Shadowing Practice: I time travelled to Tudor London in 1536! (Vlog) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Okay, so I have just arrived in Tudor London, 1536, and...
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Okay, so I have just arrived in Tudor London, 1536, and...
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No. No, no, no. Oh, oh, that is...
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Okay, that is fish and smoke and something I genuinely cannot name,
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and I have made a mistake coming this way.
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So the plan is I'm going to check in at my room in the inn,
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get into the market, see how people actually live here,
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eat whatever they eat, and then later I am meeting the actual king.
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Yep, Henry VIII in person.
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Oh, and thank you so much,
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guys for all the support on my channel it means the
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world 150 000 of you subscribe to the channel in a
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few weeks like what the hell shout out to all the new channel members as well you guys are legends
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So one thing I've noticed about Tudor London,
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these buildings are just, they lean.
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They literally lean into each other up there,
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like they're holding each other up.
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So, I think they might know I'm not from here.
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Okay, so this is where I'm staying.
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The Boar's Head Inn.
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Sounds ominous.
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There were hundreds of these little inns by the 1530s.
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They offered food, drink, rooms,
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and a place to stable your horse.
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Whatever people were gossiping about in here,
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this was the real news of Tudor London.
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I just need the key.
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Excuse me.
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Hi, I'm checking into my room.
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It's in the name of Chloe.
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Okay, so these staircases are just, they're tiny.
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I feel like I'm like,
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I don't know, like a giant or something.
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These people were built completely differently to me.
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Like, Jesus Christ.
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Oh, it's kind of cute in a medieval kind of way.
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So the mattress is straw,
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actual straw, the stuff horses eat.
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Oh God.
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I've just noticed the bathroom.
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Yeah, that pot is the bathroom.
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Didn't have one of these since my ancient Rome trip.
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My view is just Tudor life,
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like unfiltered, happening right now, right outside my window.
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Anyway, let's get changed into something more Tudor.
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Okay, new outfit, linen shift underneath,
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woolen killer on top, overdress over that,
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and the coif on the head.
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It is itchy.
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Very itchy.
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But I need to blend in.
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Let's go see Tudor London.
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Can you believe this place?
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I mean, it's so authentic.
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It's like stepping back in time.
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A pig.
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I was just taken out by a Tudor pig in my new outfit.
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Day one.
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Okay, so Cheapside is the main market street of Tudor London right now,
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and I was not, I was not prepared for the volume.
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Every single person in this street is selling something or buying something or moving something,
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and everyone is doing it at the absolute top of their voice.
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So apparently eel pie was eaten a lot here,
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and I have always wanted to try a good British pie so here goes.
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It's um it's quite earthy but also kind of sweet like I was not expecting the sweet.
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Not bad actually.
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That kid is about 10 years old and he has already started his apprenticeship.
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Like this is his life now.
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He will do this trade for the rest of his life probably in this exact workshop.
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There is no school for him.
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No childhood in the way we understand it.
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He is actually really good at it though.
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So this is Fleet Street, 1536.
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This right here is basically the internet.
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This is how news travels,
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how gossip spreads, how the king controls what people think.
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And Henry VIII already knows exactly how dangerous this is.
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He started censoring printed works just a few years ago.
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Okay, so everyone is going somewhere all at once.
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I have absolutely no idea what what is happening,
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but I'm going with them.
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Something is definitely happening up there.
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So turns out this is not the medieval festival I thought I was going to.
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It's a public execution.
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The whole system of keeping order runs entirely on public fear.
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But it is also just.. entertainment.
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You like King?
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You like King?
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A great and mighty ruler.
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I don't think he even believed what he was saying.
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The fear is real.
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Okay, so this is London Bridge.
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Over 200 buildings on a bridge.
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I still cannot process that.
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At the top of this gatehouse,
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there are heads on spikes.
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And everyone just walks under them every single day.
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Fun fact, London Bridge was the only bridge across the entire city until 1750.
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And it took 33 years to build.
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It had homes, shops, a chapel,
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and even a water wheel.
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So that is the Tower of London,
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built by William the Conqueror in 1078.
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So in 1536, it's almost 500 years old,
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it was used as a prison,
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a royal palace, an armory,
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the royal mint, and where the crown jewels were kept.
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Oh, and lots of executions happened there too, for good measure.
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Alright, time to get some dinner.
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I am just looking for a tavern that seems,
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you know, like the least noisy option.
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Maybe this one?
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Get out!
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Yeah, maybe not.
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The tavern.
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Okay, I mean, I guess it is what it says on the tin.
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Oh!
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Okay, so the smell is,
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it is mud and sweat and tallow and all of it together is, it's a lot.
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Okay, so ale, pottage, pie,
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prip, bread, that is the entire menu.
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Ale, please.
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Ale and pie, please.
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Right.
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So I ordered pie.
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I got this, which is essentially a very thick stew with some kind of meat in it, I think.
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It's actually not bad.
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Like, it's quite herby.
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I've had worse.
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So let's try the ale.
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Okay, I need two hands,
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so let me put you down a sec.
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It's not as strong as you think.
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It's kind of watered-down beer almost.
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Looks like the party's just arrived.
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Well, that escalated quickly.
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I picked the quietest tavern,
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and now I'm basically clubbing medieval styles.
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Go figure.
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Okay, so I'm not sure if you can even see me right now.
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I really miss street lamps.
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But that was genuinely one of the best nights I have had in a long time.
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The music, the dancing, the ale, all of it.
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Ready to sleep on my straw bed now,
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if I manage to find it.
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Okay.
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So day one, watched a public execution,
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got knocked over by a pig,
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and danced in a Tudor tavern.
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These people.
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They work so hard and have so little and still find a way to just live.
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I received this today, an invitation from Henry VIII himself to visit him at Hampton Court Palace.
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Perks of being a time traveler?
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But Henry is not the real reason I'm going.
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Good night.
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Good morning.
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And look at this.
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So apparently this is what you wear to visit the court
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of Henry VIII The whole thing weighs an absolute ton I
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can barely move I do not know how women did this every single day
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So this is the strand
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Which is meant to be the rich part This road is an absolute state
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And I say that as someone who lives on a road with potholes
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so bad the council has given up This is the same Oh my,
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look at that dress Like, look at it.
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The embroidery alone, that is hand-stitched.
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Every single thread of that is done by hand.
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That would have taken...
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Right.
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Okay.
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Normal.
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This is just, this is Tuesday for her.
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This is just what you wear.
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Okay.
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So I have just arrived at Hampton Court Palace,
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and I am, I'm not gonna lie,
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I am extremely nervous right now.
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I have one objective today.
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I need to get to Anne and warn her about that.
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while also keeping my head firmly on my body.
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The things I do for my followers.
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Oh my god, guys.
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He's coming.
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He's coming.
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Ah, you must be Chloe.
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I have heard a great deal about you.
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I-yes, that's me.
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I have absolutely no idea what he has heard.
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So, you claim to be a traveler from the year 2026?
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Yes.
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Very well.
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Then I would hear most eagerly,
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what manner of king does history recall me to be?
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You are very well remembered, your majesty.
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Your majesty, I am told you have traveled far to be here.
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You could say that.
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Meet me in the quarter, it's important.
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Most good.
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You shall dine with us this evening,
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and you may tell me more of how greatly my name is remembered through the ages.
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I would be honored, your majesty.
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Dinner with Henry VIII, no pressure.
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Your majesty, you need to leave now, while you still can.
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Leave?
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Leave where, exactly?
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Anywhere.
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Anywhere that is not here,
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Henry is going to betray you.
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Henry would never do such a thing.
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But your majesty...
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I am thinking about absolutely everything right now.
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The cutlery situation alone, I do not know what half of these are for.
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How am I sitting?
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Is this how I sit?
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What do I eat?
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In what order?
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With what?
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I cannot cope.
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Okay, sneaky food review.
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I genuinely do not know what animal this came from.
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Oh, well it's still not bad.
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It tastes like luxury with a hint of privilege.
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No. No, no, no. That is a completely different thing to what happened in the tavern.
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Second impromptu party of the trip, send help.
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Come.
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Let us see if the traveler from the future can manage a pavan.
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I'm not sure if Anne would approve of this.
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You know, where I come from,
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people just kind of move.
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There are no steps.
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No steps?
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How extraordinary barbaric.
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He's not wrong.
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Perhaps they danced differently in the year 2006 and 20.
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Turns out my dancing was enough of a reason to get me kicked out of Hampton Court Palace.
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In fairness, I did tread on the King of England's foot.
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Twice.
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Possibly three times.
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At least I kept my head.
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Couldn't wait to take that thing off.
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Anyway, Tudor London.
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It is loud, it is chaotic,
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it smells in ways I did not know were possible.
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The food is better than you think,
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the ale grows on you.
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But in all seriousness, this place is brutal.
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The disease alone would probably have finished me off within a week.
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The filth, the fact
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that you can lose your head for saying the wrong thing to the wrong person on the wrong day.
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But the people, the people are what holds this place together.
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Anyway, I'm going back to 2026,
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or forward rather, to have an absolutely burning hot shower.
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Oh, and if you want to see more videos like this,
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don't forget to hit that subscribe button.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

This engaging vlog provides a unique opportunity to practice speaking English in a historical context. As the speaker journeys through Tudor London in 1536, viewers are immersed in authentic dialogue and vivid descriptions of daily life. By watching and repeating parts of the video, you can experience how natives express their thoughts and emotions, offering a rich resource for english speaking practice.

The speaker's excitement in visiting the inn and meeting King Henry VIII allows learners to capture natural reactions and conversational phrases. This context highlights key expressions used in tourist settings, making it a valuable exercise for IELTS speaking practice where describing personal experiences is often required.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

1. Present Continuous Tense: Throughout the video, the speaker uses the present continuous to describe ongoing actions, such as "I am checking in at my room." This structure emphasizes current experiences and can help learners make their narratives more dynamic.

2. Descriptive Language: Phrases like "the buildings are just, they lean" showcase the use of simple present tense and adjectives to create vivid imagery. This technique is crucial when aiming to improve expressions in storytelling and can play a key role in shadowspeak, as it encourages learners to paint a picture with their words.

3. Conversational Phrases: Expressions such as "Sounds ominous" and "I feel like I'm a giant" demonstrate informal conversation and personal impressions. Incorporating this type of language into your speech can enhance relatability and clarity in discussions.

4. Contextual Vocabulary: Words such as "inn," "mattress," and "coif" are specific to the Tudor era but learning these terms through context can enrich your vocabulary in both historical and modern conversations.

Common Pronunciation Traps

When practicing your pronunciation, pay attention to certain words and phrases in the video that may be tricky. For instance:

  • "Tudor": Make sure to pronounce it with emphasis on the first syllable: TU-dor.
  • "Ominous": This word can be hard for non-native speakers; focus on the "om" sound at the beginning and the soft "nous" ending.
  • "Coif": As a less common term, ensure the pronunciation is correct: kwahf.

By practicing these challenging words along with the speaker, learners can significantly improve English pronunciation. Shadowing this video not only helps with pronunciation but also allows you to internalize the rhythm and intonation of natural speech.

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.

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