let's get to that now.
373
With each moment that goes by this dinner gets more and more romantic, and that's because it's about to intersect with a natural disaster.
374
Now I'm told when these chains are completely horizontal, naturally you have to leave.
375
Right now the winds are, I don't know, only enough to blow away a small child, not a fully grown adult like me.
376
to make something undeniably Maldivian, but to elevate it.
377
And that is what he's done here.
378
Now you might be asking yourself, what am I looking at exactly?
379
I don't know either.
380
But I'm gonna read it to you and we'll both find out.
381
On this dish they have a sweet potato puree, they have lime leaf oil, hand -caught lobster, home -grown landa spinach,
382
sweet potato crisps, home -grown sea grapes on top of the lobster, lobster emulsion sauce, and paprika oil.
383
Step 1 before eating, pour the emulsion on top.
384
Let's do it.
385
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
386
oh, oh, oh, Let's try again.
387
It's literally coming out sideways.
388
Nailed it.
389
This is a big cross -section of lobster tail.
390
We have that sweet potato puree.
391
We want to scoop some of that up.
392
We have that lobster emulsion that's flattered all over the place.
393
Let's give it a shot.
394
you eat, but it's got a nice bite to it.
395
My god, that was a tasty bite.
396
That's nice.
397
Not only is it delicious, but if you combine these ingredients with these weather conditions, you get kind of a work of art.
398
This is not an accident.
399
This is a Van Gogh Basquiat.
400
So that is our main course out of three, but let's talk about the price.
401
For a meal like this, it's not cheap, though it would be cheaper if I ate alone.
402
I didn't think about that.
403
Okay, my wife did not like that idea.
404
The For this meal, this experience, and all the food, all together is $400 per person.
405
$800 total to eat here in the middle of the ocean, just a short swim from the shore.
406
But listen, when you're part of the ultra rich like Bill Great, when you're part of the ultra rich like Bill Gates, the price is an afterthought.
407
And the before thought is, is this gonna be yummy?
408
And the before before thought is, hey, can I get this?
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
B22
Sonny’s Unforgettable Food Experience!! (Hint: in Japan!) #shortsvideo #shorts #food
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
The Dark Side of Maldives!! (Outside the Resorts!)
Travel EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B12
Surviving on $20 a Day in Vietnam!! (3 meals / 1 hotel)
Travel EnglishTeensHigh School Students
B165
Vietnam’s Michelin Street Food Under $1
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B11
$100 Sri Lanka Street Food Challenge!! (They went too far!!)
Travel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
B120
Saigon After Midnight!! Vietnam Late Night Street Food!!
Travel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
B2Life Inside Asia's Military-Run Country!!
Travel EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B2$100 Vietnamese Night Market Challenge!! Super CHEAP Street Food in Saigon!!
Travel EnglishTeensUniversity Students
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B21
358 sentences
Touring a $25,000,000 Miami Waterfront Mansion on an Exclusive Island
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
556 sentences
My First 24 Hours in Bangkok! 🇹🇭 Travel with me, Viral 7/11 snacks & Shopping at Mega Malls!
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B2664 sentences
5 Days in Madagascar | World's Poorest Island
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
102 sentences
Beach Gear That Will Blow Your Mind!
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
627 sentences
The Biggest Buffet in America… Is It Worth It? 🇺🇸
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
33 sentences
The Most Beautiful Place I've Ever Seen: Ha Long Bay
American AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
42 sentences
Gordon Ramsay's Avocado Toast
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
433 sentences
Asking Millionaires to Cook for Them in Their House!
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
251 sentences
I Tried Living in the Happiest City in the World
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B29
50 sentences
What's the deal with the food in Japan?
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
588 sentences
I Tried Every Seat on the Most Expensive Airline
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
598 sentences
Surviving 5 Days DEEP in the Amazon Jungle...
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Why practice speaking with this video?
This video offers a unique opportunity for English speaking practice through real-life experiences narrated by the speaker. By engaging with the content, learners can immerse themselves in the luxurious lifestyle of the ultra-rich, specifically their vacations in the Maldives. Not only does this setting introduce learners to rich vocabulary related to travel and luxury, but it also provides a glimpse into cultural nuances. Practicing with such engaging content through techniques like shadow speech allows you to mimic the speaker's intonation and rhythm, enhancing your fluency and confidence in spoken English.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Throughout the video, several key structures are highlighted that learners can benefit from:
- Simple Present Tense: “I’m gonna show you how the ultra-rich vacation...” This structure is straightforward and commonly used in spoken English, making it ideal for IELTS speaking practice.
- Present Continuous Tense: “Right now, I’m on a private island…” This tense effectively conveys ongoing actions, enhancing the vibrancy of the narration.
- Modal Verbs: “You can make your own noodles here…” Using modals allows the speaker to indicate ability and possibility, which is essential for expressing invitations and suggestions in conversation.
- Phrasal Verbs: “We need to take a seaplane.” Mastering common phrasal verbs like "take off" and "check in" is vital for everyday speech.
Common Pronunciation Traps
As you watch and listen to the video, there are several tricky words and pronunciation patterns to pay attention to:
- "Maldives": This word often trips up non-native speakers due to its unique vowel sounds. Practice saying it out loud to get comfortable with the flow.
- "Seaplane": Note the emphasis on the second syllable. It’s important to stress the correct syllable to convey your meaning effectively.
- "Gorgeous": This word can be mispronounced if not practiced. Focus on the 'gor' sound blending smoothly into the 'geous' for clarity.
By practicing shadowing these phrases, listeners can improve not only their vocabulary but also their accent and overall confidence while speaking. Combining these techniques with regular shadowing site sessions will significantly enhance your English speaking abilities.
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 ever been · have just arrived · I've not heard |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is brought · are headed · is stuffed |
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.