Shadowing Practice: How to give directions (Melbourne walking tour) | Real Life English Practice - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hi there. Today we're going to practice listening to directions.
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I'll tell you how to navigate the city and look for street art in laneways, using present and future tense as if I'm giving you directions to follow.
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There's a link to the map I’m following in my description if you'd actually like to try this walk yourself.
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But today I'll use simple, real directions that you can use in everyday life while I move between each spot.
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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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If you're new to learning English and want to see more about life in Australia, maybe you're planning to travel here, are studying here, or will move here for work, this video series will help you understand everyday English quickly through comprehensible input while exploring real places around Melbourne and Australia.
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PDF scripts are available to download for members of my channel, and I upload bonus videos each month that are filled with extra questions and moments for you to practice speaking English out loud.
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I make new videos every week, so please subscribe to see them every Sunday.
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Okay, let's go for a walk.
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Start on the north side of the city.
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You'll want to walk down laneways, not on the main streets.
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Laneways are narrow streets that are for pedestrians only.
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Cars can't typically drive down them.
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Melbourne's laneways are often filled with cafes, bars and little shops.
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They're also known for being colourful with street art.
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First, at the start of the laneway, look to your right.
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On the right there are some posters and small paintings on the brick wall.
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Some of the posters have been glued to the wall for a long time.
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They're starting to peel off.
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Some new posters have been glued over the top of old posters.
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It's a mix of many different pieces together.
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From this corner, turn right and keep walking along the laneway.
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Walk past the cafe that's open on your right.
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This laneway is known for the greenery lining the street.
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There are plants on both sides of the street.
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The cafes are hidden among the plants.
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The cafe on the left side of the laneway opens for lunch.
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It's not open yet.
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You'll see the menu in front of the cafe.
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The menu has pictures of everything you can order.
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Across from the cafe, there are plants hanging in pots from a window.
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It looks like a bird is sitting here, but it’s another piece of street art.
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Up ahead on your left, you'll see a large mural.
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A mural is a big painting on a wall.
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This mural is painted to look like there's a room that you could walk into.
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The mural is surrounded by big leafy plants.
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Just a few metres ahead on your right, there's a painting of a man holding a hose.
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It looks like he's watering the plants in the laneway.
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There's also a bike that's been hung above the painting of the man.
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You can't ride the bike.
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It's just for decoration.
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Keep walking to the end of the laneway.
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You'll see a small truck parked at the end.
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Go around the truck, then turn right onto the next street.
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Once you've passed the building covered in orange tiles on your right, make a left turn onto the next street.
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If the footpath here is closed, you'll have to cross over to the right side of the road and walk along that footpath instead.
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They're doing some construction work.
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Construction work is when people are building or fixing something.
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Soon you'll reach the lights.
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Sometimes people just say “the lights” instead of “the traffic lights”.
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First, you'll have to wait for the green light.
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Then cross the street.
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Walk across the road and over the tram tracks.
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After that, keep walking straight.
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Continue walking until you're at the next block.
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Just before you reach the next block, stop one lane way before the end, and turn right.
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You'll see a line of people on your right hand side.
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They're queuing up to buy something.
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There's a popular bakery here.
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Turn right at the bakery and then walk into the next laneway.
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This laneway is a dead end.
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A dead end means that you can't go any further.
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At the end of the laneway there's a large mural on the wall.
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You can't miss it.
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The mural is about 2 or 3 storeys high up the side of the wall.
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It looks like a creature with lots of arms and tentacles.
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The colours are vibrant green, pink and purple.
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To the right of the mural, at ground level, you'll see another painting.
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This painting looks like an emu, but this emu is dressed as a punk.
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It has blue hair and piercings.
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There's an interesting detail if you look closely at the emu’s eye.
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There's a reflection of a street on a clear, sunny day.
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Once you've seen the art, turn around and walk back to the bakery.
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When you reach the corner, turn right and keep walking straight.
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You'll see lots of graffiti and little paintings on the walls here.
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Towards the end of the laneway, on the left side you'll see pieces of clay attached to the wall.
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They're molded into different shapes, like a flower or a crown.
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The clay pieces keep going until the end of the laneway.
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The left side of the wall is covered in them.
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You could spend ages looking at them all.
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When Australians say “ages”, we mean “a long time”.
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When you're ready, turn left onto the next main street.
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At the intersection, cross in which ever direction the light turns green first.
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The intersection is where two roads meet.
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Follow everyone across the road to the right, then cross again to your left.
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Keep heading straight up this street.
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Turn down the first laneway on your right.
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It'll be easy to see because there's some street art at the end of the laneway.
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Down this laneway, you'll see a bar with some outdoor seating.
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Down the side of the bar is another dead end that's covered in street art.
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There'll be a basketball hoop there too, above the first painting you'll see on your right.
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If you look up above the bar, there's a large painting of a woman's face high up on the wall.
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It's very lifelike.
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I wonder how the artist painted it up so high.
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Keep walking to the end of this laneway.
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The further you walk, you'll notice less street art.
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The walls are cleaner down this end of the laneway.
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At the end of the laneway, where the cars are driving, turn right.
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Now, you're in Chinatown.
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Walk straight ahead and underneath the archway.
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How do you usually navigate around a new city?
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Navigate means to find your way.
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I usually use the maps app on my phone.
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I'll type in where I want to go and follow the directions.
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That's the easiest way to get somewhere, but sometimes I arrive and I can't see the place in real life, or the map takes me somewhere confusing or unfamiliar.
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That's when it's really useful to know how to ask for directions.
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One simple way to ask is: “Excuse me, how do I get to__________?” And then say your location.
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For example, “Excuse me, how do I get to the museum?” Try asking this out loud right now.
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Nice one. Another way to ask is: “Can you tell me how to get to the_________?” And say your location.
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For example, “Can you tell me how to get to the train station?” Try asking this out loud now too.
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Great. If you're looking for something that might be near to you or close by, you can ask: “Is there_________nearby?” And add your location in the middle of the sentence.
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For example, “Is there a public toilet nearby?” Try this one to.
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Nice work. On this street you'll find an information booth.
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If you really need help with directions, the people here can help you.
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To get to the next street art spot, turn left when you get to the info booth, and walk down the narrow laneway.
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This laneway is next to Melbourne's biggest cosmetic store.
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You'll be able to see in the windows as you walk past.
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People will be shopping for skincare and makeup products.
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There'll be chairs and mirrors and people having their makeup done.
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Keep walking all the way to the end of this laneway.
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Look both ways before you cross the road.
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Then cross to the other side.
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After that, turn left and take an immediate right down the next street.
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Immediate means right away.
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Walk down through this undercover area until you reach a sign with a rainbow on it.
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When you're underneath the sign, turn left into the laneway.
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You won't be undercover anymore.
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In this laneway, you'll see lots of different small artworks that are all in their own frames.
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There are heaps of frames hanging on the wall here.
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There are usually people looking at the art and taking photos in front of it, like they're in an art gallery.
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Across from the wall of frames there's a small cafe.
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It's got a very cozy vibe.
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You could drink your coffee and look at the art.
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When you're ready to move on, walk back to the undercover area and through the automatic doors.
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Walk through the small shopping centre.
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You'll see that the whole bottom floor is a bookstore when you pass by it.
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Outside again, there'll be a pedestrian crossing at the tram stop.
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This is where cars should pause for pedestrians to cross.
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The tram will not pause, so take care as you cross to make sure that it's clear.
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Continue down the laneway in front of you.
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Take a left and then an immediate right at the store that sells glasses.
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In between the shelves of glasses on display, you'll see a painting of a cat standing up like a human.
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It's holding bunches of sunflowers and some balloons.
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The next cat is holding baguettes and is wearing a red beret.
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There are different cats holding different things all the way down this laneway.
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The last one is holding a koala.
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To head to the last spot we'll visit, walk back out of this laneway and take a right.
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If the footpath is closed again, you'll have to go around.
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Cross over at the lights and head up Flinders Lane.
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You'll walk past a florist on the right hand side of the street.
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It's a beautiful store.
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The purple umbrellas and outdoor tables belong to a popular restaurant in Melbourne, On the opposite side of the road.
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You'll see another mural.
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The painting fits perfectly in the space between the end of the tables and the top of the umbrellas.
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Flinders Lane is mostly known for being full of really nice restaurants.
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The restaurants can be kind of expensive, but if you're looking for something a little fancy, then you might want to try it.
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A little further up is AC/DC Lane It's named after an old Australian rock band.
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There used to be a famous live music venue here too.
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It was a bar that played rock and roll music.
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On the right side of the laneway, you'll see posters advertising events happening in Melbourne.
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Next to the advertising is some more street art that looks like postage stamps.
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On the opposite wall is a painting of the lead singer of the rock band that the laneway is named after.
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At the end of the laneway is a restaurant At the restaurant, take a left.
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Now that's a lot of walking you've done so far.
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You might need to use a bathroom.
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I know this sounds strange, but let's navigate to the nicest public toilet in Melbourne.
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The laneway winds around a corner, so walk to the end of it and take a right back onto Flinders Lane.
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First, cross the road at the lights.
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If the lights are flashing red, it means you've just missed the green light.
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The flashing red light means that there's a small amount of time to finish crossing the road.
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When you get to the other side, turn left and cross on that green light towards a cinema.
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You'll see movie posters on the corner.
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Walk past them and around the edge of the building until you see a big, open area at the building's entrance.
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Walk through this area and go inside the building.
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Inside the building, walk up a small flight of stairs and head towards the hotel that's joined to the building.
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The bathrooms are actually part of the hotel, but it is free for anyone to go and use.
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Go up the escalator one floor to where the hotel lobby is.
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From the lobby, walk to the lifts, press the button and wait for one to arrive.
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The bathroom is on level 35.
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When you arrive at level 35, keep following the corridor around to the right.
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Walk down the stairs, then back up the stairs, still to the right.
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And you'll end up at the bathrooms.
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From this bathroom you can see all across Melbourne.
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You can see the river, the tall buildings, the gardens and all the way off into the distance.
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It's a pretty interesting way to see the city.
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Thanks so much for walking with me today.
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What are the small, narrow streets called in Melbourne?
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Laneways. What is it called when a street ends and you can't go any further?
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A dead end.
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What's it called when workers fix or build something?
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Construction.
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What do Australians mean when they say they've been doing something “for ages”?
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They've been doing something for a long time.
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What do you call the place where two roads meet?
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The intersection.
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What is the word you use when you're finding your way in a place?
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You navigate.
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What do you call something that happens right away?
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Immediate. Thanks for joining me today.
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And thank you so much to the members of my channel.
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If you'd like a little extra support learning English members of my channel can download a PDF script and get bonus listening and speaking practice videos every month.
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Where would you like to go next?
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And which everyday English topics would you like to practice more?
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Let me know in the comments.
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If this video helped you, please subscribe for more simple Australian English practice.
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See you next time.
Why practice speaking with this video?
In this engaging video from a Melbourne walking tour, viewers have the opportunity to enhance their English speaking practice through real-life scenarios. As the narrator provides directions, you are encouraged to follow along, enabling you to practice speaking and listening simultaneously. This dual approach not only boosts your language skills but also builds your confidence in using English in everyday situations, whether you're planning a visit to Australia or simply exploring different cultures from your home. By utilizing this video for shadowing, you can mimic the speaker's intonation and rhythm, helping you develop a more natural accent.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
The video employs various structures that are essential for giving directions. Here are some key grammatical and expressive points to consider:
- Imperative verbs: Phrases like "turn right," "look to your right," and "keep walking" are commonly used in directions. This format is effective for clearly guiding someone through a route.
- Present and future tenses: The speaker employs the present tense for immediate actions (e.g., "you'll want to walk") and future tense when suggesting future actions. This distinction helps reinforce when to use each tense in practical contexts.
- Prepositional phrases: Directions involve many prepositions, such as "on the left," "across from," and "at the end of." Understanding how these phrases structure directions is vital for effective communication.
- Descriptive adjectives: Words like "narrow," "colourful," and "big" not only provide details about locations but also enhance your vocabulary related to city scenes and features.
Common Pronunciation Traps
When following along with the video, learners might encounter certain pronunciation challenges, particularly with some Australian accents, which may be unfamiliar. Here are a few traps to watch out for:
- Laneway: Pronounced as "lan-way," the blend may be tricky for non-native speakers, as it sounds different from the way it's written.
- Construction: The speaker says "construction" quickly, which can make it sound like "construc-shun" if not articulated clearly. Make sure to practice breaking it down into syllables.
- Traffic lights: Colloquially referred to simply as "the lights," this phrase may confuse learners accustomed to longer forms. Practice saying it in the context of a complete sentence to improve fluency.
Utilizing resources like this video for shadow speech practice will help refine your pronunciation and expression, making it easier to navigate conversations and situations in English.
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.