Shadowing Practice: i got a bike! study with me: a week at uni in berlin. - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
188 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Guys, I think this might be one of the most exciting days of my entire time here.
2
I'm getting a bike!
3
Oh my god, the van's driving.
4
Somewhere on that van is my bike.
5
If you followed me through quarantine, you'd know that I randomly fell in love with my bike.
6
It became this escape when I was trapped in the house.
7
I would cycle for almost an hour a day.
8
And then, by some beautiful luck, I came to one of the bikiest cities in the world.
9
Also, as an ode to my Dutch heritage, I feel like I have to like cycling.
10
I have to prove it to my grandma.
11
Look at it, it's so pretty.
12
So basically I pay 15 euros a month and I get this bike
13
and any repairs I need any damage is all included in
14
the 15 euros I can just get it repaired for free it has a pretty light built into it
15
which is powered by me cycling
16
so at night I can cycle it'll just be illuminated
17
and then because I'm not staying here that long I can just return it
18
and just cancel my subscription fee and that's it.
19
The guy arrived, he gave me a little rundown of how cycling works in Berlin.
20
He showed me how to use my bike lock and I'm not gonna lie to you, I failed.
21
It was really embarrassing.
22
Yeah, I had to do it like three times
23
and he was just kind of like standing there awkwardly
24
because I couldn't do it and my germ is so limited I couldn't make a small talk.
25
Despite the fact I'm a morning person, this is the first time I've woken up at 7am in three weeks.
26
I'm embarrassingly tired and dead and it's freezing outside it's like oh like five degrees
27
autumn is coming but I have to admit this summer is very pretty okay context
28
so this weekend was an amazing weekend I had such a
29
good time one of my close friends from the UK was here
30
so I spent the whole weekend just showing her around soaking up Berlin enjoying myself
31
but this week I have three assignments due.
32
I have to write a crazy number of words.
33
I have like a million readings.
34
I have so many classes.
35
I basically just have a lot of work and commitments this week.
36
So instead of feeling guilty, which I'm not going to do because life is for enjoying.
37
I had a great weekend.
38
And instead of getting stressed, which I'm also not going to do because stress and worrying
39
really doesn't help you if anything it cripples you and stops you getting work done in a rational, efficient way.
40
Last night I made a plan.
41
I committed to an early night.
42
I committed to an early morning.
43
I found an amazing place to study today.
44
This is my first time going to a library.
45
I've planned out my priorities for this week.
46
I've planned out my deadlines, what I'm going to do when.
47
And today is a study day, wholeheartedly.
48
So I'm going to quickly do some kind of exercise just to wake myself up.
49
It'll increase my mental clarity.
50
It'll mean I can sit down and study for most of the day and be okay.
51
I'm going to eat breakfast.
52
Then I'm going to get on my bike and head to a library.
53
We go smash this week.
54
My roommates normally wake up later than me and honestly this is the most necessary time of my day.
55
I do my own thing, I chill, I set up my life.
56
I wash my hair occasionally because it takes forever.
57
And if there's one thing in my routine which always stays it is porridge.
58
I am a porridge girl through and through.
59
Congrats dad you got to me.
60
Let's go find a library.
61
What happened to the weather today?
62
This is amazing.
63
On Saturday, it was so rainy, and I'm just too optimistic, so I thought the weather would get better in the day.
64
So I just didn't dress for rain, and I ended up in these shoes, squelching every single step.
65
I was like, orderling along rainy Berlin.
66
I haven't been to this area yet.
67
Casual palace.
68
Gorgeous, golden building.
69
And just not to mention the blue sky cute casual bike.
70
I need to get a helmet by the way.
71
Safety.
72
Sorry mum.
73
And here she is, the library.
74
Am I in the Netherlands or?
75
I'm getting a few words I know.
76
Okay so you know I had these really dramatic incredible plans to go to a library for the the first time, sit down, slay my work.
77
Apparently you have to book a study slot a week in advance
78
because that's how booked up it has gotten during COVID when loads of uni campuses are like running differently, which means I'm not going to the library today.
79
So that's fine.
80
We're still going to slay the work.
81
We're still going to be optimistic.
82
This is where all the research I've ever done is useful
83
because I went and researched loads of cafes that have wifi
84
and outlets and are known as good co-working spaces and I saved them in my Google Maps.
85
So now I'm in this new area.
86
I've saved a bunch which are quite near here.
87
And there's one place I actually really wanted to try and it opens at 10.
88
Maybe one day I'll come here.
89
This cafe is very cool.
90
The chai latte is one of my absolute favourite.
91
Chai is where it's at.
92
You and I can weather any storm Okay, so I did make a bit of a plan yesterday for
93
my priorities for the week I've got a lot of deadlines
94
I've got many assignments due this week I've also got three classes tomorrow
95
Which I need to do readings for I'm trying to save us really calmly
96
Because I thought of it It's actually very stressful But we're gonna split it up, it'll be okay.
97
My priority for today is to completely finish my B110 assignment, which is gonna require me digging into a lot of primary literature,
98
critiquing literature, designing, study, and I need to do all my readings for my contemplative science class tomorrow.
99
And I need to plan my second assignment.
100
Priorities.
101
Okay.
102
Cheers to productivity.
103
No limit to what we can do Oh,
104
well you know what we have, let's hold on tight Found what we're looking for in life Hello, okay, okay, an update And I'm in public
105
so this is slightly awkward as I can
106
So I have done the first draft of my B1 tennis set I still need to go through
107
and complete my references I need to cut it down into the word limit because right now it's way over.
108
But I've got to say I love this topic.
109
It's all about consumer behavior research and I'm positioning it specifically within the sustainability space.
110
So I'm basically digging into primary literature about products that have sustainable benefits, that are considered green products.
111
This talk will probably be public, but I'm going to tell you about my assignment later.
112
So vlogging in public is not the one.
113
Um, let me tell you more about my assignment.
114
Okay, so you know when you've got a product that is sustainable in some respect, maybe it's helping towards one of the climate change sustainable development goals, maybe it's helping limit water consumption,
115
maybe it's a meat alternative product.
116
I wanted to investigate the extent to which marketing a product as sustainable increases
117
or decreases the way that consumers view the quality of the product.
118
You see, I am really invested in sustainability and wanting people to make more sustainable choices.
119
And so I think it's fascinating that for certain hard attribute products, for example, cars or a lot of technology products,
120
tools, labeling anything as sustainably made or made from recycled materials generally decreases how we value that product.
121
So just thinking about globally, how can you get people to shift to more sustainable alternatives when naturally we have implicit biases against sustainable alternatives?
122
It's like, for example, food.
123
Say I bring you a cake and I'm like, oh, it's a vegan cake.
124
A lot of people will instantly think that it's going to taste worse just because it's vegan.
125
Whereas if you just say, oh, it's a cake and you try it and you like it and then I tell you it's vegan, then you don't already have that implicit bias against it.
126
Yeah, I just did a load of research into that
127
and I also designed a study that I would love to conduct
128
and then linked it to a bunch of different papers I'd already seen that had similar hypotheses.
129
There we go.
130
I've been here for three and a half hours.
131
I'm gonna head out soon because I've overstayed and I've had the cake, I've had I've had the drink.
132
I might go to a park for a bit, just do some readings, but yeah, I need to stretch and get up.
133
Before I do that, I'm just gonna read through my next assignment, get into the frame of mind, and then hopefully try and plan that later.
134
This is so gorgeous.
135
I love this weather.
136
It's still kind of fresh, kind of crisp, but sunny. So sunny.
137
I literally just sat here like a cloud watching.
138
I also think this is one of my favourite ways to spend a day.
139
Like go to a cafe, do a load of interesting work and then chill.
140
Do nothing for a while.
141
I'm actually gonna stretch a bit just
142
because I was sat down for ages Then I'm
143
gonna join my housemate Lara
144
at a cafe
145
What even is this city?
146
Even in the hard time You and I can't weather any storm
147
There was a lot more to this week than just that one day.
148
One night I had the luxury of going to this place called Tempelhoferfeld, which is an old abandoned airport.
149
Crazy!
150
I met up with a subscriber called Mariana.
151
She's from Portugal.
152
She is in ginger.
153
She had just come back from a yoga retreat, which is amazing.
154
What are you doing?
155
So the moon is super pink or orange according to Jade.
156
It's the most beautiful moon, it's full moon, it's super magical.
157
It's a full moon.
158
It really is.
159
We've had a really good conversation.
160
I also cook a lot and I hang out with my roommates
161
and I try and explore and I try and see Minervans and have petite chats.
162
I unfortunately do laundry which is you know a bit of a task but that's okay.
163
But more than anything and something I haven't really filmed that much is class.
164
This takes up my life.
165
Readings for class, three hours of readings per class.
166
Each class is an hour and a half.
167
Each class you get grilled in.
168
It's mentally intense.
169
Staff class, you're midnight.
170
And then there are all these random moments that I don't really film, but just make the day so much fun.
171
I love my housemates.
172
This is Pedro as well.
173
I don't think I've introduced him.
174
How's the dead food?
175
Ah!
176
Let's go!
177
He's also Brazilian.
178
He's basically my third roommate.
179
And I think this is where I'm gonna end today's vlog.
180
Unfortunately, this is where the mess begins.
181
The assignments are starting, the work gets worse.
182
But if I can tell you one thing, it's that I really love my life here.
183
Maybe that's why I haven't really been making that much content.
184
I just love life here.
185
I'm sending you so much love.
186
I'm sending you a virtual hug, COVID free, of course.
187
Have an amazing rest of your week.
188
Bye.
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
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B21,388
25 sentences
My First Month Living Abroad
American AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B11
162 sentences
A few days in my life | Surviving Uni | Study with me | Productive Uni days | Attending lectures
Daily ConversationUniversity Students
A27
24 sentences
A Day in My Life 15: Riding My Bike
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B12
265 sentences
my first time in denmark 🚲 a week in copenhagen, solo travel, lots of shopping, biking & cafes
Travel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
B11
65 sentences
study vlog | productive days in my life | note taking, exam prep, waking up at 7 am
Daily ConversationUniversity Students
B11
31 sentences
Live in Wroclav as a Student for 1,5 years – Costs/Experience!
Daily ConversationUniversity Students
B1110 sentences
what they don't tell you about freshman year of college...
Daily ConversationUniversity Students
B14
30 sentences
B1 Trainer Test 3 Part 4 Transcript
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B11
172 sentences
VLOG from London
Daily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
275 sentences
MOVING TO OXFORD UNIVERSITY VLOG 🍂 | starting uni, unpacking & room tour
Daily ConversationUniversity Students
B14
36 sentences
Best Car Event in the World - ULTRACE POLAND 2026 | Nightride
Travel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
B11
64 sentences
A Sunday Reset Home for the Summer from Oxford
Daily ConversationUniversity Students
Speaking Goals for This Clip: Natural Fluency in Daily Stories
This video is perfect for practicing shadow speech—a technique where you repeat phrases aloud right after the speaker—to master conversational flow. The dialogue blends excitement, stress, and planning, mirroring real-life storytelling. Your goal? Learn to convey emotion (like "Oh my god, the van's driving!") and structure thoughts (e.g., explaining a bike subscription) with the same ease as the speaker. It’s ideal for building fluency in sharing personal updates, a key milestone for everyday English.
Phrase Bank: Reusable Expressions for Real Life
- "by some beautiful luck" – To describe a happy surprise (e.g., "By some beautiful luck, I found a great café!")
- "soaking up [a place]" – Enjoying a location fully (e.g., "We spent the weekend soaking up Paris.")
- "instead of feeling guilty, which I'm not going to do" – Reframing negative thoughts (e.g., "Instead of stressing, which I'm not going to do, I'll make a plan.")
- "increase my mental clarity" – Boost focus (e.g., "A short walk helps increase my mental clarity.")
- "wholeheartedly" – With full commitment (e.g., "Today, I’m focusing on work wholeheartedly.")
Fix Your Weak Spots: Rhythm and Contractions
The speaker uses casual contractions ("I'm", "it's", "I've") and natural pauses that make speech sound human. A common issue? Over-enunciating or rushing these. Use the shadowing technique to mimic her pace: pause after "Oh my god" and slow down when explaining the bike subscription ("so basically I pay 15 euros a month..."). This video also helps with linking words—notice how "and then" and "also" connect ideas smoothly. Practice with a shadowing site to record yourself and compare; you’ll quickly hear how rhythm makes your English sound more native. Remember: fluency isn’t just about speed—it’s about sounding like you’re talking, not reading.
Learning English with videos like this turns everyday moments into powerful practice. Whether you’re sharing a weekend story or planning a busy week, these phrases and rhythms will make your speech feel natural. Grab your headphones, hit play, and start shadowing—your fluency will thank you!
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 woken · I've planned · haven't been |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was trapped · is powered · be illuminated |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | bunch which are · assignment, which is · Tempelhoferfeld, which is |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the most exciting · the bikiest · the most necessary |
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.